Publisher: Dynamite
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Giovanni Timpano
Colourist: Flavio Dispenza
Release Date: OUT NOW!
Price: $3.99

The Shadow/Batman #5 has the coolest cover ever, bar none. When two icons collide you just know the stakes will be high and the expectations even higher and The Shadow/Batman #5 does not disappoint.

But, holy reversal of fortune, Batman, The Shadow is the prisoner of Shiwan Khan! Worse than that, Shiwan Khan is torturing him the most awful way possible; he’s reminding him of his schooldays and no-one wants to be reminded of those, right? Of course, in The Shadow and Shiwan Khan’s case, school was Shamba-La, where they both learned arcane arts both physical and mental. Whilst The Shadow remains a tortured soul to this day, Shiwan Khan is having a whale of a time using his skills to his own evil advantage.

Meanwhile, in Gotham City; Wayne Mansion is a smouldering ruin, Batman is camping out at the bottom of Gotham harbour bemoaning the fact that he may be a mind pawn of Shiwan Khan and failing to find Damian (Robin) Wayne who is still engaged in a sword fight with Grandpa Ra’s Al Ghul! Could things get any worse?

Actually, they can as Ra’s and Shiwan Khan join in an unholy alliance to finish off both The Shadow and Batman.

The Shadow/Batman #5 is a clash of the titans in more ways than one. Shiwan Khan, Ra’s Al Ghul and The Shadow, immortals all, possessed of powers far beyond those of mortal men, all meddling in the affairs of lesser mortals for their own reasons, and Batman, the ultimate modern crime fighter as at home with a  batarang as a balance sheet now unable to trust his own mind.

Can Batman save The Shadow? Does The Shadow want to be saved? Is Robin lost forever to the dark side? Only Steve Orlando knows. Find out next issue, same bat-time, same bat-channel.

 

 

Reviewer: Gary Orchard
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker