Shadowland #1 did a very good job of setting up this miniseries. Daredevil killed Bullseye, the Hand are slowly taking over New York and Matt Murdock’s friends and allies are trying to bring things to a peaceful conclusion.
After his fight with Bullseye last issue, Daredevil shows surprisingly little emotion. If he’s not upset at actually killing someone, then at least he should be happy to have finallly defeated his greatest enemy. His growing detachment shows just how much of a hold the Hand has on him, though their ultimate goal is still a mystery. Luke Cage and Iron Fist once again try to talk to him, but they’re bringing reinforcements this time, with their old Heroes for Hire buddies and Spider-Man tagging along. Additionally, we see Moon Knight infiltrate Shadowland and Kingpin summon the freaking GHOST RIDER.
I was a little unsure what to expect going into this miniseries, but this issue had enough of a wow factor to completely grab my interest. The art continues to be impressive, setting the mood perfectly. Drawing Ghost Rider is no easy task, and Billy Tann hits it out of the park here. The big fight at the very end of the issue leads me to believe that the art team is more than up to the task of doing justice to this large cast of characters. With major players like the Punisher and Elektra still to make their promised appearances, Shadowland is shaping up to be a big, epic piece of summer fun.
At least at this point, the tie-ins don’t seem to be taking anything away from the core title, which was a major concern of mine going into this event. While I can’t speak for all of the tie-ins, I did rather enjoy the first issue of Shadowland: Moon Knight. I loved the relaunch of Moon Knight a couple years ago, but the art style on Vengeance of the Moon Knight made me stop reading his solo series. The quality of the Shadowland tie-in was very impressive, and does a great job of tying his individual story in with the miniseries. Moon Knight is going to be PISSED when this is all over.
Shadowland Issue 2 of 5
Marvel Comics
Story: Andy Diggle
Art: Billy Tann, Victor Olazaba, Christina Strain
