Shadows #1, Review

Shadows #1, by Aaron Rackley and Dan Harris, is the first in a new series of standalone comics. It was originally a four-part story told in the pages of the now-defunct all-ages magazine The Spark. Now, it's been brought back to life and retold for a more mature audience after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

The premise of Shadows #1 is based on setting up future issues. That's not a bad thing. A rescue ship arrives at the source of a distress beacon on a planet in deep space. Alpha team from rescue ship UUA-R24 is sent down to investigate, and all hell breaks loose as the reason for the distress beacon becomes apparent. One that no one is prepared for.

Sector A is a covert arm within the Universal United Alliance (the UUA) - a joint venture of eight intelligent races from across the universe - and hides in the shadows, only coming out to clean up messes that the UUA create or finds and wants to remain secret. Unfortunately for someone on the ship UUA-R24, they're about to find out about and be enlisted into Sector A.

Dan Harris is on art duty and does a stellar job of it. The character designs are wonderful, particularly the aliens. The art has a distinct cartoon feel that shines with the furry alien creature they find. He's adorable until he's suddenly a nightmare. Facial expressions stand out and add so much to each panel. It's an enjoyable art style, with my only complaint being the lego style hair that's lacking in any texture.

As for the story, what Aaron Rackley has written still has a feel of an all-ages comic that we have seen from him previously, but there's a slightly more horror edge to it, bringing it in line for a more mature audience. It's a set-up for what's to come in the series, but how it's told leaves you hungry for more, especially with Sector A coming into play at the end. You get a good idea of why Sector A exists before even knowing about its existence, and gives you a reason to care going forward.

Shadows #1 leaves you with many questions unanswered, which is to be expected with a shadow organisation that you're only briefly introduced to. There are more than enough hooks to keep you fascinated with where it'll go and just what other horrors the UUA have uncovered to even need Sector A. It's a delightful read that oozes fun through the art. And isn't that what we want from reading comics?

Rating: 4/5

Aaron Rackley (w), Dan Harris (a) - arackley.gumroad.com - £7