As one of Valiant’s premiere legacy characters, Shadowman has an extensive history, stretching back to the 1990s. Last year, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Jon-Davis Hunt breathed new life into the character, showing Shadowman take a more balanced look at his struggle against the Deadside. His new outlook will not come without repercussions, and readers can see them when Bunn returns to the character in January along with artist Pedro Andreo.
Shadowman first appeared in 1992’s X-O Manowar #4 before spinning out into his own book. The character, whose real name is Jack Boniface, draws his powers from the Shadow Loa, a voodoo spirit bound to his bloodline. As Shadowman, he protects the world of the living from the unspeakable horrors lurking in the Deadside, a mysterious realm where humans go after death but before receiving their final reward. After years of struggling against the Deadside, Shadowman now seeks a balance between the two realms, but it will not be easy, as he faces his greatest challenge—the Deadside War. ScreenRant recently got the chance to ask Cullen Bunn about Shadowman’s return, the Deadside War, and what the future holds for the character.
The last four issues of Shadowman, while telling a self-contained story, were also largely seeding the coming Deadside War. For readers who might be new to the world of Shadowman, what should they know about this door being opened to the larger Shadowman lore before picking up issue #5?
Cullen Bunn: So, I'd be remiss if I didn't suggest checking out the first 4 issues of my Shadowman run, which is collected and ready to go. However, at least the first issue of the new arc will be written in that pseudo standalone fashion. First time readers can pick this book up and know exactly who Shadowman is and what this story is all about. It was important to me that we start the war in this fashion. Admittedly, the issues that follow, especially 7 and 8, are a little less standalone. Issue 7 is unlike any other comic I've written thus far. I wanted to challenge myself to do something very different with it. That's all I can say for now, but you'll see when we get there!
For years, Shadowman has struggled against the Deadside, but now he is seeking some sort of balance. It’s a significant change for Shadowman, so how would you describe what sounds like an exciting new path for the character?
Cullen Bunn: In previous incarnations of the series, we've seen Shadowman at odds with the loa that grants him his powers. However, when he fully accepted the loa, his powers grew in huge ways. We're going to be seeing more of those power boosts, by the way. Shadowman has come to believe that the Deadside is, itself, a loa that is riding the living world. The living world, though, is trying to reject the Deadside. This causes strife in both realms. Shadowman has seen that his constant fighting has not stopped the encroachment of the Deadside. Now, he hopes to bring the Deadside and the living world to a greater understanding of one another. If he can get them to accept one another, the strength of both realms might increase in dramatic ways. It's a quest that might be too much for him. At least, it's an omelet that will require the breaking of a few eggs.
Following up on that point, how will his desire for peace between the living and the Deadside feed into the coming Deadside War?
Cullen Bunn: Shadowman will be dealing with, to some degree, a crisis of faith. He doesn't think the old way of doing things is working. He has a plan for something new, but fate is conspiring against him. This will create a big hurdle for him as the Deadside War erupts in full force. He'll need to face his own doubts and his own failures if he's going to stop our world from being completely consumed.
Punk Mambo is a fan-favorite character in the Shadowman universe, and the promotional materials have made it clear Mambo will be returning for the Deadside War. What can you say about Mambo’s return and her involvement in the War? And can fans perhaps expect other Valiant characters to join the fray?
Cullen Bunn: The Deadside War is going to hit in a fast and furious fashion. Punk Mambot joins the cast in issue 6, and she's there until the end of the Deadside War. She's "recruited" by some of Shadowman's new allies. Fan-favorite Alyssa is gathering a group of mystics to aid the cause--the New Abettors, who you will meet in issue 5. I really like these characters. I love taking them out of the "stodgy old dudes in suits" model. I think you'll like them, too, and I hope we'll be seeing more and more of them in the future. Shadowman may not admit it, but he needs all the help he can get, and Punk Mambo becomes something of a major foot soldier in the war. But this is a story about the Deadside spilling into our world, and while the story is firmly focused on Shadowman, Punk, and the Abettors, you'll be seeing cameos by many, many Valiant characters. Without looking back at my scripts, I can count at least ten that will be showing up.
The Deadside War will obviously lead to even more changes for Shadowman and his allies. Any teases on what fans can expect post-Deadside War? Will there be larger ramifications for the Valiant Universe as a whole?
Cullen Bunn: Oh, yes! There will be a lot of big changes. The Deadside will be fundamentally altered after this story. So will our world. And we'll be introducing a brand-new character into the Valiant Universe. A hero? A villain? Both? And the changes in the supernatural world will send a ripple through the world. New threats will be spilling into the world. These threats will be much more than Shadowman can handle alone. It almost sounds like he's going to need to assemble a group of heroes to stand by his side.
The previous arc was expertly illustrated by Jon Davis-Hunt, but now you will be working with Pedro Andreo with colors by Jordie Bellaire. What is it like working with Pedro, and what is this shift in artwork bringing to the table?
Cullen Bunn: Pedro has some huge shoes to fill, and I admit I was unsure. Then, his first few pages came rolling in, and my doubts were completely destroyed. His art is very different than Jon's, but it has such a vibrant, kinetic, wild energy. I think Pedro will be a great fit for the chaos that we're about to unleash!
With Valiant's promotion of the book, you are crafting this new chapter of Shadowman alongside a table-top game and a variety of horror movie homage variant covers. Does any of it ever feel too good to be true?
Cullen Bunn: Sometimes, I feel like a monkey paw wished for all the focus on Shadowman and the wild promotions going on around the book! But if I used a monkey's paw, it means there will be some sort of horrible backlash! So maybe I just threw a penny in the right wishing well at the right time!
Besides Shadowman, are there any other Valiant characters you would like to take a crack at writing?
Cullen Bunn: I would say I want to write some more Punk Mambo, but that cat's out of the bag. So, I'll answer in a way that may hint at stories to come. I'd love to have the chance to write Dr. Mirage and Eternal Warrior, maybe even interacting with Shadowman and Punk Mambo in a bigger way. I mean, like, what if some never-before-seen supernatural villain rises in the aftermath of Deadside War and heroes have to stand together to stop them? That might be fun. How's that for a tease?
Thanks to Cullen Bunn for talking to us. Shadowman #5 is on sale in print and digital on January 19th.