The new creative team of writer Jim Zub and artist Miguel Sepulveda takes over from Justin Jordan and about half a dozen different artists who drew his scripts (most notably Patrick Zircher) with Shadowman #11. And while it's still recognisably Shadowman, Zub just isn't as great a writer as Jordan so this issue isn't a patch on the ones that preceded it. That said, it's still kinda fun. This is the Shadowman "Halloween Spooktacular" issue (yes it's several weeks early but Shadowman #12 comes out a few days after Halloween so it has to be now) which you could argue is basically every issue of Shadowman given that it's a supernatural comic about a guy whose outfit is black with glowing white skeletal features superimposed on it! It's a done-in-one issue where Jack Boniface joins forces with Dr Mirage to hunt down a pair of impish spirit creatures called the Djab, who look like giant talking flies, as they wreak havoc during the New Orleans Halloween Parade. The tone is playful horror as the Djab possess a pair of drunk party guys who steal Shadowman's scythe and run around the parade giggling - kind of like the comics equivalent of a Sam Raimi horror picture, very tongue in cheek and knowingly silly. This is especially underlined when the issue culminates in a fight between Shadowman, Dr Mirage and a giant possessed pug! Miguel Sepulveda's art is pretty strong throughout and his time working on DC's New 52 Red Lanterns, where most of the characters are monstrous in some form, has paid off in his compelling depictions of the Djab and the monster pug. There's an excellent splash page of the Halloween Parade too which was wonderfully detailed and must've been a pain to draw, working in dozens of figures with different costumes, but it looks great! I'm not as in love with Zub's version of Shadowman than I was with Justin Jordan's, but Shadowman #11 isn't a bad comic, it's just somewhat forgettable though I understand writing a self-contained story that's also brilliant can be a tricky premise. Zub's main story arc begins in the next issue so here's hoping his Shadowman is as successful and memorable a portrayal of the character as Jordan's was. If you're looking for a Halloween comic, you could do worse than Shadowman #11 though I'd also recommend picking up the first two volumes of the series, which are absolutely killer and suitably seasonal.
Published by Valiant Comics, Shadowman #11 by Jim Zub and Miguel Sepulveda is out now