The Shadow

Marvel Graphic Novel #35

by Dennis O'Neil, Michael Kaluta (Artist)

On Easter Sunday of April 1941, a young woman pushes through the holiday crowds, racing for her life through the streets of Manhattan. It's a chase that leads from the bustling American metropolis all the way to Berlin, the dark heart of the Nazi regime... a chase of screeching taxis and motorcycle escapes, of a fantastic battle between a German U-boat and an autogyro over Coney Island! Like marionettes dangling from invisible hands, neither Allies nor Axis agents can tell if they are the puppeteers... or the dolls whose strings get cut! Behind it all, The Shadow looms, a master of men with cold, hollow laughter and blazing .45 pistols! The acclaimed, complete Shadow 1941: Hitler's Astrologer collaboration of Batman scribe Denny O'Neil and artist Mike Kaluta, available for the first time in over two decades, completely remastered!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Pulp, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Crime, Mystery

200 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1988

About the author

Dennis "Denny" O'Neil was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.

His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do Nazi agents want with graduate student Gretchen Baur? The Shadow knows and will do anything to prevent them from getting her...

My first exposure to The Shadow was the 1994 movie. Since then, I've read a few of the pulps and comics. Dennis O'Neil and Michael Kaluta had a great run at DC in the 1970s and Marvel brought them back together in the 1980s during the brief time they had the license. The result is this book.

Hitler's Astrologer weaves real historical events into one of The Shadow's adventures, chiefly Rudolf Hess' obsession with astrology and his influence on Hitler's plans. The Shadow plays his cards close to the vest and comes out on top, of course.

In this volume Dennis O'Neil eschews captions and thought balloons, making this feel like a comic produced in the last few years rather than a relic from the mid-'80s. Michael Kaluta's art has a sort of timelessness to it. His panel layouts are great and the man draws a great Shadow.

Hitler's Astrologer successfully captures the spirit of the early Shadow pulps and is a fun tale. I wouldn't say it's an essential Shadow tale, though. Three out of five stars.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stars are aligned - a warning of events to come - but only the Shadow and his team can prevent the shadow of the Third Reich from covering the earth. The story is well researched and the art is beautiful.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how O'Neill and Kaluta tied this into Rudolph Hess's real-world obsession with astrology and Hitler's general obsession with the occult. This was a bit of a different take on The Shadow and his "irregulars" that I quite liked. They were all more involved and acting as a team instead of just being background scenery for The Shadow.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great GN...great character...should be made into a movie! Very underrated GN that deserves a much larger following; hope to see this iconic character in movies in the future - think there is still a place for the 'pulps' in modern movies. So few people know how they paved the way for todays SH cosmology we all enjoy today - more that one article has been written on the Shadow/Batman 'connection'!

[Sud666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Shadow is an old character. One that I had heard of, but never read anything about. Thus, when I saw The Shadow: Hitler's Astrologer I decided to pick it up. The Shadow is set in 1941 America (and some parts in Nazi Germany) thus the entire feel is noir and campy. it is not really to my taste.

That is not meant to imply that someone who is a fan of that era's culture won't enjoy this. it is a rather odd story. It seems the Shadow and his operatives are trying to prevent the kidnapping of a German woman who works for Goebells. Why? Turns out she is instrumental in a plan by SS Col Wolfe to manipulate an astrological reading.
Sound strange? It is. O'Neil focuses on the occult aspect of the Third Reich in this tale. We see Himmler and Hess working to put together an astrological reading that will determine if Hitler orders the invasion of Russia. The Shadow wants to change the report to show it is favorable to invade, thus spelling the doom of the Third Reich.
What follows is the Shadow and his cast of characters going through various adventures in New York and then eventually Berlin. The cast is rather large and famous- from Himmler to Hess and even the Fuhrer are all parts of this story (strangely felt a little like the movie Inglorious Bastards).

The artwork and this story are a throwback to the noir era. The fights, the action sequences and even the dialogue are in this setting. It's not for me. I didn't mind the story, as bizarre and overly ambitious as it is. It was just too campy for me. But I would like to point out, that if you are a fan of the noir and campy styles-then you may really enjoy this. The Shadow is a throwback to an earlier era of Superheros. That has some measure of original plot lines (for this day and age) but the overall tenor of the story is just not a setting I particularly enjoy.

So in the end I give this points for setting and even the scope of the tale..but it just didn't do it for me. Thus my rating of this tale is 2 stars. But, that means i found it "OK". I readily admit, if you enjoy the '40s setting or noir and campy styles-then you may really enjoy this tale. I think it is a quality work and well done-thus others may enjoy this.

