Writer – Michael Uslan
Artist – Frank Robbins
Inker – Frank McLaughlin

Taking the reins with this issue is Michael Uslan and he crafts a fine tale, albeit with a slightly different style than the missing Denny O’Neil. Uslan’s Shadow is meaner, a little more cruel and one without any forgiveness in him – even for his own agents. The book begins with a man on death row begging to see The Shadow. Of course, everyone mistakes what he is looking for, yet word reaches the avenging hero and he listens to what the convict says. The Shadow learns of a drug smuggling ring that operates out of Canada, sending the drugs through Niagara Falls somehow and so it is that he sends his men, and Margo, off to tail certain people in the hopes of finding out what he needs to know about the person who heads it all up. Shrevvy fails in the task and he pays for it, something not seen in this title thus far and an act that really cements the coldheartedness of the caped crusader. As it turns out, Margo Lane manages to glean a little info down at the docks and so it is she and Lamont Cranston who head to the Falls to catch the drug runners and put an end to their operation. Uslan at the very least, makes this tale fairly hard-hitting, The Shadow pulling no punches and by the end of the book, it tends to liven up and get a little exciting, most of that thanks to the artwork by Frank Robbins and Frank McLaughlin. The two make a good team and the pencils throughout the book prove that they are the right choice to chronicle a crime-ridden tale such as this. As for The Shadow, he eventually finds his man, who is not a man at all which is another first for the title and the two have a harrowing confrontation over the Falls. It is a battle of life and death and as one might guess, only one of them gets out alive and it is not the villain. Altogether, this was an interesting read coming from Uslan and if there was one minor quibble, it would be that The Shadow would never say any of his catchphrases during any part of the book. The fact that he was a little harder than usual, a little more focused upon the mission so to speak, one would think that phrases such as ‘the weed of crime bears bitter fruit’ might have made it into the script yet alas, they would not. Still, this was a fun outing that made the reader wonder what might come next.

3.5 out of 5