Who's Who On the Streets of NYC
Shadowland so far has been a truly cinematic experience. Shadowland #3, though, is a fairly weak entry. The plot took a back seat for panels of BANG it's Ghost Rider, BANG it's Spider-man, and then quite literally, BANG it's the Punisher. While, I appreciate the fan service of seeing Marvel's finest street heroes fighting an old friend gone mad with power, I'd like it done a bit more tastefully. A few pages in, and I was tired of characters popping up with no introduction spouting self-conscious one liners. I understand in a story like this, the action is (and should be) plentiful, but we have so many characters here, and little to no explanation of their motivations. I'm still not in love with the way Elektra is being written. While, Luke Cage and Spider-man have friendships with Matt Murdock, why would Frank Castle step in so early in the game? Why is Moon Knight playing Splinter Cell? There's too many unanswered questions here, that hopefully will be addressed in the next issue and the related tie-ins. This was a little too sloppy for my taste, and Marvel needs to step up its game for what so far has been a great arc and has the potential to be even greater still.
