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Shaft by David F. Walker #1
Shaft: A Complicated Man
Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine with all the chicks? Shaft! (You're damn right!) Created by author Ernest Tidyman and made famous in a series of novels and films, iconic hero Shaft makes his graphic novel debut in an all-new adventure. He's gone toe-to-toe with organized crime bosses, stood up to the cops, squared off against kidnappers, and foiled assassination attempts. But who was John Shaft before he became the hardboiled investigator with a reputation as big as New York City itself? Recently arriving home from his tour of duty in Vietnam, his first case - tracking down a missing person for his girlfriend - quickly turns into a matter of life and death, making him a target of gangsters and the police!
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2015
8 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
David F. Walker
293 books280 followersDavid F. Walker is a writer, filmmaker, and award-winning journalist. He teaches Writing For Comics at Portland State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 10, 2023
4.5 stars
"F*** you, spade." -- unnamed racist villain
"No. It's Shaft. You're thinking of that detective from the books, and Bogart played him in that one movie. I'm real. He's not. Honest mistake - don't make it again." -- John Shaft
Although probably best remembered now from a trio of movies in the early 70's and Isaac Hayes' distinctive Oscar-winning theme song, the fictional African-American private investigator John Shaft first came to prominence in a series of seven hardboiled and hard-edged novels published between 1970 and 1975. Taking more of a cue from said books than the film series, the graphic novel A Complicated Man - title courtesy of the aforementioned Hayes' quotable lyrics - details Shaft's backstory (decorated Marine combat vet during the Vietnam Conflict, professional boxer until he ran afoul of mobsters, private security / asset protection operative) and his entry into actual detective work via a case that is very personal in nature. The storyline was gritty, dark, and often downbeat but I loved nearly every moment of its cynical little soul. Its period setting of 1971 was also a plus - the cars, clothes, and colors were appropriately eye-popping on the pages - and much of the racially-charged profane dialogue and/or violent scenes were properly and plentifully harsh for the plot. Additionally, Shaft is illustrated in a manner to resemble the character actor Christopher St. John, who was in the running for the movie's title role - he lost out to Richard Roundtree, obviously - but eventually played the part of Buford the militant in the initial film. Harlem has itself a new hero, a cat who won't cop out when there's danger all about . . . and his name is Shaft. Can YOU dig it? ;-)
"F*** you, spade." -- unnamed racist villain
"No. It's Shaft. You're thinking of that detective from the books, and Bogart played him in that one movie. I'm real. He's not. Honest mistake - don't make it again." -- John Shaft
Although probably best remembered now from a trio of movies in the early 70's and Isaac Hayes' distinctive Oscar-winning theme song, the fictional African-American private investigator John Shaft first came to prominence in a series of seven hardboiled and hard-edged novels published between 1970 and 1975. Taking more of a cue from said books than the film series, the graphic novel A Complicated Man - title courtesy of the aforementioned Hayes' quotable lyrics - details Shaft's backstory (decorated Marine combat vet during the Vietnam Conflict, professional boxer until he ran afoul of mobsters, private security / asset protection operative) and his entry into actual detective work via a case that is very personal in nature. The storyline was gritty, dark, and often downbeat but I loved nearly every moment of its cynical little soul. Its period setting of 1971 was also a plus - the cars, clothes, and colors were appropriately eye-popping on the pages - and much of the racially-charged profane dialogue and/or violent scenes were properly and plentifully harsh for the plot. Additionally, Shaft is illustrated in a manner to resemble the character actor Christopher St. John, who was in the running for the movie's title role - he lost out to Richard Roundtree, obviously - but eventually played the part of Buford the militant in the initial film. Harlem has itself a new hero, a cat who won't cop out when there's danger all about . . . and his name is Shaft. Can YOU dig it? ;-)
January 30, 2019
Forget everything you know about Shaft from the movies. This is the Shaft from the novels and yes, he is one bad Mofo. This is 70's gritty detective pulp at its best. You can tell Walker really cares about the character. This is by far the best work of his I've read. Bilquis Everly's art works very well to capture that grime of New York City in the 70's.
