Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

The Shadow is a character with a long history that dates back to 1930 when he debuted as a radio program narrator, before finally appearing in print in 1931. Although he has appeared in several comic book series since then, this is the second volume published by Dynamite Entertainment, and contrary to what you may think by the issue numbering, it isn’t the first issue in the series; the story is a continuation of the one told in issue #0 released July 2014.

Obviously, being a first issue this continuation could have been a bit confusing, but Cullen Bunn weaves everything we need to know from issue #0 into a flashback sequence that reminds me of a movie villains confession when the hero is incapacitated. Along with the brief recap paragraph in the opening page, the flashback allows new readers and those who may not remember last years issue #0 to catch up.

The Shadow Vol 2 #1 follows a ruthless cabal of magicians that are searching for the secret to the Last Illusion, and they’ll stop at nothing to achieve their ultimate goal. But the person who knew the most about the mysterious rite is dead, and he shared his secret with one man. Now, the Shadow faces some of his strangest foes as he engages in a deadly game where he might be the hunter, or the hunted. If that synopsis, taken largely from Dynamite‘s website, does sound interesting to you then add this to your pull list. The Shadow Vol 2 #1  is a solid comic book, and although Cullen Bunn gives us a great opening chapter, Giovanni Timpano‘s art work is the real standout in this issue.

Despite the Shadow‘s reputation as a grim vigilante, there is a somewhat comedic action sequence when we first see the eponymous hero; more because of who the Shadow is facing, and the way in which Giovanni Timpano captures the sequence. The hook nosed vigilante is rendered wonderfully here, as well; the intensity of his gaze was almost unsettling to me, and so I found myself almost empathizing with some of the other characters in this issue.

More of a crime noir story that just happens to feature a masked vigilante than an outright superhero story, The Shadow Vol 2 #1 is a good comic book. It’s not quite a great one (although the potential for the story to cross that line is certainly here), but if you’re at all intrigued by the character then it is worth checking out. However, with this comic being priced at a dollar as an introductory offer, then the recommendation below bumps up from Read to Buy. For a dollar you really can’t go wrong with this comic book.

Story: Cullen Bunn Artist: Giovanni Timpano
Story: 7.25 Art 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Buy

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy a FREE copy for review.