Themes: Good vs. Evil, Comic Format, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Tween, Teen, Young Adult, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. The Dark Man has a vision of the past. He remembers when the Shadow Masters took Astrid from him, long ago. There was a time before the Shadow Masters. But the past is dark. The Dark Man series is designed for middle school and young adult struggling readers who may have never successfully managed to read a book. Each book is short, but mature, with only 36 pages and word counts ranging from 230–380. The graphics are dark, adult in style, with clear references to gaming, film, and graphic novels. The layouts change to maintain interest and avoid predictability. The white space is used to dramatic effect. The text is short and simple. Stories are gritty, full of tension and mystery. The language is terse. The Dark Man is a serious comic hero with his own mythology. Each book is a self-contained story, but each story is a part of a greater whole.