The Shadow is one of those characters that have been around a long time, longer than most other characters appearing in comics these days, although the character first appeared in the pulp magazines of the early 30’s even providing Bill Finger with a bit of inspiration when he wrote the first Batman story. Unlike Batman, however, The Shadow never returned to the same levels of popularity as he did during his early years.

But he’s just as compelling a character, and this series is a great place to find that out.

The prolific Cullen Bunn has delivered another blinder of an issue here, one that I really enjoyed. As you may or may not be aware I’m a little partial to the older pulp heroes, none more so than the Shadow (except maybe the Phantom), and luckily for me The Shadow Vol. 2 #3 lived up to my expectations.

With The Shadow Vol. 2, Cullen Bunn has been exploring the fascination with life after death, and the possibility of transferring knowledge from the afterlife. The story thus far has been focused on the Shadow tracking down a cabal of magicians desperate to find out what secret the legendary Harry Houdini passed on from beyond the grave. A secret that nobody except the Shadow knows.

Unlike the slower paced second issue, the third installment of the series opens with a bang. There is a stunningly rendered action sequence by series artist Giovanni Timpano that shows off the skills of our hero, both physical and mental, and the work of Mario Lesko really enlivens the scene. There’s a lot for me to love this issue, and the pacing of issue 3 juxtaposes wonderfully against the slower, more story focused second issue. It’s a nice balance that prevents the arc from dragging out. That’s not to say that there is nothing but action here, that’d be wrong, but the comic feels to move faster.

Dynamite‘s current series may not propel him back into the public eye (at least not over night), but it is a series that you should be reading if you’re at curious about the character. This series has been improving with each release, and although I’d suggest you start with the first issue, even picking up issue 2 would give you a fair idea of what’s happening here. The Shadow Vol. 2 just keep getting better and better.

Story: Cullen Bunn  Art: Giovanni Timpano
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Dynamite provided Graphic Policy a FREE copy for review.