New Shadowman Leans Into Horror, Check Out The Bloody Preview

This May, Valiant comics is giving a fresh start to one of its darkest characters. A brand-new ongoing series for Shadowman is coming soon, and instead of being the traditional superhero comic, it's going to lean heavily into horror.

While it's still a few months away, Valiant has given GameSpot an exclusive early look at the series, written by Cullen Bunn, art by Jon Davis-Hunt, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Clayton Cowles. While the preview pages don't have lettering yet, you can check out the first five of the issue #1 below.

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"Shadowman is effectively a superhero, operating in a horror movie," explained David-Hunt in a press release. "He travels the world, hunting monsters, and when he finds them, he punches them into oblivion or slices them up with his seriously lethal shadow-scythe. He protects our reality from the horrors of The Deadside, and though that burden hangs heavy upon him, he still manages to keep a calm, cool attitude, even when he’s faced with unspeakable evil."

If you're new to Valiant comics or Shadowman, don't fret, as the new series will be a perfect jumping-on point for new readers. "You don't need to know anything about Shadowman, about comics, about horror--hell, Jon's visual storytelling is so strong you don't even need to know how to read English to enjoy this book," explained editor Heather Antos. "Every single issue takes Jack to a brand-new location, battling a brand-new blight, making each chapter a standalone adventure by itself, but also builds towards something much bigger and sinister."

Aside from working on series like Magneto at Marvel or Sinestro at DC, writer Bunn is known for his work in horror, like his work on the horrific Horrow Country at Dark Horse Comics or Regression from Image. Artist Davis-Hunt may have plenty of his work rooted in 2000 AD and Judge Dredd, but in 2015, he delivered some incredible horror art for the Vertigo series Clean Room. Working alongside one of comics' most versatile and best colorists, Jordie Bellaire, Shadowman plans on delivering a brand-new tone for a Valiant comic.

"There's action and horror--oh, so much horror!--and a big, crazy mythology that we're putting together," explained Bunn. "We're taking Shadowman in some directions he's never been taken before. He's often depicted as New Orleans bound, but he's going on a world tour, so to speak, confronting a growing supernatural threat that is popping up all over the place. We are introducing the concept of the Blight, which is sort of a weakening of the veil between our world and the Deadside. And these Blights occur in places of great sorrow and misery and evil. We're also introducing a new 'big bad' villain who will be changing the face of the supernatural in the Valiant Universe."

We'll learn more about Shadowman's world tour when the new comic series arrives on May 20.