Spirit of the Shadows #3 Review

 

Spirit of the Shadows #3 Review

Writers: Daniel Ziegler & Nick Cagnetti

Artist & Colorist: Nick Cagnetti

Letterer: Ferran Delgado

Designer: Winston Gambro

Editor: Karl Bollers

Cover Artists: Nick Cagnetti & Grey Williamson

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 25, 2026

 

Helena Hextress blames Erik Leroux for her sister's death. But by the time she finds Dr. Hyde Perkins, Erik has slipped through her grasp. The "Spirit of the Shadows" has died, and the Clerical has taken Erik to the Spirit Realm.

 

After a beast tears apart the book of his life, Erik has a brief window of time to reassemble it. But even if Erik can bring the book to the Hall of Judgment and convince the Realmkeepers that he deserves to reunite with his beloved Katrina in the Sacred Realm, Helena Hextress is determined to stop that. Why does Helena hate Erik? And is her sister Elizabeth, slowly turning into a beast in the Spirit Realm, truly beyond saving? Let's leap into Spirit of the Shadows #3 and see!

 

Story

When he found Elizabeth in peril, Erik rescued her. Then, she helped him collect his scattered pages. But Helena's magic interrupts their search when she resurrects Erik. As she gives the disoriented Spirit a truth potion, Erik tries to answer her questions. But just as his memories of life faded after he died, Erik's memories of his search through the Spirit Realm slip away before he can share them with Helena.

 

In Spirit of the Shadows #3, Helena grows frustrated. She yearns for the satisfaction of revenge. Yet the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth's death are complicated. Still, what Erik can tell her arrests her attention. It seems that Dr. Hyde Perkins was far more than he seemed. So Helena Hextress flies off to investigate the relationship between the disgraced doctor and the dead musician.

 

While Daniel Ziegler & Nick Cagnetti follow Helena's search for the truth, they also follow Elizabeth's search for Erik's scattered pages. Erik Leroux, Dr. Hyde Perkins, and Helena Hextress may be more complicated than they seem. Yet Elizabeth seems as loving and pure as Erik's beloved Katrina. Like Erik, a beast tore apart her book before Elizabeth could read it. While Helena seeks someone to punish for her sister's death, Elizabeth risks her future in the Spirit Realm to protect Erik from degenerating into a beast. But what she discovers on those pages may change her mind in Spirit of the Shadows #3.

 

Art

Nick Cagnetti splits a panel to reveal Helena's cottage and her conversation with Erik inside. As steam rises from the glass she hands him, Erik pulls his mask up to expose his lips. When he sits beside Helena and recalls a memory, a corpse with a wound in the back sprawls before the bench. Yet in the Spirit Realm, Elizabeth climbs a tree stretching over a river. Risking her existence, she hooks her legs around the limb, hanging down to reach pages caught on rocks amid the raging waters.

 

While Helena's red hair finds echoes in her attire, Erik's skin is green like his outfit. Nick Cagnetti lavishes a palette of bright colors on Spirit of the Shadows #3, making the Spirit Realm glow with fluorescent hues. As Elizabeth climbs a purple and pink tree, her green and yellow dress links her with Erik, her blonde hair evokes Katrina, while her red claw links her with her sister.

 

Black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for intonation, and swell for raised voices. Strong emotion or heightened volume deforms dialogue balloons, while blue letters in blue balloons signal an unexpected change. Sound effects heighten magical spells and scientific experiments, as a muffled noise in a cloudlike balloon foretells tragedy. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

“Death cannot stop true love,” Westley told Buttercup. “All it can do is delay it for a while.” In life, Erik and Katrina wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of their lives together. But one's actions after death threaten to divert the course of true love in Spirit of the Shadows #3.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For how this series began, see my review of Spirit of the Shadows #1. 

Spirit of the Shadows #3 Cover Preview

 

Helena Hextress blames Erik Leroux for her sister's death. But by the time she finds Dr Hyde Perkins, Erik has slipped through her grasp. The "Spirit of the Shadows" has died, and the Clerical has taken Erik to the Spirit Realm. 

