Unlike other revamps of the character, this version of the book sticks to the time period of the original pulps. Part of the reason why I am just picking this book up now is because I was leary of Garth Ennis' involvement as a writer. I haven't been a big fan of Ennis' work since his early (for me) writing on books like Hellblazer and Hitman. He descends too quickly into ultraviolence for my taste, and his "humor" can be as interesting in the long run as many of Kevin Smith's dick and fart jokes.
However, I have to say that (so far) I am impressed with what I have read. Ennis' grasp of the character of the Shadow seems to be pretty firm. He has added more of an undertone of suspicion to the relationship between The Shadow and Margo Lane (a bit reminiscent of the relationship between the characters in Howard Chaykin's Shadow story linked above) which I think elevates the two of them beyond the "faithful companion" trope that girlfriends were often cast in for pulp stories. The relationship between The Shadow and Margo is a lot less innocent than it was in the original pulps, again similar to the way that Chaykin wrote the characters back in the 80s. Margo also kicks ass when need be, although she does show more compassion towards those that she hurts or kills than does the Shadow.
Ennis seems to have enhanced The Shadow's capabilities a bit (this is a spoiler that I warned you about). He now seems to have some limited ability to be able to see the future, and the future actions of individuals to a degree. It could be that this was added as a rationalization for The Shadow as Judge and Jury. It does an an interesting element to the character, but I am not sure if it is one that I like. I do like a bit of fallibility in my characters, and having a Shadow who knows absolutely the right and wrong that people can do makes him a bit more absolute than I would like.
I'm also uncertain of having Lamont Cranston helping out military intelligence, particularly when it seems that those he is working with may have an inkling that he is The Shadow. I like this blurring of the distinctions between the roles of Cranston and the Shadow less than I like the addition of his new ability. It always seemed that the idea of Lamont Cranston (much like how many writers deal with the mask of Bruce Wayne for Batman) was that "he" was another role played by The Shadow, one that got him access to high society places that he might not have normally had access to otherwise. Having Cranston acting even slightly Shadow-like seems to be a risk that I cannot imagine The Shadow taking. Of course, with only two issues of the comic under my belt I don't yet know if this is some sort of a play on the part of The Shadow, or some other element that has not yet been revealed.
Aaron Campbell's art is well suited to the title. He does the period work well. He draws uniforms and period clothing very well. His art in these issues reminds me a bit of a combination of the precision of Dale Eaglesham's precision with some of the thick lined scratchiness of Michael Lark. If you liked Campbell's art on the Green Hornet Year One comic written by Matt Wagner, then you will like it here as well since it goes over a very similar space. I would imagine it was his work on that Green Hornet book that got him this assignment.
Do I recommend the book? So far, I would say that fans of The Shadow and the heroic pulps should definitely check the book out. The story, so far, has been in keeping with the style of the pulps, but with an updated and more modern sensibility to it. I plan on tracking down more issues and (at least) finishing this story. Hopefully the comic will keep the momentum demonstrated so far and keep my interest past this initial story arc. For those who tradebuy, I would say that this is a comic that is worth waiting for and picking up once Dynamite puts out a trade collection of it. There's a good chance that I will buy the singles and the album, once it is released.
So far this comic has been an engaging read that has far surpassed my expectations for it. This is also probably the first Garth Ennis comic that I feel that I can recommend to others in over ten years. If your local comic store isn't getting this book, you need to tell them to start stocking it.