Shadow Special #1

"Can one judge without knowing?
No.
The Shadow must know"


Lamont Cranston, formerly Kent Allard, usually knows the secrets that lie in men's souls. He knows what evil lurks. When he meets an old war buddy who he is unable to read, he must get to the bottom of it. After taking his friend up on an invitation to a private island, it becomes clear that the war awakened a lust for evil deeper than the Shadow suspected.


The Shadow Special #1, written by Scott Beatty, is a fun tale that reminds me of the style of the old radio shows. The plot may not be as deep as the main title's story, but it works well for an entertaining one shot. Artist Ronan Cliquet does a serviceable job. His work is often criticized - particularly his recent run on Green Hornet - and he certainly shows most of his "trademarks" here. Backgrounds are bland, if not nonexistant in many panels. Character designs basically it ore all past work and lack imagination as well. There's certainly nothing to write home about, but it gets the story told.


Overall, this issue is a good read, especially on such an uncrowded week for comics. It's a standalone story, so anyone can pick it up and enjoy a good, old fashioned Shadow tale that balances humor and dark adventure. As a fan of the old radio serials, I enjoyed it very much as somewhat of a call back to that kind of plot, but fans of Dynamite's main Shadow series right now might find it lacking.