Written by CULLEN BUNN Art by JON DAVIS-HUNT Colors by JORDIE BELLAIRE Letters by CLAYTON COWLES Cover A by JON DAVIS-HUNT Cover B by JONATHAN MARKS BARRAVECCHIA Pre-order Cover by ADAM POLLINA On sale JANUARY 19th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
DEADSIDE WAR begins here as terror takes over the Valiant Universe!
The critically acclaimed series returns as master of horror Cullen Bunn unleashes a twisted tale for Shadowman and Deadside…
Featuring haunting artwork by rising star Pedro Andreo!
Explore the Valiant Universe on Free Comic Book Day 2022. Arriving on May 7th, The Year of Valiant 2022 FCBD Special will present new content featuring exciting original stories, insightful behind-the-scenes looks at upcoming comics, in-depth interviews with Valiant creators, and exclusive teasers for fan-favorite characters. The compelling tales starring flagship characters will reward longtime Valiant fans while also serving as easily accessible jumping-on points for new readers.
The Year of Valiant 2022 FCBD Special includes…
An all-new Bloodshot story from Ringo Award-nominated writer Deniz Camp and acclaimed artist Jon Davis-Hunt. It’s a brutal brawl between living weapons as the nanite-infused supersoldier stands alone against a terrifying foe in a small town. Only Bloodshot can stop the twisted creation from unleashing more bloodshed and devastation on the neglected part of the country.
The fan-favorite duo of Archer & Armstrong go on a brand-new adventure! Written by the Eisner-nominated Steve Foxe and featuring art by rising star Marcio Fiorito, the young and optimistic Archer drags the care-free, hard-drinking and immortal Armstrong on a quest that leads them right into the base of an eldritch cult.
The award-winning creative team of Jeff Parker and Mike Norton present an action-packed ride starring Ninjak. In this thrilling original tale, a pair of tech-savvy hitmen set their sights on the superspy in an effort to collect the enormous bounty that is on his head.
Plus: Exclusive first looks at the future of Valiant’s iconic characters, including Shadowman and X-O Manowar!
Shadowman returned in 2021 with a four issue arc that brought the character back in a buzzed about series. On January 19th, the series next arc kicks off with Shadowman #5, the start of the “Deadside War“. The new arc is a jumping on point written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Pedro Andrea, color by Jordie Bellaire, and lettering by Clayton Cowles.
But, the story goes beyond the pages of Shadowman as 2022 also sees the Valiant:Fight for Deadside tabletop game coming to Kickstarter!
We got to talk to senior editor Lysa Hawkins about the series return and what we can expect for the tabletop game tie-in.
Graphic Policy: Shadowman #5 kicks off the “Deadside War”; is there going to be anyeffect of this felt in other Valiant titles? If so, how much coordination needs to go intosomething like that?
Lysa Hawkins: While the “Deadside War” takes place within the pages of Shadowman that doesn’t mean that you won’t see how it affects the various heroes of the Valiant Universe.
GP: Can you tell us if we’ll see other Valiant heroes showing up within the pages of Shadowman during the Deadside War?
LH: See previous response… :) Yes! Yes! Yes!
GP: We see Shadowman take a different approach to the burgeoning warby attempting to broker a peace; where did that idea come from?
LH: Clearly from the brilliant mind of Cullen Bunn… Jack is doing some soul searching and tries something new. You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Shadowman may not win…but he’s not crazy!
Cover B (Horror Movie Homage Variant) Jonathan Marks Barravecchia
GP: What coordination is going on between the comic and the tabletopgame Valiant: Fight for Deadside? Are the two connected?
LH: We are in contact regarding the game storylines and character depictions. From what I’ve seen, it looks amazing!
GP: Not to disparage Jordie Bellaire’s work, but are there any plans on releasing a few pages of the uncoloured art as a bonus feature in the comic or trade?
LH: Nothing can disparage Jordie…She rocks too hard, but yes, I believe the first previews you’ll see of Shadowman #5 will be Pedro’s pencils and inks…and boy are they good!
GP: Shadowman #5 is a jumping on point for the series and continues theseries. How hard is it to balance that?
LH: That can be tricky, but not with someone like Cullen at the helm. While Shadowman #5 does continue the story Cullen started in the first arc. You don’t need to have read that arc to pick up issue #5 and start fresh. Hopefully, in the case of the new reader, you’d want to go back and pick up the first arc, but you won’t need to.
