As the war with Shadowman and The Deadside rages on, fans of the Valiant Comics hero will have to wait for the story to continue in January 2022 with a brand new story arc. However, the publisher teases that when Shadowman's adventures continue, even more characters from the Valiant Universe will be along for the ride.
CBR has an exclusive look at Shadowman #5 by writer Cullen Bunn and incoming artist Pedro Andreo, who replaces Jon Davis-Hunt. While scheduling conflicts resulted in Davis-Hunt having to step away from Shadowman after illustrating its opening arc, Valiant promises the prolific artist will return to the Valiant Universe down the road. As for what characters fans can expect to be brought in during this new story arc, Cullen Bunn dropped some not-so-cryptic clues.
"So... use this little break between Shadowman Arc 1 and Arc 2 to take a deep breath. You're going to need it," Bunn told CBR. "The Deadside is trying to take physical form. And if and when that happens, it's going to be cataclysmic. We're already deep into the creation of our second arc, in which Jack Boniface is trying to figure out a way to keep the Deadside from drowning our world. His methods will be unorthodox. He'll need a little help from friends, so you will almost certainly be seeing some familiar faces. Would I punk you? And, of course, Deadside will most likely want some friends of her own. You know what they say: it's Darquest before dawn."
References to being "punked" and "Darquest before dawn" allude to the presence of Punk Mambo and Master Darque, respectively. Punk Mambo is another supernatural hero and ally to Shadowman in the Valiant Universe, while Master Darque is a longtime nemesis to Shadowman and former resident of The Deadside.
"Being given the opportunity to work on an iconic character such as Shadowman is a dream come true," Andreo said. "I met the character back in 1999 with the videogame for Nintendo 64 and loved the concept (although, given I'm a scaredy cat, I didn't play it at all!). Since I love drawing fantasy and magic-related comics and that I enjoy the occult, conspiracies and dark themes so much, Shadowman was right up my alley when I started working with Valiant. After my run on Bloodshot, drawing Shadowman now is amazing, especially with such strong scripts as Cullen Bunn is writing right now. He knows what makes the character tick and he's bringing you all his A-game on this arc, can't wait for you to read it!"
"I'm super excited for the return of Shadowman and the huge events that will come from it," Senior Editor Lysa Hawkins added. "Jack's continued adventures will bring about the return of many familiar faces, both friend and fiend. This next arc of Shadowman will change everything.... forever."
Before stepping away from Shadowman, Jon Davis-Hunt offered a heartfelt message to his collaborators and Valiant's many fans.
"Unfortunately, due to the upheaval and scheduling conflicts that the pandemic caused, I won't be able to draw the 2nd arc of Shadowman," Davis-Hunt said. "It's been a really hard decision to make, especially since I have not only loved drawing the book but also, working with everyone at Valiant - but alas, time is finite and I just couldn't get everything done in time, before having to move onto other projects."
"I want to say an extra big thank you to Cullen Bunn, Jordie Bellaire, Clayton Cowles, Gregg Katzman and Heather Antos - without whom, this comic would never have been the success it has been," he continued. "In addition - thank you to all the fans who have really supported and enjoyed the book - all of your kind comments have meant so much!"
In closing, Davis-Hunt said, "This really has been a total blast. I can't wait to see the 2nd arc of Shadowman - and on the upside, I plan to be back at Valiant in the future!"
Shadowman #5 goes on sale in January 2020 from Valiant Entertainment.
