Comics: The Shadow/Batman #6 - Reviewed




After following a pretty good penultimate issue, this crossover ends with somewhat of a whimper. The Shadow makes a last minute reversal of fortune as he is finally able to overcome his enemy after spending the majority of last issue as a weak and ineffectual prisoner. The impression given off by the last issue was that the Shadow could do nothing against Khan and Ra's al Ghul until Batman came to save the day, but here, he makes a miraculous comeback that comes off more as a convenient device to wrap up dangling plot threads. 

Not that there is anything wrong with that (If we were in the same position, we probably would do the same). The issue is heavy on expository dialogue, with the “tell, don’t show” tendency of Orlando from last issue being magnified 10 times over. Timpano’s art, while decent overall, continues to be a little uneven. Some pages are illustrated beautifully, while others look like they were rushed through in order to meet a deadline. 

On an interesting note, the book does make an intriguing change to the Batman mythos, but given that this is an intercompany crossover, the chances of it carrying over into the official Bat-titles is minimal at best. 

The conclusion to this romp is by no means bad but if you were expecting a revelatory, explosive knockout, you’re bound to be disappointed.

-Berk Koca