Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: David Walker
Artist: Bilquis Evely
Release Date: 28th October, 2015

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No matter how he’s represented – whether it be in movies, novels or comic books – I can’t think of many fictional characters cooler than John Shaft. He’s the black private dick who’s a sex machine to all the chicks and the man who’d risk his life for his brother man. Yet I doubt when he was introduced in Ernest Tidyman’s 1970 book – aptly titled Shaft – anyone envisioned the pop culture icon he would go on to become. It’s the year 2015 and we all know the name John Shaft and the lyrics to his theme music. Can you dig it? I know I can.

However, over the course of seven subsequent novels, three original movies, an ill-fated TV show and a 21st century remake starring Samuel L. Jackson, Shaft’s backstory has never been fully explained. We’re well aware of how bad ass and sexy he is, kicking ass and taking names in 1970’s New York City (and Africa). But who was he before he became a hardboiled private eye?

Shaft: A Complicated Man takes us back to 1968, when John Shaft arrives home from Vietnam and pursues his new career as a detective for hire. It doesn’t take long before the mob and cops are on his back and the bodies start to pile up. If you’ve ever wondered where his journey began, this is where you’ll find out.

Everything from the art to the dialogue is so authentically 70’s. It retains the grittiness of the Blaxploitation movies Shaft helped popularise, while the language – although often racist – captures the racial tensions of the times. In this current age of political correctness some of the writing might not sit well with some readers, so be warned. However, it’s not needless racism for the sake of pulp entertainment. It’s a time capsule of a bygone era where urban decay and race inequalities were a prevalent part of society and it doesn’t try to sugar coat it either.

Overall, this is an excellent contribution to Shaft’s legacy. More than just a tie-in to what’s already been established, it actually enhances the character by giving him a well-developed origin story. What might be the most surprising thing about A Complicated Man is how good it actually is.

Rating: 5/5.

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PREVIEW ARTWORK
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The writer of this piece was: Kieran Fisher
Kieran Tweets from @HairEverywhere_.

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