The Shadow, Vol. 1: The Fire of Creation

The Shadow (Dynamite) #1

by Garth Ennis, Alex Ross (Illustrator), Aaron Campbell (Illustrator)

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! It's 1938 and The Shadow returns in a tale of blazing action and deadly intrigue, as a night of carnage on the New York waterfront plunges the mysterious vigilante into a conspiracy involving the fate of the world itself. As storm clouds gather across the globe, American Military Intelligence meets with a certain Lamont Cranston, determined to beat a host of spies and assassins to the greatest prize of all... but what that might be, only the Shadow knows. Collecting the first six issues of the hit series written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Aaron Campbell, featuring Garth Ennis' script to issue #1 as well as a complete cover gallery featuring art by Alex Ross, Jae Lee, John Cassaday, Ryan Sook, Howard Chaykin, and more.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Pulp, Superheroes, Fiction, Thriller, Historical Fiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2012

About the author

Ennis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.

Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.

Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.

Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.

While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.

Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.

After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.

In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.

Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.

In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.

In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

The Shadow has been around for a long, long time. As a pulp novel character, a radio serial, a crappy movie starring Alec Baldwin (hence the use of Kat’s Hollywood banner), and as a Saturday cartoon character with: the Silhouettes, a cute bunch of East Side ragamuffins doing his leg work for him and a talking otter, Shady. *

Now it’s Garth Ennis’ turn to spin this character. And…

Kent Allard aka Lamont Cranston aka The Shadow somehow developed some sort of psychic powers when he last visited the orient on a hooker run. Now, he fights crime and there were no bigger opponents back in the day, than the Nazis and the Japanese.

The good news is the art, including Alex Ross’ cover work, is superlative. Ennis breathes life into the Shadow, making him a grim, capable, fatalistic (he knows the future), sort of do-gooder.
The villains in this piece are fairly well developed and interesting and the storyline is inventive and riveting enough.

The bad news is that the supporting characters, including Margo Lane, come off as either under-utilized or cliché. More importantly, this volume starts off at a glacier pace and I had to keep riffling through the pages looking for nudity and violence more action to keep me reading.

Bottom line - Sorry Shelby and Kelly, even though it's penned by Ennis, the character of Horsecock fails to make an appearance. There is however, a huge, fat, smelly Chinese warlord named Wang.**

*I made the last one up – Fabricator Jeff

**It's not Wang. I made that up too - One Too Many Footnotes Jeff




He talks to dudes he just whacked. That’s totally bad-ass so bite me, Professor Xavier

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garth Ennis's version of the Shadow takes two of his strengths, writing World War II comics and the Punisher and combines them. Taking place in China in 1938 right in the midst of some of the worst atrocities mankind has known (Japan's takeover of China), the Shadow does his patriotic duty to hunt down some uranium before a foreign power can get a hold of it. Ennis brings in just enough pulpy goodness to the book to keep it interesting. His version of The Shadow is something of a bastard.

Alex Ross's covers are magical. Aaron Campbell's art brings a fitting, gritty realness to the book.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Garth Ennis attempts to revitalise the Golden Age superhero, The Shadow, in The Fires of Creation… and doesn’t quite pull it off.

Wealthy man-about-town, Lamont Cranston, is secretly The Shadow, a dude with a cape, a scarf, hat and a red ring, with two guns, who shoots bad guys! He’s also got powers over death and… he might also BE death? I don’t know jack about this character and Ennis doesn’t do any origin-type explaining, so who knows?

Set in 1938, The Shadow targets the Kondo brothers, men who committed atrocities during the Rape of Nanking (we’re thankfully spared the visuals) and are looking for uranium. The quest takes him from America to Japanese-occupied China in a blood-soaked tale of vengeance.

Ennis highlights the Japanese occupation of parts of China which, between 1931 and 1945, saw the deaths of 15 million Chinese at the hands of the Japanese forces and some of the worst crimes against humanity in history. It’s a sobering premise that gloomily hangs over the comic.

This is a classic Ennis book: WW2-themed, street-level protagonist, revenge-heavy, righteous plot, and extremely violent. The Shadow is in some ways an earlier version of The Punisher, a character Ennis excelled at writing. I also really enjoyed his WW2 comics, War Stories and Battlefields.

So why doesn’t The Shadow thrill in the same way as an Ennis-written Frank Castle comic does? It has partly to do with The Shadow having superpowers. Frank has an arsenal of weapons but he’s still just a man, so he has to use ingenuity when faced with overwhelming odds. Shadow uses his teleportation/mind control/death’s stuff(?) powers to get the upper hand and then shoots everyone with his guns. It’s less exciting when things are made easier for the hero.

