Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is about to make the leap to television in a new prestige drama from Starz and executive producer Bryan Fuller, so it’s the perfect time for the 2001 novel to get its first comics adaptation. Dark Horse Comics has become the home for comic-book adaptations of Gaiman’s work—a hardcover adaptation of Gaiman’s Forbidden Brides Of The Faceless Slaves In The Secret House Of The Night Of Dread Desire goes on sale this week—and the publisher is bringing American Gods to the page in a new ongoing series featuring a creative team of Gaiman’s past collaborators.
Written by P. Craig Russell with art by Scott Hampton, American Gods: Shadows is an atmospheric, beautifully illustrated take on Gaiman’s story, and these exclusive preview pages of the first issue highlight the impeccable artistry that this team is bringing to the table. Russell does great work seamlessly incorporating narration, dialogue, and internal monologue in his script, and Hampton creates a bleak, cold environment that enhances the frigid emotional state of Shadow Moon as he learns why he’s being released from prison early. The imagery is stark and expressive, and even when Shadow leaves the prison, there’s still the impression that he’s trapped, not by the bars of a cell, but by his own emotional paralysis. Readers can learn more about Shadow Moon and his supernatural origins when American Gods: Shadows #1 hits stands on March 15, just a few weeks before the new Starz series debuts.