Writer: David Liss
Artist: Colton Worley

It was always going to be a a tricky concept, trying to relocate an established pulp noir character like The Shadow into the present day world. However, it’s pretty clear that writer David Liss and artist Colton Worley have risen to the challenge here (as they did before with similar pulp character The Spider) as they slot the ‘man in the hat’ into modern-day New York, forcing him to deal with a whole new set of problems and one particularly menacing threat from his past.

The first issue of this six-part series does a great job of setting up the story, showing the Shadow trying to slot back into his modern-day agency in spite of it being staffed by – in many cases – the grandchildren of the original agents. Thankfully, the whole ‘fish out of water’ thing isn’t hammered home too heavily, and the plot is allowed to settle down fairly quickly into what is an undeniably intriguing story.

I really enjoyed Worley’s artwork, although I can appreciate that his painted, almost photorealistic style might not be to everyone’s tastes. It definitely works here though, and he showcases his astounding creativity as he cuts loose with some truly amazing page layouts along the way. Liss’ writing is sharp and dynamic, and manages to convey the 30’s pulp style of the main character in spite of his modern-day location.

With the main threat established well, and the titular character appearing a lot more vulnerable than I’ve seen him in the past, this looks to be an extremely promising tale, and well worth a look for Shadow fans old and new.

Rating: 7.5/10.

The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says