SHADOWLAND: BLOOD ON THE STREETS #1

SHADOWLAND: BLOOD ON THE STREETS #1 PREVIEW

WRITER:  Antony Johnston

PENCILS:  Wellington Alves

INKER:  Nelson Pereira

COLORS:  Frank Martin

LETTERS: Dave Sharpe

COVER: Francisco Mattina

One-half of the senses-shattering duo that brings you the monthly Daredevil series, Antony Johnston, brings his A game yet again to the table with this Shadowland tie-in. 

I must say that I was skeptical about further Shadowland tie-ins, especially after the horrendous flop that was Shadowland: Bullseye #1, but then I remembered who was writing it and swallowed any doubts. Johnston delivers a Perfect 10 story that revolves around some of the lesser known "street" heroes of the Marvel U. A basic "whodunit" story that features the Shroud, Misty Knight and Silver Sable; could have been a disaster in the making but turned out to be a brilliant book. Not only does Johnston deliver a great compelling story, but he also pulls the reader in and makes you care for characters that are rarely used. C-list status aside, I found myself genuinely interested in the capabilities and backgrounds of these characters, a tribute to the caliber of Johnston as a writer.

The Shroud and Misty Knight are the two main characters whose stories are intertwined, though they never meet, as they both try to figure out who is behind a killing spree in New York City. All fingers point to Daredevil and his brutal clan of Hand ninjas, but something is amiss and a little too obvious a choice for the Shroud to believe. Could this spree of mob deaths really be Daredevil's new way of cleaning up the city or is their an even more vicious game in play? I can't wait to see if my assumptions are correct!

An outstanding story in this medium is only half the job, but Wellington Alves is the perfect compliment to Johnston's story. Though I have never heard of Alves prior to this, I was pleasantly surprised by is artistic skills. Between his pencils and Frank Martin's colors, they made the perfect combination of mood and characterization for a gritty crime book. 

If the names of the characters in this book don't ring a bell (Misty Knight didn't for me), don't worry. Johnston has covered all the bases for you to thoroughly enjoy this book. Not only does he make you feel for these characters throughout the book, but he also has given us a case file at the end straight off of the desk of one Lieutenant Rafe Scarfe, a character we met earlier in the story. It has everything regarding our cast of heroes: power sets, backgrounds, fighting skills and even their weapons of choice. This was the perfect ending for a perfect book and really says a lot for Johnston's continued commitment to make the story as enjoyable as possible for the reader.

Great job to the entire team on this one. I was honestly shocked about how good it was!