It’s a sad state of affairs when a new Shadow series written by Garth Ennis gets little to no fanfare in this age of Avengers vs X-men and Before Watchmen, but this is the world we live in. I only found out about this book mere weeks ago, and had I known about it earlier, it surely would have been my most anticipated title of the year.

Ennis, like the titular character, knows what lurks in the hearts of evil men, and with a reputation built on establishing gun-toting heroes such as the Punisher and Tommy Monaghan, is a natural fit for the Shadow’s particular brand of twin-automatic justice. Recent years have seen Ennis devote himself either to excellent yet extremely bleak war comics or increasingly vapid shock-tactic books like The Boys and Crossed, so seeing Ennis tackle a good old-fashioned pulp/noir adventure is a most welcome breath of fresh air among the writer’s current output.

The thing that had me most worried was the art – Dynamite usually spares no expense on their covers, but the interiors often leave much to be desired. Fortunately that’s not the case here, as artist Aaron Campbell captures the mood and detail of the period perfectly, just as at ease at drawing a post-coital moment of Shadow alter-ego Lamont Cranston and his lover Margo Lane as he is with scenes of the Shadow blowing away countless thugs with his trademark .45’s.

Whether a long-time fan of the character or coming to him for the first time, Ennis and Campbell’s The Shadow is perfect for readers yearning to have a little more pulp in their lives.