The Shadow/Batman

Many comics historians (yep, there’s such a thing) claim Walter B. Gibson’s The Shadow served as part of the inspiration for Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s Bat-Man.

The Shadow was a pulp magazine hero of the 1930s that made the successful transition to radio knowing “what evil lurks in the hearts of men.” The Shadow blended into shadows, under the cover of trench coat, slouch hat and a bright red scarf covering the lower half of his face. His distinctive laugh warned the bad guys of his fearful presence.

His alter ego was the wealthy Lamont Cranston. He had a coterie of aides – people whose lives he’d saved and thus owed their lives to the Shadow’s war on evil. Margo Lane was his love and his top assistant.

Finger pushed the idea of creating a character similar to the Shadow, leading to the development of Batman with Kane. Finger even acknowledged years later that one of his early Batman stories was directly influenced by the Shadow.

In the past DC and Marvel Comics have offered various takes on the Shadow – from stories set in the 1930s to ones settled in the times when they were penned.

Dynamite Comics is the most recent publisher of Shadow comics. Through a partnership between DC and Dynamite, the publishers have developed a series of Batman/Shadow books.

Here, The Shadow was one of young Bruce Wayne’s mentors as he trained to become Batman. 

The Shadow/Batman hardcover collects the six-issue mini-series where the two begrudgingly team-up again, along with the Damien Robin, to confront an organization that has connections on a global scale. 

The organization is essentially an alliance between Batman foe Ra’s Al Ghul and Shadow arch-enemy Shiwan Khan. 

The book is fun for a fan of Batman and the Shadow but it’s doubtful many younger generations of readers are familiar with the Shadow. Hard to tell if it’s a good enough introduction of the Shadow to newcomers, especially since it is a Shadow in doubt here. 

The Shadow is challenged by the superior skills of Shiwan Khan, who studied within the same monastic order as Cranston. The Shadow faces a crisis of identity and self-doubt.

Meanwhile, Batman has parental difficulties with his son, Damien.

Creators Steve Orlando and Giovanni Timpano keep the action moving, creating depth with their characters while stripping away some of the mystery behind the Shadow, though the glimpses into his past make him a more intriguing character.

The hard-cover edition includes author insights, sketches and galleries of alternative covers.

It’s a fun, satisfying read, though some may find the $25 price tag steep for the hard-cover collection. Some readers may want to see about a less-expensive trade paperback version. Or wait for the book to eventually hit the bargain shelves.