[Ill D · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most creations of art, the farther back one goes, the higher the quality seems to be. Dipping back, but not too far back, toward the late 80’s, I was greeted with this Shadow offering of a middling level of quality. Relatable to the time of the era, the quality matches the disparity of time between the here and the now.

Particularly gorgeous pencils that portray smooth colors and warm roundings burgeon forth like boquets of flowers in the readings eyes. Melded with a svelte palette that weds the nostalgia of a bygone era with the artists’ own license, a tale grafted from the past becomes as accessible as it is enjoyable to drink in. Blessed at most levels, this work is some real sweet candy for the eyes.

On the other hand, the story is a grab-bag of quality that no matter it’s intended telos, remains limited by the comic-book-muck of time immemorial. Crunching together the good with the bad, the narrative blanches and bungles its way across (its relatively short) page count of 36.

Favoring a relatively wide width of characters (carefully delineated in it’s own Dramatis Personae on page 2 – a rarity in the comic book world) we get a vision that is clearly bigger than the britches it could ever hope to comfortably fit into. While it’s cool to get a stronger field of vision that happily features ancillaries (they deserve love too, right?) there just becomes too much going on which unsurprisingly waters down the overall quality. In fact, with our eponymous Shadow only really factoring into about 5 some pages of action, between the squad of side-kicks and goings-on overseas in Hitler’s Germany, the depth of goodness is tepidly shallow.

Without too much to enjoyably drink in beyond that of the sights and sounds, you’ll be left thirsty for something far more filler by the end.

Forget the chaser, you’ll need numerous strong drinks to gain a high level of enjoyment here.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were several moments in which I thought to myself, "THAT's cool." And this is because the book is several rungs up the ladder from the same creative team's "The Private Files of the Shadow." Even more satisfying. Next up: "In the Coils of the Leviathan."

[Kevin Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent and exactly what comic books are supposed to do. Transport you away to another time and place and be creatively executed in a way that you cant pinpoint when it was produced. I would have been unable to guess late 1980s from looking at this. Having read all the 73 o'neill/kaluta DC shadow stories recently, the bar was set pretty high when i picked this up, almost dreaded looking into it, as i didnt want to be disappointed. For once, i wasnt! This is an excellent extending of the 70s shadow from these creators and well worth the money and time. It is basically 3 issues compiled, (60 pages) so its a quick and easy read. And the kaluta art here is even better than the DC 70s shadow issues....kaluta is the definitve shadow artist for me.

[Paul Hasbrouck · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's April 1941, Hitler's armies have conquered most of Europe, Britain is fighting alone and U.S facing a false summer of peace. Undercover of this false Hitler's agents move against the sleeping nation in the great city of New York. But their schemes face a foe-the master of the night, The Shadow.
With the great writing skill of Dennis O'Neil(who has sadly passed away in June 2020) and the art of Michael W. Kaluta/ Russ Heath, which is one of the Shadow greatest adventure.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great shadow story, a very good comic "pulp" story. Very good art and plot. Very recommended

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

my *only* complaint, minor tho it is, is that I would have loved to have seen this as inked by Berni Wrightson, as the plan had been. The art seemed a bit too "open" with Russ Heath's inking.

[Gary Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Under 80 pages so to short to add to the all time book list.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The Shadow 1941 (Hitler's Astrologer) is a remastered reprint of the 1988 classic.

Earnest and beautifully drawn, it doesn't fall victim to a lot of the 1980s comics by being too wordy or too densely illustrated. Instead, we have a graphic novel drawn very much in the heart and feel of 1941. Refreshingly, there were no anachronistic characters or situations. The characters are drawn very much with the look and feel of a 1941 type of comic and it feels like something that would be read by 'our boys' sitting on a Destroyer in the Pacific arena. To its credit, I had no idea I was reading a comic from the 1980s.

The story is fairly simple and yet also complex. It harkens back to the days when men were men and women were soft creatures with stronger depths. The Shadow investigates the kidnapping of a German woman. The ramifications of her attempted abduction will have repercussions leading all the way up to Hitler himself. I especially appreciated all the historical perspectives and information put into the story.

Although the book is slim, there is a lot in there to read and enjoy. A journey back to the nostalgic days of the 1940s when The Shadow and his accomplices worked to keep the world safe.

Received as an ARC from the publisher.

[Michael Emond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. I am a big The Shadow fan but I admit I like the concept more than I always love the stories. So many writers don't know how to handle him and his world. I feel Dennis gets it perfect. It is a shortish tale of The Shadow and his crew helping to save a woman who can help influence WWII by feeding Hitler incorrect astrology information (which was a believer of).
Why it is so perfect is that he keeps the Shadow a mysterious figure and doesn't try to do a character study on him. He uses the surrounding cast but again doesn't make it about them. He focuses on a good spy tale with plenty of action and touches of The Shadow's ability to disguise and hypnotize to make it a Shadow tale and not just an ordinary spy tale. Reads like a well crafted pulp story - which is how it should be.
The art is perfect as well. From what I read - this is a 1980's graphic novel that was done a follow up to the 1970's comic book series these creators had previously done. I wish the 1970's series had been collected with this. But be forewarned - this is a short book (around 66 pages) and amazon has it listed incorrectly at 200 pages.

