Showing posts with label E R Cruz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E R Cruz. Show all posts

Friday, July 28, 2023

THE SHADOW "Night of the Damned!" Conclusion

When Last We Left The Shadow and His Aides...

Cover by Mike Kaluta
...The Shadow sends Margo Lane and Harry Vincent to New Gotham, a tourist trap town that re-creates life in America as it was 150 year ago.
But, as soon as they arrive, they're attacked and overwhelmed by hooded figures!
Meanwhile, in New York City, The Shadow scours the Russian expatriate community looking for Ivan Zarnovich aka Ivan the Possessed!
Returning to headquarters, He Who Knows What Evil learns Margo and Harry haven't reported in, and flies his autogyro towards New Gotham.
The aircraft was a wise move as the locals destroy the bridge that connects New Gotham to the mainland, while preparing to sacrifice Margo to...Beelzlebub???
The Shadow, of course, arrives in time and frees Margo.
Harry, whom the hooded locals had left for dead, leads them to Father Flotsky, a local priest who's apparently trying to stop (albeit unsuccessfully) Satan's corruption of the townspeople!
As The Shadow and Margo are briefed by the priest, Harry (possessed by Beelzebub) knocks them both unconscious.
The two awaken, bound to ancient dunking stools, which the leader of the locals utilizes...
"The Devil will not be mocked!"
This was E R Cruz's last (of three) issues of The Shadow, as well as being the final issue of the series itself.
(Yes, we've ben running them out of order.)
We previously-ran Cruz's second never-reprinted Shadow story, which featured a crossover guest appearance by fellow pulp hero The Avenger HERE and HERE!

Next Week:
Be Here Monday for the Last, Never-Reprinted, Shadow Story by artist Frank Robbins!
and Visit
HERO HISTORIES
for the first chapter of...
...the last "Maxwell Grant" Shadow novel, set in the spy-filled Swinging Sixties!
It's actually pretty good!
Read and see for yourself!

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Thursday, July 27, 2023

THE SHADOW "Night of the Damned!" Part 1

Does He Who Knows What Evil Lurks face off against agents of the actual Embodiment of Evil?
Only The Shadow knows...and now, you will, too!
To Be Concluded...
TOMORROW
Writer Denny O'Neil and artist ER Cruz put The Shadow in a decidedly-atypical situation since he's rarely caught off-guard and usually at advantage in any conflict!

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Friday, July 14, 2023

THE SHADOW "Night of the Killers" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Hero...

Driving through the Midwest, two of The Shadow's aides, Harry Vincent and Moe "Shrevy" Shrevnitz, come across a gang of trigger-happy bank robbers.
In the ensuing confrontation, Shrevy is shot and badly-wounded, resulting in The Shadow entering the situation.
The Shadow's "friend and companion", Margo Lane, arrives at the local police station just as ajudge, whom the gangsters kidnapped during the bank robbery as a hostage, arrives, explaining he escaped, and telling the cops he overheard where the killers were going!
As the local constabulary heads out, The Shadow arrives in his autogyro and picks up Margo, who gives him the location...
Next Week:
Another Never-Reprinted Tale of the 1940s Shadow
...illustrated by Frank Robbins!

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Thursday, July 13, 2023

THE SHADOW "Night of the Killers" Part 1

Along with Frank Robbins, whom we saw last week...
...E R Cruz, one of the numerous Filippino artists who entered into American comics during the Bronze Age, took over the illustration duties from Mike Kaluta.
To Be Concluded...
TOMORROW!
Written by Denny O'Neil, this never-reprinted tale from DC's The Shadow #10 (1975) allows new artist Cruz to "strut his stuff", combining both action and moodiness to take an average mystery story and elevate it with effective storytelling utilizing  "camera angles" and shadows (pun intended) to give the story a 1930s gangster movie vibe.

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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

THE SHADOW "Night of the Avenger" Conclusion

Art by Mike Kaluta
Somebody is assembling enough arms and men to form a small army.
Who?
A team of assassins lead by Smitty, one of The Avenger's aides, attempts to kill The Shadow.
Why?
Margo Lane, aide and confidante to The Shadow attempts to kill The Avenger.
What?
Clues lead both The Shadow (and his aides) and The Avenger (and his aides) to a lonely stretch of New Jersey beachfront where a massive weapons cache is discovered.
When the two groups meet, each believes the arms depot belongs to the other, and...
In the 1970s, both Marvel and DC revived pulp characters whose paperback reprints were selling very well.
Marvel licensed Doc Savage, and DC grabbed both The Shadow and The Avenger.
Due to the fact Marvel had trademarked The Avengers, DC's Avenger book was titled Justice, Inc. (the name of The Avenger's organization.)*
The Shadow lasted 12 issues, Justice, Inc. only 4.
While some of the 1970s Shadow run, specifically the issues superbly-illustrated by Mike Kaluta, have been reprinted in book form, this issue has not.

*Similarly, when a comic based on the British TV spy series The Avengers was done in the late 1960s, it was called John Steed & Mrs. Peel!
Next Week:
Sherlock Holmes Returns!