After a beast tears apart the book of his life, Erik has a brief window of time to reassemble it. But even if Erik can bring the book to the Hall of Judgment, and convince the Realmkeepers that he deserves to reunite with his beloved Katrina in the Sacred Realm, Helena Hextress is determined to stop that. Why does the witch hate Erik? And is her sister Elizabeth, slowly turning into a beast in the Spirit Realm, truly beyond saving?

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS #3 (OF 5)

WRITTEN BY NICK CAGNETTI, DANIEL ZIEGLER ART BY NICK CAGNETTI COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI COVER B BY GREY WILLIAMSON FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI Outrageously otherworldly creators Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade) and Daniel Ziegler (Elodi) continue the superhero horror sensation of 2026 with a brand-new chapter that raises the stakes—and raises the dead! Erik Leroux has been plucked from the spirit world and thrust back into the land of the living. Haunted by memories of his death and the strange forces that led to his untimely ending, Erik now finds himself at the mercy of the vengeful witch Helena. But what dark thread ties their fates together? $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FULL COLOR | ON SALE MARCH 25, 2026

 

Here are more cover options:

 

COVER B BY GREY WILLIAMSON

 

 

FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

 

Spirit of the Shadows #2 Cover Preview

 

COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI

When he dies, Erik awakens in the Sacred Realm with amnesia. But as he reunites with Katrina, Erik remembers he loves her. Then the Clerical drags him down to the Spirit Realm. Before Erik can rejoin his beloved, he must read the book of his life. But doing so will prove an arduous task, and take him on a journey across a strange landscape filled with challenges, monsters, and a fellow adventurer. Will Erik like what he learns about himself? And will the Realmkeepers judge Erik worthy of spending eternity with Katrina?

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS #2 (of 5)

WRITTEN BY NICK CAGNETTI & DANIEL ZIEGLER ART BY NICK CAGNETTI COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI COVER B BY IAN HIGGINBOTHAM FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI A HERO OUT OF HELL! The new year's most spectacular, eye-popping indie horror hit returns with an all-new chapter from retro-powered cartoonist Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade) and co-creator Daniel Ziegler (Elodie)! As the deceased musician Erik Leroux journeys through an eerie underworld realm alongside the enigmatic Elizabeth, the truth of his forgotten past begins to unfold—one page at a time. But in the land of the living, danger brews as a vengeful witch named Helena and her arcane pet rabbit, Haruspex, mark Erik for destruction. But what dark grudge binds her to a man who no longer walks among the living? And how does it all tie back to Erik's long-lost love—the mysterious Katrina? Ghosts, grief, and grim revelations collide in this twisted tale of love, memory, and the shadows from the past! In the tradition of Jack Kirby's THE DEMON, Mike Allred's MADMAN, and Todd McFarlane's SPAWN, meet the next great addition to the canon of horror heroes as Cagnetti and Ziegler unleash an outrageously otherworldly comic book saga for the ages!  $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FULL COLOR | ON SALE FEBRUARY 25, 2026

Here are more cover options:

 

COVER B BY IAN HIGGINBOTHAM

 

 

FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI

  

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.

The Spirit of the Shadows #1 Review

 

Writers: Nick Cagnetti & Daniel Ziegler

Artist: Nick Cagnetti

Cover Artists: Nick Cagnetti, David Lafuente, Karl Kerschl & Matt Lesniewski

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 28, 2026

 

When Erik Leroux dies, he finds his lost love. But their reunion proves all too brief. A spirit called the Clerical grabs Erik and pulls him away from Katrina. When they land in another realm, the Clerical gives Erik a book about his life. Why must Erik relive his time on Earth? And can Erik find a way to spend eternity with his beloved Katrina? Let’s leap into The Spirit of the Shadows #1 and see!