Also - my Hoopla version seemed to cut off abruptly at page 66...not sure why but I feel I missed the last page of the story.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl gets chased in 1941 New York, she is chased by Nazis and how does it involve the Shadow?- This is the story how the Shadow became directly involved in WWII and made the difference in the long run, by manipulating Adolf Hitler and his cronies into attacking Russia. The belief being that by spending his war efforts on the big RED state he would stop from overrunning Great Brittain.
This is the Shadow at his best, fighting those pesky Nazis on the US soil and then visiting them in their fatherland.

A 2013 re-issue of this 20 year old comic, and it is well worth your money and time.

Especially if you like me enjoy the adventures of the Shadow.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would've liked to see the rest of The Shadow's crew do more stuff. Harry is quite possibly the least interesting of the lot, to begin with, and this one cast him as a fairly generic action hero to boot. But that action was good, and the story itself remained solid throughout, and the art of course is great. And it's not too long or a difficult read.

As The Shadow goes, there's worse out there.

[Murphy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I say this a lot, but I really really think that this is perfect source material for an AWESOME, dark, gritty, period-set pulp movie. I think a David Fincher, Matt Reeves, David Cronenberg-type of creative could produce something really special for the Silver Screen, using Mike Kaluta's and Russ Heath's stunning artwork as a visual reference.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began earlier this year reading on the pulp hero character known as the Shadow. Ever since I read my first story of the Shadow I have been keeping my eye out for more stories and comic books on this interesting character. To put this in perspective I have never heard of the Shadow before even though I later learned that he’s a character that is several decades old and preceded Batman and now I’m a big fan of the Shadow.

This book is actually an older story and a reprint of a 1988 series. That means it is nearly thirty years old! There is an older feel to the artwork. But that didn’t take away from the story; in fact it gave a nostalgic feel that felt appropriate in some ways for a storyline that took place in April 1941 during a tense time in America. These were the last few months before the United States would enter into World War Two and it tells the story of Nazis secret agents and the Shadow and his agents trying to turn the tide of history. All the element of what I like about previous graphic novels on the Shadows are here: the historical references especially with characters that existed in real history along with historical details that history buffs would appreciate, the drama and the suspense and the mystery that shrouds our hero the Shadow. Plus there’s the twists and turns and element of surprise that makes it all the more dramatic towards the latter half of the book.

For those who know their history they would know that some elements of the Nazi leadership was quite fascinated with the occult. At least three important Nazi figures, Rudolf Hess, Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels (spelled as Josef Goebbels in the book) consulted with astrologers for political purposes. All three of them are characters in this story. Some might even be aware of the astrologer name Karl Ernst Krafft whom the Nazi saw as important given his “prediction” of the attempted assisination of Hitler. While Krafft is not a figure in the book it does seem that the book’s character Heimlich Baur is loosely based upon Krafft to some degree though Baur is German instead of being Swiss. In this comic story we see that various Nazi figures are trying to outmaneuver each other politically to get their wishes and agenda. This also involves trying to manipulate Heimlich Baur, Hitler’s astrologer. But as things turns out it isn’t the Nazis that are trying to change world history, we see the Shadow and his agents are out to hurt the Nazi cause as well. The Shadow and his network would have to outmaneuver and outsmart the various Nazi factions!

If there is one criticism I have for this work is that it was too brief; there is much potential of making this story longer and engaging. With that said the writer and the team behind this work did a good job.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have ever read anything directly pertaining to The Shadow, and while I enjoyed this alternative take on history, I feel as if there is something I cannot extrapolate from the characters. The entire story revolves around Hitler and his decision to attack Soviet Russia with bits of subterfuge scattered throughout, and that in itself was fantastic, but the characters, while they were not wholly disagreeable, seemed as but shadows of personas, having been denied an opportunity to fully occupy all that their personalities could allow them too, including The Shadow himself. This may seem like a moot point considering that The Shadow comes from a radio series that encumbers the spirit of the pulps, and while I did enjoy it, I did not necessarily like it as much as some of the other books that I have rated 4 stars on here on the sole purpose that it appeared as a penultimate draft to something greater. The Shadow is perceived as a hero, but there is so much ambiguity surrounding his character that it can be difficult to tell where his true loyalties lie. Is he a capitalist? He certainly is wealthy and dedicated to maintaining the freedoms of living, but given his connection to the former Czar Nicholas, it seems as if he has some aristocratic leanings as well, which may in turn mean that just as The Shadow is a Jungian Shadow to the rising Fascism of his era, there is a shadow to The Shadow that may cast doubt on the genuineness of his intentions. Is he truly a hero of the people or is he a gatekeeper dedicated to maintaining his power and status at all costs, all the while acting the noble mystic gunslinger? There is as much Fantomas in this character as there is Captain America, or at least, that is how I perceive him to be.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadow 1941: Hitler's Astrologer is a reprint of Denny O'Neil's excellent 1988 graphic novel. Mike Kaluta's superior art is outstanding and doesn't seem as dated as other art from the era. It is only about 60+ pages and priced like any other graphic novel. Usually a graphic novel is at least twice that length.

