Review: Twilight Zone/Shadow #3
“This thing is all about masks and mysteries and secret identities and Maxwell Grant is yours.”
Synopsis for Twilight Zone/Shadow #3:
In Twilight Zone/ The shadow who is our hero? Is it Kent Allard? Lemont Cranston? The Shadow? Maybe an actor that’s playing different incarnations of the same character? One thing’s for certain, no matter who our hero is there will be a lesson to be learned at the end of our tale because you’ve just crossed over into…the Twilight Zone! At the beginning of this little tale we see The Shadow attacking an American Nazi rally in Long Island, but he’s employing the same sinister tactics that the Nazi regime would employ. His presumed love interest, Margo Lane, calls him out for his actions. After this he seemingly switches bodies and doesn’t know what’s happening. This happens several times and he begins to question what is reality and fantasy. And now Kent Allard is staring into a mirror once again wondering who he is.
The Creative Team:
Avollone opens this issue in Philadelphia, 1931. Kent Allard sees his reflection once again. This is the third time he’s looked at himself and not recognized who he is. What persona has he occupied this time? He receives a phone call and the person on the other end calls him Art. Allard looks at the typewriter in front of him and informs the caller that his name isn’t Art but Maxwell Grant, based on the author’s page in front of him. Once again Avollone is having fun with the reader as he takes us through the maze that is Kent Allard’s world.
Allard can’t trust his senses and the reader is brought deeper into the mystery when Allard, as Grant, tries to write for the Shadow. So far it’s been an intriguing read, however I do think it’s time to start getting to the bottom of the story. Let’s not have him take another Quantum Leap a la Sam Becket into another persona.
Acosta is having just as much fun rendering these characters as Avollone is writing for them. In one of this issues more humorous scenes author Grant is taking to…The shadow of…The Shadow. Maxwell looks at the calendar and realizes that he’s about 8 years in the past. He wonders out loud what he was doing 8 years ago and the shadow tells him that’s when he plucked Harry Vincent off the bridge. There’s one point where the shadow’s shadow reminded me of the old Rocky and Mugsy Warner brothers cartoon shadow of Rocky. I don’t know if that was intentional or just my over active imagination but whatever the intention it tickled my funny bone.
The Cover:
Francavella’s cover is almost as fun as the entire issue. The Shadow is scaling a typewriter with both pistols drawn. His facial expression, what we can see of it, is as grim as ever. A giant hand is reaching down, trying to grab him as he’s out running the subjugator. More action than we’ve seen on previous covers.
In Conclusion:
The Shadow does battle with the Scales of justice as the persona of Lemont Cranston seems to be arguing with the persona of Kent Allard and we hear Allard admit that Kent Allard must die in order for the Shadow to live. Set in a World War 1 backdrop. The newly born Shadow confronts another race of people as he seeks his purpose in life. The situation becomes a lot more interesting as we are assured that this story is to be continued. Avollone keeps the twists coming and, as always I can’t wait for the next issue. I’m hoping the build up that this one promises will be worth the wait, so far the series has been worth it. A great little issue in a decent series that brings us back to those golden days of yester-year.
Twilight Zone/Shadow #3
Writer: David Avollone
Art: Dave Acosta
Colors: Omi Remalante
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Publication Date: June 15, 2016
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
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