Following on the heels of the previous issue, the Shadow is still being held captive by an old enemy, Khan, while Batman is in a frantic search for his son Damian Wayne (Robin). A reader coming into this story without having read the previous issues can feel a little lost at first, but as the story progresses, enough information is provided to fill in the gaps. In addition, two seemingly disparate plots come together at the very end where all the necessary plot threads fall into place.
The writing is uneven in some parts, as we’re treated to a lot of exposition through dialogue and Khan is left repeating himself here and there; we have the clichéd arrogant villain who loves to brag and boast about his ingenious plans. However, Orlando deserves a lot of credit for following up the original Batman/Shadow crossover in a respectable fashion. Through the use of flashbacks, he ties the plot and characters into the backstory of the Shadow while incorporating important elements from Batman’s mythology. Certainly no easy task.
While the Shadow doesn’t do much until the last couple of pages, the tension in the final scenes is very powerful, and the ending certainly hooks the reader for the next issue.
The art by Timpano is decent and gets the job done. The DC characters are accurately portrayed, and the action scenes, overall, are well done. If you’re a fan of either character, or both, then picking up this book for a read certainly won’t be a waste of time.
-Berk Koca