Relaunch doesn't have to be a dirty word when it comes to comic books. The Shadow #1 shows that, in the right hands, a relaunch can be precisely what the doctor ordered. Fast paced, unrelenting, and a blast to read this debut from the latest in a long line of creative teams hits the sweet spot between established property and perfect entry point. You don't have to read The Shadow #0 or any other Shadow title in order to fully enjoy The Shadow #1, you simply have to like good comic books. Read Full Review

So far, it's better than most, but the character's full potential hasn't been realized - yet. Read Full Review

Aside from the concept The Shadow #1 also shines in the artwork by Giovanni Timpano and the colors by Marco Lesko. Timpano does amazingly crips and visually dynamic designs, reminiscent of the great Dale Eaglesham, while Lesko baths the entire proceedings in moody lighting with a lot of artificial yellows and eerie purples. The only problems with the issue are structural, the plot is a little winding and feels moderately padded while the issue also relies a little too heavily on the audience having read issue 0. Still this was a great start to the comic with imagination and style to spare, highly recommended. Read Full Review

More of a crime noir storythat just happens to feature a masked vigilante than an outright superhero story,The Shadow Vol 2 #1is a good comic book. It's not quite a great one (although the potential for the story to cross that line is certainly here), but if you're at all intrigued by the character then it is worth checking out. However, with this comic being priced at a dollar as an introductory offer, thenthe recommendation below bumps up from Read to Buy. For a dollar you really can't go wrong with thiscomic book. Read Full Review

The Shadow Vol 2 #1, Has a ruthless cabal of magicians searching for the secret to the Last Illusion, and they'll stop at nothing to achieve their goals. But the person who knew the most about the mysterious rite is dead, and he shared his secret with one man -- the Shadow! Now, the Shadow faces some of his strangest foes as he engages in a deadly game where he might be the hunter... or the hunted. Read Full Review

Honestly, I'm more impressed with the artwork of Giovanni Timpano than writer Cullen Bunn's tale which I'm far from sold on. The issue does demonstrate the bloodthirsty nature of The Society of United Magicians while alluding to the dangers of Houdini's secrets falling into their hands, but even for a comic about a cloaked vigilante who can cloud men's minds to appear invisible the storyline is a bit hard to swallow. It's good to see that The Shadow's adventures will be continuing, but I'm just not sure how much of this run I'll sticking around for. Hit-and-Miss. Read Full Review

When it comes to the Pulp characters, Im always willing to take a look. Bunn is weaving a cool story here, and Im hoping the next issue continues that. Read Full Review

Ultimately, while the story in intriguing enough to get me to the next issue, there isn't a whole lot else to pull in a new reader. The characterization is taken a bit for granted as I feel like everything I got out of this issue is character stuff I brought with me from experiencing other versions of the character. None of the side characters or the antagonists feel very fleshed out, the dialogueand plot elements are very mechanical existing only to move the story to the next plot point. If The Shadow is something that you like, or want to like, then there will be enough here for you. If you aren't though this book isn't doing anything extraordinary to make this a 'must read'. Read Full Review

"The Shadow Volume 2" #1 is a decent read. It will certainly be more attractive to Shadow fans, but it's a fine start for the price. It fells like it should be a bit darker or -- pardon the pun -- more shadowy, but it serves the purpose of introducing the Society of United Magicians to a new set of readers. Read Full Review

The Shadow Volume 2 #1 struggles to find itself until the very last pages, but those last pages really draw you in showing the true horror of the villains and the reason The Shadow is in pursuit. There were a number of sloppy dialogue choices referencing plot points that don't exist or asking a question after the answer already had been provided. The artwork was decent except for the use of the panel overlap technique where characters knees will end up on other faces in a different panel or their feet will be on a wall instead of the floor. The coloring did a fantastic job of shifting the mood and tone of the issue from a light-hearted almost comical action sequence to a serious chase scene. Read Full Review