DCU Comic Book Reviews

SHADOWPACT #5

One Year Later

November 2006

Written by Bill Willingham

Pencils by Steve Scott

Inks by Wayne Faucher

Cover by Steve Scott & Wayne Faucher

Synopsis

The magical of Shadowpact has saved Riverrock, Wyoming, from the Red Witch, Lady Strega, but in the process lost a complete year from their lives.  Before they return home, they briefly deposit the Red Witch’s team to the Black Tower, home of Joshua Coldrake, the master of anti-magic.  Then they go to Metropolis, where an old man accuses the group of dis-respecting a great team of superheroes because of the way they are dressed.  The team then learns the world thought they were dead and had built a memorial to honor them.  In Gotham City, Lady Strega goes deep underground to awaken her master and reported she failed her mission.  Her master, who decides to call himself Dr. Gotham, decides that he needs Strega with him to continue their work, so he tells her to hire assassins to distract Shadowpact.  In another part of Gotham, the Nightmaster and Detective Chimp find door to the oblivion bar, but they also find there is a new owner.  In Metropolis, Blue Devil finds he lost his apartment and all of his belongings, but he can get a new apartment, if he pays back rent.  In Washington DC, Nightshade visits her mother’s grave.  In Gotham (again), Ragman has shaved and eaten and feels clean, when he is suddenly attacked.  Although he is able to win this battle, more are coming....

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“Next:  You, too, can have an exciting career killing Shadowpact.  Great pay!  Full Benefits!”

I really, really, really liked this issue.  Can I say how much I really liked this issue?  this was such a great, easy, enjoyable issue that managed to touch upon so much of the character’s lives and the impact the missing year had on them.  More importantly, the main villain from the first story arc also appears and we learn more of her and that she has not simply gone away.  When the first story arc ended after three issues, I had expressed surprise that it had ended so quickly.  Based on this issue, we are in for more of Lady Strega and her weird master.  Yet, this was not the heart and soul of the book.  That belongs to all of the members of Shadowpact.  These are different people with different lives so it was great to see all of them in their own element and all of them being affect by the sudden leap ahead one year. 

Don’t you love it when a character makes a comment that not only makes sense within the structure of the story, but it also makes sense when applied to the book itself?  In this case, I am talking about the Nightmaster’s comment that he didn’t think Shadowpact had made a big enough impression to get a memorial.  That quote got a chuckle out of me. 

I always get a kick when I see writers using their characters, which they created for another book, and use them in their new book.  In this case, I am referring to Laura Fell (aka Darla Aquista) and Johnny Warlock.  Both characters were originally used in the Robin in 2005 and 2006.  I am curious to find out if these were just cameos or if Willingham has plans for them....

Comic Connection

Both Darla Aquista and Johnny Warren appeared in Robin, issue #121.  Johnny became Johnny Warlock in Robin, issue #124 while Darla became Laura Fell (aka the Warlock’s Daughter) in Robin, issue #138.

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