Shadecraft is now available in a collected edition from Image that includes issues 1-5.
It’s an action-adventure-horror title, and well worth a look.
Our lead character, Zadie Lu’s brother is in a coma. THAT we know. Or is he in a coma? And Zadie could swear that shadows around her are coming to life, trying to kill her!
It’s a small town, where the shades and sinister shapes are all around, circling and intruding where they shouldn’t. And who can you trust? Your family? Yourself?
Writer Joe Henderson spins a scary time for us in Shadecraft. The story flows in waves, as Zadie (and the reader) realizes that things are truly bad, and the future is not only unclear but downright deadly. The dialogue is great, the story beats make our pulses pound, and it’s as creepy as heck!
Lee Garbett (Batman, Lucifer, Batgirl, Spider-Man, Loki: Agent of Asgard and Defenders, etc) renders in interesting silhouettes and dimensions. Lee’s figures stride, gesture, and shrug, his characters express themselves well in faces and hands. The dark backgrounds creep into our readings, our learnings. It’s wonderfully pliant drawing.
Antonio Fabela’s colours are full-spectrum, not fussy, instead put to high use in rendering facial features, with subtle highlights on cheeks and noses. But there are also big explosions of mood-enhancing blues and greys, adding much depth to the saga.
Simon Bowland is the letterer.
A strong book that pulls us tighter into the narrative, attracting us into the darker regions of horror and suspense. Bonus pages include the original covers plus variants.
Image Comics, Shadecraft Trade, $16.99 for 148 pages, Teen rating
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