The plot itself is fairly straightforward: Shadow and co. are chasing the bad guys into China to kill them and take whatever valuables they’re going to use to gain the upper hand once WW2 kicks off. But Ennis really overwrites the story. Every character has paragraphs and paragraphs to say on every page and it doesn’t add up to much - the plot remains the same, there’s just a lot of blather to wade through before things happen. And, actually, the plot is never that interesting to begin with.

But then neither are any of the characters. Besides not really knowing what The Shadow can do, I didn’t come away thinking he was particularly special. In some ways it’s interesting because this character appeared nearly a decade before Batman and it’s clear Bill Finger was influenced heavily by Lamont Cranston in creating Bruce Wayne. But Batman/Bruce Wayne is a much more interesting character than The Shadow in every way and that doesn’t change even with a writer as brilliant as Garth Ennis in the driving seat.

Aaron Campbell’s art is fine and appropriately realistic - like a lot of Ennis’ real-world comics, a lot of research effort has gone into making everything look genuine.

I usually like Garth Ennis’ work but The Shadow fell totally flat for me. This is one undead Golden Age character who should probably die.

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so close to being a 5. It has over the top action, intrigue, and a Shadow that is mystical (some versions of The Shadow have less mystical powers to point of being just a dude with a gun). The problem is that, for a Shadow comic, there is actually very little Shadow here. He changes into the shadow maybe once per issue, and sometimes for just a few panels. This actually works a little bit, because he is so unstoppable and mysterious that a little goes a long way. I would have liked it better, however, if he had more of a presence in the book.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a much darker and more violent take on the Shadow than usual. Well, he's always been pretty dark and violent, but this takes things to a new level.

Set in 1938 right at the dawn of WWII, the Shadow gets mixed up in political intrigue when uranium is discovered in Japanese occupied China. The Shadow finds himself in the middle of Japanese, German, Russian, and Chinese factions all at once. We also get a glimpse at the dark background of the Shadow, such as the time he killed literally hundreds of criminals in one night by himself. His "mystic powers" are a little more pronounced in this one as he does more than just clouds minds, such as speaking to the dead.

Overall this was quite an enjoyable read, and the more violent Shadow is explained by the coming war requiring a more violent approach than usual. The art fits the story well, and this is a great but gritty pulp story featuring a great character.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Try as I might, I have yet to encounter a truly satisfying tale involving this fascinating character. I fell in love with the movie, and it's been all downhill since...

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of the recent Shadow comic series installment 1-6. I did read the as single comics upon release and ran across this paperback and immediately reread the story.
It shows Lamont Cranston doing his thing for the war effort, which is making sure crime does not pay. He and his friends are hot on the heels of a group of Japanese soldiers who want to get their hands on some magic stones. Their leader has pieced together the origin story of the super vigilante The Shadow and does his best to kill him. The magic stones are uranium 325. In the final pages you’ll find that crime indeed does not pay.
A lovely drawn comic that brings a fascinating road-trip with way too many casualties but a re-invention of this classic Pulp hero from the thirties.
Welcome back Mr. Shadow fun to read anything about you unless it is written by the Patterson factory.

[Kite Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first volume of The Shadow ongoing comic from Dynamite, we of course get to know who The Shadow is and what he does. For those that do not, The Shadow stops criminals with psychic powers and a couple of .45 automatics. He can see a little into the future and read the evil in men’s minds, and if necessary, force them to do his bidding. But in learning about The Shadow, we have to learn more about the man underneath, and that is exactly what Garth Ennis does with Lamont Cranston. It is in this series that in getting to know the man, we actually find out that he and his alter-ego are very much the same. There is no fooling around as much as Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent do. And there is no messing about like Peter Parker does to try and manage the time he spends in one identity or the other. Lamont Cranston is The Shadow and vice versa. Even though he wears a costume, he is one man all of the time and does not try too hard to hide it.

This book sees Cranston and The Shadow having to deal with some unfinished business from his past. It is something that he should have taken care of long ago, but had eluded his grasp until the present time. Weaving in elements of the era such as the goings on in Germany and the Japanese occupation of China, Ennis creates one intricate and amazing tale. Also an incredibly smart play on his part was tying the story up and concluding it into the events of the bombing of Hiroshima. To see the Shadow’s endgame come to fruition even though he could not have known what would happen almost seems bittersweet and somehow fitting, even though the consequences were horrific in the extreme. Ennis knows how to write a good story and it shows in just how well he entwined this story into historical events.

There were some great supporting characters, but none more so than Margo Lane. She is strong and tough, a lot tougher than many men under Ennis’s pen and she has to be as well, as she knows who Cranston is when he dons his other persona. Her willingness to put up with him, even when he treats her dismissively sometimes, shows her strength of character. She knows exactly who he is and what he does, how he can be ruthless and cold and how he puts his mission first before all else, and yet she stays by his side. Cranston inspires loyalty without any sort of mind control of her, and she in turn grounds him, keeping him from slipping into The Shadow all of the time.

