EXCLUSIVE: Gischler Gets To Know "The Shadow"

[CBR News]

Taking the reigns from Garth Ennis for Dyanmite's 1930s pulp revival, writer Victor Gischler keeps the action alive as "The Shadow" returns to the East to face the problem of powers on the fritz.


Full article here.

[Dark-Flux]

Unsure about this.

I decided to continue with Jennifer Blood after Ennis left and am glad I did, Al Ewings works surpassed what Ennis brought to that series now imo.

Not sure bought the Shadow though. This interviews a little vague.
Anyone read Gischiers other work?

[nWoJeffDW]

Thank Goodness Ennis is off the book. He has been absolutely awful in his take on the Shadow. We've barely even seen The Shadow in the book. I'm hoping the new writer can give us more Shadow and less gratuitous vulgar language.

[muppet1962]

Unsure about this.

I decided to continue with Jennifer Blood after Ennis left and am glad I did, Al Ewings works surpassed what Ennis brought to that series now imo.

Not sure bought the Shadow though. This interviews a little vague.
Anyone read Gischiers other work?

I read his X-Men/FF mini for Marvel. It had all the elements I need to love a comic: antagonistic anti-heroes (Dr. Doom & Magneto), jungle adventure, double crosses, and... Dinosaurs! I couldn't really ask for more. ...ahem... so, I may not be best suited to objectively assess his craft work. But, what I've read from him, I liked.

[coffeebreath]

Disappointed that Ennis does another one and done arc.

[GatheringComic]

Looking forward to his run. Should be great.

[mdg1]

Two thoughts:

1) The Shadow has NEVER been about his powers, In the books, he didn't have any, and in the radio show, they were basically a plot device. Focusing on that aspect, while eliminating the setting and supporting cast that made him popular in the first place is a mistake, I think.

2) Who has the over & under on vampires showing up? I figure end of his second issue at the latest.

[crossbones]

Gischler replaces Ennis? uh oh

[X-O]

Sorry, Dynamite, you just lost this reader.

[Leocomix]

Two thoughts:

1) The Shadow has NEVER been about his powers, In the books, he didn't have any, and in the radio show, they were basically a plot device. Focusing on that aspect, while eliminating the setting and supporting cast that made him popular in the first place is a mistake, I think.

2) Who has the over & under on vampires showing up? I figure end of his second issue at the latest.

Yours is the better analysis. I can't think of a take on the Shadow that was ever interesting yet I'm drawn to pulp heroes. It would be best to have a narration from a spectator or a villain which would try but fail to narrow down the character.

[emb021]

Two thoughts:

1) The Shadow has NEVER been about his powers, In the books, he didn't have any, and in the radio show, they were basically a plot device. Focusing on that aspect, while eliminating the setting and supporting cast that made him popular in the first place is a mistake, I think.

True, and this is what you get (and why so many of the 'other versions' of the Shadow are off) with people who don't go back to the source.

The Shadow has no powers. Few pulp characters did. They were more of exceptional people. The Shadow was more of a spymaster who applied spycraft, disguises and stage magician tricks to combat crime. He built up a network of agents (most of whom Ennis ignored) to aid him. And while not above killing criminals, he didn't mow them down with tommy guns (something more the style of The Spider).

I'll see how this arch works out, as well as the upcoming Masks mini. But I wish Dynamite and their authors would do better research.

[batlash]

I've enjoyed Gischler's novels quite a bit, but haven't followed his comics work. I'm willing to give his take on the character a chance. Being a trade-waiter, I haven't read Ennis' story yet. It does bother me that Gischler plans to use the Shadow's ability to "cloud men's minds." That's pure radio and a totally wrong way to go. In the pulps, the Shadow used the shadows; he didn't/couldn't make himself invisible or make people think he was invisible. He would lurk in the darkness, present but unseen. He would emerge from the shadows and then vanish into them. The power to cloud men's minds was invented purely for the radio. A comic book version of The Shadow should stick to the pulps.

[Leocomix]

Gischler doesn't name one Shadow version when asked which he met first. May I venture to guess he's not much familiar with it beyond the Ennis issues.