#Michael W Kaluta

[curtvilescomic]

The Shadow by Michael W Kaluta

[beyondthespheres]

very early Michael W. Kaluta for Charlton's Teen Confessions #59 in 1969

[zonaperdida]

Michael Wm. Kaluta, Secrets of Sinister House #11, 1973. 🔮

[thevaultofretroscifi]

[krafty1]

The Daily Panel 10/17/24

Image Credit: DC Comics

[tomoleary]

A few more Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 50 Pinups by Jim Lee, Howard Chaykin, P. Craig Russell, Sandy Plunkett, Mark Schultz w/Al Williamson, and Michael Kaluta

[balu8]

The Shadow #2: Freak Show Murders

by Denny O'Neil (W.); Michael Wm. Kaluta (P./I.) and Jerry Serpe (C.)

DC

[orchidblack]

Moon Knight by Michael W. Kaluta.

[twistedtummies2]

The Shadow “Starter Kit” (Comics)

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”

If you know me well, or have been following my page for a long time, then you should know by now that I am a huge fan of the Shadow. For those who are unaware, or else need a reminder: the Shadow is a character of pulp fiction, who many consider the father of the modern superhero. He is the inspiration for many famous characters, and while his star has faded over the decades, he still persists today, lurking about in…well…the shadows. There are many reasons why the character is relatively obscure nowadays, despite the incredible popularity he had once upon a yesteryear…the primary one being that his heyday was when most people alive today were NOT alive then. Despite this, the Shadow has touched nearly every form of media there is: from the pulp magazines and the radio program that sired him, to several screen adaptations…and, most importantly, to comics. While the Shadow was not born in the comics, it is through comics that he has survived most predominantly. The old pulp stories are hard to get nowadays; the most recent (and best) movie was from 1994, and has a spotty record; meanwhile, the radio shows…well…they’re radio shows from the 1930s and 40s. Fans of such productions are a niche group, to say the least. The comics are where many of the Shadow’s best and most accessible stories are to be found. With this in mind, I figured - since a lot of you who look at this page probably don’t know who the Shadow even IS - it would be a good idea to give you all some recommended reading. That way, if any of you WANT to learn more about this character and his world, you know which comics to start with. I like to call it…The Shadow Starter Kit! I need to make something VERY clear: this “Starter Kit” is NOT a list of my favorite Shadow stories. Granted, all of the stories on here are AMONG my favorites, but neither the choices nor the rankings are based on personal favoritism. There are dozens upon dozens of really fantastic stories for this character (and a few that are not so good, to be fair, especially in more recent years), but a lot of them are stories that really make the most impact when you ALREADY know a lot about the Shadow. I wanted to base this short list of recommended tales on the idea that the ones looking these up will NOT be major Shadow fans. These are stories that I chose because they have some sort of importance, and which offer a solid foundation for one entering the fanbase to work off of. I also wanted to make sure they would be stories that are fairly easy to track down, either by looking them up online, or by purchasing physical copies. So, with that said, below you will find five stories that make up “The Shadow Starter Kit!”

5. The Shadow, 1941: Hitler’s Astrologer.

Of all the stories on this list, this is arguably the most “basic” of the bunch, in terms of content. That isn’t a bad thing, mind you! Still, this piece of historical dark superhero fiction doesn’t really deeply explore the Shadow as a character, nor the characters of any of his allies, nor does it offer a fresh look at one of his arch-villains. The premise is pretty simple, with the Shadow and his crew working to rescue a young lady and gain her help in defeating treacherous Nazis on the cusp of WWII. However, the story IS important for its more artistic reasons: for a start, this graphic novel is, to date, the only outing for the Shadow originally published by Marvel. (Reprints are now published by Dynamite, who are the current rights holders for the Shadow in comics.) Secondly, it was written by the late, great Denny O’Neil, whom many will likely recognize for his highly impactful work on Batman. Thirdly, the art is the work of penciler Michael Kaluta, with Russ Heath as the colorist. I don’t know much about Heath, but Kaluta is widely considered one of the absolute greatest Shadow artists and writers of all time…but, ironically, getting hold of most of his work is actually quite difficult, since much of it has never been reprinted. “Hitler’s Astrologer” is an exception, and a glorious one, at that. For people who don’t know anything about the Shadow, this is a simple action/adventure story, with a dash of history thrown into it, with a very high artistic pedigree: more than enough for me to recommend it for this starter kit.

4. “Fireworks,” from “The Shadow Strikes!”

“The Shadow Strikes!” was a relatively short-lived comic series published by DC in the late 80s and early 90s. (At the time, DC owned the rights to the Shadow character in comics.) This is one entry on the list where you’re almost certainly going to have to look up digital copies, but that shouldn’t be TOO difficult, as there are several websites where you can find it for reading, if I’m not mistaken. In my opinion, this series was the Shadow’s finest in comics, and there are too many great stories to count…but I decided to specifically recommend the three part story arc published across “The Shadow Strikes! #8 - 10.” This three-parter is entitled “Fireworks.” The primary reason I’m recommending this story is for the sake of its villain: Shiwan Khan, the Shadow’s arch-enemy. Surprisingly, despite Khan’s importance in the Shadow’s long history, most of the best stories for upstart Shadow fans to check out DON’T feature the villain. In “The Shadow Strikes!,” Khan was featured in two multi-part story arcs, and this, in my opinion, is the definitive portrayal of the character. “Fireworks” - loosely adapted from “The Golden Master,” Khan’s first appearance in the pulps - was the first story arc, and the shortest, making it the easiest for new readers to get into. The story also shows a more human side to the Shadow than some other tales, as there is a subplot with the Shadow having to help a young boy - not a situation you find the Jackal of Justice in, typically. Again, locating physical copies can be tough, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find this three-parter online, if you are interested.