 

Story

Before the Clerical departs, it explains that Erik inhabits the Spirit Realm. The book he holds in his hands will reveal how he lived. Erik’s memories are hazy. He believes he was a good man. But while Erik reads, the Realmkeepers will observe his story. If they judge that Erik has lived a moral life, they will let him ascend to the Sacred Realm. There, he can spend Eternity with Katrina. But before they can render their decision, Erik must recover his past.

 

When he opens the book, Erik’s memory begins to return. Each page reminds him of the man he was. He remembers meeting Katrina and how they forged a connection. Then a beast interrupts his memories, clamps the book in its jaws, and scampers away.

 

While Erik sets off on a journey to retrieve his book, Nick Cagnetti and Daniel Ziegler show what occurs in the world he left behind. Dr Hyde Perkins buries Erik in the church graveyard. While Erik seeks to find the book that offers hope of reunion with his beloved, Dr Perkins mourns his friend's death. Yet, in The Spirit of the Shadows #1, Dr Perkins wishes he had never met Erik.

 

Art

Erik appears as a young man clad in a jacket, vest, and slacks. Blonde hair tumbles down Katrina's shoulders to her bluish-white dress as she rises and embraces him. Then the green-and-yellow demon-like Clerical emerges from the ground to pull Erik down. A suit made of green burial wrappings, a white cape, and a white top hat replace Erik's clothes as he descends. Then the red-eyed Clerical hands Erik a red book. Like the gold pendant hanging from Katrina's neck, the cover bears a crescent moon. But this one is severed, as if from a lightning bolt.

 

Compared with the pastel Sacred realm, Nick Cagnetti lavishes a fluorescent palette on the Spirit realm in The Spirit of the Shadows #1. Faces gaze down, emulating mystical lords, court jesters, or perhaps the three most important people in the world from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The pages of Erik’s life have pink outlines as their colors deepen. These glimpses of his past initially draw from the Sacred Realm’s pastels. But as Erik and Katrina meet, the colors darken, deepen, and borrow from the Spirit Realm’s fluorescent palette.

 

Black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for intonation, and swell for raised voices. Strong emotion or heightened volume deforms dialogue balloons, while fluttering streamers locate the reader in time and space. Music notes flow through Erik's memories, while red hearts float in dialogue balloons and dance on the wind of the Sacred Realm. Sound effects accompany the beast's vicious attacks, and Dr Perkins' unease when an unexpected visitor calls at Crescent Manor in The Spirit of the Shadows #1. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Memories can prove both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, the mind covers over memories to insulate people from trauma. Despite the pleasure and pain they bring, Erik must reclaim his lost memories if he has any hope of spending eternity with his beloved Katrina. But when an animal attacks the book of his life, Erik must reassemble it before he loses any sense of who he is in The Spirit of the Shadows #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of The Spirit of the Shadows #1. 

Spirit of the Shadows #3 Cover Preview

 

COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI

 

What would it be like to return from the grave? To remember your mortal life, and everything you lost? Erik Leroux pursued his passion for music while alive. Now, he's returning to the world he left. Co-writer and cartoonist Nick Cagnetti promises us a unique reading and visual experience. Can't wait, Nick!

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS #3 (OF 5)

WRITTEN BY NICK CAGNETTI, DANIEL ZIEGLER ART BY NICK CAGNETTI COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI COVER B BY GREY WILLIAMSON FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI Outrageously otherworldly creators Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade) and Daniel Ziegler (Elodi) continue the superhero horror sensation of 2026 with a brand-new chapter that raises the stakes—and raises the dead! Erik Leroux has been plucked from the spirit world and thrust back into the land of the living. Haunted by memories of his death and the strange forces that led to his untimely ending, Erik now finds himself at the mercy of the vengeful witch Helena. But what dark thread ties their fates together? $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FULL COLOR | ON SALE MARCH 25, 2026 IOD: 1/31/2026 FOC: 3/2/2026

Here are more cover options:

 

COVER B BY GREY WILLIAMSON

 

 

FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us.

For more, see my preview of Spirit of the Shadows #1. 