On Easter Sunday in New York, a woman racing for her life in Manhattan finds herself being helped by The Shadow. The plot that is uncovered ties in to the Nazi's plans to own the worlds mystical and astrological objects, and the mastermind behind these plans is Hitler's Astrologer. In a story spanning continents, and with cameos by some of World War IIs most notorious figures, it starts out fairly normal and becomes quite creepy. Can the Shadow unravel this mystery and save the woman? Can he save the world while he is at it?

The story ties in with historical events very nicely. There is a large cast of characters, but it's always clear who is who. As I mentioned, it's a really great story by one of comic books master writers and the art is quite good. I enjoyed it, but it is not as long as other graphic novels of today.

I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[G P Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet take on the Shadow and his crew fighting Nazis. Did the Shadow help turn Hitler's thoughts east? You'll have to read to find out.
Director Kevin Smith, a comic book nerd hero, says that today's super hero explosion has occurred with fans of past comic books and movies now writing, producing, and directing their own new versions! So true here, with Denny O'Neil, a classic comic writer, doing a version that makes our hero not the effete Lamont Cranston of Orson Welles, but a man-about-town that will kick your ass. Sounds familiar? Bill Finger, co-creator of Batman, admitted to thinking of the Shadow while developing the Dark Knight.

[Víctor Segovia · Rating 4 out of 5]

uno de los padres del género de los héroes en superlativo y uno de los grandes personajes del género de folletín estadounidense hace gala en las Viñetas. Y nada menos que contra Hitler. Dennis O Neal, quien es el padre del batman moderno, hace un trabajo especial aquí.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 3.5 star story bumped up for being the Shadow and Kaluta's artwork.

[Reyel2107 · Rating 5 out of 5]

a classic shadow killer hit !!!!!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid story and art, but took a few minutes to get acquainted with the several German villains introduced - a rogues gallery included before the story helped with this.

[Michael P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly well told story that is not worth telling. O'Neil fails to capture the flavor and spirit of the Shadow and while Russ Heath is a superb artist his line is too grounded to match well with the more fanciful images of Mike Kaluta.

[Tony Calder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this as part of the Marvel and thought it seemed familiar as I read it - because Dynamite had republished it around 7 years ago when they had the rights to The Shadow. Still a good read with nice art.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great GN - beautifully drawn, with snappy, believable 40s-era dialog, about a plot to get Hitler to (disastrously) invade the USSR, which would take his focus off Britain. I won't say more about the book's story-line, which includes numerous plot twists - otherwise, it would be a spoiler.

It's a quick read, and definitely inserts the reader back into the paranoid world of the struggle vs. fascism. It also provides a neat look into NYC of the 1940s.. since I wasn't born in the 1940s, this is a world later generations know about through media such as photographs, movies, and so forth. The drawings of seedy the 42nd Street area definitely convey what the area was like before it was overhauled in the latter part of the 20th C. I'm old enough to remember the skin-oriented businesses, theaters, peep shows, that once lined 42nd St - how creepy the area once was.

This is mostly an action-oriented graphic novel - it's pure adrenaline-fueled excitement, of good vs. evil and so forth. An American Bund meeting that is shot up -- all US Nazis at that meeting wiped out -- is about as stark as you get, and rightly so, considering what the Nazis were.

I would recommend the book to anyone who simply wants to read a satisfying retro GN, filled with action and excitement. It's fast-moving, well-written and beautifully drawn.

[Noah Soudrette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadow, and his vast network of agents, seek to manipulate Germany into attacking Russia, thus causing Hitler's downfall. This is a really cool idea. My only real complaint is that the Germany scenes are a bit clunky, and the Shadow features in the book very little.

[Dennis Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shadow done right

A Shadow story that concentrates more on Harry Vincent than the Shadow. Well told and absolutely beautiful Kaluta art. Recommended.