3. The Shadow: Blood & Judgment.

This somewhat controversial graphic novel - originally published as a four-part miniseries - is basically the Shadow’s version of “The Dark Knight Returns.” (In fact, it was originally published by DC the same year as Frank Miller’s arguable masterwork. Much like “Hitler’s Astrologer,” it has since been reprinted by Dynamite Entertainment.) Written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin, the plot focuses on the appearance of a mysterious serial killer, who begins axing off the Shadow’s aging agents in the modern day. This is years after the Shadow has mysteriously vanished. Right on cue, the Master of Darkness returns, and while his agents have all grown old and haggard…the Shadow has not aged even a single day. The graphic novel established the Shadow as an immortal, and for the first time really dived deep to explore the intricacies and hypocrisies of the character, in a way that hadn’t really been attempted before. While this story works extremely well for long time fans of the character, it’s also worth looking at for newcomers…though perhaps not till after reading some of the other stories on this list, which is why I place it squarely in the middle.

2. Batman/The Shadow & The Shadow/Batman.

You’ve noticed that Batman and DC have come up several times already in the course of this list. That isn’t a coincidence: the Shadow has been the inspiration for many superheroes, as well as fellow pulp-style characters…but perhaps none so impactful as Batman. In fact, the very first Batman comic ever written was based directly on a Shadow magazine story! These twin crossovers - the first published by DC, the second published by Dynamite - are not the first time the two characters met, but they are, by far, the best and most interesting. The first story, simply titled “Batman/The Shadow” (the TPB is given the subtitle “The Murder Geniuses”), takes a lot of inspiration from “Blood & Judgment,” as it focuses on an immortal Shadow popping up in the modern day, while his agents have all become old and gray. This is started when a descendant of one of his Agents is murdered by a mysterious serial killer: a seemingly equally immortal villain known as The Stag. The Shadow and Batman are forced to reluctantly join forces when the Stag teams-up with the Joker to spread death and destruction across Gotham. The sequel, “The Shadow/Batman” (wow, the guys who came up with these titles need a raise), sees the Shadow captured by his arch-enemy, Shiwan Khan, who has also somehow managed to survive well into the modern day, and has joined forces with Ra’s Al Ghul. While the Shadow tries to uncover a way to escape the villains, Batman & Robin work to figure out their plan and help the Shadow out. Both stories are excellent, and pay great homage not only to the history these two characters share, but to their respective virtues and flaws, exploring new sides of each and creating not only a great Shadow story, but also a magnificent pair of Batman stories! For mainstream audiences who know much about the Dark Knight, but less about the Knight of Darkness (yes, that is one of the Shadow’s nicknames, no joke), this is a good way to at least start learning something of the character.

1. The Shadow: Year One.

To quote Shadow aficionado and YouTuber, Razorfist, “If you wanna know who the [bleep] the Shadow is, and why the [bleep] he be Shadowin’, ‘Year One’ is your [bleep]ing Bible.” This ten-part miniseries, later collected into TPB graphic novel, was one of Dynamite’s first forays into the Shadow’s dark world. It serves as an origin story for the Shadow, as well as his most famous and trusted agent, Margo Lane. It also features his confrontation with his first proper supervillain, the demented Dr. Zorn, a.k.a. “The White Tiger.” The Shadow’s origins, like those of many great characters, have been retooled and reconfigured over the years. In my opinion, “Year One” provides the finest take on the origin story ever created, taking everything that was good from earlier versions and crystalizing it into a magnificent construction, while at the same time finding a way to keep the mystery of the Shadow eternally fixed. It is a gritty, brutal, exciting story that pulls no punches, easily one of the darkest Shadow comics ever printed, but still has smatterings of humor, as well as tons of exciting action. The characters are expertly portrayed, their relationships brilliantly handled, and the art - with a style that seems deliberately similar to that of “Batman: The Animated Series” and its own spinoff comics - is simple yet sublime. In my opinion, this may be the Shadow’s single finest hour in all of comics history, and it is a positive must-read for new Shadow fans who want to understand why this character is who he is, and what makes him so darkly fascinating. For people who are new to the character, there are very few places better to start than “The Shadow: Year One.” And there you have it, everybody! Hopefully at least a few of you will look up at least a couple of these stories. Just remember: “The Weed of Crime Bears Bitter Fruit. Crime does not pay! THE SHADOW KNOWS!”

[citeyersources]

Michael W. Kaluta

[largesillyfriend]

Starstruck - Written by Elaine Lee, Art by Michael W Kaluta (1982)

[curtvilescomic]

Prince Valiant by Michael W Kaluta

[jacques-le-fataliste-23]

Michael W. Kaluta, Moon Knight Via: https://jhalaldrut.blogspot.com/2023/10/moon-knight-michael-w-kaluta.html

[all-action-all-picture]

The Savage Sword of Conan No. 3, December 1974.

Cover by Michael W. Kaluta.

Above is the back page ad for the next issue with art by Virgilio Redondo (older brother of Nestor Redondo).

[thecomicsnexus]

Batman by Michael W. Kaluta.

[krafty1]

"Day of the Devils"

Image Credit: DC Comics Doorway to Nightmare #5 Cover Artist: Michael W. Kaluta Publisher: DC Comics Publication Date: September 10, 1978 DC’s Bronze Age horror comics are so good and Kaluta always provides them with excellent covers. DC Comics, DC Horror, Doorway to Nightmare, Favorite Cover Friday, Madame Xanadu, Michael W. Kaluta