John Shaft is recently home from Vietnam and trying to figure out what to do with his life. While working as a private eye, he meets someone special. The next thing you know, some bad dudes are breaking down the door and asking about a friend of his girlfriend's. Now he's got to figure our what's going on while trying to wiggle out of this situation alive.
John Shaft is recently home from Vietnam and trying to figure out what to do with his life. While working as a private eye, he meets someone special. The next thing you know, some bad dudes are breaking down the door and asking about a friend of his girlfriend's. Now he's got to figure our what's going on while trying to wiggle out of this situation alive.
April 19, 2023
Forget your preconceptions about Shaft. This book is a masterful gritty crime drama, and wildly underappreciated! John Shaft went to Vietnam to avoid a prison sentence. Back home from the war, he meets a girl. Unfortunately, his girl knows someone who's in a lot of trouble, and that trouble comes knocking on their door. It's a story about revenge, and about what can motivate someone to to live on the "wrong" side of the law. Walker's Shaft, based on the novels by Tidyman, is a cunning opponent whose uses his emotions as fuel. The gangsters and corrupt cops he's up against don't stand a chance. Evely and Miwa create a strong sense of time and place for this origin story, from the cars and fashion to the vintage coloring.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this limited series, and I was blown away by what I got. The followup volume, Shaft: Imitation of Life, was also quite good, though content warnings on that one for anti-gay slurs and attempted sexual assault.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this limited series, and I was blown away by what I got. The followup volume, Shaft: Imitation of Life, was also quite good, though content warnings on that one for anti-gay slurs and attempted sexual assault.
November 27, 2018
A bold move to translate the Shaft franchise into a graphic novel comic book format. It has the attitude and the swagger but it’s just not the same without the Isaac Hayes soundtrack. There are a few nods to the era. Overall, a pretty decent tribute.
March 11, 2017
3 3/4 stars
September 7, 2016
Nicely done! I have to admit that pretty much all I know about John Shaft has come through cultural osmosis. I've never seen any of the movies, watched the TV series, or read any of the books. I've heard Isaac Hayes' theme song--and, really, who among us hasn't? --but that's about it. So I came to this pretty much a blank slate. It is, according to the introduction, something of an origin story, taking place before the books or anything pick up.
We open on Shaft as an up and coming boxer. There's mob pressure for him to throw a fight. Three guesses as to what he does ... So, after being run out of Harlem, he finds a job with a detective agency, meets a nice girl ... Things are looking up, they get married and live happily ever after. No. Wait. This is Shaft, not Disney. So this girl has trouble in her life. Everybody seems to be after a girlfriend of hers, which drags Shaft into it, and he winds up back in Harlem in conflict with, well, just about everybody, really.
This is well-written material. Everybody's various motivations seem real and believable. It's written as an homage to 70's Blaxploitation cinema, but not so far over the top as to be cartoonish. The artwork is lovely, particularly the covers by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz. There's some bonus material at the end, script to artwork comparisons and the like. All in all, this was a highly satisfying read, and I'm definitely interested in reading more of this series.
We open on Shaft as an up and coming boxer. There's mob pressure for him to throw a fight. Three guesses as to what he does ... So, after being run out of Harlem, he finds a job with a detective agency, meets a nice girl ... Things are looking up, they get married and live happily ever after. No. Wait. This is Shaft, not Disney. So this girl has trouble in her life. Everybody seems to be after a girlfriend of hers, which drags Shaft into it, and he winds up back in Harlem in conflict with, well, just about everybody, really.
This is well-written material. Everybody's various motivations seem real and believable. It's written as an homage to 70's Blaxploitation cinema, but not so far over the top as to be cartoonish. The artwork is lovely, particularly the covers by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz. There's some bonus material at the end, script to artwork comparisons and the like. All in all, this was a highly satisfying read, and I'm definitely interested in reading more of this series.
October 25, 2017
Fun read. Real fun read.
With writing smoother than butter and characters harder than nails we're treated with a stellar background dish to our beloved Shaft.
