Shadowman by Garth Ennis & Ashley Wood (2016)
Genre
🎭 Supernatural Horror, Action, Dark Fantasy, Occult Noir
This comic blends gritty supernatural elements with voodoo folklore and urban horror, creating a dark, atmospheric world brimming with spectral violence and spiritual torment.
Main Characters
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Zero – A mysterious, stone-cold killer with a shadowy past, chosen by the voodoo forces to inherit the Shadowman legacy.
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Jack Boniface – The former Shadowman, slain early in the story, whose death catalyzes the rise of a new protector.
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Tommy Lee Bones – The undead antagonist leading a group of Deadside escapees on a killing spree through New Orleans.
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Baron Samedi (implied presence) – A spiritual force deeply tied to the voodoo mythos of the Shadowman world.
Writer
✍️ Garth Ennis
Known for his work on Preacher, The Punisher, and Hellblazer, Ennis brings his trademark grit, dark humor, and brutal storytelling to the Shadowman mythos. His take on the character is raw and unflinching, steeped in horror and moral ambiguity.
Artist
🎨 Ashley Wood
Wood’s distinctive mixed-media style infuses the panels with a moody, chaotic energy. His art is abstract, visceral, and haunting—perfectly matching the comic's tone of dread and violence.
Editor Details
🛠️ Warren Simons
As the Executive Editor for Valiant Entertainment during this period, Simons oversaw the creative direction and ensured continuity with Valiant's wider universe, allowing Ennis and Wood the space to craft this standalone vision.
Publisher and Brand
🏷️ Valiant Entertainment | Valiant Prestige
Published under Valiant’s more mature "Prestige" format, this limited release stood out for its brutal tone and stylized visuals, separate from Valiant’s standard superhero line.
Release Year
📅 2016
Brief Plot Summary
Jack Boniface, the original Shadowman, is brutally slain by Tommy Lee Bones—a monstrous revenant from the Deadside. With New Orleans defenseless and the supernatural veil torn open, the city teeters on the edge of spiritual annihilation. The voodoo forces, desperate for a new avatar, choose Zero, a mysterious killer with blood on his hands and demons in his past. As Zero dons the mask, he doesn’t seek redemption—he seeks justice through violence. And in his hands, the power of Shadowman becomes something darker, more lethal, and far less forgiving. 🩸👁️🗨️
Notable Arcs or Storylines
🔪 "Kill the Dead" Arc
This singular storyline marks Zero’s violent introduction as the new Shadowman. The arc is less about superheroics and more about survival and spiritual reckoning, examining what it truly means to wield power rooted in death and vengeance.
Fan Theories or Interpretations
🌀 Fans speculate that Zero might be a vessel of Baron Samedi himself or a discarded avatar, explaining his natural affinity for the Deadside and his unflinching brutality. Others interpret Zero’s journey as a cautionary tale of unchecked rage, drawing parallels between his methods and those of antiheroes like the Punisher—another Ennis favorite.
Some readers also theorize that the Deadside was never fully closed, and Tommy Lee Bones is just the first of many to escape, possibly setting up a wider event in the Valiant Universe that never materialized.
Review Summary
⭐ Art: Ashley Wood’s haunting, impressionistic visuals lend a dreamlike terror to the narrative. His jagged brushstrokes and color choices reflect the chaos of the spirit world and the moral decay of its inhabitants.
📖 Story Quality: Garth Ennis delivers a sharp, emotionally complex script. The pacing is tight, the stakes are high, and every panel drips with menace and mood.
🧠 Character Depth: Zero is a fascinating antihero—his motivations murky, his methods brutal, and his evolution compelling. Even secondary characters, like Tommy Lee Bones, are more than one-dimensional villains; they're echoes of deeper mythologies and traumas.
🔚 Overall, Shadowman (2016) is a brutal and beautiful descent into madness, magic, and the murky line between justice and vengeance. 💀🔥
Comic Resource / Read Online (External Source)