The most interesting part of the tale was the little bit of back-story we received about the Shadow’s past and his time as a man called Kent Allard. Ennis sets him up as a kind of Keyser Söze-like figure, responsible for bringing down the criminal element in Shanghai in a single night. It is a nice little piece of history about The Shadow’s background that makes him sound almost mythical and it is in this small story that we garner our villain for the story. The lone survivor of that night, Kondo, only did so because he happened to be out of town at the time. Thus it is that fifteen years later, the Shadow must deal with him as he is becoming too large a threat to ignore.

Aside from Ennis, the series featured fantastic artwork from Aaron Campbell and a slew of alternate covers for every issue from artists such as Alex Ross, Francesco Francavilla, Howard Chaykin and John Cassaday. At times, many of Dynamite’s books feature art that can sometimes be called lacklustre, but such is not the case here as Campbell gives us a compelling tale under his expert pencils. Even though Ennis may only be onboard for a single arc, he has started the series off in grand fashion and has left big shoes for the next writer to fill. If things permit, it would be nice if he could come back for another run at some future point.

http://thetelltalemind.com/2013/12/28...

[Bmj2k · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a perfect book by any means. Garth Ennis' version of Lamont Cranston isn't the dilettante playboy we'd expect, and his version of the Shadow, while mysterious and spooky, has some powers that the Shadow simply hasn't had before. He also doesn't appear quite as much as he should. Visually, The Shadow is missing the long cloak he's known for and sports a short cape instead. Many of the charcters faces seem sketchy and occasionally unrecognizable. However, if you can get past that, Ennis has written a very enjoyable story and I appreciated the extras in the back- particularly some of the alternate covers. If you can accept that this Shadow may not be THE Shadow, there is a very good story here.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

You could say that The Shadow was always at least a bit of a hypocrite, with how readily he gunned down men he deemed evil, yet claiming to serve the side of justice. But Ennis outright turning him into this sort of a psychopath was still rather on the nose for me. It's not the worst thing he's written, but all the dark and gore wear down on me sooner rather than later just the same. Likewise, not the worst introduction to The Shadow, but also very far from the best.

Two and a half stars.

[Alain Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and entertaining read on the classic pulp character from violent comic book maestro Garth Ennis. The Shadow faces off against an evil Japanese general who is after some valuable uranium to make an evil death ray machine. Great, mindless fun, with some humor here and there, like most of Ennis' work.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow that was really good. I remember vaguely trying this when it first came out and losing interest but damn, I really want to read more now! Very cool! Very noir! Very recommended.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Doug Bolden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadow is an odd character that accumulates backstory like a creek bed accumulates silt: slowly, over time, and prone to some flash-flood or barefooted child rewriting all that has built up before. As a quick drive-by survey to get to where this graphic novel takes place...

1) The Shadow is a backstory-less radio host for a show about crime stories who was developed 2) in pulp fiction serials to be a stealthy, gun-wielding crime-fighter who 3) developed psychic powers to cloud men's minds in a follow-up radio series and 4) had a number of various digressions and updates in subsequent media before 5) having the additional backstory added that he was once a crime boss and brutal man of sorts that had been enlisted by secret monks to wage war on his fellow criminals. This stop on The Shadow's journey is essentially where this graphic novel (collecting the first story arc of a more recent adaptation of the character) kicks off with a story that is a bit more bloody, more jingo-tastic, and more psychically magical than ever before. This Shadow, who really is mostly made up of previous The Shadows but also something different, is now more or less a full blown gun-wielding murder mage. One who just happens to be working under the auspices of national security.

Not only can he cloud men's minds (considering how good at stealth he was originally, something very nearly backed up by the original pulps) but he can outright change people's perceptions of reality, bring people back from the dead or at least talk to their corpse (a necessity when he slaughters entire rooms of trained fighters in about half a panel's worth of time), tell the future, project his voice across languages like a Time Lord hooked up to a TARDIS' psychic circuits, and somehow convince his significant other to deal with a lot of abuse and belittlement. His mental powers are basically down to whatever godlike feat the writers need him to pull when they need him to pull it. Which is fine, since we're dealing with comics and see, say, Batman or Superman or any of them, really, to see that happen time and time again.

Only in this case it removes one of the true powers of literary heroes: the ability to overcome. The Shadow does not overcome, here, he is the obstacle in every one else's way, and one that is insurmountable. He stands above all traps of villains and character development alike, barely part of his own story, a murder mage deity that barely even constitutes a plot device or at least one only appreciated in the light of an unavoidable natural disaster. The insertion of his girlfriend, Margo Lane, ends up feeling like an attempt to insert someone who could, but won't, get hurt just so the reader can come anywhere near close to empathizing.