With writing smoother than butter and characters harder than nails we're treated with a stellar background dish to our beloved Shaft.
August 12, 2021
Things I knew:
1) Shaft is a Bad Mother (SHUT YOUR MOUTH)
2) I like the Original Film
3) Sam Jackson's version stank
4) Shaft (2019) was delightfully self aware and entertaining
Things I did not know:
1) This comic (and it's follow up ) existed
2) Shaft is based on a book (which has several sequels)
3) The author has chops, seeing as he did serval high-profile screenplays for movies in the 70's
Things I will do now:
1) Read the original Shaft books
2) Check out some more work by David F. Walker
3) Recommend this to many, many others.
1) Shaft is a Bad Mother (SHUT YOUR MOUTH)
2) I like the Original Film
3) Sam Jackson's version stank
4) Shaft (2019) was delightfully self aware and entertaining
Things I did not know:
1) This comic (and it's follow up ) existed
2) Shaft is based on a book (which has several sequels)
3) The author has chops, seeing as he did serval high-profile screenplays for movies in the 70's
Things I will do now:
1) Read the original Shaft books
2) Check out some more work by David F. Walker
3) Recommend this to many, many others.
July 2, 2022
They get what makes Shaft Shaft and then bring it to the next level - incredible !
December 12, 2025
Solid story, good art
As a fan of the cinematic Shaft, it was a sure thing I was going to give this a shot. Glad I did. A good read, well paced with good art. Worth a look.
As a fan of the cinematic Shaft, it was a sure thing I was going to give this a shot. Glad I did. A good read, well paced with good art. Worth a look.
December 4, 2019
In 1971, a movie premiered that changed cinema. Based on a novel by a white man, the movie featured a strong black man as the hero. Not a comic relief or a sidekick or a minor character who dies in the first 20 minutes. A leading role.
The film was “Shaft”, an action thriller directed by an award-winning black photographer named Gordon Parks. It featured Richard Roundtree, a relative unknown at the time, in the title role, making him an instant star.
The film also had the distinction of opening the door for more films written by, starring, directed by, and produced by black people. The film paved the way for a new genre which became known as “blaxploitation”, a less-than-flattering designation but one that quickly became an accepted term.
“Shaft” birthed two sequels, a short-lived TV show, a 2000 remake starring Samuel L. Jackson, and a 2019 film that was part sequel, part parody, simply called “Shaft”. Roundtree reprised his role, this time as grandfather to John Shaft, the third, played by Jesse T. Usher. Jackson reprised his role from the 2000 film.
I’m not sure how the film did in its release, but I recently saw it and loved it. The film pokes fun at and humorously examines the outdated sexism of the blaxploitation genre, while also cleverly commenting on the issues of racist stereotyping in the 21st century. Directed by Tim Story and written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow (best known for their work on the sitcoms “Black-ish” and “The Goldbergs”, respectively), “Shaft” reframed Parks’s original action thriller as a comedy with strong social commentary.
Not that the original “Shaft” was without merit when it came to socio-political importance. Parks’s beautiful cinematography and camerawork showed audiences an almost documentarian glimpse into Harlem life, its grittiness and its grace. For many white audiences, it may have been the first real glimpse at life for the people on “that side of town”.
Originally based on a series of novels by Ernest Tidyman, a white Clevelander, “Shaft” told the story of a black Harlem private detective who was smooth with the ladies and willing to help out a brother in need.
In 2015, Dynamite Comics released a comic book series based on the original Tidyman novels. Written by David Walker and drawn by Bilquis Evely, “Shaft: A Complicated Man” delved into Shaft’s early life, in the years before becoming the famous “black private dick”.
A troubled youth, Shaft, at age 17, faced the choice of a life of crime and prison or joining the military. He chose the latter, finding himself in Vietnam. He survived, returning to Harlem in 1968 to take up a short-lived career in boxing. After refusing to take a dive, Shaft found himself in hot water with both the black mob and the Italians.
When the love of his life, Arletha, is murdered, Shaft reluctantly works with the police to put an end to the mobsters---white and black---ruining his borough. Thus begins the path that leads to Shaft becoming the toughest private detective in NYC.
