SHADOWMAN #11 - Outlines and Script (Patreon)

Everyone working at Valiant has been super supportive and nice to me, but I haven't had any sustained runs there. I've written a few smaller projects for them and pitched on a couple more, but it hasn't turned into a monthly book.

This Shadowman project was a weird one, if I have to be honest. I was contacted by an enthusiastic editor who asked me if I could read Justin Jordan's run on Shadowman and pick up the threads from issue #10 (they sent scripts and samples of as-yet unpublished issues to make sure I was up to date) for a 2-part story. The editor let me know that Justin's slate at DC Comics was too full and he wouldn't be continuing on the series, and this was my chance to take it over. Sweet.

Although I was known for humor in Skullkickers, this would be a great chance to show people I could tackle other subject matter so I put together three story concepts, each with a cliffhanger I thought would grab attention. The editor liked them all, but hunkered down on one and I fleshed that out into a full outline. So far so good...

Then, it all went pear-shaped. The next thing I knew, that editor was gone from the company and the new editor seemed confused by everything I'd put together. He didn't want a two-part story that continued where Justin left off, he just wanted a done-in-one Halloween tale, "something fun and ridiculous from the Skullkickers guy." I started the process over and put together a pitch very different from previous issues, a straight forward action-comedy palate cleanser.

The artist they put on the issue drew the whole thing in a serious style, which made the final story feel disconnected. The cover art was beautiful, but also channeled a more serious atmosphere. Everyone worked hard, but I don't know if it gelled the way I hoped. Peter Milligan, a much bigger name in the industry, would end up taking over Shadowman and that was that.  

You can read the final result of my single issue here:

https://www.comixology.com/Shadowman-2012-11-Digital-Exclusives-Edition/digital-comic/48629 

Attached to this post are the original pitches, the serious outline, the overhauled silly story outline, and the final script.