Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Reading Room THE SHADOW "Doom Stalks The Shadow!"

When Last We Saw He Who Knows What Evil...

...well, writer Jerry (Superman) Siegel will explain the plot from the never-reprinted Archie's The Shadow #5 (1965) better than I could...
For a guy who constantly ominously-intones "The Weed of Crime Bears Bitter Fruit! Crimes Does Not Pay!", it seems like a lot of his enemies tend to get away with it, or at least get away!
Speaking of getaways...
Get away to...
...tomorrow for another never-reprinted Shadow tale, this time set in the 1940s!
Please Support Hero Histories!
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Reading Room THE SHADOW "Sinister Triumph of Shiwan Khan!"

We Have Already Seen...

...this synopsis leaves out that Radiation Rogue was one of Khan's henchmen who was inadvertently-exposed to radiation, giving the aide his ability to project lethal radiation!
To Be Concluded...
TOMORROW

Please Support Hero Histories!
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Monday, July 10, 2023

Reading Room THE SHADOW "Menace of Radiation Rogue!"

He Who Knows What Evil goes into sci-fi territory with a new villain...
...who kills with atomic radiation!

To Be Continued...
TOMORROW!

This never-reprinted tale from Archie's The Shadow #5 (1965) by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Paul Reinman introduces another of what the publishers hoped would be an ongoing gallery of colorful villains to battle our hero.
Oddly, except for Shiwan Khan, (who appeared four times in the pulps and five times in the 1940s comics), none of the Shadow's multiple-appearance enemies from the Golden Age were utilized in the Archie series!

Please Support Hero Histories!
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Reading Room THE SHADOW "Diabolical Dr Demon!" Part 2

We Have Already Seen...

(Actually, this cover scene hasn't occurred...yet!)
The Shadow, tracking Dr Demon, has arrived just as the Nazi fiend is about to form an alliance with Shiwan Khan!
But the long-time arch-enemy of He Who Knows What Evil has a quite different idea...
Curiously, Shiwan Khan in the Archie series apparently doesn't have the same mind-controlling powers as The Shadow..although they are utilized in his other comics appearances!
And, I have to ask, did this Shadow series influence the Batman TV series...which began filming months after this particular issue appeared...the way the original pulp stories influenced the Caped Crusader's early tales?
The entire story could just as easily be a two-part episode of the show with a few name changes!
The 1960s Shadow Will Return to Hero Histories Next Monday!
Tomorrow, Visit
for a never-reprinted tale of the 1970s Shadow!

Please Support Hero Histories!
Visit Amazon and Buy...

Monday, July 3, 2023

Reading Room THE SHADOW "Diabolical Dr Demon!" Part 1

Looking for this guy?
He ain't here!
But we do have a person in blue/purple and green tights with all sorts of weird weapons!
To Be Continued
Tomorrow!
Note: this never-reprinted story by writer Jerry (Superman) Siegel and artist Paul Reinman from Archie's The Shadow #4 (1965) was published only 20 years after the end of World War II, so the idea of first-generation Nazis (especially ones with high-tech weaponry) still running around and creating havoc wasn't unreasonable, especially in pop culture!
In fact, it's the basis of the newest Indiana Jones movie (set in the 1940s and the 1960s)...
...now in theatres!
Please Support Hero Histories!
Visit Amazon and Buy...