The Shadow
Suspended Animation Classic #94
Originally published Oct. 14, 1990 (#41)
The Shadow
By R. A. Jones
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
If you answered, “Any woman over the age of 12”, you are undoubtedly a perceptive judge of human nature. The response we were really looking for, however, was, of course, The Shadow knows.
This mysterious fictional character was created for radio in the 1930s, and was portrayed by such illustrious actors as the late Orson Welles. “The Shadow” became a fixture in the pulp magazines of the day, in stories that have since been reprinted in paperback form. Several times through the years, he has also been the star of his own comic book.
In one of his most recent incarnations, the character appears in a hard backed graphic novel that bears his name, “The Shadow”. The story therein is subtitled “Hitler’s Astrologer”, and is set in 1941, before the United States was drawn into World War II.
The script, written by Denny O’Neil, draws its premise from the fact that Adolph Hitler was an extremely superstitious man who, on occasion, turned to astrology to plot his courses of action. The plot presented here postulates that the Shadow and his minions were able to use that flaw to manipulate Hitler into making a military decision that would insure his eventual downfall.
It is certainly not a bad story, no worse than the pulp fiction in which the Shadow appeared sixty years ago. Neither is it exceptionally good, relying heavily on the rather melodramatic writing style that is so common in comic books today.
The saving grace of the book comes in its excellent, beautifully colored artwork. Mike Kaluta and Russ Heath, two respected comics veterans, team up to produce visual images that will remain with you long after the plot of the story has faded from memory.
Lovely art and a moderately entertaining script are just enough to give this book a recommendation, especially for older readers.
“The Shadow” is published by Marvel Comics, sells for $12.95, and is available in comic book specialty stores.
The Shadow
Suspended Animation Classic #94
Originally published Oct. 14, 1990 (#41)
The Shadow
By R. A. Jones
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
If you answered, “Any woman over the age of 12”, you are undoubtedly a perceptive judge of human nature. The response we were really looking for, however, was, of course, The Shadow knows.
This mysterious fictional character was created for radio in the 1930s, and was portrayed by such illustrious actors as the late Orson Welles. “The Shadow” became a fixture in the pulp magazines of the day, in stories that have since been reprinted in paperback form. Several times through the years, he has also been the star of his own comic book.
In one of his most recent incarnations, the character appears in a hard backed graphic novel that bears his name, “The Shadow”. The story therein is subtitled “Hitler’s Astrologer”, and is set in 1941, before the United States was drawn into World War II.
The script, written by Denny O’Neil, draws its premise from the fact that Adolph Hitler was an extremely superstitious man who, on occasion, turned to astrology to plot his courses of action. The plot presented here postulates that the Shadow and his minions were able to use that flaw to manipulate Hitler into making a military decision that would insure his eventual downfall.
It is certainly not a bad story, no worse than the pulp fiction in which the Shadow appeared sixty years ago. Neither is it exceptionally good, relying heavily on the rather melodramatic writing style that is so common in comic books today.
The saving grace of the book comes in its excellent, beautifully colored artwork. Mike Kaluta and Russ Heath, two respected comics veterans, team up to produce visual images that will remain with you long after the plot of the story has faded from memory.
Lovely art and a moderately entertaining script are just enough to give this book a recommendation, especially for older readers.
“The Shadow” is published by Marvel Comics, sells for $12.95, and is available in comic book specialty stores.