Friday, December 30, 2011

Temple of Crime

Kinda fun cover. This one is rendered better than most of the multiple shooting bad guys covers. I like the angle that was taken in this illustration but not really happy about the fact that this takes place in daylight. Kind of defeats the draped in black thing. The story? Well, check that out here. Seems it's a good one and has some pretty interesting tidbits in it.
See everyone Tuesday. Happy New Year, agents.

"Triple-Cross!" page 6

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Judge Lawless


I appreciate this cover from 1942. The fact that The Shadow is judging "Judge" Lawless is great along with the dark glasses on the statue of Blind Justice and the makeshift courtroom. Somehow it all works for me. I haven't read the story but judging from this review it looks to be packed with a lot of "Shadow"isms and that is a good thing. But, hey, judge for yourself.

"Triple-Cross!" page 4

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Black Master

Well done, Agent T. It's so hard to fool you. Not that great of a cover but a glimpse of things to come. Once the magazine took hold and it became a product that warranted better attention to detail the covers became the iconic images we have all come to know and love. The story? Well, it's an early one so I have a soft spot for it. If you haven't read it check out this synopsis and see if you want to "Read THE BLACK MASTER".

"Triple-Cross!" page 1

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Vanished Treasure

Great cover. It seems the fate of the bad guy has been carried out by The Shadow. Again with the green background, though. I haven't read this tale (yet) but this review recommends it.

"The Big Boom" page 25

Tune in tomorrow for the epic conclusion to "The Conflagration Man".

Friday, December 16, 2011

RIP Eduardo Barreto

I just found out that Eduardo Barreto died yesterday at the age of 57. I loved the work he did on "The Shadow Strikes" and feel that The Shadow community has lost a great talent. Here is a brief obit from The Comic Book Catacombs site.


Born in Uruguay, artist Eduardo Barreto made his name on DC Comics series like The New Teen Titans, Atari Force, The Shadow Strikes, and on specialty issues such as DC Comics Presents Annual #4 (1985). He drew Elvira, Mistress of the Dark for Claypool Comics; and The Long Haul for OniPress; and for Marvel he drew Marvel Knights. In 2006, Barreto took on artist duties for the syndicated comic strip Judge Parker from Harold Ledoux. Shortly afterward, he was involved in a serious car accident and was in the hospital for a few weeks, which left him unable to draw Judge Parker; others took on the responsibilities. He resumed his work, but in 2010, Barreto contracted meningitis, which finally forced him to stop drawing the strip, although he continued working on other projects such as a recent Captain Action Special and on July 31, 2011, Baretto became the artist for the Sunday comic strip, The Phantom. He passed away today at the age of fifty-seven.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Intimidation, Inc.


I kind of like this cover. Speaking from an artistic point of view I like the angular strokes used to render the figure of The Shadow, especially his cloak, and the lion's head. Not crazy about the little figure on the building but at least the building has some layers to look at. I agree with Agent T in that the ugly green background is overused. Not unlike the yellow background I've commented on before. The story? Not sure but go here and find out for yourself.
In case you didn't notice, the cover date was 75 years ago today.

"The Big Boom" page 21

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Golden Vulture

Is the ink starting to disappear before our very eyes? Not one of my favorite covers as it seems to have just been knocked out. The tangents with the pen and nose as well as the right hand and paper create jarring problems for me. But I can't argue with the classic nature of the elements present (minus my favorite one, his ring).
The story? I believe I'm in the minority here when I say it doesn't rank that high for me. Perhaps it is because it was written by Lester Dent (although it was polished by Gibson) and had a lot of Doc Savage like action in it (in my opinion) which probably appeals to many but I have never been able to get into that series. But don't take my jaded word for it, the majority can't be that wrong, right?

"The Big Boom" page 19

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Awesome gift

It's wonderful when your wife knows you well enough and indulges you to the point that she adds to your collection. The glass above is one I've wanted for some time (as it sports what I consider one of the greatest, if not THE GREATEST, Batman image of all time) but it always sells out and doesn't come back for another year. This year Stephanie ran down and snatched the last one up before I could. She presented it to me this morning. Happy birthday to me, indeed.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

"The Big Boom" page 15

The Golden Master


One of the best covers in the series, probably Gladney's best. This is how I think of The Shadow, casting his shadow over crime and those that are its practitioners. Shiwan Khan makes his first appearance in this tale which is one of four stories that played out over an eight month period that many feel is the greatest story arc in the series. Since I have yet to read these stories I can't say but a legion of fans can't be that wrong.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Spoils of The Shadow


Almost like the editors asked that an N.C. Wyeth painting be incorporated into the cover of this issue. Not my favorite but I like the idea (if that was the intent) of bringing another popular type of tale into the world of The Dark Eagle.
This story was originally titled "Plundered Mansions", a title I'm glad was changed to the more intriguing "Spoils of The Shadow".

"The Big Boom" page 11

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A now a message from this blogs raconteur...


Aiden Joseph Grier, my third grandchild, decided that yesterday was the perfect time to make his debut. I couldn't agree more. I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff re: The Shadow.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Crime Oracle

Awesome cover. Come on, what else is there to say. This says it all. I picked this up in the late 70's when it was reprinted with "The Teeth of the Dragon". This will always be one of my favorite covers. I even made it one of my desktops for my computers. As for the story, well check out this synopsis.

"The Big Boom" page 9

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Take some time away from making the world safe from bad guys and enjoy family and friends.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

No new clews until next week

Take some time off and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. Christmas will come on it's own without any help from those commercial ventures that think they can squeeze a couple more nickels out of people by opening as early as Thanksgiving Day. Perhaps The Shadow should look into this idiotic practice.

"The Big Boom" page 4