If you are looking for a nice hit of pulp-noir, then you’ll want to try this mashup, “Grendel vs. The Shadow,” which throws in some time travelin’ in the bargain. Written and drawn by legendary Grendel creator Matt Wagner, this ode to gangsters and molls is sure to please. For readers new to Grendel and The Shadow, this is a great starting point. Let Matt Wagner, who refined The Shadow character at Dynamite Entertainment and brings, Grendel, an iconic Dark Horse favorite back in the ring, be your guide.
As with any good time travel story, half the fun is to see how the traveler is managing. For Grendel, the most dapper of villains, he’s quite happy to find himself whisked away, via a magical urn, from the present back to New York City in the early 1930s. As luck would have it, Grendel finds himself to have the most skills when it comes to mayhem and murder. This is a time of great gangland transition. The top of the crime world heap is there for his to take. Of course, there could be some problems along the way…like The Shadow.
Of the five crime families, it’s crime boss Lorenzo Valenti’s syndicate that seems to be best positioned. Or maybe it’s Lorenzo’s sexy daughter who is well positioned. Grendel gets to know her while incognito as the man about town, writer Hunter Rose. Yeah, if it wasn’t for Sofia’s well arranged assets, Grendel would have likely gone for a total bloodbath and ruled alone. But what’s the fun in that? And, of course, you need infrastructure and the Valenti family have a long tradition of uniquely striking fear into the community. Why start from scratch when you can leave certain details to the professionals? Anyway, it seems that Grendel has the potential of doing quite well in the past.
GRENDEL VS. THE SHADOW #1 is available as of September 3. For fans in the know, and new fans, this is one truly significant crossover event. Visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics right here.
