Shadow Roads #7
Oni Press
Writers: Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt
Artist: A.C. Zamudio
Arc two continues with its multi-thread narrative. In this way, it distances itself even farther from the first arc of late 2018, at the same time assuring readers they are in good hands. The story has all the elements and characters readers enjoyed from Volume 1, but it’s Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt have taken on a more complex structure.
Story:
With the support of the enlisted gunslinger, Izzy, and the ghost-seeing cowboy “Ghost Eyes,” Marshal Anton Karloff seeks out a sinister organization: The Cabal. At the same time, Weathersby, now back in England, takes on a secret mission and leaves for Bombay. In the Utah Territory of America, Henry meditates with the powerfully magical knife. Inside the spirit world, in the land of the dead, he is called by someone. Bombay is the direction all our heroes make for. Something dark awaits them all.
Characters:
Most of the page space in this issue is dedicated to the adventures of Izzy, Ghost Eyes, and Marshall Karloff. They enter a spooky hotel that turns into a labyrinth. Each must face something they fear within, and only with the help of Ghost Eyes’s power are they able to escape. Though The Big Baddy from Volume 1 is in shackles, it’s increasingly clear the threat he poses remains. The introduction of The Mizadori is as intriguing as it is ambiguous, and the issue ends without any clear answers. As The Mizadori puts it, “I am a what, Mr. Karloff, not a who.” Oh, I can only imagine what kind of monstrosity will be revealed in later issues!
Art:
The art really shines in this issue. The world of Shadow Roads is one of mysterious magic and cosmic powers, mixed with seedy underbelly societies of the wild west. A.C. Zamudio finally gets to realize all these things in a single issue. The characters are given a little more scope to portray a variety of emotions than the rollicking Volume 1 ever did. The gunslinger, Izzy, finally runs into something she can’t just shoot through, and Ghost Eyes lays eyes on something he really shouldn’t have, portraying some characters weaknesses and flaws that will surely be evident in later issues.
Compared to a ragtag team converting around and shooting monsters, #7 feels a bit more plotted out and realized that any issue from Volume 1. With a growing cast of people (both good, bad, human, and inhuman) and places, Shadow Roads is a must-read for any lover of cross-genre comics.
With a growing cast of people (both good, bad, human, and inhuman) and places, Shadow Roads is a must-read for any lover of cross-genre comics.
