By Matt Wagner - The Shadow: Year One (The Shadow: Year One Omnibus) (2015-05-15) [Paperback]

The Shadow (Dynamite) #0

by Matt Wagner

Excellent Book

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Pulp, Superheroes, Crime, Fiction, Mystery

Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Matt Wagner is an American comic book writer and artist. In addition to his creator-owned series' Mage and Grendel, he has also worked on comics featuring The Demon and Batman as well as such titles as Sandman Mystery Theatre and Trinity, a DC Comics limited series featuring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The Shadow knows!



Ok, sadly, my first and only real introduction to The Shadow was that horrible Alec Baldwin movie in 1994.
Ooof!
And as you can imagine, it didn't inspire me to dig much deeper into the character or the comics. But when I saw this on the shelf in my local library, I couldn't resist. I'm always a sucker for those Year One titles, you know? Anyway, I'm glad I snagged it.
Very cool.



I did some serious digging into the origin of this character (and by serious digging, I mean I pulled up a Wikipedia page and poked around on the internet for about 10 minutes) and discovered a few things I didn't know.
First, I didn't realize that The Shadow got his start on a 1930's radio show. I mean, I knew he was a radio character but I didn't realize he was that old. Although, in retrospect, when was the last time the family all gathered around the radio to listen to...anything?
Second, I was never sure which came 1st, the show or the comic. But apparently, the pulp comics were a spin-off from the very popular radio show.
And, well...ok. That's all I really know.



Which means I'm just about the perfect audience for this thing, given that I know next to nothing about who this dude is and what he does. A Year One comic that sneezes up a bit of an origin story would be great for someone who needs an introduction.
And this gave me a much better story than I ever imagined I'd get!



I'm guessing that they updated a few things and (from my hasty trip to the Web) it looks as though they gave him more powers than he originally had. I think his shtick was hypnotism originally. <---You can't see meeeeeee. I'm clouding your miiiiiiind.
And now he has some kind of telepathy. Which, let's face it, is much cooler than some bozo with a pocket watch.



My son just read this and informed me that, originally, Cranston had the ability to make himself invisible to the bad guys. Except when the light hit his shadow. Which, you know, makes his name make a lot more fucking sense.
Thanks, son.




The Shadow is really a millionare playboy named Lamont Cranston.
Lamont Cranston. <--that's a fucking classy name if I've ever heard it.
Except he's NOT REALLY Lamont! Yeah, it turns out this guy is like one of those Russian nesting dolls, and his origin is something akin to a ninja/spy/special forces/war hero/assassin/etc..
Who knows?! The Shadow knows!
Oh! And he's part Joker because he's got this freaky laugh that spooks EVERYONE.



Including his sorta girlfriend, Margo Lane.
Now, Margo is kinda a 'ho. <--for back in the day, anyway.
I think she was just originally a socialite but in this one, she's a kept woman (that one always makes me laugh) who was living with a gross mob boss so that he would keep her in the style she was accustomed to before her dad went broke. The mob guy was the last (and least appealing) in a long line of guys she'd been shacking up with.
Oh, Margo. Tsk. You don't have to show the boys your boobs to make them like you!
Although, if you want them to pay for your trip to the Carribean? Pull them titties out, girl.
Of course, Lamont can't resist her womanly wiles for long and they partner up. <--eh, eh? Get it?



Ok, so the gist is that a crimefighter, with some mild telepathy & someone else's name/fortune, is hunting a mystical nemesis who takes over people's wills. He's slowly building up a network of loyal agents, falling for the tenacious Margo Lane, and freaking folks out with his laugh.
It doesn't sound good, I'll admit.
But it was!



The art inside isn't as amazing as Alex Ross' covers, but it's definitely not horrible. And his covers alone are worth the price of admission. I tend to pick up anything with his name attached to it. Beautiful stuff!



Sometimes I feel burned by origin stories or lost when I pick up something with a character I don't know much about. But this? Very well done.
I would definitely read more.



The weed of crime bears bitter fruit! Crime does not pay... The Shadow knows!
I'm not making weird shit up, this was was his tag line at the end of the episodes.
Yeah. Anyway.
He knows!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Wagner doesn't break much new ground with this Year One story but then again he doesn't really need to. The Shadow's origins had been told before and didn't need any fixing.