This six-issue series is violent, intense, and exciting, but it succeeds---like the Parks’s 1971 film---because it is intelligently written and pays homage, while adding a twist, to the classic roman noir that its trying to emulate. This graphic novel never lets the reader forget that “noir” is the French word for “black”.
The film was “Shaft”, an action thriller directed by an award-winning black photographer named Gordon Parks. It featured Richard Roundtree, a relative unknown at the time, in the title role, making him an instant star.
The film also had the distinction of opening the door for more films written by, starring, directed by, and produced by black people. The film paved the way for a new genre which became known as “blaxploitation”, a less-than-flattering designation but one that quickly became an accepted term.
“Shaft” birthed two sequels, a short-lived TV show, a 2000 remake starring Samuel L. Jackson, and a 2019 film that was part sequel, part parody, simply called “Shaft”. Roundtree reprised his role, this time as grandfather to John Shaft, the third, played by Jesse T. Usher. Jackson reprised his role from the 2000 film.
I’m not sure how the film did in its release, but I recently saw it and loved it. The film pokes fun at and humorously examines the outdated sexism of the blaxploitation genre, while also cleverly commenting on the issues of racist stereotyping in the 21st century. Directed by Tim Story and written by Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow (best known for their work on the sitcoms “Black-ish” and “The Goldbergs”, respectively), “Shaft” reframed Parks’s original action thriller as a comedy with strong social commentary.
Not that the original “Shaft” was without merit when it came to socio-political importance. Parks’s beautiful cinematography and camerawork showed audiences an almost documentarian glimpse into Harlem life, its grittiness and its grace. For many white audiences, it may have been the first real glimpse at life for the people on “that side of town”.
Originally based on a series of novels by Ernest Tidyman, a white Clevelander, “Shaft” told the story of a black Harlem private detective who was smooth with the ladies and willing to help out a brother in need.
In 2015, Dynamite Comics released a comic book series based on the original Tidyman novels. Written by David Walker and drawn by Bilquis Evely, “Shaft: A Complicated Man” delved into Shaft’s early life, in the years before becoming the famous “black private dick”.
A troubled youth, Shaft, at age 17, faced the choice of a life of crime and prison or joining the military. He chose the latter, finding himself in Vietnam. He survived, returning to Harlem in 1968 to take up a short-lived career in boxing. After refusing to take a dive, Shaft found himself in hot water with both the black mob and the Italians.
When the love of his life, Arletha, is murdered, Shaft reluctantly works with the police to put an end to the mobsters---white and black---ruining his borough. Thus begins the path that leads to Shaft becoming the toughest private detective in NYC.
This six-issue series is violent, intense, and exciting, but it succeeds---like the Parks’s 1971 film---because it is intelligently written and pays homage, while adding a twist, to the classic roman noir that its trying to emulate. This graphic novel never lets the reader forget that “noir” is the French word for “black”.
March 20, 2017
Being a biggest fanof the movie trilogy (My Fav being,Shaft in Africa),I enjoyed very much reading this comic.
The Art was on point,the story too,in the midst of 70s NYC,soul/disco music(and yes they even created/recommended a special playlist of soul/funk music,you can listen to,while you are reading the comic book,the list includes my favorites Isaac Hayes,Marvin Gaye,James Brown,Curtis Mayfield,Gil Scott Heroin and many other),Organized Crime,the blaxplotation story couldn't get any better.
The Art was on point,the story too,in the midst of 70s NYC,soul/disco music(and yes they even created/recommended a special playlist of soul/funk music,you can listen to,while you are reading the comic book,the list includes my favorites Isaac Hayes,Marvin Gaye,James Brown,Curtis Mayfield,Gil Scott Heroin and many other),Organized Crime,the blaxplotation story couldn't get any better.
August 12, 2016
This is a good read if you're into the character Shaft. It gives the backstory that people have wondered about since the movie came out in the 1970s and adds a lot of depth to the character. It has a good plot and moves along well, keeping things interesting, with a satisfying conclusion.