Basically, all the plot you need to know is that it is a good homage to pulp-era comics/stories in that it is fast paced, action-filled, and prone to violent solutions to sociopolitical problems. It does get quite a bit World War 2-era propaganda comic throughout (fun fact, with the exception of the Emperor himself, possibly, every named Japanese man in this volume is a child rapist, among other things...while the unnamed are there to be slaughtered by The Shadow). And while one can appreciate how terrible the atrocities committed were, and the impact they had and still have, it does start to feel a bit...well... and there are events that would require spoiling to explain the problematic nature of how they are included.

So, good. Interesting. Exciting very nearly. Sort of neat to see the silt accumulating in The Shadow's creek bed. Just...not without some notable issues. And that, I swear, is not a pun.

[kesseljunkie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Ambitious by Half

I liked it, until I didn't. The plotting is a bit too dense, the dialogue a bit too heavy, and the Shadow a bit too indestructible. The epilogue at the end feels weird, too, as if boiling one of the most necessarily tragic moments in human history into an ironic personal vengeance. I think it demonstrates that some heroes aren't meant to be global, but rather personal and intimate.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have always found Garth Ennis to be very hit or miss, and this one was definitely a miss for me.

From the "Cranston has whatever powers I need him to have" to Ennis's usual shenanigans of being over-the-top transgressive for the sake of shock value, I felt that the plot was only vaguely interesting, the characterization was shallow, and the whole thing seemed purposed to change a hero with a dark side into a genocidal psychopath. Highly disappointing.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was never that familiar with The Shadow, other than knowing that he was a character from the old pulp magazines and radio shows. This was definitely a fun graphic novel, but I'm not sure if The Shadow is always so violent and gory, or if that's the influence of writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher, Hellblazer, etc.) I look forward to exploring the heart of Lamont Cranston in future stories.

[Chalupa Batman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really care too much for it; a little predictable given a plot that tried to be complicated. Plus, this is one book that was a little overblown with the violence.

[Iain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much bonus content, at least by percentage… which is to say it’s heavily padded—fully 25% of the page count is just bonus script and art at the end. That said, no complaints there, the collection of Alex Ross pencil sketches of The Shadow are easily worth more to me than the entire rest of this volume. But crediting Ross prominently here, as if he’s the artist on this, feels like a sketchy marketing ploy, and one that doesn’t reflect well on his name given the actual art within.

I guess I’m giving it two stars because it… was better than that terrible Batman/Shadow crossover, so I can’t give it one? I didn’t hate reading it, but I also didn’t enjoy it enough to call it a three star average book. That’s my view as a fan of the Shadow pulps for decades, and of some of the excellent comic depictions of him in the past.

Some of the cover art was really beautiful (Alex Ross for you). The interior art was um… a small minority of it was pretty decent, notably the opening pages of the first issue, where they know they need to hook someone glancing inside to decide on a purchase. After that, I’d describe nearly all of it as just a little short of passable. You won’t find a lot of beautiful depictions of characters or elegant views of The Shadow merging with the darkness. Just a lot of pretty low detail generic comic art with a bit of cartooniness at times.

This story started out hinting at a dramatic, sinister, and exciting Shadow adventure… then started to lose me very quickly. The initial violent confrontation with a gang of thugs on the docks is the highlight of the story as far as classic Shadow atmosphere and action, but I didn’t think much that followed had the right feel. There was generic action, lots of violence, lots of repugnant characters and conversation, with Margo as probably the only likable character here.

The Shadow is depicted as aloof and detached from humanity to a degree that makes him feel partly psychotic and partly like an agent of fate just drifting along through happenings that he knows are predestined and not of great concern to him. Nothing is a concern to him really: he drifts, smiles, drops some subtle barbs to the intolerable near-comic (non)relief sidekick, and generally seems like a monster.

The Shadow has some otherworldy new abilities in this: his girasol ring allows him to interrogate the recently dead (a Spectre move) and he gets glimpses of the future in the form of tracing the paths of souls to their destinations (that’s more of a Yoda move, “always in motion is the future…”). Ok, fine, The Shadow has straddled a vague line between stage magic, hypnosis, and mystic ability from the very beginning, I don’t mind someone whose thing is “knowing” having a bit of clairvoyance. But in the first issue a kid is misbehaving in a restaurant, so Cranston casually tells his mother where and when he’ll die in WW2. He ends the issue by hinting to Margo that he knows he’ll still be The Shadow after she’s dead. Then smiles, wanders off, and calls her back to bed.

What’s often lost in more modern characterizations of the character is that The Shadow is a fairly decent man for someone in his line of work, even if he had to be redeemed to decency. Uncompromising, unyielding, but not a petty jerk and a bit of a douche. He hates evil because he cherishes life and innocence; he risks lives in his war, but he’s not entirely callous with them; he takes lives, but he’s not bloodthirsty or looking to inflict undue suffering. He brings what’s deserved, whether that’s salvation, imprisonment, or a short walk and a long drop. He serves justice. But in this story we have a Shadow who ranges from boring to unlikable to utterly contemptible. Why does he do anything? Why does he fight, why does he kill, why does he hurt, why does he upset, why anything? When he cares about nothing. So what appeal is there?