GP: The comic has had a fantastic reception. Does that add any pressurefor the new arc?
LH: Yes! But in the best of ways. Cullen’s spinning a great horror tale, Pedro’s art is on fire it’s so hot. I’m super excited to see it come out and see if that fantastic reception doesn’t just grow. I’m so thankful to our fans!
Terror takes over the Valiant Universe this January…
The critically-acclaimed series Shadowman will unleash part 1 of ‘Deadside War’ in Shadowman #5, a gripping horror storyline that will unfold within the pages of Shadowman for four issues and feature the eagerly anticipated return of fan-favorite character Punk Mambo.
Jack Boniface is Shadowman, the brave and powerful supernatural protector who keeps humanity safe from the deadly creatures that dwell within the dimension known as the Deadside. When more and more of these nightmarish creatures start clawing into the world of the living, Jack won’t be able to stand alone against the global threat.
Rising star artist Pedro Andreo joins writer Cullen Bunn for a haunting story that brings horror to new heights blending in energetic action sequences.
Every new chapter of ‘Deadside War’ in Shadowman will feature a primary cover by Jon Davis-Hunt, a new Horror Movie Homage variant cover, and a pre-order cover. See below for the SHADOWMAN #5 covers featuring artwork by Davis-Hunt, Jonathan Marks Barravecchia, and Adam Pollina.
Part 1 of ‘Deadside War’ in Shadowman #5 will kick off The Year of Valiant, a year-long celebration of Valiant throughout 2022 featuring new launches, new creators, and the return of more fan-favorite characters.
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The opening arc of Shadowman has kept my interests pretty high. As a reader, we have a Shadowman book where the protagonist can let loose and dive right into the heart of the evil around him. We’ve seen in this series that the Deadside, which is as it sounds, is trying to use the Earth as its own power battery and there are powerful creatures escaping to the Earth. And rightfully so, we’ve seen Shadowman step up and take out whatever threat has arisen. The first three issues have been very enjoyable. Is Shadowman #4 going to hit like the previous three?
Another thing has escaped the Deadside. This is something that spreads a hallucinogenic experience to those it comes in contact with. Its effect is that of a very violent drug trip and that leads Shadowman and Samedi to track it to a crackhouse on the streets of London. Shadowman falls victim and comes face-to-face with his biggest threat; the Deadside is taking on a physical form and has let itself known to Shadowman. After overcoming the effects, Shadowman dispatches his foe but knows something far bigger and sinister now walks the world. He thinks he understands the relationship between the Deadside and the Earth and how he must deal with it.
To me, there was a lot to unravel with this issue. The villain of this issue was downright creepy and what it caused in its wake was really disturbing stuff. People imagining their babies are spawning into grotesque creatures or people hurting themselves because of what they think they see. I thought the way the fight between it and Shadowman went down was interesting. It wasn’t much of a fight but an invitation to see the true culprit. There’s something really interesting building within the pages of Shadowman and writer Cullen Bunn basically makes it sound like the series is going on hiatus to set up some other machinations within the Valiant universe. That part is a really big letdown, as this book has been great for every issue. Jon Davis-Hunt continues illustrating the creepiest, sickest villains around and with Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles, have continued to put out one of the better-looking books around.
I think that one key element has been that we see a lot with this series how normal folks have reacted or been treated by the Deadside beings and it really helps ratchet up the threats that Shadowman faces. And Shadowman, while being a hero, isn’t quite a superhero with this take. I hope when the book returns, it’s with this same creative team. They have done no wrongs on Shadowman and honestly, you can argue it’s the best we’ve gotten with the character in many years. Let’s hope that the publishing break isn’t a big one because whether it’s the entire four issues or just this fourth one, these stories are setting up something and should not be forgotten about.
Shadowman#4 finds Jack Boniface in London, England to track down another villain of the week. The way in which writer Cullen Bunn has been telling standalone stories every issue linked by an over arching theme has been a strong feature of the series so far, and I’m loving how the story is coming together.
Before we get to that though I’ve got to mention, once again, how much I love the recap page as told by Samedi. It adds a brilliant flavour to the book and lets you know to look out for the odd dry line here and there which turn out to be far funnier than one would necessarily expect from a horror book. Well, at least far funnier than I would expect, at any rate. Shadowman has been one of the incredibly rare comics that has me reading this page even though I know what happened before, because I enjoy the way it’s retold.
