Review - Shadowman #2

What's a slimy, amorphous creature from hell to do after returning to Earth? Pick up a nice suit of course! That's just a taste of what happens in Shadowman #2 from Valiant Comics.

The issue is written by Justin Jordan and Patrick Zircher, with art by Zircher, colors by Brian Reber and letters by Rob Steen.

Jack Boniface is quickly coming to terms with his newfound abilities as Shadowman, abilities that he's yet to completely reconcile with his life as a museum curator. That is until Alyssa Myles and Alessandro Paradojo arrive and help him out of a sticky situation with some cops who are more than just corrupt. They're actually humans being invaded by a parasite courtesy of Mr. Twist.

Mr. Twist is a beastly character appearing on Earth with the intent of taking out Shadowman so that nothing stands in the way of evil taking over. Of course, there's always a bigger fish and Mr. Twist is acting on behalf of Darque, an even more vile creature that wants Shadowman dead.

The second issue of the revived Shadowman is moving along at a swell pace. The writing duo of Jordan and Zircher are doing an effective job of presenting Jack Boniface as a truly bewildered individual. He comes from an incredible lineage and the book wastes little time drawing some of that lineage out. In fact, the pace of the book does a great job of presenting enough plot points that will be interesting while not drawing things out too much.

Mr. Twist deserves another solo mention in this issue, as he's turning into a really fun character. He's in only a few panels in the book, but he's got this sense of evil joviality about him where you look forward to his scenes. He's a devilish character who you want to root for as much as Jack, but in a very different way.

Zircher's art works great with the writing. There's a good amount of "magic" in the book that's depicted quite well and doesn't detract too much from the story. Yes, this is a tale about a man with supernatural powers, but it's not overly crazy when it comes to that aspect. Mr. Twist is an organic entity who uses his body as a weapon and it's presented in such a way that it's actually both chilling and enjoyable.

Shadowman #2 is only two issues in and it's setting things up swimmingly. Jack is a likable hero with a sufficient amount of fear and doubt, but when he lets loose evil should watch out. Mr. Twist is equally as likable in a different way and both are poised to play well against one another.

Shadowman #2 is in stores now with interiors below.