Howard Chaykin presented a memorable new take on the Shadow back in the 1980s.

He pulled the 1930s crimefighter from that era and plopped him into the 1980s. Margo Lane and the rest of the Shadow gang had aged in the shadow of their leader’s long absence. After decades, Lamont Cranston/the Shadow returns to the world. 

He hasn’t visibly aged, he has grown twin sons, the world has changed in the decades of his absence but men’s minds haven’t. 

Chaykin had a great deal of fun with the dark Shadow and so did readers.

What evil lurks in the hearts of men … the Shadow knows whether it is the 1930s or 1980s … or 21st century or 1950.

A few years ago, Dynamite Comics acquired the rights to the Shadow and began producing new adventures set in the Shadow’s milieu of the 1930s. Dynamite also presented a new Shadow miniseries written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin.

“The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow” opens at the end of the 1940s. With the coming of the 1950s, Lamont Cranston feels it’s time to hang up the cape, hat, scarf and pistols of the Shadow. It’s time to retire and leave New York with Margo Lane, his long-time ally and love.

But the growing Cold War creates new dangers, new intrigues, new spies with new plots for manipulation and destruction. A plot discovered by the Shadow.

He and Margo Lane – who is dealing with the encroachment of middle age though she is far more involved in the action here than she is in other Shadow stories featuring a much younger Margo – travel the world to stop a plot of nuclear annihilation. 

Plus, this is the legendary Howard Chaykin returning to familiar turf. 

“Midnight in Moscow” is good and fun. But is it as good and fun as those 1980s stories? No. But it’s still much better than some other takes on the Shadow, such as the Dynamite-DC crossovers partnering the Shadow and Batman. Better by leaps and bounds.

And for Shadow fans, “Midnight in Moscow” will have readers laughing – maybe not like the Shadow, but with delight.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!