The best Shadow stories

[Schmakt]

Many years ago, I got Howard Chaykin's version of The Shadow... I remembered digging it, mostly, and so I recently picked up the first DC "The Shadow" series on the strength of Kaluta's artwork (and, holy crap, it's worth it for that alone) and memories of Chaykin's story.

The other day, I got the first issue of the Archie series and just finished it last night... and, wow, the 60's Shadow is NOT the 70's or 80's Shadow. The Archie dialog is... well I suppose pretty typical for the time period. Lamont's "costume" seems to consist of the Superman-esque removal of glasses and the addition of a little cape over his suit. The story was pretty fun for what it was, but it was really hokey. (Which is totally cool in its own right, but I want the edgier Shadow)

Just got a vinyl set of Orson Wells reading the Shadow from '76... am hoping that is really awesome.

But... do any of you guys have any favorite Shadow stories? I'd prefer to find something that's old, but would also be interested to know if you dig any of the recent-ish Dark Horse stories. Thanks. :)

[Mike Kuypers]

Have you read this one (http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/141/400/141_4_0000253.jpg)? I remember enjoying it at the time.

[Graham Vingoe]

This may get me lynched by the purists, but my favourite Shadow series by far is the Helfer/Sienkiewicz/Baker/Shadow from DC. I really enjoyed the extremely black humour in the series (especially the Seven Deadly Finns storyline) and wished it had continued. When the title went back to a more traditional approach by Gerard Jones (I think) and Eduardo Baretto, I dropped it like a ton of bricks.
The Kaluta/Robbins Shadow series is extremely good ,but I preferred the idea of updating the Shadow to a more modern approach rather than sticking to the pulp roots.
If there are any Other UK boarders to hand, do they have any idea whether I am imagining some of the pulp novels being published in Britain about 10 years ago? I remember buying a couple but they went missing some time ago.

[Schmakt]

Batman's about $20 in "VF" at MHC... which means it's probably in GD+. Found one from the "Second Mile High Collection" on ebay tho. Going to try to win that one. Thanks!

I think the pulp feel is what I like so much. The O'Neil/Kaluta work had that and with much darker overtones (undertones??) than the Archie thing I read. I do really like Sienkiewicz, tho, so I'll check those out too. Those should be a bit cheaper and easier to find as well. And thanks as well. :)

EDIT: That IS a badass cover...
http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/3379/400/3379_4_01.jpg

[Slam_Bradley]

If you like the pulp feel, try The Shadow Strikes, which was DC's replacement for the Helfer/Sienkiewicz/Baker series. The stories are very pulp oriented, and the art by Ed Barreto, though very slick and clean, has just a bit of a noir feel. Overall it's a pretty decent read. Nothing spectacular, but serviceable.

[T GUy]

Graz:
If there are any Other UK boarders to hand, do they have any idea whether I am imagining some of the pulp novels being published in Britain about 10 years ago? Nope. Not unless you mean b&w photocopies in A5 - bootleg fan publications (not only the Shadow, but also the Spider, Doc Savage, G-8, etc.).

My favourite Shadow comics have always been the 1973 DC series, primarilly the Robbins issues.

[Rob Allen]

The DC series from the 70s had three very different artists, but they all managed to be enjoyable. The gorgeous work by Kaluta, the kinetic Robbins and the often-overlooked lush Filipino style of ER Cruz all brought something interesting to the character.

By all means avoid the later Archie issues that had the Shadow in a spandex-and-cape superhero costume. The first two issues by Robert Bernstein & John Rosenberger had at least a vague connection to the classic Shadow. When Jerry Siegel & Paul Reinman take over in #3, you get something more akin to their later Mighty Comics books.

[Jeff O.]

Shadow ad from KAMANDI No. 7 (http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/oddball/closeup.php?image=kamandi7-page.jpg)



Batman's about $20 in "VF" at MHC... which means it's probably in GD+. Found one from the "Second Mile High Collection" on ebay tho. Going to try to win that one.

Just in case you hadn't seen it yet, Schmakt, BATMAN featured another Shadow crossover six issues later (http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/141/400/141_4_0000259.jpg).

In the Elseworlds BATMAN: DETECTIVE NO. 27, written by Michael Uslan,


MILD


SPOILER


SPACE


Bruce Wayne is said to have spent time learning about "clouding men's minds" from "Dr. Wayne's old war chum in the Orient!" This "mentor" also taught Bruce about Houdini. Bruce actually uses the technique of "clouding men's minds," which he himself prefers to call "hyper-hypnosis," to escape a padded cell by making a guard not see him. The Shadow isn't shown or mentioned by name in this story, however.


END


SPOILER

[matt levin]

Kaluta, Kaluta, Kaluta!

Rob Allen's comment, "The gorgeous work by Kaluta, the kinetic Robbins and the often-overlooked lush Filipino style of ER Cruz all brought something interesting to the character," well sums it up, for me, too.

I still cry over the expense of individual Kaluta pages when they appear at auctions. Each page is SO beautiful!

Matt

[MDG]

The DC series from the 70s had three very different artists, but they all managed to be enjoyable. The gorgeous work by Kaluta, the kinetic Robbins and the often-overlooked lush Filipino style of ER Cruz all brought something interesting to the character.