August 3, 2021
The mystery turns out to be fairly simple, but writer David F. Walker and artist Bilquis Evely do a great job of capturing the mean streets of New York in what turns out to be an origin story for John Shaft, private eye. Glad to see there are a couple more collected volumes.
September 1, 2021
I’ve never really had an opinion on Shaft. Though there’s much to be said about that magical moniker. Outside of the theme song that cooks up corn and cheesiness to perfection, there was a movie I remember with the ubiquitous Samuel L. That’s’ about it. But, then of course, to a black community Shaft is something of a cultural institution . A righteous brother, protector of his fellow men, lover of his fellow women, he’s the cat that won’t cop out, hip to the bone and tough as nails…a superhero, really. Which is a huge deal, especially for the era, when representation wasn’t what it was now, in either general or superhero variety.
So I didn’t know what to expect from this graphic novel and ended up being pleasantly surprised. This was a good story well told and excellently drawn. An origin story for Shaft, a story that does its best to stick to the original source of the character, which are books, not movies or tv show of the 70s. In this story Shaft goes from a tough criminal youth and boxer to soldier to veteran to boxer again to private investigator.
Sometime between the last two phases of his journey he meets and falls in love with a woman and their brief but passionate love affair inspires him to become the man people know and love as Shaft. A man with the iron fists and strong moral code, defender of those who need defending, punisher of those who need punishment.
The story is set in the 70s and tied into the local New York politics of building the World Trade Center. And though that financial manipulations of that kind aren’t usually of much interest to me, this book handled it well and gave Shaft an excellent backdrop against which to steadily (and meditatively, this guy is a thinker not just a lover and a fighter) develop into the Shaft he’s become known for, the complicated (love the way they used this from the song in the story) man who can do what no other can or willing to…fight for justice in an unjust world.
Very good read, very good art. Definitely the book to turn indifference into appreciation. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
So I didn’t know what to expect from this graphic novel and ended up being pleasantly surprised. This was a good story well told and excellently drawn. An origin story for Shaft, a story that does its best to stick to the original source of the character, which are books, not movies or tv show of the 70s. In this story Shaft goes from a tough criminal youth and boxer to soldier to veteran to boxer again to private investigator.
Sometime between the last two phases of his journey he meets and falls in love with a woman and their brief but passionate love affair inspires him to become the man people know and love as Shaft. A man with the iron fists and strong moral code, defender of those who need defending, punisher of those who need punishment.
The story is set in the 70s and tied into the local New York politics of building the World Trade Center. And though that financial manipulations of that kind aren’t usually of much interest to me, this book handled it well and gave Shaft an excellent backdrop against which to steadily (and meditatively, this guy is a thinker not just a lover and a fighter) develop into the Shaft he’s become known for, the complicated (love the way they used this from the song in the story) man who can do what no other can or willing to…fight for justice in an unjust world.
Very good read, very good art. Definitely the book to turn indifference into appreciation. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
December 6, 2018
It's a slow burn when dealing with John Shaft. While the book seems like it's Shaft Begins the story actually plays out like an old 1970s movie. You have the badass that the crooks underestimate. The cops think they got him on the ropes. And he's playing everyone for a fool. While protecting what he cares for, which isn't much. I liked the story even though I've read or seen it played out many times. I think its a decent read but I'm not sure where it goes from there. I would recommend this book to some people. The language may not appeal to others. The writer made an authentic book maybe too authentic for some people.
I read this book via NetGalley. I thank them for this book. #NetGalley
I read this book via NetGalley. I thank them for this book. #NetGalley
November 1, 2015
Who's the black private dick who's a sex machine with all the chicks? Shaft!
But this is before all that.
This is the origin of John Shaft.
David Walker does it right.
And Bilquis Evely's art (and Daniela Miwa's coloring) is superb - calling back to the comic art of the 70s.
It's really hard to write this review without all the language that Shaft uses. Not that I necessarily shy away from that, but if I start, I'll never be able to stop.
Oh, what the hell. Shaft is a Bad. Ass.
