Looking up the cover for this issue, I noticed most of the covers for DC's 1973 Shadow series were "Night of" something: the Ninja, the Mummy, the Three-Bean Salad, whatever. The cover for this issue didn't follow suit, but the interior did: The Shadow #11, "The Night of the Avenger!" Written by Michael Uslan, art by E.R. Cruz.
While the Avenger's men attack the Shadow's crew, Margo Lane betrays the Shadow and gives the Avenger the location of his secret base. The Shadow doesn't stand still for that, and soon it's war between the two. But the Shadow recognizes Richard Benson, the Avenger, from "reports...of a crime-fighter...with a face that is malleable like clay!" With a brief truce, the Shadow discovers Margo and the Avenger's man have been hypnotized, used by Shiwan Khan to play the two against each other.
Khan, somewhat unwisely, attacks both groups; and is seemingly killed when the Avenger throws a grenade into a submarine (seemingly not especially caring if he got the Shadow as well) but the Shadow doubts it. Although neither man seems to trust or care much for the other, they go their separate ways in the end.
I've read a few issues of Dynamite's new Shadow series and enjoyed them, but I don't know if they've played up the crew of operatives the Shadow traditionally employed. I've only read another comic or two with the Avenger, but really need to remember to try and find the old Justice, Inc. prestige two-issue series, with Kyle Baker art.
I haven't read any new Shadow stuff either, but from I do have, they were featured, just not heavily explained or characterized.
ReplyDeleteDid you read any of the First Wave stuff that came out a few years back with all these guys?
I didn't, although I can't remember why not...
ReplyDeleteI love the Lobster Johnson books, and those have the same sort of mysterious two-gun vigilante with a secret band of operatives; except after a batch of issues, you still don't know squat about the Lobster.
A published letter in one of the Shadow comics noted the "Night of..." convention, and said, "The Shadow sure has terrible nights!" The editor replied that other readers had made the same complaint, and that they were considering dropping it. IIRC, the TV series "The Wild Wild West" always had "The Night of" something in its episode titles. (Perry Mason episodes were "The Case of" something, and "Rawhide" episodes were "Incident of" something, or "Incident at" somewhere.)
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