DCU Comic Book Reviews

SHADOWPACT #12

Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword

June 2007

Written by Bill Willingham

Pencils by Tom Derenick

Inks by Wayne Faucher

Cover by Tom Derenick and Wayne Faucher

Synopsis

At the Oblivion Bar, Enchantress has devised a spell to keep Jim rook (aka Nightmaster) alive after he had been stabbed through the heart with his own sword by the demon Etrigan.  However, after ten days she can’t hold the spell any longer and reluctantly lets go and Nightmaster dies.  Nightmaster becomes a ghost and wanders around the Oblivion Bar, wondering what he will do next, when he meets his father, also a ghost.  His father explains that he used to be the bearer of the sword and when he died he then became the spirit within the sword to try to help Nightmaster become attuned to the sword.  Now that Nightmaster is fully aware of the spirit (and because his own sword can’t kill him), he is able to return to life.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Willingham had done this before, telling the background story of one particular character of Shadowpact but somehow managing to keep it tied to the ongoing events in the book.  Like the Ragman story in issue #8, we learn not only more about Jim Rook and his life but also more of his powers and his abilities.  This, I think is a very smart move, since the members of Shadowpact are relatively unknown.  These issues really help to define the characters and provide background that fleshes them out a bit more.  It is a great way to build this group for the long-term because the more we know them, the more attached we become to them.

Where the issue falls flat, however, is the unspoken moments between Jim and his dad.  I get these sense there are some unresolved issues between the two and Willingham glosses right over it.  I realize there really isn’t much room for it within 22 pages with all of the other stuff, but at least some type of acknowledgment would have been nice. 

In the middle sections of the book, when Nightmaster has built his bookshop and first finds the Oblivion Bar, his hair has turned to gray.  Later, with the sword stuck in his chest, his hair has become brown.  Did he get younger or is he just using Hair Color for Men?

I wonder if the loss of years on Enchantress’ life will be addressed at some point or if it was just a plot point to be forgotten.  I wonder, how old is she anyway and how long of a life is she going to leave.  I got the impression she could live a very long time, but that could just be me.