Shadowman #6 from Valiant Entertainment released on February 16th, 2022 and shows the terror of the Deadside War.
Background
Shadowman knows that he can’t win against the blights that bring spirits to the living world. So he tries to break traditions and inspire the spirits to live in coexistence with mortals. Only, the Deadside spirit is out to dominate and has the power to do so.
Shadowman #6: Fear The Deadside
Cullen Bunn after much buildup shows just how fearsome the Deadside is. Her very influence is even on pages she doesn’t appear on with how characters invoke her. That’s not even including how she makes the Voodoo gods and Shadowman archfoes, the Darque siblings, her servants. The Deadside comes across as a terrifying otherworldly force that’s all but unstoppable. From the looks of things, readers can’t help but empathize with Jack who seems to be in a hopeless situation.
Dark Arts
Pedro Andreo’s art tells most of the story of Shadowman #6 with expressive designs and body language. The masked vessels of the Darque twins not only look scary but, during their fight, their masks get damaged in such a way that it looks like they have a demented smile. Also, the way Punk Mambo appears with magical smoke is a pretty interesting design choice. It serves as a way of highlighting her unique abilities and asserting her presence. Which, along with her outfit’s brighter coloring by Jordie Bellaire makes her really stand out.
Meanwhile Clayton Cowles’ lettering highlights a few unique voices in relation to who’s more dominant. In regards to the Darque siblings, the ghoulish font of their dialogue makes a strong impression. It shows how they are more powerful than the other creatures.
Shadowman #6 Is Pretty Heavy… Metal
Shadowman #6 sets up a pretty bleak scenario but still gets you to invest in it. With older characters returning to show just how powerful the Deadside is, readers will be left in suspense for the next development.