This story feels a bit like Punisher mixed with James Bond mixed with Indiana Jones mixed with The Spectre and set in The Shadow’s typical pre-war period but not very distinctly in The Shadow’s world. For me that begs the question: Why is this a Shadow story? It’s an interesting story to tell with the Shadow—or it could be—but the way it’s told doesn’t deliver on that potential. When it ends, you won’t care about the journey it took you on, you’ll be glad to leave the world this tale inhabits, and all of the people in it.

Beyond that, I’m not going to talk about the story as a whole; you probably know the gist, and you can find it elsewhere, and frankly I find that boring and am not inclined to spend time on it.

But there is an element to this that stuck with me from the opening pages through to the bonus material at the end, so I feel like it’s worth making note of:
The story opens with a monologue about the atrocities committed by the Japanese throughout the war. They are not glossed over; the account leans into the most horrifying, salacious, and unforgivable aspects of it. Some of it sounds like the stuff of rumor, exaggeration, and propaganda, but I know just enough about it to believe it’s probably all true. I don’t necessarily mind the story taking that hateful perspective toward an enemy whose atrocities are well documented; it’s of the period and relevant to the story’s conflict and why our protagonist must stop them at any cost. And I get the modern need to justify our hero’s role in the objective of this adventure to some extent, though I’d prefer something with more insight to it than what amounts to “they sure had it coming.”

That said, I did take note of it from the beginning, and it struck me as unusual to spend quite so many pages and words on a horror highlights history lesson to make sure the reader understands why there will be no sympathy and apologetics for the enemy here. Perhaps it’s a good move, perhaps this history is distant enough that it’s necessary to remind a modern reader how different the world of 1938 was from what we’re familiar with from these countries today—I’m not sure. But I started this story with a pang of discomfort at what an inflammatory hit piece on the Japanese this story wanted to lead with and set the tone with, and that increased with the introduction of the fictional Japanese villains, one of whom is your stereotypical cold and calculating evil villain, and the other an out and unashamed molester. Sure it makes us want to see them killed, but should that be our motivation as readers of this? Enthusiastic to see the puppy kicker get his, rather than invested in the story’s reasons why justice must reach an antagonist? It felt like a cheap and emotionally manipulative writing tactic that wouldn’t have been necessary if a) our protagonist were engaging and likable enough to feel enthusiastic about and b) the story was interesting enough to give us feelings about what’s going on, without the self-conscious crutch of delving into the distasteful and hideous things a villain does outside of the plot. My feeling of unease increased again with reading the original script of the first issue in which the author lays out the monologue of Japanese atrocities, and specifically instructs the artist to depict the endless rows of menacing Japanese soldiers as nearly inhuman. Knowing that intentional dehumanization was a conscious decision in this makes it hard to not feel like this modern story is hearkening back to WW2 era propaganda comics in a way that feels like taking advantage of the story’s setting to dismiss the nuance expected in the story’s own time of publication.

I think that if a 21st century writer chooses to dig up some of the worst of 20th century history, there’s a responsibility to recognize that this is a mature discussion that needs to be handled in a mature and complex way, without resorting to merely cherry picking the worst factoids, glossing over the rest, and leaving the reader with a bit of a feeling of “where did that come from, and where was it going…” Tell me about what happened during the war, tell me about the horrors we don’t even want to think about, tell me about Nanking, and tell me why it happened, and how, and what it is that gives the hearts of men such a limitless capacity for evil—all of that is perfectly in keeping with a Shadow story! But don’t tell me the Japanese did this, this, and this because they’re monsters, and oh look here are two now and they’re awful, I’ll show you. I make no assumptions about what motivated the author to take the tack he did, but as a reader I feel like the story I got here didn’t do service to a character I love or to the adventure it took us upon, and these questions of portrayal were one of the things that took me out of it. It feels like a not quite responsible handling of some very dark and volatile material, and I feel talked down to in a story where I’d expect intelligence and insight into the world’s difficult and uncomfortable complexities.

[Akshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first volume of The Shadow published under the Dynamite imprint, I had these comics on my shelf for a couple of years now - finally decided to give it a start and see if I really wanted to read the rest. Written by respected and best-selling writer Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher, Hitman, Hellblazer), it was a big plus for me because there is very little he's written that I've not enjoyed over the decades and the darkness that lurks in the hearts of humans is very much his forte - so it was intriguing what he would do in a relatively rare instance wherein he was writing a pre-existing character instead of creating something original which is where his skills have shone the brightest. The series' artist Aaron Campbell however is not as familiar to me so I was curious this final product.

