Shadowman #15

By Peter Milligan, Roberto De La Torre, Al Barrionuevo and David Baron

Justin Jordan had a very good run on Shadowman and he set up the story and introduced all of the most important characters. He has left the book and Peter Milligan has stepped in. Milligan has been a pretty well traveled writer, doing anything from X-Men to Hellblazer, but he has never dabbled in the Valiant Universe, until now.

Jack is still struggling with the Shadowman and is haunted by past mistakes. Alyssa has to decide if her love for Jack will allow her to make the right decision to save him. This should be a no brainer since the Abettors want to protect the world, don’t they?

This book has taken a very dark turn under Milligan’s pen. He demonstrates the internal turmoil going on inside Jack as he tries to become a better person and deal with his past mistakes. Jack comes off really strong this issue and we feel for him, because everybody is living with some guilt. The scene where Jack confronts the man he put in the wheel chair, we don’t get a happy resolution like TV would have us believe, but instead a realistic scenario. Milligan has really done a wonderful job of making this a different type of horror book. He makes the reader think about their own demons while reading about Jack’s—just a great job.

Roberto De La Torre is incendiary this issue. He really shines, and his moody art really enhances the storytelling. He is a perfect fit and partner for Milligan. The tone of De La Torres art is set early on this issue and is consistent throughout the entire book. There is a texture added to the art that also gives off a creepy vibe. Expressions on faces are priceless, as we can feel Alyssa’s pain as she debates on whether she should betray Jack or not. This issue felt very real, and De La Torre’s art is a huge reason making this his best issue so far.

This is the Milligan and De La Torre’s best issue yet. They seem to be finding a groove together and this is just their first arc. Milligan is doing a great job of humanizing Jack and also giving us good scares along the way. A great issue and a must read.