Doc Savage: The Sinister Shadow

I gave this to myself for Christmas and read it as I traveled this past week.  What made it so enjoyable is that I also finished "Gangland's Doom" by Frank Eisgruber, jr and a big chunk of "Chronology of Shadows" by Rick Lai.  It was like filling in one of the gaps Rick spoke of.  I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a long time.

More clew for you

Took some time off to go to Las Vegas.  Back on the job again.

This clew will get you through the weekend

Have a good one, agents.

Ten Glass Eyes

Digest.  Elliott.  Nothing else you need to know about this awful cover and story.

This one misses the beat

Don't work your fingers to the bone trying to figure this one out... it ain't worth it.

Room 1313

So sad.  As Agent T points out the title of The Shadow's "novel" isn't even featured, it's listed in the pink bar at the bottom.  Sheesh.  Here is a link to the review of this Bruce Elliott mystery.  This is all I can give to this cover.

Just to get you through the weekend

Love the high contrast nature of this illustration.  Enjoy the weekend, agents.

Bbbrrrrrrr....

this one sends a chill down my spine.

Trail of Vengeance

Not much to like about this cover.  Terrible representation of The Shadow.  Weak execution with little to no style.  Shocking that it is a Rozen cover.  I haven't read this yet and it will probably be some time before I do so I will just rely on this review to get me through.  Wish I had more to say about the cover art but when it is so blah I can't get much above a "meh".

Deal with this one

Perhaps this clew will put you at a crossroads.  Only The Sh... well, we all Know how that one goes.

The Masked Headsman

Cool cover with a very nice composition.  Love the big silhouette and the realistic environment that the illustration is placed in.  I would have loved to have picked this off the stands in 1937 (or any year).  I look forward to reading this story.

Give this a go for the weekend

You need to keep your edge with this one.

The Golden Dog Murders

  No guesses to start the year so I guess I can call this one a "stumper".  Love this cover with two reservations.  1) I really don't like the diamond being so stylized in concert with the really great rendering of the hands and statuette.  Just pulls me out of this one.  2) The Shadow being injured just has never sat well with me.  I get it as far as an illustration to grab the buyer's attention but with so few covers (relatively) of The Shadow, especially really well rendered ones, I want them all to be heroic, mysterious and iconic.  Yeah, I know.  Still, this one does grab my attention and I always appreciate nicely painted cover art.
  Although this has been reprinted by Anthony Tollin I have yet to read it.  I'll have to defer to this review from the now defunct The Shadow in Review to get a "hand"le on this one.  This is the seventh published tale by Theodore Tinsley whom I have yet to read any of.  I look forward to it.

An image I've had for a long time

I believe I ran across this full size photocopy when I was studying at the Joe Kubert School.  Always wanted to clean this up and frame it.  Back in the day I would have taken a photostat and cleaned it up that way.  I miss that old tech...  Anyhow, I love the portrayal of our hero.  Very much the avenging Shadow.

A new year and a new clew

Hope the holidays were kind to everyone.  Now if all of the Christmas cookies and goodies haven't gone too much to your brains this should be an easy way to ease everyone back into the swing of things.

Wishing all of The Shadow's agents a Happy New Year

Health, happiness and prosperity are wished for all this coming year.  May 2016 be all you wish for.