Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Well, I don’t know about that, but I know Matt Wagner knows how to write a good pulp crime story. Who knows that I used this same dumb joke when introducing the first issue of Garth Ennis’s “The Shadow?” Well, now we all do.
Written by Matt Wagner
Illustrated by Wilfredo TorresTHE SHADOW is a character that has lasted through decades on the pages of pulp magazines, over the radio airwaves, thru the silver screen, and in the panels of comic books. Shrouded in mystery, his origins have been explored and hinted at over the years…but never fully revealed. Much is known of Kent Allard/Lamont Cranston’s years spent in the Orient and Central America-wherein he gains his powers and purpose…but not how he first developed his persona as the Master of Darkness. Eisner Award-winning author, Matt Wagner is joined by artist Wilfredo Torres in an exhilarating 8-issue limited series that will explore the dynamic events that first drew Cranston back to the States, how he first met his companion and lover, Margo Lane, how he began to assemble his vast network of agents and how he first adopted the famous black hat and cloak as his alter-ego’s disguise-all secrets that, up until now…only The Shadow knew!
While he is a versatile writer, pulp has always been Matt Wagner’s element. As such, it should be no surprise that the Shadow fits his style like a custom-made tuxedo. Most of Wagner’s comics, this new series included, tend to have one prominent, heroic lead in some form of costume, but he could just as easily write a series focusing solely on pulp mobsters and dames. As seen in this issue, he has the dialogue of such characters down to an art form, flawlessly acheiving a classic can’t without resorting to cliched, copy-paste sentences that have been heard a billion times before. Wagner also is stellar at portraying the less than ideal pulp view of civilization: while high society may dress up in garish outfits and stand at the top of the world, the distance from dancing and drinking champagne to being backstabbed in an alleyway by the same socialites you had been conversing with is only a few steps out a door. As in his “Zorro,” Wagner excellently portrays the duality of “polite company” with this issue, and one character learns the way of the world the hard way. If this is the world Wagner’s Shadow is going to inhabit, we are in for a treat.
The issue isn’t quite perfect, though. Readers who have come to this issue hoping to learn more about the classic pulp hero before adding another $3.99 book to their pull may come away from the book disappointed, as very little of the issue features the character in or out of costume. As is often the case in first issues, much of the comic is devoted to establishing the setting, and the little bit we learn of Kent Allard is told secondhand, rather than shown. Of course, the Shadow has always been a distant character, and it makes sense to keep him that way even in his origin, but in this first issue readers are not really given a character to latch onto. Perhaps if Wagner had chosen to focus the issue on either Margo or Clyde the comic would be more grounded, but by splitting the issue between them Wagner keeps readers at arms’ length. The issue ends as if Wagner is promising readers “Alright, the good stuff comes next issue!” — but if we aren’t getting the good stuff now, then how are we to know it will come later? Sure, longtime fans of Wagner will probably trust him enough to pick up the next issue, and established Shadow fans might be excited by the final page, there isn’t much in this issue to truly captivate new readers and encourage them to pick up issue number two.
The art by Wilfredo Torres is a bit of a mixed bag. When he is on, he is so very on, creating some of the most visually striking panels coming out this week. His style is unique without being jarring or incomprehensible, and colorist Brennan Wagner does an impressive job of bringing out the very best in his linework. Torres’s greatest strength is in single panels or full-page spreads, smacking the reader with finely composed images that acheive that extra “oomph” needed to sell dramatic moments (see: the last page). Unfortunately, he has a tendency to let the less action-packed, less iconic pages get a bit sloppy. His artwork relies on captured moments brimming with potential energy, ready to explode into motion, but when he lets himself off the hook all of that potential is lost, resulting in panels that are completely flat and lifeless. This doesn’t happen enough to permanently mar Torres’s name, and the pros of his work definitely outweigh the cons, but it happens enough to devalue what could have been grade-A work to a B minus, maybe even a C.
Matt Wagner is the current king of pulp — sorry Francesco — and this issue will probably be just what current fans of the monarch are expecting. The key word there, though, is “current fans” — newbies who want to learn about this iconic character of our medium’s history, despite being created outside of the medium, may not be completely grabbed by the first issue. Yes, as comic fans we should know this is customary of #1s, and yes, by the next issue the book will probably hit its stride, but try convincing a new reader that they should spend another $3.99 before deciding whether or not to stick with the book.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Buy it if you are a Wagner or Shadow fan, wait and see if you aren’t.