The switch from Kaluta to Robbins was pretty jarring at the time (to me anyway), but I've really come to admire Robbins work for DC at the time, as an artist and a writer.

I was okay with the Chaykin/Helfer/Baker re-issues, but was really impressed with The Shadow Strikes. Up to that point, I thought Barretto was an okay journeyman artist, but the Canniff-ish art in the book really fit the stories.

One of Cruz's issues introdced--or re-introduced--another pulp character, The Avenger. The Avenger's own book (Justice Inc.), also had a jarring style change: First issue by Al McWilliams, the last three by Kirby. And all three Kirby issues have near-identical panels of the villain falling to his death on the last page.

MDG

[Slam_Bradley]

I was okay with the Chaykin/Helfer/Baker re-issues, but was really impressed with The Shadow Strikes. Up to that point, I thought Barretto was an okay journeyman artist, but the Canniff-ish art in the book really fit the stories.



I like Barretto a fair amount. And I suppose I can see a Canniff influence. Of course, to me, he was really a J. L. Garcia-Lopez clone.

[prince hal]

The Kaluta issues remain the standouts for me, too, especially issues 2, 3 and 6, "The Freak Show Killer," "The Kingdm of the Cobra," and "The Night of the Ninja," respectively. The last may have been the first use of ninjas in comics (?), before everyone and his brother incorporated them into their storylines.

And, on a related tangent, I enjoyed the Shadow movie with Alec baldwin. Far from perfect, but like THE ROCKETEER and THE PHANTOM, two other underappreciated movies, it caught the thirties-ish atmosphere well and certainly did no harm to the title character, unlike, say, BATMAN AND ROBIN.

[T GUy]

prince hal:
"The Night of the Ninja,"

with a superb Kubert cover. First Shadow story I ever read.


...I enjoyed the Shadow movie with Alec baldwin. Far from perfect... I make you right.

[prince hal]

Hate to nitpick with someone who agrees with me, T GUy, but it's a Kaluta cover on #6. There are definitely Kubertesque flourishes, though.

[T GUy]

Your nitpick is right on, your highness: I was thinking of 'Night of the Falling Death' in No. 9. My apologies.

[prince hal]

And a great cover that was! It would have been fine with me if Joe had done the insides of an issue or three. RAGMAN may be as close as we'll get.

[MWGallaher]

A lot of The Shadow Strikes! was good, but what I liked most was its one and only Annual. Mike Kaluta returned to do the cover, and illustrating the main story was the one and only Dan Spiegle! A perfect assignment for Dan, I thought!

Bonus trivia: When DC first got the rights to publish The Shadow in the 70's, their first choice for artist was the late Jim Aparo. They decided he was too valuable where he was, and only drew the Shadow once, in a cameo (but authorized!) appearance in a Batman story.

[Rob Allen]

Bonus trivia: When DC first got the rights to publish The Shadow in the 70's, their first choice for artist was the late Jim Aparo. They decided he was too valuable where he was, and only drew the Shadow once, in a cameo (but authorized!) appearance in a Batman story.Berni Wrightson lobbied hard for the Shadow assignment, and drew a "coming attractions" ad that was published in a lot of DC comics, but by the time the series started he was too busy, presumably with Swamp Thing.

[MDG]

Berni Wrightson lobbied hard for the Shadow assignment, and drew a "coming attractions" ad that was published in a lot of DC comics, but by the time the series started he was too busy, presumably with Swamp Thing.
In an interview, Wrightson said that Toth and Steranko both wanted to do the book.

MDG

[gentlesatirist]

1 - Regarding the 70s ad that mentions Kaluta by name : Isn't that amazing? Did they give anyone else that treatment besides Kirby and Adams in those days? I don't even recall Infantino or Kubert or Wrightson getting that kind of hype.

2 - Cruz is definitely overlooked. His horror work for DC in that era is outstanding. As is his effort on the single issue of Sherlock Holmes that DC put out.

3 - Barreto's art has rarely done anything for me. Kind of a watered-down Perez.


- FE
Wickliffe OH

[Schmakt]

Have you read this one (http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/141/400/141_4_0000253.jpg)? I remember enjoying it at the time.

grabbed it off ebay. Reading it tonight; Thanks! :)

[Jankenstein]

My favorite Shadow material is anything Kaluta has a hand in. In particular, I loved the projects he worked on with Gary Gianni that were published by Dark Horse.

[earl]

I'm kind of surprised that DC hasn't gotten the rights to reprint the 70s Shadow series and the two appearances in Batman books (#253 & one of the 100 page giants a few months later) as a single hardcover. It is at the right size that it would make quite a good single volume book.


I have recently re-read Chaykin's Shadow mini-series and have gotten the first few issues of the first 80s book. I really liked it back then, but I have to say that the last issue seems really rushed after the build up of the first three. I remember really liking the Helfer run on the title, but it did get really over the top towards the end of the book.

The Shadow is a really fierce character with such an interesting back story and I am kind of surprised that no-one has been able to keep him in print. I'd think more now in the past that a series using this character would work. You would not have to water down some of the harder edges to put it in the comics. There is a lot outlined in the first mini-series and in the back story of the pulps that never even really got touched. I'd think for the right comic writer, this character would be gold.