What we do get is The Shadow setting up his network of agents in the midst of a gang war with a larger, big bad operating behind the scenes. We also spend a lot of time with Margo Lane, the most famous of Cranston's agents. I'll always take lot of scenes of The Shadow beating up and shooting mobsters. Good stuff.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In continuation of the fine modern tradition of wholeheartedly missing the entire point of what made The Shadow good, this series tells us, explicitly unambiguously, his full background and the tale of his origin. It combines Kent Allard of the pulps with Ying-Ko of the film (though having a leg up over it with him seeking redemption by his own volition rather than being forced into it), along with the usual bits of being a war veteran and an ace pilot. But there's no trace of Russian connections, and he was apparently never a blonde. It's not his worst origin story, I just still think any origin story at all does grave disservice to the character.

We also get the backstory of The Shadow's probably most visible and famous agent, Margo Lane, and how she got involved in all this nonsense - and it might be the least appealing version of her, being a former prostitute in modern Frank Miller tradition (though a high-class one, at least), all too often a damsel in distress, and most damningly of all, serving as a love interest.

Harry Vincent is absent this time, which I have no problem with: I always thought him a bit bland.

At the opposite end, this Zorn fellow is a serviceable and occasionally threatening antagonist, with a solid motive and a fair dose of madness. If we must know everything of The Shadow, then let's at least give him an equally powerful adversary. Don't like the design too much, though. And as usual, the fearful mobsters and criminals are the best part of these stories, and their feeble attempts at fighting against this shadowy menace are a delight and occasionally a dark laugh.

Art is just plain bad - undetailed and rather sloppy, with a style that just does not fit into the proceedings and faces that look weird and action that it never can properly follow.

On the whole, it was all right. Not the worst. But far, far from the best.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can thank Wikipedia for my decision to read this book. Seeing their featured article on The Shadow pulp stories whetted my appetite to read more about one of the prototypes for the modern superhero. After a little research I learned that the Shadow has appeared in several comic books over the years, and upon discovering Matt Wagner’s “Year One” presentation it seemed a natural choice.

As a novice to the world of the Shadow, it proved an excellent choice. Opening with Lamont Cranston’s return to America on the eve of the Great Depression, we see him begin his war on evil by attacking the organized crime families profiting from Prohibition. This soon brings him into contact with Margo Lane, the privileged daughter of a wealthy family impoverished by her father’s poor business skills. She becomes the first of Cranston’s network of agents, whom he builds in his effort to catch his true quarry: a German scientist named Doctor Zorn who feeds psychically on violence and cruelty.

The adventure that follows offers a good mix of action and world-building. As someone new to the character (aside from the disappointing 1994 movie I had never read any of the stories or heard the old radio show) I read it free of any concern as to how Wagner’s depiction of the character compared with other works within the franchise. Yet as much as I enjoyed the story and the art, I couldn’t help but be bothered by the small things that Wanger and Wilfredo Torres got wrong. Though set in 1929, the portrayal of the era is muddled, with events and other details from later years portrayed in the panels. Not only did they inhibit my ability to fully lose myself in the era (which was one of the attractions of the franchise for me), but seeing them raised the question of just how familiar the team truly were with the era. Perhaps as I delve further into the stories I may revisit my judgment, but as enjoyable of an introduction as it was my appreciation for it is only a qualified one.

[Malum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is both a fantastic introduction to The Shadow for new fans, as well as a great Shadow adventure for old hands.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching the shadow on the radio.

I know that the title sounds absurd, but anyone in their 70s or 80s will remover listening to the radio with their family while looking at the big console radio in the corner of the living room. Until this comic (graphic novel) I could only imagine what the Shadow looked like. I am 75 years old and thoroughly enjoyed this comic. I look forward to reading more issues. Thank you.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?....The Shadow knows... "


Before I get into the review proper, I have to say that it is crazy how much a first impression can affect someone. My first encounter with Matt Wagner was Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity and it left me wanting and semi-turned off to the man. I eventually decided to try again with him with Sandman Mystery Theatre Book One and liked it. The Shadow: Year One confirmed that my second impression was true; Wagner is much more of pulp-noir vigilante comic creator than a traditional superhero creator. It also helped that he is not handling the art duties here, but leaving that job in the capable hands of Wilfredo Torres.

