The Shadow #4
Written by Garth Ennis
Art by Aaron Campbell
Colors by Carlos Lopez
Letters by Rob Steen
Covers by Alex Ross, Howard Chaykin, John Cassaday & Sean Chen
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 1, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Shadow #8 is a MUST READ issue!!! That is, if you like awesome comics, which I’m guessing a lot of you do. I really think that I should warn you, though. This is NOT a comic book for younger readers. In fact, I’d say you should be at LEAST 30 to read this comic. Seriously.

Writer Garth Ennis delivers a knock-out issue, coming at you with guns (literally) blazing. In this issue he tells the story that Shadow fans have always wanted to read… as only he can tell it. Yes, some of us know the origin of The Shadow, but it’s never been told quite like this. It’s hard-edged, it’s hard-core, it’s magnificent. It’s comics like this that make you go to the comic store every week. It’s a great read, and not a short one, either. When reading this I was reminded of comics from the sixties, seventies, and even the eighties when word balloons took up more than half the panel. We really get a great sense of who both LaMont Cranston and The Shadow are in this issue, and both answers will surprise you. All in all, another gen from the creative team on this book.

Artist Aaron Campbell has a special skill for drawing things that you don’t want to see, namely, blood and guts kind of stuff. It’s drawn in a very tasteful way and combined with the writing you the get the idea of what’s implied, but the audience is never subjected to anything too over the top. And I, for one, am a big fan of that. Besides what I’ve just mentioned, Campbell does his usual great job on the book. The art is detailed, but not too detailed, which really lends mood to this issue. If he was a hyper-detailed artist, I think it would take a lot of the fun out of the book. And boy does he know how to use shadows and negative space. VERY well done.

So, why are you sitting at your computer? You should be out buying this issue. I really mean that. GO! NOW!! My only recommendation would be for you to pick up the previous issues if you haven’t all ready. They’re equally as good, and when read together, they’re phenomenal. Ennis and Campbell have set a new standard, not just for comics based on pulp heroes, but for comic book in general.