The Shadow #0 Review

Is this really a #0 that deserves to be purchased by dedicated fanboys and fangirls? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Secrets of the Shadow’s past are revealed as he meets Houdini! The Shadow infiltrates sanctum of an esoteric society of murderous magicians who are hellbent on escaping the ultimate trap–death itself! In order to thwart their plans, though, he must evade twisted traps and solve spellbinding puzzles. A good–or evil–magician never reveals his secrets… but the Shadow knows.

There’s a lot at play as this particular release struts its stuff. The creative team has seen fit to craft a piece that ebbs with history, flows with camp and in the end successfully transforms into an entertaining jaunt. To sum up: this is by no means essential but it is a fun excuse to discover what other adventures lurk behind our endearing protagonist.

Cullen Bunn pens what honestly feels like exploration of an unfamiliar angle from our intrepid icon’s past. The Shadow has always been afforded quite a bit of room when it came to his own mysteries and techniques. And it’s in that area that this particular text becomes quite pleasing, as Lamont Cranston seeks out the assistance of the Harry Houdini. What we get from the script is something that jumps back and forth between present day threat and past knowledge as the author yields a workable, though slightly hammy, plot.

The illustrations by Colton Worley are really where this romp finds its footing. From  the first page to the final panel the entire length of the written word is given the right amount of consistent pencil strokes to give up a feeling of substance. The talent’s style comes off a bit different than what we’re familiar with, but there’s no mistaking the skill set of this master of the noir genre. And when you add in the colors by Marc Rueda I’m left with no complaints.

The Shadow #0 does what it needs to do in order to craft a believable extension for this franchise. It offers a few secrets as it earns a recommendation.