The Shadow is a pre-comic book "noir" character created for the radio. Among the various people who played him on the radio Orson Welles is probably the most famous. He also appeared in comic strip, pulp magazine, and comic book form during his hey-day in the 1930s and 1940s. The intellectual rights to character belong to Condé Nast and they usually license him out to different publishers and film studios at different intervals. Given that he is one of the most obvious composite characters that contributed to The Batman (along with Zorro), he was licensed to DC Comics for a long time, but because of the influence of Batman it was always hard to sell him when his successor was so fixed in the pop culture as THE pulp-noir vigilante. Eventually the character bounced around to different publishing houses until it landed at Dynamite Comics Entertainment and they have been putting out regular series with different writers of him for most of the last decade. It is ironic that it is only in 2015 that they made a "Year One" for The Shadow given that DC Comics had all that time following Batman: Year One to do the natural thing (though the cover for this edition is actually a call-back to that other Frank Miller work--Batman: The Dark Knight Returns). At this point you can't separate Batman and The Shadows influence on each other--they've crossed over twice in the last 4 years. But this book is about the first year on The Shadow.

Like I alluded to in my review of Batman: Year One, despite this being about the vigilante, it is told through the view of their "Dr. Watson" character which in Batman's case is Jim Gordon and in The Shadow's case is Margo Lane. Her story was almost as interesting and crazy as his, but she has a much closer view of him being his girlfriend and having no fear of danger to speak of (in a way she is more of a predecessor to Lois Lane). This book does a admirable job at trying an adaption distillation of the various continuities of The Shadow (one of the consequences of a comic property with various origins outside of comics) and it sets you up to explore the rest of the long franchise of The Shadow. If pulp or crime noir is your thing more than standard superheroes, I would give The Shadow a shot. He knows your heart.

[Murphy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy the reading, my pleasure with The Shadow: Year One--I listened to a bunch of episodes of the radio show on cassette tapes as a kid around 10--was severely tempered by the occasional sloppiness of the art, the half-baked and murky plot, and the ubiquitous (and seemingly unintentional and unaesthetic) anachronisms. Perhaps most distracting and most disappointing of all, The Shadow: Year One is utterly riddled with misspellings, typos, and formatting errors.There's very nearly one on every page. Apparently, Dynamite can't afford to employ a single competent editor!!! Stuff like this is the main reason I rarely venture beyond DC and Marvel...

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

At some points the story drags, at others, it rushes.
A lot of times I would turn a page and thought I'd skipped one. Then when going back, I found that the story did indeed jump somewhere else without much coherence.
The art varies, from good, to OK, to m'eh.
Overall it just seemed overly rushed.
Too bad as I'm usually a pretty big fan of Wagner, but this one just didn't do it for me.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tad overlong, but thoroughly enjoyable.

[Lucas Chance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too reverent to be revelatory

The Shadow is honestly an interesting character but one whose whole aesthetic, origin, and vibe has been used by other sources that their origin seems a little lackluster.

Wagner does good at trying to make the Shadow a bit 3 dimensional while staying with the pulp. However, even his attempts at grounding the character come off as cliche and it’s not pulpy enough to be really engaging or fun. It’s really odd to say that the man who made Grendel couldn’t pull this off.

However, it feels like this material either needs to be subverted or revamped to a degree. Someone like Mignola whose love of pulp and the Weird could make this feel less like Batman with guns

[Sean O · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best comic adaptation of The Shadow since maybe DC’s 1970s series.

The Shadow is hard to do right. You want to be serious as a heart attack, but it still can be over the top. It just can’t be campy. Which makes it so hard for tv and movies to get right, but Radio and Pulps and comics can tread that line.

Matt Wagner does a pretty good job with the style and mood. I think it’s because he knows the era. A lot of comics don’t do period well. The fashion or cars or guns all look off, and most of the good details comes from the script.

The art is mostly very good. The cover gallery at the end was incredible. So many good drawings.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every hero has an origin story…

The Shadow was first a radio play character and then starred in his own pulp magazine, which ran for more than 300 issues. On the radio, he was Lamont Cranston wealthy young man about town who used hypnosis to cloud men’s minds. In the pulp magazine, he was more of a person who used various tricks to blend with the Shadows and remain concealed in places that seemed impossible.

