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maxwell-grant · 2 years

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It's gonna take me a bit to get to the point, but bear with me; are you familiar with the Adventure Party game? Their are two variants; A: if a group of characters were to play D&D, what class would the characters they choose to play as be be? B: If a group of characters were a D&D Adventuring party, what classes would they be? OK, so what would that be for The Shadow and his Agents?

Never heard of that idea as a writing exercise but I like it a lot, and my past experiences with D&D have been a bit on my mind lately since I finished reading DIE. I'm gonna stick only to the "classic" 9 classes for this one, and I’m gonna stick mainly with the primary agents (I may get to others like Myra Reldon, Slade Farrow and Roy Tam eventually) and a couple of others, but here goes: In both of these set-ups I'm going to assume that The Shadow is either not present and the agents are playing it on their own, or he is the DM (either him or Burbank). I'll end with his Class assignments last:

Harry Vincent

Plays as: Ranger. Harry's second to The Shadow in leadership of the agents and general competence, and would likely be the party leader. Harry is extremely reckless, jumping into danger with zero hesitation to rescue whoever needs help, even when he has no chance of survival, and he trusts The Shadow more than anything else, so perhaps playing a Ranger could be good for him to perhaps learn some restraint in order to play more effectively, trust his own instincts more, recognize more of his own worth. Given his background, I imagine Harry would be drawn to the fantasy of the ranger archetype as a "lone wolf who finds a group to belong in". And of course there’s a particularly big reason why him playing Ranger would be my pick, answered at the end of this post.

Is: Bard. His main strength is usually his charisma and people's skills. Harry makes friends very easily and he's personally brought several of the agents into the fold. Most of the agents' friendships with Harry is what connects them as a team besides their mutual service for The Shadow. Harry embodies that warm, friendly, human side that The Shadow must distance himself from to operate as he does, part of why he needs to be treated as the protagonist.

The Bard is a class that specializes around speech, persuasion and theatrics, in a game that's built around those things to begin with, teetering on the edge of what’s permissible and what breaks the rules, equipped with nothing but the versatility of a player’s imagination. Bards embody a magic of their own separate from the other magic-focused classes, and it’s a particularly popular class among players who like roleplaying as an outlet for expression and performance, to uplift themselves and others. I can think of no better class to assign to Harry.

To put it in D&D terms, Harry may think of himself as just a lesser Ranger, who would be perfectly content as such, when really, he's an excellent Bard second-to-none, and he doesn't seem to know it even when others do. Growing into his strength as a Bard would be something he’d have to learn to find within himself.

Margo Lane

Plays as: Rogue. Margo's role is primarily that of an infiltrator/spy, which suits her chameleon nature. Margo's main role tends to be operating in high society circles her good looks and charm can get her into, where she can learn information relevant to the case. Margo's shifty, clever, her most consistent trait being that she's aggressively stubborn and the only agent to be essentially self-appointed, always going where she's not supposed to. Margo might probably enjoy playing the Rogue as a fun exaggeration of what she ostensibly already does in life, just without life or death stakes. It’s usually custom for female rogues to favor knives, but considering Margo’s done things like fire mortars, kill a gangster with a sledgehammer, threaten to blow Moe’s brains all over his car while holding her heel to the back of his head, and wield the Devil’s Whisper explosive disguised as make-up, there’s a case to be made that Margo would be a Rogue that yields blunt force if not outright explosives.

Is: Warlock. Warlocks are defined as the seekers of forbidden knowledge, who piece together secrets never meant to be uncovered, and draw upon potent reserves of magic by "pacts made with mysterious beings of supernatural power". This fits Margo's role as the character who most goes out of her way to uncover the secrets of The Shadow, who usually gets the closest to learning the most about his past, who gets involved with him romantically, and who proves to have an unshakeable willpower like his own. That, plus the fact that Margo herself has several unsolved mysteries of her own, and the movie version of Margo that had psychic powers, and the idea carried over to future adaptations that there's something about Margo that sets her apart from other people, that "she has as many rumors circulating about her as The Shadow". Margo is a powerful, powerful Warlock, in cahoots with a certain dark deity that cannot control her as well as it may have expected to.

Clyde Burke

Plays as/Is: Wizard. Pretty self-explanatory, actually. I based this first and foremost off one of Clyde's profiles: "As a newspaperman, Clyde Burke is a wizard. All sources of news are open to him; his “scoops” have made him in demand by every paper in the country". I don't think there'd be much of a disconnect between what Clyde wants to be and what he already is. Clyde is different from the other agents because he wasn't rescued from tragedy or offered the chance to fulfill a dream, he was brought on board with the promise of adventure, the chance to basically do what he was already doing, as a professional troublemaker exposing big shots, but for a greater purpose. The very first things we learn about Clyde is that he's a short, "almost frail in build" man in determined pursuit of action, and when The Shadow solemnly informs him that working with him means potential danger, "A look of enjoyment appeared upon Burke's visage. He sensed adventure". Of course he takes his job seriously, especially when the other agents are at risk, but it's this "fuck around and find out" attitude that really makes for the best wizards. Clyde would be a natural.

