The Shadow: Year One #1 Review

In 2012 Garth Ennis relaunched the classic pulp hero, the Shadow. Matt Wagner takes a deeper look into the first exploits of the Shadow with his eight part mini-series The Shadow: Year One. 

Much of the Shadow's history has been well explained: Kent Allard assuming various identities for his purposes, and his years spent in Asia and Latin America developing the skills and motivations to take down criminals. Year One focuses on how the Shadow makes a name for himself as the "Master of Darkness," the first year of active duty for the hero. Taking place right before the prohibition era of the United States, the Shadow returns from his travels abroad to an America filled with crime and corruption. Allard assumes the identity of Lamont Cranston, a millionaire playboy and world traveler, in order to conceal his identity and wage war on crime. In issue #1, Wagner introduces powerful Italian mobsters, apathetic high society members, and the soon-to-be love interest Margot Lane. From the outset, Wagner displays a prowess over his dialogue-- every character, no matter how minor, has a clear voice and strong personality. This stellar dialogue propels the narrative and simultaneously creates a shroud of mystery around the hero.

Wilfredo Torres' artwork gracefully brings the romantic era to life. His pencils draft skyscrapers, classic cars, and fedoras with clean lines that give an elegance to the book. Sometimes the clean edges feel out of place with the pulpy and gritty nature of the subject matter, but Torres sells the drama with his use of body language and pacing. An artist is truly skilled as a storyteller when an act as simple as putting on an overcoat carries dramatic weight.

Despite the well written dialogue and elegant art, I felt like Wagner kept me waiting for a stunning moment that never happened. Issue #1 trades action for exposition, and what little tension is created toward the end results in a straightforward reveal. I also anticipated Allard/Cranston to make more mistakes or test out crime fighting methods, but it seems that even from "year one" the Shadow has his act down: applying his marksmanship with a pistol, his psychic powers, and even a fearsome appearance to his vigilantism. I am not disappointed-- the story jumps right in and feels at home in the pulp world, setting up several plot threads that will deepen the hero's mythos. Wagner definitely left me feeling impatient as I wait for #2-- I'd say that is a mission accomplished.