The Shadow: Year One #2 Cover A image - art by Matt Wagner

In 2012, The Shadow returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment.  Dynamite’s latest release featuring the dark avenger who knows about fear lurking in hearts is The Shadow: Year One, a new miniseries from writer Matt Wagner and artist Wilfredo Torres.  The adventure begins in Cambodia, 1929 and moves to New York City on October 30, 1929.  That’s when wealthy, world traveler and adventurer, Lamont Cranston, becomes The Shadow and begins a war on crime in America.

As The Shadow: Year One #2 opens, The Shadow rescues Margo Lane, a mobster’s sex toy (a.k.a. “piece of ass”) from that mobster’s goons, Vinnie and Sal.  You see, Ms. Lane is or was Guiseppe “Joe” Massaretti’s lover, but he didn’t need her services anymore and wanted to get rid of her permanently.  Surprisingly, Ms. Lane recognizes her rescuer.  Meanwhile, a young reporter continues to track Cranston, as a mob war begins.

THE LOWDOWN:   Writer Matt Wagner uses The Shadow: Year One #2 to establish what are likely to be the dominate plot lines of this miniseries.  This is a dialogue-heavy issue, so the emphasis is on establishing the personalities, conflicts, motivations, etc. of the cast – besides The Shadow.  Surprisingly, Wagner’s exposition (which appears in the caption boxes) is stiff and kinda dull.  This is surprising because Wagner, a veteran writer/artist and comic book scribe, is usually in top form.  So far, The Shadow: Year One has not been anywhere near his best work.

This issue, the art by Wilfredo Torres looks like a broken-down version of David Mazzuchelli’s art for Batman: Year One.  The compositions are arthritic, and the figure drawing is awkward.  Both Wagner and Torres are capable of better, and I’m sure or I hope they will deliver better in future issues.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fan of The Shadow will want to try The Shadow: Year One.