Pulp is making a comeback in comics thanks to books like Incognito, First Wave and The Mystery Men. Dynamite Entertainment has resurrected a number of major pulp-era characters like Zorro and Green Hornet. Now Dynamite is adding another hero to that lineup as they announce their acquisition of The Shadow.
The Shadow debuted in 1930 as the host of the radio drama Detective Story Hour. The character quickly grew in popularity and expanded into pulp novels, comic
strips, and movie serials.
As most people remember from the iconic radio serial, The Shadow is a wealthy businessman by day and a stealthy vigilante by night. He famously "knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men." The character wears a trademark dark suit, fedora, cape, and scarf. He wields pistols, and some incarnations of the character have the power to blend into shadows or psychically cloud men's minds.
The Shadow's last major comics appearance was in the mid-'90s at Dark Horse. Since then, the character has only made small appearances, such as a cameo in Mark Waid's Kingdom Come or via the analogue character The Spider in Warren Ellis' Planetary.
Dynamite didn't announce what form their new Shadow projects will take or who the creative team will be. Will fans see a traditional, period-specific interpretation of the hero, or will he be modernized for the 21st century. If Dynamite's handling of the Green Hornet franchise is any indication, it could very well be both.
They did, however, announce the lineup of artists who will be providing covers for the series. That lineup includes Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Jae Lee and Ryan Sook. Some of those covers images can be seen here.
Are you excited for the return of the Shadow? Let us know what you hope for from Dynamite's newest hero by posting in the comments section below.