Written by Guest Contributor: Jason DiGioia

Shaft #1 started with a roar, and by issue 2, the roar is just as loud. It’s hard to ask more of David F. Walker and Bilquis Evely, to be honest with you. So far, the series reads like a great action movie with actual good writing. That’s especially evident in Shaft #2.

Shaft’s running narration really fleshes out his past: he’s a scarred man, and you would be too if you served in Vietnam and killed so many VC you won’t say the number. Like any mental scar, they can break you or make you; Shaft is definitely made by his past. He ‘s as mentally tough as he is physically, and believe me, he needs to be both. We finally get to see him shoot some gangsters with all the style and grace you’d expect from a badass mofo, as well as deal with some pretty gruesome realities. The man is clearly still at war, even though he’s home from ‘Nam.

We also get to see a more vulnerable side of Shaft, which I really dig. You see, Shaft isn’t all about guns and whoring around. At least not yet. No, this guy is a lover, at least in what we’re seeing from him in #2. It’s that vulnerability that makes the whole issue cohesive. All in all, awesome story and character development, David Walker.

Bilquis Ively, aside from having a lovely name, is still doing some lovely things with Shaft (that sounds dirty, but so appropriate). Knowing little about art, I will say that she expertly captures the visual tone of the 70s through color choices, clothing, and hair styles. Anyone who looks at her pages will immediately identify the decade.

What we have in Shaft is a creative team doing some outstanding work. There’s no reason not to lay down your 3.99 and buy Shaft #1 and #2 if you haven’t already.

Score: /5

Writer: David F. Walker Artist: Bilquis Evely Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/7/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital