Shadowman, Volume 3: Deadside Blues by Justin JordanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is something of a mixed bag. It doesn't follow up on the events of volume two in any specific way, but there are a couple instances where it is referenced. It's really a collection of stories surrounding Shadowman and his enemies that does a wonderful job to flesh out this corner of the Valiant universe.
First off, it opens with the origin of Shadowman's number one nemesis: Master Darque. This story is fan-freaking-tastic. It's dark (sorry) and gives an added dimension to this character. I want to read more about Darque and his sister Sandria after this one. Loved the art too. It has a quality to it that reminds me of watching really old movies, which is really fitting.
This leads into a story that explains the origin of Shadowman and how the Darques are involved. It does leave some questions, but I thought it did a great job rounding out a sort of mini-arc. Again, I enjoyed the art, although it is pretty different from the last story. The coloring really makes certain characters and images stand out.
I could see some people feeling a bit put off by the third issue. It isn't really connected to anything else in the Shadowman series up to this point. Sure, it utilizes Dr. Mirage from the second volume and gets into the supernatural more. One thing that I felt this story could have used was a better introduction to the spirits that Shadowman faces off against. Overall, it was a fun side story on what might happen in a day of the life of Jack Boniface. This probably had the weakest art in the volume. I can't say it was bad in any specific way though.
The last issue is actually three different stories that take turns exploring the character. They do a good job showing off the character of Jack, for better or for worse. We get to see a little bit of the Deadside and some of Shadowman's exploits in New Orleans. This volume as a whole builds on what was introduced in the first two books. I'd like to see a more cohesive story for the character down the road though.
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