Ally's first chapter is mostly set up to get the reader familiar with all the characters and their motivations. He does an excellent job at pulling in the reader and making them care about the characters. He also does an outstanding job illustrating 16th century London, so take your time soaking in all the art's detail, this is not one to rush through. I love period based yarns and with the plethora of noir based stories flooding the market today, this one feels fresh. I was a bit let down by the last page because I could see this coming midway through the story. That said, it is the first chapter of the six-part story that sets up its premise and characters. I expect this to be a very strong series in story and art from start to finish. This one should be on everyone's pull list. Read Full Review

The Shadow Glass seems to have the basics down. Interesting setting with a multifaceted lead, the Shadow Glass will captivate the imagination of many of its readers. Few issues aside, this volume does great work to convince the average reader to pick it up and give it a shot. The only question is if Aly Feel can keep up the moment built in the first double volume and work from there. If this volume is an example, the answer is a solid yes. Read Full Review

The art is equally as impressive as the story is. While I doubt some the clothing could be considered historically accurate, it is drawn with great detail. Even the few brief glimpses of the mysterious shadow glass, shows that something seems to be alive in it. It may not be fully revealed yet, it makes one wonder why it possess an inner light. Read Full Review

The Shadow Glass will be of particular interest for readers who are fans of Shakespeare and 16th century British history, even if that is a rather narrowly-targeted niche market. Read Full Review

Shadow Glass #1 is one of those books that could easily fly under your radar. It's from a mid-tier publisher (sorry Dark Horse) and a new creator, Aly Fell. Add to that the fact that it's historical fiction with nary a super-hero, gun, or explosion in sight. This is typically not the formula that gets a lot of buzz from the comics, which is too bad. I thoroughly enjoyed this comic and Aly Fell is a creator that I think people should be keeping an eye on. People will suddenly discover he one day if he gets snatched up by one of the big companies to work on one of their super-hero books, but this is where you can find him now. Telling his story and telling it his way. I'm on board, keep it coming, Aly! Read Full Review

The Shadow Glass #1 is a strong start for a title that should find itself an audience. With a capablecreator developing anarrative filledwith awesomenessthis Dark Horse book looks to be a winning prospect for any collectorthis year! Read Full Review

The Shadow Glass #1 is a exposition heavy, character driven story that readers will love or hate depending on what they want out of a comic.  There is little to no action and the story is still a mystery, but if you like fleshed out characters and awesome art, give this book a try.  I'm glad I did. Read Full Review

All in all, I was very astounded by this read. Aly is a fantastic artist, and his twenty years of experience in the animation industry has definitely paid off well. This story is captivating, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Everyone should get out there and request their local retailer for this book. And if you cannot do that, definitely snag it online. I give The Shadow Glass #1, 4 out of 5. Read Full Review

The Shadow Glass #1 is an excellent opening issue. It displays an infectious understanding and appreciation of the comic medium that can't be denied. The storytelling takes familiar hero's journey concepts and, without mindless referential self-indulging, crafts a genuinely engaging narrative. I only hope future issues can keep to this level of quality. Read Full Review

All in all, then, I liked The Shadow Glass okay, although I didn't see anything particularly noteworthy about it, so I hesitate to tell you to plunk down your hard-earned money for it. On the other hand, it's worth checking out if your local library has it. Read Full Review

The clothing designs for each character are exceptional. Capes, swords, gowns, high collars – this book has all of that. Fell has clearly done some research and so, these outfits are fully realized. If you've ever seen some of his pin ups, you won't be shocked in any way about this. These costumes are detailed down to the finest point like buttons and texture. The character designs fall in line with a lot of what you see with paintings from this period, so again, you really feel like you're taken somewhere else. The facial expressions do at times feel a little over done but I would rather see something exaggerated than something static and flat. Read Full Review

Fell has done a brilliant job with this premiere issue of what I’m guessing will be a very interesting series. Seeing as Rosalind is such a rebel, I can only imagine what she’s going to do, or even think, when she faces Thomas. This is some familial drama-based stuff, and my scandalous side loves it! This is definitely well worth the read. Read Full Review

Writer Aly Fell starts off the issue with heavy exposition, before leaping forward two weeks, then leaping forward 20 years, resulting in an incredibly fast pace that makes it hard to become invested in the story until we encounter the protagonist Rosalind, a tomboyish Elizabethan girl. Read Full Review

To be fair, none of these criticisms should be the final word on Shadow Glass. This wont be the last issue Ill read, because its still entirely possible that issue #2 will more fully develop Fells potentially fascinating alt-historical world, or give some depth to his potentially fascinating heroine. These might be the awkward birthing pains of a solid new series, or they might be fundamental flaws. Read Full Review

The Shadow Glass #1 is a character-driven story with hints of mystery and a dark ritual for a backdrop. The characterization is excellent, the dialogue is solid, and the artwork is gorgeous to look at. The book does drag on at points, but the promise of the ritual and the questions that run through your head keep you reading. If you are looking for a dark mystery, this one has promise to deliver; however, after this first issue it is still unclear what the overarching story will be. Read Full Review

So The Shadow Glass #1 is a book I really loved about 50% of, and was not at all impressed with the other 50%. I'm not sure this has ever really happened before. I mean, there have been books where I like the writing, and don't like the art, or vice versa. But it's never been to this extreme, so that's kind of odd for me. Anyways, I don't think I can really recommend this book. I guess it could get better, but maybe just flick through the pages at some point to look at the art. Read Full Review

Overall, for a book with this premise, I was disappointed to be so bored while reading it. And even more that I don't plan to stick with it. Read Full Review

Fell's artistic skills are obvious in the backgrounds and delicate color work, but his facial expressions and body language -- which are more important in sequential storytelling -- don't adequately support the story, which is weak on plotting and characterization. Read Full Review

Excellent start. Great art, solid character moments and real tension.
Looking forward to the next issue.