Shadow/Grendel crossover

I could hardly contain my excitement.

Frequent readers know I love pulp characters such as The Shadow and Doc Savage.  It is also no secret that I love comic books.  So when Dark Horse and Dynamite Comics announced a crossover of a pulp mainstay and an iconic comics character, well...I didn't quite have to go change my pants but it was close.

Grendel is a creation by writer/artist Matt Wagner.  As the elegant Grendel, best-selling author and certified (not to mention certifiable) genius Hunter Rose stalks the world of organized crime as an assassin.  I love Grendel for many reasons which you can read more about here.

The Shadow needs no real introduction.  He is one of the most influential characters not only of pulp fiction but pop culture in general.  How many "men of mystery" archetypes have come and gone over the years, with or without masks, capes, and fedoras?  Try counting them.  One ends up giving up.

Now, Dark Horse and Dynamite bring these two characters together on a collision course in a shared universe.  When done well, such crossovers are a delight for fans.  When done poorly, it's a disheartening and disappointing train wreck that was obviously done for marketing purposes.  There is always the danger of the latter case popping up but this time I feel quite confident about the quality of this comic.

That's because Matt Wagner is running the show.

Not only is his shit consistently good, he is most adept at crossing Grendel over with other characters.  Take a look sometime at his Grendel/Batman comics.  Plus, Wagner has already written The Shadow and has great affinity for the character, making this a natural fit for an organic storyline.

The story goes that Grendel comes into the possession of an arcane artifact.  This places him at odds with an underworld avenger in New York City that he was previously unaware of: The Shadow.  Neither character has much problem with killing.  Neither character would ever willingly cede ground to another.  Pop the popcorn, ring the bell for round one...this is going to be good.  On my way to the store to wait.

There are those who line up overnight for iPhones.  I camp out for comics. 
Don't judge me.
 





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