Review: Shadow Service #1
Magic. You either love it or hate it, It is probably the most effortless deus ex machina kicking around after say Tony Stark’s armour or the bat-belt. Still there are a few comics that walk that line; could Shadow Service be the next big one?
If you have a need to find someone or you suspect your partner cheating, then, Jessica Jones….. wait…. Gina Mayers is the private detective for you. Her unique selling point is that she is a witch and she is worried that being a witch makes her more of “monster than the crooks she is trying to catch”.
Written by Cavan Scott, this book carried the same riff as Jessica Jones. Both Jessica and Gina have emotional PTSD to deal with and both have powers that neither particularly like. In a week where one of DC’s major magic players had his book “not extended”, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that sparkle may have left the magic show. For a magic book to work, given that anything can happen so the peril is severely diminished, that lead character has to be likeable or at least wrapped up in fishnets. Unfortunately, neither of those factors exist, especially as my overriding thought is, with all the similarities why don’t I just read a Jessica Jones book? I don’t mind homages to certain tropes, especially as there is only a set number of the types of story in the world, but beat for beat, vibe for vibe doesn’t cut it for me. Maybe things will improve as the mysterious MI666 comes more into play, but we will have to wait and see.
The art is provided by Corin Howell whose work I have seen in the fantastic The Girl in the Bay and Calamity Kate. Here, Howell’s art falls somewhere between these two distinct poles. Gina’s world is very much lived in and Howell conveys that well. Page design is great as are the movements through the panels which keep the story moving. The emotional baggage scenes seems a little bit over-worked, though this may have more to do with the feelings that Howell and by default, Scott are trying to create. Facial elements work for the most part, but the side on view used for Gina does carry a touch of manga which isn’t carried through to other panels. Triona Farrell provides an excellent job on colors, casting the world with the inherent darkness that is hinted at in the script. It is a great scheme, for sure. Finally, letters are supplied by AndWorld design who have been making great strides in the industry for a number of publishers. Here, thanks to magic, they get to mix up fonts which helps with the overall tone of the book.
I like Vault Comics. Over the lat 18 months or so, they have produced a high number of fantastic books, making ground on companies such as AfterShock, Valiant and maybe even Dark Horse. This then, is probably the first book that I am disappointed in. Hopefully Scott has more in the tank than a pastiche of an already very familiar and popular character. I look forward to being proven wrong.
Writing – 2. 5 Stars
Art -3.5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
Overall – 3 Stars
Written by; Cavan Scott
Art by; Corin Howell
Colors by; Triona Farrell
Letters by; AndWorld Design
Published by; Vault Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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