A Chilling Beginning in Shadecraft #1
What would you do if you were afraid of your own shadow? That’s Zadie Lu’s reality, and it all begins in Shadecraft #1. She’s a teenager with a few extra details to make her stand out from her classmates.
For one thing, her brother is in a coma. For another, she’s terrified of shadows. But she has good reason to be afraid. You see, those very shadows are trying to kill her. It’s not exactly a normal situation, but she’s trying to survive.
This is the start of a new series brought to you by Joe Henderson (Lucifer’s showrunner), Lee Garbett (Captain Marvel), Antonio Fabela (Skyward), and Simon Bowland. It’s a bold start and one that I would recommend to all fans of Skyward (and new fans, for that matter).
Writing
Shadecraft #1 begins like many a story surrounding teenagers. With unrequited love, awkwardness, and bullying. That is to say, Zadie Lu is conflicted about how she feels and is going through quite a lot.
Joe Henderson captured and portrayed all of those elements smoothly, using them as the setting for her story to take off from. From there, the world got pretty dark. Literally, as the case may be. Here is where the shadows were introduced and their nefarious intents.
Despite everything shown so far, there are still a lot of questions revolving around Zadie, her family, and these shadows. Thus far, Henderson has done a solid job balancing the show-and-tell issues. While intentionally obfuscating a few parts, presumably for a more dramatic reveal later.
You’d think being hunted by shadows would be enough of a complication in her life. But you’d be wrong. This single issue shows a hidden depth in Zadie’s life. One that I believe even she doesn’t understand. Not yet, at any rate.
Regardless of what she knows, seeing how the story unfolds from here will be fascinating. The conclusion to this issue was uplifting but also raised dozens of more questions simultaneously. One more reason to look forward to the second issue.
Art
Shadecraft #1 features some truly memorable artwork. The cover alone is enough to capture attention – playing with light and shadows. It’s ironic how much of an implication can be found, even on that first page.
Lee Garbett’s artwork is perfect for this story. The shadows feel dark and menacing, while the rest of the world is intentionally bright. The contrast is jarring and lends reason to Zadie’s concerns about her mental health. What is truly impressive, though, would have to be the amount of detail rendered in those very shadows.
Naturally, Antonio Fabela’s are a major part of the art here. The shadows gain depth depending on the light source and color palette that surrounds them. Likewise, they gain an edge when light and color are absent. It’s all very clever and would make for a stunning print.
Simon Bowland’s letters are the final touch, bringing everything together cohesively. The highlight here would have to be on the final few panels of this issue, where a sudden change is made/revealed.
Conclusion
Shadecraft #1 is a compelling start to this series. I know I am already invested in Zadie’s story and am eager to see how it all plays out from here. It looks like, once again, Image Comics has gotten their hands on a memorable series.
This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.
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