The series itself is set in the era between World Wars, when the world was a place both very different and yet quite similar to our own - showcasing nicely the contrasts as well as the cyclical nature of society and human nature, a hallmark of Ennis' work. Our protagonist, Lamont Cranston, a.k.a, The Shadow, a.k.a, Kent Allard, is a mysterious and enigmatic creature as always - smooth as silk or cold as death depending on the situation. Enigmatic and pragmatic at all times, he is a great depiction of that grey shaded heroic anti-hero, the one that straddles two worlds and whom you both feel should be condemned and yet his brand of darkness serves a unique purpose and unlike the others who have followed in the wake of the character (such as Batman for eg), he is not a hero who has very stark moral lines. Rarely is this made clearer than in the quiet, fleeting moments where he and Margo Lane converse and she tries to understand the enigmatic and pragmatic mind with whom her life has become intertwined.
The story follows Cranston as he is "recruited" to be a "consultant" by American Intelligence Services to chase down some dangerous shadows in the underworld and help the Americans and their allies find a dangerous new material that could shift the balances of power in uncertain times, with Japan and the Nazi's seeking the same prize and so a race ensues. Our hero, accompanied by the lovely Margo, is working to find the right thread to pull and then use his unique skills and insight to out-run their competition and secure the prize. A dangerous game ensues as a former acquaintance of Cranston is leading the Japanese contingent and managing to stay one step ahead as our heroes try and hunt down their quarry and try and out-smart and overtake them. Cranston also has to contend with a self-righteous Intelligence officer who dislikes him and does not understand why his help is being sought at all by the almighty U.S Govt.

Well paced but deliberate and un-hurried, I quite enjoyed this outing more than I had expected in my cautious optimism. The characters are all well crafted, the artwork is dynamic and ebbs and flows well in its intensity with the flow of the nicely planned out narrative to make for a brisk and enjoyable experience - it would be nice to get a little more info on what exactly The Shadow is and his abilities, etc, but this book does a solid job giving us both a healthy amount of back-story information while seemingly not telling us anything truly meaty, thus maintaining the mystique of the titular character quite skillfully.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦

The Shadow: The Fire of Creation
2012
Comics
Rating: 3.5/5

The Shadow: Fire of Creation by Garth Ennis is a bold and gripping reinvention of the iconic pulp hero, providing a unique twist to the story. Ennis brings his signature dark, gritty style to this tale, blending mystery, action, and psychological depth in a way only he can. From the very first page, the reader is thrust into a world of danger and intrigue, where The Shadow’s morally complex nature is front and centre.

Ennis does an exceptional job of balancing the supernatural elements with human emotion. The Shadow himself is portrayed as a tortured anti-hero, whose inner conflict and dark past make him all the more fascinating. The supporting characters are equally well-developed, adding layers to the narrative and keeping the stakes high throughout.

The action scenes are intense, as expected for an Ennis story, but what really elevates this book is the deeper exploration of themes like power, guilt, and redemption. Ennis’s writing is layered, with clever dialogue and plenty of twists that will keep you hooked. The artwork complements the tone of the story perfectly, dark and moody, yet dynamic in its portrayal of The Shadow’s world.

If you’re a fan of noir, superheroes with a darker edge, or Garth Ennis’s work in general, The Shadow: Fire of Creation is a must-read. It’s a thrilling, thought-provoking ride that reinvents the character for a modern audience while staying true to the spirit of the original character. My only complaint is the stakes don’t payoff and there’s an anticlimactic feeling that makes it feel less eventful. Luckily the tone sustains the story and it remains a very enjoyable experience.

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[Michael Emond · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's not much I didn't love about this book. In reviewing other Shadow books I have lamented that I love the IDEA of the character more than the stories that have used him as a character. I get glimpses of the stories I want but they don't always satisfy me for various reasons. Well, this one finally did it. This is the Shadow I wanted and had envisioned in my mind. He is like a violent Dr. Who - with powers beyond normal man, always in control and always sure of himself.

Ennis does a masterful job of giving the Shadow a story that is suited to his ability. No costumed villain but a Japanese madman, commanding an army, in search of "magic rock". This is all set in the backdrop of China just before WWII. We have a doubting Margo Lane as a sidekick but The Shadow - as he should - coldly goes on with his plans while patiently trying to show her why his violent methods are so necessary. He is not a hero but a warrior in the war for justice. We have Flannigan (Finnigan?) a head-strong Intelligence officer who learns he isn't as intelligent as he likes to think. And we have Kondo - a two faced villain from Kent Allard's (the Shadow) past.

I also was grateful Ennis didn't do the typical "retelling of Shadow's origin story" that all new writers to the Shadow feel obligated to put their spin on. He does touch upon it in the 4th issue but it is brief and ties in with the current story.

The art is wonderful. It is by Aaron Campbell, someone I don't think I have heard of before, but it is perfect for the tone on the book and he is a masterful storyteller.

