The Shadow, Volume One: The Fire of Creation [Dynamite Entertainment, 2012]

The Shadow, Volume One: The Fire of Creation

by

Garth Ennis (story) & Aaron Campbell (art)

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.



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