After receiving - and reading - the long awaited 1st issue of the new Shadow series from Dynamite comics, I am again disappointed in the portrayal of Walter Gibson's creation. The comic book has a cover price of $3.99, and contains  36 pages counting front and back cover. There is 22 pages of Shadow story, plus the cover for a total of 23 pages, then 13 pages of advertisements for Dynamite's other comics. In fact, the center pages are devoted to a two-page advertisement for Dynamite's Prophesy. Again, the buyer should feel cheated that this wasn't a two-page spread for The Shadow instead! Seems to me the buyer is paying for their advertisements, and getting very little story for the price. The artwork is good, and The Shadow looks okay, but Lamont Cranston and Margo Lane do not capture the familiar images from the pulps. Nor does the dialog. Yes, The Shadow blurts "The Weed of Crime", etc., but his foolish dialog while shooting crooks is not like the character, but belongs to the modern sensibilities I suppose. Margo Lane seems to merely be a sexual companion for Lamont Cranston. Except for the costume and name, this could have been a modern comic book set in the 1930s or '40s. The cover of my copy is the one with bats in the background. I suppose to connect the image to Batman. My personal opinion? Forget this version of The Shadow. At the price, we deserve much more than this.

Tom