In 1986, DC again got the rights to do The Shadow, and kicked off a different, modern take on the character. This was done first as a four-part mini-series by writer-artist Howard Chaykin called “Blood and Judgment.” Many purists weren’t too happy.
The Shadow has been gone for decades, and now suddenly someone is bumping off his old agents and associates. But Harry Vincent and Margo Lane, joined by Harry’s daughter, are able to avoid being killed. They are soon joined by The Shadow, now out of retirement, and not a day older, accompanied by two sons.
We learn The Shadow’s origin, and where he’s been. Kent Allard is wandering Asia after World War I when he encounters Lamont Cranston, whom he resembles. Lamont is a broke heir, looking to smuggle drugs to restore his funds, and needs Allard to fly him and his cargo. Instead, they crash in Shamballa, a hidden Asian supercity. Allard is injured and is treated and improves. But Cranston is looking to score, and dies. Allard will return to the West, using the name of Lamont Cranston to setup shop as The Shadow, until he retires in the early 1950s and returns to Shamballa.
The Shadow soon goes back into action, now using Uzis rather then .45 automatics, aided by his sons and a few new agents. And he learns who is really behind it all. An aged and sickly Lamont Cranston, now a millionnaire under a different name, who hopes to get The Shadow to take him back to Shamballa to restore his body.
This was soon followed by an ongoing series written by Andrew Helfer, with several different artists. The series was done in clearly defined storylines. The first six issues, with art by Bill Sienkiewicz, is “Shadows and Light,” which wraps up some threads from the mini-series as well as has The Shadow go up against a dangerous cult.
The next storyline is the “Seven Deadly Finns” which ran in issues 8-13, which had artwork by Kyle Baker, which is very stylized. Issue 7 was a prologue, with art by Marshall Rogers. This storyline has The Shadow going up against a dangerous crime family, and being killed in the 13th issue!
So the next storyline has The Shadow dead, and several people after his body. His sons gets his body to Shamballa, and in issue 19, he is revived as a head, and put on a robot body! This storyline also has The Avenger show up in a couple of issues, now as a government agent and assassin, which would lead to his own two-part mini-series.
Now, while the writer and artist apparently had work done for the next storyline, the series was canceled. What I had heard was that the rights owners, Conde Nast, was unhappy at the direction of the series and pulled the plug. Certainly, DC didn’t lose the rights entirely, as it would launch a new series, called The Shadow Strikes, set in the 1930s and being more inline with the classic Shadow. I hope to focus a future posting on that series. I wish Dynamite would reprint this series.
DC reprinted the mini-series in a graphic novel in 1987, which was a new thing at the time. Dynamite more recently reprinted this in 2013, then reprinted the series (included the two annuals) in three volumes called the “Shadow Master Series.” Howard Chaykin also did a mini-series that showed The Shadow having his final case and shutting down his network of agents to return to Shamballa, serving as a “prequel” to his modern take.
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