Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Matt Wagner
Colourist: Brennan Wagner
Release Date: OUT NOW!!
Price: $3.99

You have to admire the bitter fruit that grows from the weed of crime in The Shadow’s neighbourhood. Before they even get out of bed in the morning they know they will have to face the wrath of a demonical cloaked avenger with glowing, hypnotic eyes, a soul-chilling laugh and twin 45. pistols spitting lead-covered death and destruction. And that’s on a good day. To borrow a phrase from a certain Green Goliath: ‘You really wouldn’t like him when he’s angry!’ And the best way to make The Shadow angry? Bump off his Gal Friday, the redoubtable Margo Lane.

Granted, it’s by no means certain in The Shadow: Death Of Margo Lane #3 Margo Lane is actually dead. Killing off a main or much loved character is a much overused comic book staple designed to perk up reader interest, but the pale of mortality hangs heavy in The Shadow: The Death Of Margo Lane #3 as The Shadow relentlessly pursues the Hip-Sing Tong and their mysterious leader, The Red Empress who are responsible, it seems, for the demise of Margo Lane. With the aid of his other trusted emissaries, Harry Vincent, Jericho Druke and Myra Reldon, The Shadow strikes at the very heart of the Hip-Sing Tong only to be met with deadly force which is returned in kind and in spades.

If possible, The Shadow is even more grim than usual in The Shadow: The Death Of Margo Lane #3 and if his confrontation with The Red Empress is delayed it is also certainly inevitable. Matt Wagner has served up another impeccable helping of rip-roaring, classic, crime-fighting. The chase is on and what will happen when The Shadow and The Red Empress collide? Only The Shadow knows! You just knew I was going to say that didn’t you?

Style, content and art in The Shadow: The Death Of Margo Lane #3, make this probably the best comic book on the market today.

Miss it at your peril.

 

Reviewer: Gary Orchard
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker