The Shadow #8
Published and © by DC, December 1974-January 1975
Title: “The Night of the Mummy!”
Synopsis: Is it a mummy’s curse or a complex case of murder? You guessed it: Only the Shadow knows!
Writer: Denny O’Neil
Artist: Frank Robbins
Review: Three observations about The Shadow #8: 1. It’s ahead of the zeitgeist. This story predates the announcement of King Tut’s tour of the United States and the mummy-mania that followed in the second half of the 1970s. 2. Reading the Shadow’s adventures in comic-book form drives home just how many Golden Age tropes were borrowed directly from the pulps. And 3. Frank Robbins was a perfect fit for the character. While Little Me blanched at Michael W. Kaluta’s replacement, more discerning tastes find an artist with a distinct, kinetic style and a mastery over spot blacks and chiaroscuro effects. Bravo!
Grade: B+
Cool factor: Frank Robbins grows on you.
Character quotable: “It is my business to know!” – The Shadow, on brand
Editor’s note: This review was written Oct. 24, 2024.
