Writer – Denny O’Neil
Artist – Mike Kaluta

Just as The Shadow is about to take down all the evil-doers within a drug den, Shrevvy stops him to say the cops are on their way and that should he proceed, he might get caught inside. As it is, a scream cements The Shadow’s position on the subject and he heads in, determined to mete out justice where it is deserved. What the caped avenger finds though is death and a ninja whom he chases onto a rooftop where the villain seemingly disappears. With the police circling below and coming up the stairs, most men would be desperate but The Shadow is as calm as ever and manages to get away before he ever comes close to being captured. After changing to Lamont Cranston, The Shadow runs into an old acquaintance who just recently came back from the far East, a man who is also running for District Attorney and who aims to clean up all the dope dens like the one The Shadow was in mere moments earlier. Cranston has a feeling that there is something more to Doyle than meets the eye though and as Denny O’Neil gets further into the story, readers see that there are indeed facets yet to be revealed. With stolen money, a desperate family and a plot to gain political power, it all leads to a showdown between The Shadow and the mysterious ninja whose reveal is not quite as surprising as readers might have hoped it to be. If there was one weakness to the story Denny O’Neil told within this issue, it was the villain’s true identity which most could see coming a mile away. It did not take away from what O’Neil was trying to do though, the storytelling by him and the returning Mike Kaluta were done extremely well but on the other hand, it being a surprise would have been quite nice too. There is quite a bit going on as one weaves through the book, a little more than seen in previous issues and it makes for an interesting experience for both readers and The Shadow. What would be nice to see is for the hero of the book to meet his match in a villain, a man who matches up and would give The Shadow a run for his money. While that would not be here, one can hope that in a future issue, that does indeed take place. As for Kaluta, the man never misses a beat and his work seen within is as good as ever. If there is one title that needs to be kept in print, it is this one simply for the incredible artwork alone. Altogether, a fun tale if a little predictable at times.

3.5 out of 5