The Scarlet Shroud is a New Pulp hero done in the style of The Shadow by Chris and William Carney, a brother writer/artist team who add in elements of Lovecraftian horror.
(Some claimed The Spider as an influence, but I don’t see such elements as I see The Spider as a more over-the-top, high-energy/high-emotion take on the Shadow, which I don’t see in “The Adventures of The Scarlet Shroud.”)
Who is The Scarlet Shroud? We learn that he is really assistant District Attorney Alexander Holt. We don’t yet know why he took to being The Shroud, but we know he started doing so a few months before the first story. As the Shroud he wears a dark hat and cloak, and a red leather face mask, which both disguises his face and hides a gas mask to protect him from his scarlet gas which distracts and affects villains. He also carries twin .45s and isn’t reluctant to use them. He is aided by two people: Takeshi Harada, his Japanese chauffeur/pilot and valet, who has trained him in the martial arts; and Dr. Miles Hawkins, who created the Shroud’s gas and other devices, including a souped-up coupe and autogyro. There is also Hannah Salem, a reporter and possible future love interest. And there is Det. Mick Alphonse, who is pursuing the Shroud.
At present, there are two volumes of Scarlet Shroud stories, with a third promised. All were published by Wild Cat Books. The first volume, “The Adventures of The Scarlet Shroud,” has four stories. We have two short stories, a third story twice the length of the first two (a novelette?) and then a short vignette, not quite a short story, but more of an afterward for the stories, setting some things up for future stories. The stories are set in the 1930s (exact dates are not given), so the stories are in the style of classic pulp heroes.
The first two short stories deal with superfoes. The third and longer one deals with a more common mafioso.
In the second volume, “Dagon’s Disciples: A Scarlet Shroud Adventure,” we get a novel. This novel advances the character from what we saw in the first volume. And while not a full “origin,” we learn why the Scarlet Shroud became that (though not quite how his two assistants joined him).
This story make interesting use of Lovecraftian horrors. We have gill men coming from the sea to take people, and a giant squid attacking ships and buildings on the shore. Who is behind it all, and what does the Esoteric Order of Dagon, Innsmouth, and stories by H.P. Lovecraft to do with it all? I won’t give it away.
Overall, these are good stories and well written. The brothers Carney have done a good job of creating a Shadow-like character, but with differences to make him uniquely theirs.
We are promised another Scarlet Shroud book. Hopefully we will see in sooner than later. I look forward to it.
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