An excellent suspenseful story - the kind that makes you so happy that you're reading an entire trade and not having to wait for each separate issue.
Highly recommended.
But this is before all that.
This is the origin of John Shaft.
David Walker does it right.
And Bilquis Evely's art (and Daniela Miwa's coloring) is superb - calling back to the comic art of the 70s.
It's really hard to write this review without all the language that Shaft uses. Not that I necessarily shy away from that, but if I start, I'll never be able to stop.
Oh, what the hell. Shaft is a Bad. Ass.
An excellent suspenseful story - the kind that makes you so happy that you're reading an entire trade and not having to wait for each separate issue.
Highly recommended.
December 13, 2015
David Walker has deftly managed the mixture of plot and character development as we see Shaft transform into the self-confident and angry man of Tidyman’s novels. He has managed this “origins” tale with skill and created a colourful cast of supporting characters. The artwork by Bilquis Evely is exquisite and she has captured the spirit of late 1960s Manhattan. The 6 comic book series, collected in the trade paperback, has been a triumph and a credit to Walker’s determination to re-introduce a beloved cultural icon to a modern audience.
December 2, 2015
Highly entertaining blaxploitation comic. Only some issues with the art keep me from giving it 5 stars.
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2015/1...
http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2015/1...
August 21, 2020
Went into this not really knowing anything at all bout Shaft but left liking it a lot! Set in the 1970's Shaft is a man who just got back from Vietnam and not to the heroes welcome he expected. Thankfully it doesn't go into that long debunked claim that Vietnam veterans were spit on in the streets and stuff and mostly sticks to the much simpler reason that he's black. He looks for a job and finally manages to find one as security, and it's at this job where he meets a beautiful woman. They hit it up, spend the night together, and he wakes up the following day with a gun pointed at him.
And the basic premise follows him trying to find out why people after the woman he's staying with and it's just pretty cool in general. Shaft is a serious guy with a fierce streak of justice who just wants to get the answers he feels he's owed and has to deal with racist cops and the like looking for reasons to get mad at him. The writing is handled very well and makes Shaft to be a complex character as you get to see quite a bit of the sorts of experiences he'd had in his life to make him the man he is today. Sadly, at a short four issues there's not a whole lot more to talk about without going deep into spoilers but it's definitely worth reading. And like I said I'm not at all familiar with the movie Shaft, but as every other review will tell you this is based on the original book that the movies were based on. So keep that in mind if you're interested!
And the basic premise follows him trying to find out why people after the woman he's staying with and it's just pretty cool in general. Shaft is a serious guy with a fierce streak of justice who just wants to get the answers he feels he's owed and has to deal with racist cops and the like looking for reasons to get mad at him. The writing is handled very well and makes Shaft to be a complex character as you get to see quite a bit of the sorts of experiences he'd had in his life to make him the man he is today. Sadly, at a short four issues there's not a whole lot more to talk about without going deep into spoilers but it's definitely worth reading. And like I said I'm not at all familiar with the movie Shaft, but as every other review will tell you this is based on the original book that the movies were based on. So keep that in mind if you're interested!
December 31, 2024
The biggest compliment I can give this comic series, is that it felt like I was in the Shaft world the entire time. The dialogue, the plot, the “colorful” language, it all felt right at home. So much so that I couldn’t help but hear Richard Roundtree’s voice in my head anytime I read dialogue coming from Shaft.
The comic gives Shaft an origin story, something that was never really done in the films and I’m not sure about the novels. He comes back from the Vietnam war, falls in love and unfortunately gets pulled into some other people’s drama and it leads to tragedy.
Not boring in the slightest but at times, the plot did feel like a standard “mystery movie of the week” type deal. In a way it again harkens back to the live action roots, as Shaft was actually an ongoing TV movie of the week series for a short time. It was still an interesting story and gave the Shaft character more layers.
I love the artwork and I was surprised to see that they went with the Shaft novel design and didn’t just base him on Richard Roundtree’s likeness. It made me interested in getting the other trade collection of Shaft comics but then I’m a bit sad that it only lasted long enough for 2 collections. I may just have to go check the novels out too.
