Marvel Shadowland Review

Shadowland seems to have had some pretty bad press recently. A lot of sites have been calling it one of the worst, if not, the worst Daredevil story ever. I think that's a little unfair and I've got to say, while it's not he best comic I've ever read by a long shot, it isn't that bad.

Shadowland tells the story of how Daredevil gets reborn. He's taken control of The Hand (who have always been one of his greatest enemies) and it has changed him. How it changes him is a bit of a cop out I'll admit, but it's still enough to warrant a solid story.
I thought this whole series was action-packed and somewhat enjoyable and by the end gives you a look into what the future of Daredevil will be. However, it was by no means flawless.

The story isn't as good as some other marvel events - which is saying something as Marvel have done a lot of crappy events. Plus, there are some parts in here that seem to go nowhere which is annoying as there are interesting characters who don't get their stories told fully. These stories may be followed up in Shadowland tie-ins, but I shouldn't have to pay extra to get the full story.

Plus, there were several parts of the script that were clumsy and just sounded incredibly silly. The classic villain who narrates all the moves she's doing as she does them just feels very juvenile, and it crops up a lot. However, outside of these annoying scenes, the writing holds up OK as not all the characters are written as poorly as that. 
The ending of this event was what got most fans annoyed and there's no denying it's a little anti-climatic. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say it's not very original and a little disappointing. However, it doesn't ruin the entire book, merely it taints the experience somewhat. Still, there is fun to be had here. 

The art in this book by Billy Tan is a highlight of the story. His illustrations are good, and although they're not the best you'll ever see, they get the job done and fit well with the story due to some good colouring by Christina Strain.

Posted in: Comics, Marvel TPB Review, TPB