'Shadowman, Vol. 3: Rag and Bone' with story by Andy Diggle and art by Renato Guedes is a continuation of the recent reboot of the series.

Shadowman is back from being recently dead. He barely has a chance to get his feet under him and finds he's in a war. Master Darque is gone, but Shadowman and Angela are on a mission to take hold of the remains. There is danger and treachery everywhere on this one, and Shadowman barely has control of his loa.

This has been a pretty good series and I like the largeness of the story. I also like the textured looking art that Renato Guedes gives here. It's interesting how it changes style at particular moments, too.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Bones are buried for a reason... <br> <br>Shadowman is back in New Orleans and with a better handle on his powerful abilities, just in time for a <br>war like no other! The vicious battle between the Brethren and the Abettors over the ultimate magical <br>artifact – the remains of Shadowman's arch-nemesis, Master Darque – will impact the future of the Valiant Universe, so will the formidable foe return from the dead, or will his bones be destroyed once and for all? <br> <br>Collects SHADOWMAN (2018) #8-11.

I just couldn't get into this one. I had to force myself to read it all.
The story just wasn't something that kept me interested.

"Do That Voodoo That You Do So Well."

This volume collects Issues 8 - 11 of the "Rag and Bone" arc, and concludes that arc, but there's enough intro and up-front monologuing that a complete newcomer to the Shadowman world could easily get up to speed and follow the plot and action. And that's all good because this is a fun read.

The Brethren, (bad guys), and the Abettors, (good guys), are duking it out over some powerful artifact, and Shadowman and Alyssa are in the middle. Shadowman is still angsty about the loa he's carrying around, and while he has sort of defeated Darque, now he has to deal with Darque's sister, who's even more dangerous and sinister. And now you're up to speed.

The fun part is that Shadowman is an interesting guy, and his torment about being bonded with a loa is low key and pops in and out of the story when needed and appropriate. Otherwise, he's all action, cunning, and snappy patter. Almost better, his gal pal Alyssa is powerful, smart, and totally pulls her own weight as an actioner. They make a sexy, and well matched, team, which is a real bonus.

The tale is well paced and well balanced. You get exposition, action, demon fighting, villain monologuing, voodoo and magic, pocket universes, macguffins, conspiracies, car chases, weird locations, and a disembodied talking head - so there's plenty to see and do.

The art is interesting. Careful attention has been paid to the characters, and they are much more expressive, (lots of close-ups), than seems usual. Panels vary a good deal; some seem almost photorealistic and some seem surreal or not entirely finished, (like they were colored outside the lines), and the overall look of the art is, literally, on the dark side. Some of the big splash pages are arresting and occasionally the level of detail is remarkable.

So, in terms of characters, story, and execution this turned out to be a nice find and a nice change of pace from the more usual hero/adventure types of tales. A good find. (Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I had a great time reading Shadowman: Rag and Bone. It had action, mystery, suspense and some pretty well done characters. The main character was at odds with a powerful entity inside him, and they didn’t always agree on everything. But when someone tries to come back from the dead it is up to them to stop them. The battle is fought on many different levels, and there were many times when it looked like they had lost. Yet with perseverance and determination they may find a way to stop this threat before it is too late. If you are looking for something different to read then you may want to check out Shadowman: Rag and Bone.

Dark, action packed, entertaining, Shadowman vol.3 is just as nice as the other 2 volumes.

With a marvellous art style, the story is back in the present and even more thrilling with what Shadowman is given in the story. It's very difficult to give it a review without spoiling the other two volumes so I'll just have to say to give it a shot in this dark and amazing world by Andy Diggle.

The final third of this forgettable dark fantasy. It has some of the flavour of the first book in the set, and I liked the artwork a lot with its faux-watercolour appearance, but it won't stick in the mind. Part two was still utter tosh, if it needs repeating.

Jack Boniface is back from the dead, with a better understanding of himself and his past lives. While the story is a bit dialogue-heavy Diggle's writing offers enough twists and hooks to surprise a reader and make him reach for the next issue. I liked it, but didn't love it - mainly because of new art art style.

Shadowman volumes keep getting better. Finally Jack made peace with himself and accepted everything. I loved the story and i can't wait to learn what is going to happen in next volume.

Volume 3 brings us back to the present after exploring the past of Shadowman and the origins of his loa. This time Jack and Alyssa are taking on Sandria Darque to prevent the resurrection of her brother.

I liked this arc quite a bit. Jack is learning. He is definitely making strides with the loa and developing on his own. Alyssa is a great companion for him. They seem to complement each other rather well. Her skills certainly come in handy during this storyline. I almost would have preferred a story that didn't involve the Darques because they have been used a lot in relation to Jack. It's fine though. I still liked what was put together in this book. And it is nice to see an end of sorts to the Baron Samedi plotline.

Shadowman: Rag and Bone is an explosive volume, returning to a character with fascinating ties to the magical world. I’m new to the series and still felt like I got to know the characters well. There’s so much action flying off the pages as the Shadowman seeks to permanently take down a foe he vanquished in a previous volume. There are definite twists and turns until the very end. The villains run the gamut from grotesque to badass, filled to the brim with power that’s haunting in its scope. The magic gears heavily toward necromancy, adding a horror aspect. Overall, the story was compelling, flying from one action-packed scene to the next as the world itself seemed to tear apart in order to house these larger than life characters.

The art alternates between typical comic book and hyper-realistic styles. We see hyper-reality in the regular life scenes, giving a sense of realism to the action. The battle scenes are rendered in a comic book style that lends itself well to the classic elements of a superhero fight scene. Magical elements are drawn with a great level of detail and the monsters are brilliantly grotesque.

At the end, Shadowman: Rag and Bone is a fun, adrenaline-filled rush of a volume, flying across the world as our protagonists fight evil forces threatening to tear it apart. Their jobs aren’t done, as we see at the end of the volume, and that promise for future volumes is an exciting endnote.

The review will be published on 3/21/19: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/03/21/shadowman-rag-and-bone-book-review

This is another great volume in the Shadowman series from Valiant Comics. If you like the Shadowman series then this is a must read. Plenty of excellent twists, turns and creatures from the other side.

Shadowman Vol.3 finds Shadowman back from the Dreamside with Master Darque's bones. Darque's bones become an artifact of dissension, as the remaining Abettors are under attack by the Brethren who want to bring Darque back. Shadowman is finally given a choice to join with the Loa that rides him or embrace his freedom. Dark and action packed, the Shadowman thrills and entertains in a long coming reckoning of the forces of darkness. Nice sketchwork darkened with a stippling color effect provides the mood and backdrop for the next exciting chapter of the Shadowman. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.