The comic gives Shaft an origin story, something that was never really done in the films and I’m not sure about the novels. He comes back from the Vietnam war, falls in love and unfortunately gets pulled into some other people’s drama and it leads to tragedy.
Not boring in the slightest but at times, the plot did feel like a standard “mystery movie of the week” type deal. In a way it again harkens back to the live action roots, as Shaft was actually an ongoing TV movie of the week series for a short time. It was still an interesting story and gave the Shaft character more layers.
I love the artwork and I was surprised to see that they went with the Shaft novel design and didn’t just base him on Richard Roundtree’s likeness. It made me interested in getting the other trade collection of Shaft comics but then I’m a bit sad that it only lasted long enough for 2 collections. I may just have to go check the novels out too.
February 19, 2023
This book is so good David F Walker, writes the character of Shaft perfectly he tells gritty Blaxploitation detective story that you would’ve seen in a Shaft movie the art for a Dynomite book is solid all around. I love the colors and the distinctive character designs I like how they don’t try, and do one for one look like Richard Roundtree that this book takes place younger, which allows them to do their own character design, I think the first issue really sets the tone of the book of even though it’s a bad outcome Shaft don’t give a fuck and he’s going to do what he wants what he feels is right
June 18, 2020
Prior to reading this, my only knowledge about Shaft is that there exists movies based on this character, which I've never seen. So I can not say if this volume does justice to the source material. What I can say though, is this is a standard origin story in a neo noir background.
Shaft as a character in this book, is pretty interesting and I found myself vested in his story, though the story itself became predictable at certain points. For example, when a love interest is introduced very early on in the origin story , one can easily see what is to come of it. What I did like, was how the story develops more like an investigative thriller than an outright run and gun action tale. There is action to be found for sure, but it doesn't form the crux of the book.
Despite some characters that felt one dimensional and instances of the plot being predictable, I found this to be a quick and fun read. The book succeeded in getting me interested in the titular character, like a good origin story is supposed to do.
Shaft as a character in this book, is pretty interesting and I found myself vested in his story, though the story itself became predictable at certain points. For example, when a love interest is introduced very early on in the origin story , one can easily see what is to come of it. What I did like, was how the story develops more like an investigative thriller than an outright run and gun action tale. There is action to be found for sure, but it doesn't form the crux of the book.
Despite some characters that felt one dimensional and instances of the plot being predictable, I found this to be a quick and fun read. The book succeeded in getting me interested in the titular character, like a good origin story is supposed to do.
January 16, 2023
This John Shaft is based on the character from the Tidyman novels, not the Roundtree films based on the Tidyman novels. This is better than the murderous dick Tidyman invented. Not quite as good as the original Roundtree movie. Better than the sequels and the remake. All in all, this is a different John Shaft than you've ever experienced, but it works as a hard boiled, early 70's, detective story.
February 15, 2021
Unsurprisingly, David knocks his rendition of Shaft out of the park, doing a great job of keeping the essence of the character and his world without falling back on just writing the same old stereotypes that others might have tried.
And Bilquis Evely's art is amazing, with characters looked varied and extremely expressive. Great stuff!
And Bilquis Evely's art is amazing, with characters looked varied and extremely expressive. Great stuff!
May 25, 2024
Shaft's first case as a detective. The follow-up graphic novel, Shaft: Imitation of Life, has better art and a more over-the-top blaxploitation movie feel. This is more straightforward, with a gritty tour of the corrupt underbelly of NYC, but few surprises or stylistic flourishes. Still, it is John Shaft, and he is still one cool cat.
February 5, 2021
A good detective story that serves as an origin for the classic blaxploitation character, with gorgeous art by Bilquis Evely.
Walker script made my read enjoyable and fluid, done in one sitting, because the good match of pacing and visuals.
Walker script made my read enjoyable and fluid, done in one sitting, because the good match of pacing and visuals.
October 10, 2017
Shaft : A complicated man is pretty good, it felt the Shaft movies from the 70's.
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