The Twilight Zone: The Shadow by David Avallone

The Twilight Zone: The Shadow
by David AvallonePages: 96
Date: November 15 2016
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Series: Twilight Zone/The Shadow

Review
Rating: 4.44
Read: October 8 2016

*I received this book from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Dynamite Entertainment in return for a fair review.*

The Twilight Zone with The Shadow!

Right, so, I've seen episodes of the Twilight Zone, and I've read a few 'The Shadow' comics here and there. Though the only Twilight Zone stories I've read have been parodies so the combo of the two, plus a Twilight Zone story, will both be new to me.

The Shadow fights evil in 1930s America. At least he did until he entered 'The Twilight Zone' wherein he became . . . a voice actor performing as 'The Shadow'. At least that's the description for the book, and the opening words ('Picture if you will: In your own world, you're a fearsome crime-fighter who stalks the night . . . but you wake up today in another world, where the Master of Men is just a character you play in a radio show that bears his name.') Let's see what we get, eh?

Let's see, bunch of names - let's link them with their job since they aren't in the byline: written by David Avallone; art by Dave Acosta; colors by Omi Remalante; letters by Taylor Esposito; cover by Francesco Francavilla.

Chapter One: Shadow of a Doubt
Okay, so the book opens at a Nazi ralley in Yaphank New York, Ocotober 1939. Camp Siegfried. Midnight.

Nazi looking guy being all 'we are the master race' and stuff. People give th Nazi salute. Then a maked man erupts onto the scene and . . begins shooting everyone. hmms. Not exactly a superhero type move, but so be it. Creepy how he laughs and laughs and laughs as he pours bullets into the heads of everyone wearing a Nazi uniform (and it's interesting he seems to only shoot those in uniform - mean anything? no idea).

Margo, who is apparently the Shadow's assistant, is pissed because there were women and children down there. Shadow is all 'no harm came to them' (I'm like 'dude, you exploded brains around them, no harm? like wha?'; while Margo's all 'okay, your sure but I'm not.')

And that's enough of that. I'm not going to recount everything. But review. Reviews. There, I reviewed. heh. Right, back to reading and not commenting.

Margo: You were firing into a crowd...
Shadow: ... of NAZIs. The scum of the earth, and their spawn. I was careful to pick off only those who dared raise arms against me . . . but there were no innocents in that camp. The weed of crime . . .
Margo: if you finish that sentence I will scream. You've lost something. You used to have some connection to people. To humanity.

So - the two things, Shadow blasting away, and Margo lighting into him, gives an idea of the Shadow in his own world. But then his car explodes and when the Shadow awakens again, he is in . . . The Twilight Zone.

Unexpectedly, to me, the man who awakens is confronted by . . . the Shadow. So now we are in Star Wars land or Superman land when Luke fought himself, or when Superman fought Clark Kent. hmms. Not that Shadow and Shadow fight. The Shadow calls the other shadow 'Lamont Cranston' (Cranston-Shadow being the guy we watched blowing up a Nazi camp).

Also, unexpectedly, 'Cranston' seems quite . . . unalarmed at the situation. huh.

Ah. Circles and circles. 'Cranston' wakes up again. And looks like some 22 year old radio actor named Preston. So I was tricked. And that's the end of chapter 1.

Chapter 2: The Voice of the Shadow
Manhattan. October 24 1937

The Shadow is now the 22 year old kid. Let's see what unfolds. And I'll try harder to not comment on everything.

Oh for crying out loud. The second chapter ends thusly: *spoiler spoiler spoiler* mmphs.

Chapter 3: Birth of the Shadow
Philadelphia, 1931

A fella named Art is using the pen name 'Maxwell Grant' to bring 'The Shadow' to life.

Chapter 4: Shadowboxing
Yaphank, New York, October 1939

The Shadow wakes up and again finds himself in a different place/body. This time his own, or is it?

--
This was a rather riveting neat little look into both worlds - Twilight Zone and The Shadow. I'm not sure I'll specifically read anything else in either, but this has been a fun trip. I'd recommend taking it.

Rating: 4.44

October 8 2016