Posted in: Comics, Review, Valiant | Tagged: andy diggle, fantasy, magic, occult, Renato Guedes, shadowman, Simon Bowland, superheroes, valiant entertainment

Shadowman #6 Review: Prehistory of the Shadowman

Alyssa enlists the help of Doctor Mirage in discovering what happened to Jack Boniface, while the Shadowman himself travels further back in time to Africa in 40,000 BC. He enters the body of an ancient hunter, and Jack watches this hunter and his band return home to their village and find it destroyed by a sorcerer possessing his own Loa. The hunter swears revenge and to find his own magical aid.

Shadowman #6 takes us further back into the history of the Shadow Loa and its lineage, and Jack learns Marius may not have been the first Shadowman after all.

The story itself isn't all that impressive. Its characters aren't that interesting, and the structure follows a lot of the patterns you would expect for a story like this. It at least doesn't treat its protagonists like fools or cavemen, and that is appreciated. There is some humor to the leads too, and that does add some benefit.

It is cool, on some level, to know the origins of the Shadow Loa and the history of its human hosts. This story isn't bad either; it's just a little too conventional for its own good. That said, still expect a recommendation by the end.

Part of the reason you can expect a recommendation of this comic is the incredible artwork of Renato Guedes. Valiant has done a good job of recruiting some incredible artistic talent to its comics, and Shadowman has been a great beneficiary of this talent. The past two issues have been stunning and have given a photorealistic eye to this occult superhero series. Guedes' linework, inking, and color art are all on point and do this book a lot of good.

Shadowman #6 is a decent book. Its art is its strongest asset by far, but the story is far from bad. We are on the trail of the Shadow Loa's origins on Earth, and the next issue should show us the answers and will likely take the focus of the story back to the present in doing so. This one is worth a recommendation though. Feel free to check it out.

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