In the 1994 movie starring Alec Baldwin, the Shadow was a combination of the radio character and the pulp hero. When the Shadow reached the world of comics, it was as this blended character. The Shadow was the merciless foe of organized crime, a creature of the night with a shuddering laugh and blazing 45’s. He used the hypnosis to vanish or make crooks believe he was somewhere where he was not. He also used hypnosis to gain needed information or to cause someone to forget something.

The Shadow was not Lamont Cranston. There was a real Cranston who allowed the Shadow to use his identity, his fortune, and his New Jersey mansion. He also appeared as others, notably as Fitz the janitor at police headquarters. And again there was a real Fitz so the Shadow had to time his charades carefully.

This book is the imagining of how The Shadow first came to New York to wage war on crime. He begins to gather is agents, including Margo Lane. He has come to fight crime and to find an old enemy and fellow mystic Doctor Zorn.

I feel that any fan of the radio show or the Shadow Pulp Magazine will enjoy this graphic novel very much. The art is fabulous and the script recounts the story excellently! It is like the radio and pulp Shadow coming to life on the page! I recommend it to all who know and love the Shadow!

This book is worth five stars plus!

Quoth the Raven…

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having on the most basic knowledge of The Shadow, I greatly enjoyed this introductory run on the character. It’s a fairly straightforward read with a few hints at The Shadow’s past and training but still leaves an air of mystery around him. Much like another Year One title out there, it starts off with a billionaire playboy returning home from an extended, exotic, and mysterious long-term stay overseas. Trouble ensues and a new force of vengeance and justice shows up on the scene, but the big question is, who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes for all these criminals?! THE SHADOW KNOWS! The art is nice, simple, and truly pops off the page. Add to that the cover and variant gallery at the back and you have a veritable feast for the eyes! This was a fun, pulpy read that has the best aspects of gritty life in the city, mob wars, exotic locales, and good old fashion revenge! For a modern comic, it does occasionally slip slightly into the realm of stereotypical and mildly racist territory, but the author might justify this by saying that the original pulps had similar qualities. That’s up to you to decide on, as for me I viewed it all as caricature as opposed to a record of what life was like early in the Depression. Also, I was really intrigued by Margo Lane’s background which prior to this I’d always sort of thought of as squeaky clean. The Shadow: Year One has certainly piqued my interest and I’m eager to dive into more of the adventures of The Shadow.

[David Gurzynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

While porta fun

The art here is great, the writing flows well.. To be honest the only thing that interrupted things was the extra art. After some of the scripts and extra covers, .. I just wanted to get back to the story! Talk about an embarrassment of riches!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, nice art (average by the end). Good grasp of the character and wagner makes it a fun read.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a longer story of the pulp comic book hero known as “The Shadow.” Not that I’m complaining about it being longer but rather I see it as a delight since this past year I have been immensely enjoying the stories and the character of “The Shadow.” If you enjoy other titles on the Shadow you will enjoy this one.


Don’t be fooled with the title “Year One” to think this is an origin story of The Shadow, although his origin is slightly hinted at with little details here and there. Thus the author manages to shroud The Shadow in mystery even as we learn more about him and his adventures. Like other books on the Shadow I love how this is a story of a period in the early half of the Twentieth history. It is written so that those who love history would enjoy it. The story begins towards the end of the 1920s on the eve of the Great Depression with a rich man name Lamont Cranston returning by ship to New York City. Lamont Cranston of course is one of the identity used by The Shadow. While this volume is subtitled “Year One” and does not focus exclusively on how the Shadow became the character he is with his superpowers, we do see that this is one of the early beginnings of Lamont Cranston’s career as the Shadow. And that was a treat to see how the Shadow in the days before Margo Lane was his companion in his war against evil. This story does the story of how Margo Lane became one of the Shadow’s associates in his underworld war against crime.

I enjoyed the story involving different characters that are believable for their time. We see Italian organized crime boss. We see references made to the Great War (World War one). We get the 1920s feel of the rich and famous before the eve of the Depression complete with suit and tie for the men (though I see there’s not necessarily the long tail coats of the 1920s) and dress for the ladies. As you read this graphic novel you meet corrupt government officials and police officers trying to do the right thing (or not). I also enjoyed the book’s “Chinatown” element those the end of the book; that was neat.

I don’t want to give this whole book away but it certainly was an action-packed read.

