Shadowpact 1 - Review

This review contains several spoilers. Read on at your own risk.

This is a new DC Comic book spinning out of the Infinite Crisis series Day of Vengeance. It features a group of lesser known heroes all with ties to the magical community of the DC Universe. These heroes include Nightshade, Nightmaster, Detective Chimp, Enchantress, Blue Devil and Ragman. Numerous guest stars abound in this issue such as Superman, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, the Phantom Stranger and Rex the Wonder Dog.

In this first issue of this new series Superman finds a barrier which is enclosing a small town called Riverrock Wyoming. No matter how hard he tries to penetrate the barrier he can't. He calls for assistance from Green Lantern Hal Jordan, but even together they can't penetrate the barrier. They determine that the barrier is magic and suddenly the Phantom Stranger appears and confirms this. It is also discovered that the barrier is not only magical in nature but is also composed of blood.

The Phantom Stranger contacts the individual members of the Shadowpact and tells all that he can temporarily create a portal inside the barrier. Superman offers to go but the Phantom Stranger tells him in no uncertain terms, no way. It is the Shadowpact that must enter in order to contend with whatever magical menace is on the other side of the barrier. But are they prepared for what will happen inside the enclosed barrier? It's up to you to read and to find out.

The end of this issue ends a year later than when the storyline started with the Phantom Stranger meeting outside of the barrier with a character named Valda and Rex the Wonder Dog, who are standing guard to see if the barrier comes down and the Shadowpact reappears. Inside the barrier the group seems unaware of the amount of time that has passed and is about to meet the beginnings of their first battle with the sinister group that has enslaved Riverrock.

The storyline in my opinion is excellent. The art is a bit simplistic in my opinion and could well be used in an animated television series. However, I have high hopes for this series and I think the storylines will win out against other issues. The art thing is of course my own opinion and I can be easily swayed as each time I read the story I catch something new.

Technorati tags: superman, shadowpact, dc+comics, comic+books

Tags:

• superman
• shadowpact
• dccomics
• comics