I also love the relationship between Shadowman and Samedi within the comic, too. It’s easily one of the highlights for me every issue.
The comic, written by Bunn, with art by Jon Davis-Hunt and colors by Jordie Bellaire, is by far and wide the best thing Valiant has published in a while, but it’s also among the very best of comics that are coming out right now. For my money (and despite getting review copies, I’m still buying this) Shadowman tops everything being published right now – the only asterisk is Scout Comic’s By The Horns, which is also simply incredible. It’s hard for me to overstate how much I love this book, and even harder to stay away from too much hyperbolic wording.
The combination of Davis-Hunt and Bellaire balance Bunn’s writing with a beautifully vibrant and often grotesque imagery. The art isn’t of the photo-realistic variety, but I wouldn’t change it for a moment – this is how I see Shadowman man now, and I hope we continue to see this creative team together on the character long after the story is concluded.
Shadowman is simply amazing in every way. There’s not much else to be said.
Written by CULLEN BUNN Art by JON DAVIS-HUNT Colors by JORDIE BELLAIRE Letters by CLAYTON COWLES Cover A by JON DAVIS-HUNT Cover B by MICHAEL WALSH Cover C (Horror Movie Homage) by JUAN GIMENEZ Pre-order Cover by DECLAN SHALVEY On sale JULY 28th | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
Masters of Horror Cullen Bunn and Jon Davis-Hunt bring Shadowman’s descent into the darkness of London.
Danger is a drug and it’s deep in the veins of mankind. Shadowman’s on a quest to find the source of his hallucinations and Jack has less control than he once thought. The worst has happened… Deadside has arrived.
Masters of terror Cullen Bunn and Jon Davis-Hunt continue their terrifying tour of Shadowman’s world by bringing the supernatural defender to Barcelona where he’ll encounter a sinister undertaker in Shadowman #3.
I often wonder when I read a comic whether the small things that I love are the same things that others enjoy. Case in point, once again, is the recap page. I’m always fond of recap pages in principle because my memory isn’t what it was when I was a kid and didn’t have to remember hundreds of things for work, but when the recap is provided in character by Baron Samedi it really gets me in the right frame of mind for what’s about to come.
I know this is likely going to come as somewhat of a surprise, but Shadowman #3 has some genuinely funny moments within its pages – and almost all of the center around Samedi himself. This isn’t a comedy story, but rather Cullen Bunn injecting small moments of humor into a book you’d not immediately associate humor with. It’s these fun moments that elevate what is otherwise a story steeped in the horror genre – typically not something I would usually be drawn to, but then this is a comic that’s got a lot to offer those who aren’t typically horror fans.
The comic, written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Jon Davis-Hunt and colours by Jordie Bellair, has Shadowman chasing down information from a wonderfully bizarre loa that deals in secrets, before something ends up going slightly wrong. Shadowman #3 continues Bunn’s trend with the series of having an almost self contained story. Though this issue builds on the previous a little more than the second did with the first, you can still enjoy the comic if you haven’t read the other two (though why you wouldn’t read such fine examples of the medium I’m not sure). Without spoiling anything, there’s a scene that had me grinning from ear to ear which is then followed by a panel that is understated and yet completely awesome (pages 19-21 in the comic/after the ad for coffee). That sequence alone was worth my price of admission (granted I read a review copy, but will be buying the floppy when I get to my LCS).
I can’t say enough good things about Davis-Hunt’s artwork. It’s not a super realistic style, but this has become my Shadowman; Davis-Hunt’s design suits the character to a tee, and the way he brings Jack Boniface to life, the expressions on his face and the physicality in the way he moves across the page genuinely brings a smile to my face. The creative team are probably one of the finest that Valiant have pulled together in a long time, and it shows in their work.
As a series, Shadowman is easily one of the best things Valiant has put out in a long time, and for my money is the best thing on the racks right now. This series gets better every issue.
Written by CULLEN BUNN Art by JON DAVIS-HUNT Colors by JORDIE BELLAIRE Letters by CLAYTON COWLES Cover A by JON DAVIS-HUNT Cover B by TYLER KIRKHAM Cover C (Horror Movie Homage Variant) by ERICA HENDERSON Preorder Cover by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ On sale JUNE 23rd | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
Masters of terror Cullen Bunn and Jon Davis-Hunt continue their terrifying tour of SHADOWMAN’s world by bringing the supernatural defender to Barcelona where he’ll encounter a sinister undertaker…
