Not unlike the Green Hornet, I have at best a passing familarity with the Shadow, actually. I liked the 1994 movie with Alex Baldwin, although that may be because I wasn't particularly attached to the character. And I did enjoy what little I've seen of his comics: the Howard Chaykin version, which is probably more Howard Chaykin than Shadow; and the weirdness of the occasional 1987 series story that I've read. The latter series featured art by Bill Sienkiewicz, Kyle Baker, and Marshall Rogers; if you see them.
By contrast, today's book, 1975's the Shadow #10, "The Night of the Killers!" is a more traditional pulp story. Two of the Shadow's operatives stumble across a kidnapping and get shot up a bit; so the Shadow decides it's time he took an interest in the gang. While there's more to it than would appear on the surface, the Shadow picks them apart one by one.
It's funny: even though I never read Chuck Dixon's revival of pulp character the Spider, he had a line that while the Spider was legitimately crazy and enjoyed the hell out of crimefighting (that is to say, shooting the hell out of thugs...) the Shadow always seemed to be putting on an act. Like his laugh was just a part of his plan, and he did always seem to have everything precisely planned out.
Still, when I find something like this in the quarter box, of course I'm going to grab it. "The Night of the Killers!" Written by Denny O'Neil, art by E.R. Cruz.
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