Michael McDermott writes for Bleeding Cool at NYCC;
How do you get to read an exclusive advance copy of Valiant's Shadowman #1 by Justin Jordan and Patrick Zircher? By being the biggest Valiant fan in the room at their Saturday NYCC panel. How do you get to be the biggest Valiant fan in the room? You stand 6'2″, weigh 220 lbs, leap out of your chair and make a spectacle of yourself when given the opportunity.
I approach the panel podium and Valiant's Marketing & Communications Manager Hunter Gorinson hands me a complete color print out of Shadowman #1, asks me to give it a read during their presentation and let the room know what I think of it at the end. As I walk away with the goods in my greedy not-so-little mitts I turn back over my shoulder and announce "And I'm with Bleeding Cool, too." A heart or two sunk with my revelation. Imagine a US Naval intelligence officer realizing they've just handed classified information over to a Soviet spy…
Shadowman #1 is right up there with Joshua Dysart's Harbinger relaunch as the creme de la creme of an across the board superlative line of material all too rare on the racks these days. Gone is your Grandaddy's Jack Boniface. In his place Jordan and artist/co-writer Zircher have given us a man out of step with destiny, more than a little calloused by the world around him and snow-blind to a generational legacy that has him dead in its sights.
These creators have done their homework. Their affinity and respect for what has come before is expertly balanced with their ingenuity and innovation. They've blended key ingredients from Bob Hall's classic run and Garth Ennis' Acclaim relaunch into a newly familiar mythological jambalaya that draws us in from the very first page and delivers BIG TIME on the very last. If you were a fan of Shadowman's earlier incarnations there's more than enough here to make you nod and smile. If you're brand new to the character there's just enough meaty bits to quell your hunger and more than enough flavor to bring you back for another bowl.
In Jack's own words, "I'm not something you see everyday."
As the Q & A session winds down, I get the chance to tell everyone just how damn good this book actually is. I feel the jealous stares burning a hole in the back of my neck. Once we wrap, I make my way up to Justin Jordan and ask him to autograph the last page of the preview for me. He does so graciously and we chat a bit about Jack's Amulet. I assure him that yes, he pulled off exactly what he was trying to accomplish with a key story element and that it came across clear as day on the printed page. With that I make my exit with an autographed Shadowman #1 preview in my bag and collect my Gold Logo Archer and Armstrong #1 variant from Atom Freeman at the door (an exclusive given away to ALL panel attendees).
I make my way to the Avatar booth to show Rich my swag but alas, he is nowhere to be found and the battery of every electronic device on my person is drained dead.
DAMMIT!
Cut to 7pm and the end of the night. I'm making my way out the door with a retailer friend of mine. We stop by the Valiant booth and the staff chat us up.
Eventually, it clicks and Mr. Gorinson recognizes me from the panel. He politely asks if I can return the preview as it wasn't supposed to leave the room and being the integrity cursed schmuck that I am, I fork over the goods.
He let's me keep that last page Justin signed for me though, as a small memento of my near grand caper. ;)
In the end, I couldn't be more impressed with Valiant as a publisher. Watching their executives engage my retailer bud and actually care about the conversation taking place was a special thing. Sitting through the panel and watching them thoughtfully interact with their fan base was genuinely unique. They're a company that respects your intelligence, appreciates your business and delivers damn fine comics one talent laden book at a time.
Pick up Shadowman #1 next week and shout it from the mountaintop: This is the way to build a business.
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