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hybrid of the pulp and radio versions of The Shadow, taking some of the better aspects of both into account and then adding some new material. One of the more interesting bits in this story is the introduction of Dr. Zorn, a grinning, disfigured agent of chaos that is The Shadow's opposite. If this sounds like The Joker to Batman, I suspect you're right, fittingly because Batman was based largely on The Shadow, so it's only natural that Dr. Zorn be based on The Joker.
This is billed as Year One, but it really is not a true origin story, although there are aspects of The Shadow's origin sprinkled throughout. We never get deep inside his head--never really find out why he is waging war on crime. We do get to see the origin of some of The Shadow's operatives, most notably Margo Lane.
There are several violent set pieces throughout the story, showing that at least this early Shadow is not afraid to kill his enemies. The story also shows some detective work both by The Shadow to find his nemesis as well as a mysterious newspaper reporter who hunts down clues to The Shadow's true identity (the reveal of the reporter's identity at the end was both unexpected and puzzling, putting this squarely into an alternate reality).
The artwork by Wilfredo Torres is generally good, if a bit reliant on layouts with large panels and simple backgrounds. Included is a nice gallery of variant covers by various artists including Alex Ross and Howard Chaykin.

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big The Shadow fan. I think more for the concept than the various executions of the characters I have read over the years. What I loved about this collection is that I felt Matt Wagner managed to put a fresh spin on the character while not losing any of the history of the character. We get one of the better explanations of this confusing character's origins (is he Kent Allard? Lamont Cranston, A Chinese warlord?) and a great The Shadow adventure to boot. I think he invented the main villain of this story but it works perfectly. We even get a new spin on The Shadow's female companion, Margo Lane. The was the only thing I wasn't in love with - he made Margo a little TOO different (basically a high priced prostitute) and The Shadow's attraction to her seems sudden and not well explained. But I have to give Wagner points for trying to flesh out her character in a new way.
The art is very well suited to the story and aside from some issues in how he drew The Shadow's face (not consistent and not distinct enough) I really liked the art.
The story was perfect and felt like a good throw back to the pulp novels. I only wish he fleshed out a few more of The Shadow's army other key characters BUT we do see him setting the stage for it and that was appreciated.
Overall, as a The Shadow fan I really enjoyed this collection.

[Linnea Gelland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Pretty pictures, boring story. Very predictable and straight-forward, even though it's supposed to be told from the "unique" perspective of Margo Lane. There is an obvious attempt at making her less of a scream-queen, and more independent, but it doesn't work. She's still infatuated with the pompous bore that is this version of Lamont Cranston (or Kent Allard or The Shadow), for no particuar reason at all. He isn't even that nice to her. Margo tries to go investigate on her own a couple of times, but always ends up having to be rescued. I like the idea of her backstory, but it has more potential than is used. The character design of the villain is pretty nice - very, very much "Mad Love" Peter Lorre. All the characters are way too underdeveloped to ever rise above 'barely acceptable'. It could have been a nice little standard ensemble with Margo, Lamont, Stanley the chauffeur, the butler, the journalist and the detective. But no. "Sandman Mystery Theatre" succeeded in every aspect that this failed in. And even though the artwork is nice and clean here, I think this kind of story would benefit from something a bit dirtier (again, look at "Sandman") to get a real taste of the time and place, and certainly the horrible crimes commited. Personal taste, sure. It's a bit of fun, but mostly just boring.

[Restaurant Junkie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd be willing to push this more towards 2.5. I was genuinely in love with much of the artwork, especially the covers in the back, but the story was not exactly... robust. I think it often suffers from the curse of exposition and obligatory universe-building.

But what is compelling about this character?

The Shadow supposedly inspired Batman and a dozen other characters. I think this retelling of his origin was good but stale, and as someone who has spent a fair amount of time with this character, I was hoping there would be something creative, new, or insightful. I'm not talking about changing the story so much as looking at it with a new perspective.

I love the Shadow character. It was my Grandfather's favorite, and I used to listen to recordings of the radio shows with him as a tyke. Then, I got involved in performing magic, and I became friends with the family of "Maxwell Grant" (Walter Gibson). I've read a fair amount of his original work, and I feel a unique richness to this story is untapped in this adaptation.

It keeps being set up as Good VERSUS Evil, and I think his story is much more like Evil AND Good.

