Book of Shadows #1

Valiant Comics have had a run of ups and downs in recent years, with a particular uneven nature to their work that has been a bit of an issue for them lately. Having said that, they have also established a niche audience that is very devoted to their work, and the first issue of the Book of Shadows series should be a sort of reward for them in that particular regard, even though they are no longer in the prime of the Jim Shooter-led era of the early 1990s.

Valiant Comics’ Book of Shadows event, which focuses on magic and a potential threat to their universe as a whole, explores these topics. Shadowman has been attempting to keep the Deadside in their dimension but has ultimately failed. Shadowman and Persephone have discovered that an army of interdimensional animals has decimated an entire metropolis. This is how Shadowman learns he cannot do this alone and decides to gather a lot of the horror and magic-based characters of the Valiant universe to help him, such as Punk Mambo, the Eternal Warrior, Doctor Mirage and a few others.

Bunn is one of the best horror authors in recent years. He understands how to get to the point here, providing us with several fantastic action scenes while giving each character their voice, making every encounter more entertaining. Add to this the fact that this event is very friendly for new readers, so if you haven’t been up to date with the series that set up this story, don’t fear. It is dynamic and you will have a perfect time from the moment you read the first couple of pages.

Spanish artist Vicente Cifuentes may not be a big name in the industry, but he will get a lot more eyes on his work with what he has done in this particular issue. His work flows well, and his line work is quite crisp, which works with an event with so many participants and matches with the story’s general tone.

Comic book events can get very dull swiftly, but there is a lot to like with the Book of Shadows. You should give it a try because it has many fascinating traits.