In my mind, this is the perfect Shadow tale. I loved it. One of the best things was how he got Lamont Cranston's (The Shadow's alter ego) tone so well - smug and bored. He made him a character separate from The Shadow which is how it should be. I'm sad Ennis did only one run of the book. He got the tone and the character and the story perfect.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

To call this “fun” doesn’t seem to fit the tone (probably of anything by Garth Ennis), but this book is as pulpy and adventurous as a Shadow story should be. Aaron Campbell uses a high-texture, high-contrast style similar to Francesco Francavilla, which suits the tone well. Surprisingly, The Shadow quickly leaves the waterfront and casinos where I expected to find him and starts tracking a covert Japanese expedition through China. Even more surprisingly, it doesn’t feel like a “yellow menace” racial stereotype (which I’m sure the 1940s Shadow faced many times). In fact, two Japanese officers and the Chinese “bandit king” are the most well-rounded characters in the book, and their dynamic is tense and interesting. The Shadow’s back story is alluded to in ghost stories and legends, which is WAY moodier than showing it as part of the story. (I contend that origin stories are usually boring and too long unless you’re already invested in the character. For example, in this book they never explain his apparent “powers” because they focus on the characters and plot, which is a GREAT TRADE.) A strange component was that the Shadow gives his lady companion this cool -cold, really- utilitarian rationale for bringing along the American officer, but it was never clear to me why SHE was there other than to break up the pulp fiction boys club. Overall, I liked this book more than I expected and found the Shadow more interesting with the original location/antagonists.

[Christian Petrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes when an old character is brought back, changes are made that make you question do they get the concept of the character. With this collection of the Dynamite The Shadow comics, this is not the case.

For those not familiar, The Shadow was an early crime fighter. You could say the prototype of Batman. A vigilante who can cloud men's mind to get the upper hand on them. My first exposure to him was listening to the old radio serials with Orson Wells as The Shadow.

The story line in this collection does change the setting The Shadow takes place in. Instead of just being in New York, The Shadow leaves New York to track down a sinister Japanese plan. Even though most of the story takes place outside of New York, the Shadow still remains the same.

We have The Shadow doing what is needed to bring justice, no matter how. He is seen as working outside the law, yet he has a purpose in what he does. For a comic there is depth to the characters and brings them to life. One warning, is that the comics do make it more violent, as it shows some graphic displays of violence. However, that is expected due to the nature of what The Shadow does.

Overall this is good exposure to The Shadow and a way to get familiar with the character. It depends on how the next volume goes, if they return back to him fighting crime in New York, or if they do something else. It is not bad taking a character out of their element, as long as it rings true with who they are and what they do.

[Peter Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will confess that I am not a comic/graphic novel fan, so I don't have much experience to judge a good comic from a bad one. I enjoyed this one and the art looked good - particularly the iconic drawings of the masked Shadow with guns drawn, scarf flying and trench coat flaring.

Although this comic is set in pre-World War II China (actually pre-Pearl Harbor China), it was obviously written much later....presumably in the last decade. So, it has modern sensibilities. I am still interested in seeing what classic 1930s The Shadow comic books looked like.

The Shadow is a hard ass. None of this "I won't take a life" ethics of Batman. The Shadow guns down everyone in the room. He also is not morally conflicted because, as he says, "he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men" and the people he guns down are running a surplus of evil.

The Shadow has a mission to redeem himself from his own evil and he tends to use people like pawns, including his love interest, Margo Lane. By the time he's done, his OSS liason, Mr. Finnegan, is a shadow of himself.

The story involves The Shadow's return to China to prevent Japan from acquiring raw U235 for its dastardly purposes. The story clicks along. I wondered at times where alter ego Lamont Cranston was hiding the Shadow outfit, but best not to ask questions like that.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love history. There is history here.
I like The Shadow. The character is sorta here.
I like a good plot: That is missing.
I like good sequential storytelling: That is very absent here.

This probably would've worked better as a bad novel.
The plotting is standard stuff with little intriguing. The writer transforms Lamont into an arrogant, Bruce Wayne-ish character whose bombast is apparently the engine to move the story along. If a decent plot was present, the story should carry the reader through.

Moreover, to shield a vacant plot, guns blazing, dead - sorry, the fad these days is "Passing" - bodies. Violence works when balanced in a good story. This is just silly stuff.

The art work is atrocious. Don't need The Shadow blasting the humans dead, all of the drawings look stiff, posed, cold and dead. The guy drawing traced poses from some pose books? No flare? No style? No decent sequential storytelling?

Worse, the Japanese look like the Germans, looks like the Americans. Asians have a definitive look.
They also have a height. Yet, here the giants of Japan...or the midgets of Germans or Americans... are a fixture and further has all look alike...and dead.