Maybe this is a case of me dishing out "bean soup" - if so, apologies.

I do think it's a serviceable introduction if you know nothing of The Shadow, and much, much, much better than the 1994 Movie.

[Auctor Trevel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My introduction to The Shadow was the 1994 movie when I was eight years old. While the film itself is not a masterpiece, it was still a lot of fun. That being said, I am glad that writer Matt Wagner took some elements added to the character’s origin story—a corrupt individual seeking redemption—and applying it to a dark pulpy story that is new but also familiar.

Set in 1929, this comic helps develop The Shadow and his partnership with Margot Lane, and captures the spirit of the character’s roots and makes them fresh and compelling for a modern audience. The art work and dialogue is top notch and I relish every time The Shadow makes his appearance to perform some bullet ridden justice. The main antagonist is nothing to slouch at either, as he is the Shadow’s equal and gives the dark hero a tough time.

If you have never checked out anything relating to the Shadow, this comic serves as a great start. Definitely check it out!

[Charles Woodley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Shadow Origin story presenting some great antagonists to the Shadow such as Dandy Don and Dr. Zorn. Not knocking the movie starring Alec Baldwin movie that to is a good.Shadow origin story. Though, I would not let him near one .38 let alone two. Margo Lane provides the narration as someone who is plays an active part on his organization. Most people think Lamont Cranston is the Shadow the way Clark Kent is Superman or Bruce Wayne is Batman. In fact the Shadow is not Lamont Cranston, but in fact a former WWI soldier named Kent Allerd, who has impersonated numerous people before he became the Shadow. Then again Kent Allerd might not be his true identity either. Who knows who really he is the Shadow knows.

[Kurt Rocourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wagner did a great job introducing this classic character to a modern audience. It seems hard to take a character from so many years ago into the current day. Matt Wagner manages to make it work in a respectful way. He still modernized the view of the character while acknowledging the time period that he operated in. A lesser writer may have tried to add or change parts of the history of the character to suit their own biases. Thankfully the publisher had this writer to keep a respectful view on what made the character work originally without sacrificing all of what would be questionable by today’s standards. This was the first full story that I have read about The Shadow and I’m glad that this writer was the one who introduced me to this character.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow returns

This graphic novel combines every episode of “Year One,” the story of The Shadow’s first big adventure.

Lamont Cranston returns to the United States after several years in Europe and the Orient, and begins to build his corps of loyal agents as well as a virtual army of enemies. We meet the lovely and mysterious Margo Lane, his fearless sidekick — and lover. We also meet the nemesis for whom he has hunted across the world: a monster with psychic abilities that rival his own.

This is a cracking good story, told with realistic dialogue and excellent artwork. Highly recommended!

[Doctor Doom · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have loved the Shadow since the '60s so I was interested in this volume. However, when you make Margo Lane out to be a whore before she ever meets the Shadow, and you drop full-fledged blasphemies out of the mouth of your characters in the early pages of the book - you have lost me and whatever good will the title character's name brought to the book. Definitely not for kids and not for some discerning adults.

[John Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow
written by comic legend Matt Wagner
is a real treat

Lamont Cranston
wealthy socialite
returns to New York
after years in the orient
where he became the legend
Ying Ko
learning to use
his gifts

He finds his home city over run by gangsters and crime
he decides to fight them as
The Shadow

No criminal is safe
for the
Shadow Knows

HA HA HA HA HA HA

[Dan Henk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Matt's "The Shadow vs. Grendel", this still suffers from his carboard characters and middling portrayal of a character who can be so much better. This almost feels like he switched Batman with The Shadow (there is an arguement that The Shadow inspired Batman, but at his best, The Shadow was always darker and creepier).

[Rubin Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shadow year one plot was good But the pace was slightly slow nice to see the characters meeting for the first time and things not running as smoothly as an experienced Shadow and his agents would be
love to see a little more friction and less submission from everyone but a great time of reading An Excellent story of The first Adventure of The Shadow
A very good read

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest origin stories ever.

No exaggeration. This us brilliant story telling. The origin of one of the longest running characters in pulp. I can't say a lot because i don't want to ruin it. But, as I said, the story is great and the alternate covers... Especially by Howard Chaykin and Alex Ross. Read it. Any fan of the shadow will not be disappointed.