Spirit of the Shadows #1 Preview

 

COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI

 

So many great comics hit stores in December that it was hard to keep up with everything. So apologies to Oni Press for not sharing this awesome preview sooner! Check out this upcoming book hitting new stores next month. It looks like a lot of fun! And if you're interested, be sure to ask your local comic shop to order it by January 5th, 2026!

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS #1 (of 5)

WRITTEN BY NICK CAGNETTI & DANIEL ZIEGLER

ART BY NICK CAGNETTI

COVER A BY NICK CAGNETTI

COVER B BY DAVID LAFUENTE

COVER C BY KARL KERSCHL

COVER D BY MATT LESNIEWSKI

FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI

B&W VARIANT (1:20) BY MATT LESNIEWSKI

FULL ART VARIANT (1:50) BY KARL KERSCHL

ON SALE JANUARY 28, 2026 | $4.99 | 32 PGS | FC

IOD: 11/29/25

FOC: 1/5/26

 

 

OUTRAGEOUSLY OTHERWORLDLY AND BACK FROM THE GRAVE WITH A SCORE TO SETTLE! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, invites readers into a spectacularly terrifying new vision of the underworld in this extended excerpt from SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS #1, the arresting new limited series from the phantasmagorical minds of breakout cartoonist Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade, XINO) and Daniel Ziegler (Elodie). Arriving in comic shops on January 28th, SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS #1 features the first full-length artwork by Nick Cagnetti since his extraordinary debut with 2022’s PINK LEMONADE. 

“I guarantee you're not going to find another comic on the stands right now quite like this one—from the story to the art, my friend Daniel and I really tried to create something cohesive and evocative in the way that only this medium can provide,” said co-writer and cartoonist Nick Cagnetti. “To achieve that, I put a lot of care into differentiating styles and techniques for each of the settings the story goes to make them each feel distinct. You're swept up in this dreamlike haze alongside the main character, and you go through all the emotions and revelations alongside him. The end result should really make for a rewarding experience you can reread and look at completely differently the next time, but I'm envious for readers to experience that ride for the first time here soon!”

Once, Erik Leroux was a mortal musician, selflessly devoted to his music and his true love, Katrina . . . until his sudden death plunged his soul into the carnival-like torments of the Spirit World beyond our own. Now, reborn as a phantom with fleeting memories of his life among the living, and forever cursed to bear the arcane costume his corpse wore to the grave, Erik will claw his way back from the infernal planes to uncover the mysteries of his own life . . . and avenge the dark sins that transformed him into the SPIRIT OF THE SHADOWS!

“Introducing an entirely new world can be one of the most daunting tasks as a writer, so what better way to immerse the reader than to immediately place them in the shoes of the protagonist?” said co-writer Daniel Ziegler. “As Erik pieces together the forgotten fragments of his life, readers will also embark on that same journey of discovery and revelation, and may find themselves facing more than one moral quandary in the process. This extended preview gives you a taste of the various worlds and varying styles that Nick and I use throughout the series to tell this wholly unique parallel narrative of love, loss, and revenge that we couldn’t be more proud of.”

The artistically dazzling and emotionally gut-wrenching new addition to the canon of creator-owned superheroes rises into comic shops everywhere on January 28th, 2026, featuring covers by Nick Cagnetti (Pink Lemonade), David Lafuente (Ultimate Spider-Man), Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy), and Matt Lesniewski (Faceless & The Family). Don’t miss this day-glo hybrid of Jack Kirby’s THE DEMON, Mike Allred’s MADMAN, and Todd McFarlane’s SPAWN — with an eye-catching style and gripping narrative hook that’ll keep you searching the endless underworld for the next page of the story…

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B BY DAVID LAFUENTE

 

COVER C BY KARL KERSCHL

 

COVER D BY MATT LESNIEWSKI

 

 

FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY NICK CAGNETTI

B&W VARIANT (1:20) BY MATT LESNIEWSKI

FULL ART VARIANT (1:50) BY KARL KERSCHL

For more updates on Oni Press, visit them on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.