Advice: Read Wlater Gibson and skip this
Bottom line: i don't recommend this book. 3 out of ten points.

[Drsoe08 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow, Volume 1: The Fire of Creation is a refreshingly bold pulp adventure that reintroduces a classic character with a modern twist. this volume packs a punch with its gritty, brutal and visceral style of its protagonist, the story and its themes/subtext.

Ennis masterfully fuses elements of pulp fiction, historical drama, and supernatural intrigue. Set in 1938, the story isn’t just a straight-up crime thriller—it’s a journey into a world of espionage, international conspiracy, and the dark underbelly of pre–World War II politics. The narrative effortlessly melds the raw energy of classic pulp adventures with a rich historical backdrop, making it feel both timeless and immediately engaging. Aaron Campbell’s artwork is one of the book’s standout features. His use of a muted, earth-toned palette perfectly captures the somber mood of the era while adding dynamic energy to every panel. The art not only conveys the brutal action and tension of the narrative but also complements Ennis’s writing by highlighting the dramatic interplay between light and shadow—a true nod to the character’s mysterious nature. Ennis brings his signature dark wit and visceral storytelling to the page, infusing the narrative with a palpable sense of urgency and moral complexity. His dialogue crackles with personality, and even without extensive exposition, you can feel the weight of history and the intensity of a world on the brink of war. The tone is uncompromisingly gritty, yet it manages to balance the supernatural elements with a human touch that keeps the story relatable and engaging. The setting of 1938 is not just a backdrop—it’s an integral part of the narrative. By placing The Shadow in the midst of the geopolitical tensions and brutal realities of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ennis adds an extra layer of depth and urgency to the story. This historical context elevates the narrative, providing a sense of scale and consequence that makes every action feel significant. At its heart, this volume reaffirms why The Shadow is such an enduring character. The duality of Lamont Cranston—a suave, sophisticated man by day and a lethal, almost supernatural avenger by night—is presented with both flair and authenticity. Ennis captures that essential pulp spirit: a hero who’s as enigmatic as he is unstoppable, whose very presence feels like a force of nature. It’s a modern take that respects the character’s origins while boldly reimagining him for a contemporary audience.

In short, The Shadow, Volume 1: The Fire of Creation is a must-read for fans of classic pulp and dark, atmospheric adventures. It’s a book that draws you in with its stunning visuals, compelling storytelling, and a deep respect for the rich history of its genre. If you’re looking for a graphic novel that combines historical intrigue with heart-pounding action and a touch of the supernatural, this is one adventure you shouldn’t miss.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't read a Shadow book or comic in awhile and this was a refreshing new/old experience. Updated to a more adult oriented book, this was an awesome read. Let's see, could this have been done any better? I just don't think so. Garth Ennis wrote it. The art style is dark and gritty, perfect for The Shadow. Alex Ross covers on each issue of the collected graphic novel. I just don't think you could ask for more. This take place during WW2 when the Japanese forces are attempting to secure Uranium 235 to build a doomsday weapon. The problem is, Lamont Cranston is working for the government and ends up trailing the rogue General Kondo and his lackeys. This sprawling epic story really takes the medium to task and it's worth it all. This one was a sleeper for me, a new and old book that I really believe has been handed off to masters of the art to keep it alive and important even today. Well done, gentlemen!

Danny

[Will Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadow is one of those characters who I think is great in concept, but terribly under-used, and frequently not well executed. I mean, he's a proto-Batman/Punisher with some magic powers and a cool outfit, you'd think somebody would figure out how to make that work! The Alec Baldwin film was... not great. And the original radio serials are interesting as a historical artifact but it's not a medium that's aged well.

So this was a pleasant surprise! It's a fun, adventurous, tightly written take on the character. It doesn't waste time on origin story, which might be a mistake since I don't think the The Shadow is well known enough for a lot people to know the background, but even if you're not familiar with the character you'll get the idea.

I'm uncomfortable with some the nationalistic "America is a pure and good hero" overtones of the story at the end. But overall this is a refreshingly well done take on The Shadow.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long Beach Comic-Con purchase in 2022.

Probably one of the top five comic book adaptations of the Shadow character. At least in my opinion. Ennis makes excellent use of the Shadow's early actions and training (mostly only hinted at in the original pulps) to make him into the kind of vigilante that Bruce Wayne can only dream about.

From beginning to end, the Shadow's psychic abilities give him a look into the future. He knows beyond the skill of any other mortal man exactly what bitter fruit is going to land in the mouth of each crook, thug, and killer (in or out of uniform). The title of the book hints broadly at the ending of course, but how Ennis presents it is extremely satisfying.

Finally, a special thanks to Aaron Campbell and Carlos Lopez, the illustrator and colorist. They truly brought the cast to life. There is a fight scene on an airplane that is simply perfect.

Find it! Buy it! READ IT!