With so many canceled shows continuing in comic or graphic novel form, it’s safe to sayShadow and Boneis not exempt from the conversation.Shadow and Bonewas canceled in November 2023, barely a week after Netflix released a connected game titled “Enter The Fold” during Geeked Week. And while a comic run would be a good way to see the show safely continued, it breaks my heart as a comic fan to say that aShadow and Bonecomic book continuation wouldn’t work—and it’s not what the show deserves.
Shadow and Bonewas a fantasy TV show that premiered in 2021 and centered around the discovery of Sun Summoner Alina Starkov and her country’s political divide. Its second season arrived in 2023 after much anticipation. The adaptation combined the trilogyShadow and Bonewith the duologySix of Crows, both written by author and executive producer Leigh Barudgo.
Unfortunately,bothShadow and Boneand its potentialSix of Crowsspin-off were canceled by Netflix, despite the second season charting high enough to earn a renewal.
Shadow and Bone
Executive Producers
Lee Toland Krieger, Leigh Bardugo, Pouya Shahbazian, Josh Barry, Dan Cohen, Shawn Levy, Shelley Meals, Dan Levine, Daegan Fryklind, Eric Heisserer
Main Cast
Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Ben Barnes, Zoë Wanamaker, Patrick Gibson, Daisy Head, Danielle Galligan, Calahan Skogman, Lewis Tan, Jack Wolfe, Anna Leong Brophy
April 23rd, 2021
March 16th, 2023
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Shadow and Bone’s Appeal Was The Leap From Page To Screen
TheShadow and Bone Books by Leigh Bardugo Debuted in 2012
The first season ofShadow and Bonewas highly anticipated, as fans would see for the first time how the show would bring the Grishaverse to life: from the frozen forests of Fjerda, to the crime-riddled, steampunk city of Ketterdam, to the all-encompassing Dark Sea splitting the country of Ravka.I can confirm the anticipation ramped up even higher for the show’s second season, which saw the cast ofShadow and Bonewidened to include Wylan Van Eck, a demolition expert; Nikolai Lantsov, second prince of Ravka;and twins Tolya Yul-Bataar and Tamar Kir-Bataar, heartrenders fiercely loyal to their captain.
Much ofShadow and Bone’s appeal stemmed from being a bookadaptation. That word is important. While the story playing out on screen was enrapturing, it was the music composed by Joseph Trapanese, Emmy-nominated visuals created with CGI, stunning costumes done by Wendy Partridge, and brilliant performances from the entire cast that kept me glued to my seat.Every element of the TV show lent itself to a 3D feeling that vanishes when returned to the page.
Comics Deliver World Expansion Without Restraint
FourShadow and BoneBooks Are Left To Be Adapted
WhileShadow and Boneremains a beloved book adaptation,there were several plot points that weren’t adapted, to my disappointment. Two large factors in the changes made when a book goes from page to screen are time and budget; those are obstacles a comic doesn’t have — provided they fit the adapted flow of the plot. A comic has a lot fewer limitations than a TV show does. It all comes down to story.
Due to the cancelation,several books in the Grishaverse remain unadapted,mainly theKing of Scarsduology and large chunks of theSix of Crowsduology. A comic book continuation would allow for fans of the show to see — for the first time — the Ice Court of Fjerda, Shu Han’s modified winged soldiers, and the romance between Prince Nikolai and his general Zoya Nazyalensky. Forget budget restrictions, a comic book could go anywhere in the Grishaverse, leave no character behind, and deliver the Grishaverse wholly intact.
8 Shadow And Bone Storylines That Will Never Be Resolved After Its Cancellation
The cancellation of Shadow and Bone means that storylines including budding romances, new leadership, and dangerous curses will never be resolved.
The Cast’s Performances were The Show’s Shining Stars
Shadow and BoneCasting Surprised Fans
Even though it would be easy to continueShadow and Boneas a comic,it leaves out the very thing that made the show so special:the performances of the cast. Not every take on a beloved character clicks, but for the cast ofShadow and Bone, everything felt right: from Ben Barnes’ bitter Darkling, to Freddy Carter’s driven Kaz Brekker, to Jessie Mei Li’s passionate Alina. Their performances were key to animating the show, and it’s something dismally lost in a comic book continuation (seeingKaz Brekkerbeat up the Dregs is different from watching Carter’s Kaz Brekker slam his cane into a man’s head).
From the beginning of the show,fans were ready to hear iconic quotes from the booksspoken out loudin the heat of a scene. While a comic book would allow for fans to visuallyseethe lines spoken, it negates the desired effect ofhearingthem. Without being in live-action, the quotes lose their potential for vocal inflection, heated emotion, and the human touch to bring them to life. It’s the biggest blow the show faces if Netflix chooses to continue the storylines in a comic book continuation.
Since the cancelation, Netflix has remained silent on the show’s future at the streamer.Whether the live-action Grishaverse continues in any form is still up in the air.Fellow Netflix-canceled show,Fate: The Winx Saga,received its first graphic novel continuation in July 2024. Paramount’s recently canceled comedyStar Trek:Lower Deckswill continue as a comic series by IDW, with the first issue set to release in November 2024. However, unlike the aforementioned series, the Grishaverse already has a graphic novel, titledDemon In The Wood, proving the Grishaverse’s adaptability to the comics medium.
Although a comic continuation could expand the Grishaverse to new limits, likely with stunning cover art,I have to say thatShadow and Boneas a show was never about the story:it was about bringing theGrishaverseinto a world with more depth than a page can offer. The canceled show to comic pipeline works well for most, but not for this show.Shadow and Bonefaces many obstacles on its path to revival, but it would be well worth the effort.
Cast
Shadow and Bone is a fantasy series set in a world divided by a barrier of darkness. Released on June 24, 2025, it follows a young soldier who discovers a unique power that could reunite her country amid a backdrop of scheming forces, including thugs, thieves, and assassins.