Cliff Marsland

Plays as: Barbarian. I don't think Cliff would have much patience for the other classes of D&D, I definitely don't think he'd be a spellcaster. I think he would pick the Barbarian not just because Barbarians are more direct and to his liking, but also because he might think of it as the most fitting to what he imagines himself to be. Cliff has a cultivated image as an underworld tough guy and hardened killer who was brought onboard as an agent not just due to his prior work with The Shadow in the war, but also because of the circumstances of his life following his exit from prison, where he's incredibly bitter and wanting to just take any job as long as it brings some form of fulfillment.

"You are bitter because of the past. You are willing to accept any future, if it brings you gain. So I offer you a future!"

"For the cause of justice, then?" Marsland laughed bitterly. "For justice? I would prefer crime!"

"For neither crime nor justice!" came the low voice. "Your future lies in the cause of The Shadow!"

Is: Fighter. Of course, Cliff's character changes as he gradually grows into his role as an agent, an honorable ally and great friend to Harry and Clyde and Hawkeye, the one who takes the lead during combat and is most likely to be the agent to rescue even The Shadow. Cliff grows into a hero and team player, still as fearless and unwavering at the prospect of death as before, but with a newfound purpose. He is more than the Barbarian he imagines himself to be. When the chips are down, all plans have failed, and death and danger loom close enough to threaten all, you want someone who’s gonna fire the first shot, who’s gonna take a bullet unflinching and carry his friends to safety, beaten and bleeding and single-handed if he has to.

Not the one who’s got nothing to live for, but the one who has everything to die for.

Moe Shrevnitz

Plays as: Monk. One of my favorite details of Moe’s characterization that’s remarkably consistent across the years is the idea that Moe’s not just an avid reader of books and comics and fantasy, but that he’s also very curious and interested in learning, particularly when it comes to more supernatural parts of The Shadow, like him wishing he could see the boss when he goes invisible, trying to figure out how the Chief does some of the stuff he does, remarking he’s gonna start attending night school, or that bit in the movie where we see he reads about psychic phenomena on the clock.

I think Moe would probably be very ecstatic at the opportunity to play a D&D game in the first place and really immerse himself into the fantasy of it all, and I particularly think he’d love the chance to play a Monk, and get to make himself into this really cool fantasy warrior as well as get to do some of the magic fancy kung fu stuff for a change. I don’t think Shrevy would be much of an orderly monk though, he’s a very reckless driver who definitely fights dirty, and he would definitely be reckless with his dice.

Is: Paladin. Moe would probably take a while to figure out that he’s one, if he ever does at all, but the Paladin’s a figure of resistance, commitment, endurance, vigilance, and loyalty to whatever or whoever they’ve pledged their loyalty to, a life on the front lines with shield in hand. Moe is there both for chase scenes as well as dramatic rescues, when The Shadow can barely stand and cannot vanish on his own, when his allies are injured and need assistance as fast as possible, that’s where you’ll find Moe, piloting his steed to the rescue, cutting through corners and traffic like a blazing sword, always vigilant, always keen, always there for his friends without a moment’s hesitation.

Hawkeye

Plays as/Is: Rogue. Pretty self-explanatory. I’m figuring Hawkeye would have a knack for being a particularly disruptive rogue, the kind that misses out on the battle because he fucked off to sneak around a shopkeeper’s basement and ended up finding a ton of plot-relevant items and loot. He tries to sneak peeks at the DM’s dice results, he cracks jokes about how he gets to be a crook again and all it took was a pair of dice and a character, but at the end he really just wants to have fun with his new crew.

Jericho Druke

Plays: Barbarian. Not just because he’s goddamn huge and super strong and repeteadly described as such, but also because Jericho’s often described as someone who really enjoys fighting. People sleep a lot on Barbarians as an exceedingly simple and overspecialized class, but in my experience, Barbarians are usually the players who get shit done first even when they shouldn’t be able to logically. I think Jericho would definitely take a liking to that, seeing as this is a character who made a signature move out of grabbing two thugs at once and cracking their skulls together. It’s that line The Shadow says in the comic Death Factory when we’re being introduced to Jericho beating up a gang of racists trying to threaten him:

“Hang back, Shrevy. Let the man handle business his way. Besides, it’s only ten against one.”

Is: Monk. There’s a couple reasons for this. While Jericho’s strength borders very much on the superhuman, and while he can and does use guns, he tends to use his fists a lot more than the other agents, and Monks tend to use fists and hand-to-hand combat moreso than even the armored Barbarians. Another is, if I had to point to one semi-consistent pattern on the rare occasions Jericho gets the spotlight in the pulps, is that he ends up running afoul opponents who are even bigger and stronger than himself, and therefore, he has to outfox them with speed and cunning, using footwork, grapples, improvised usage of his surroundings, and using the opponent’s weight against them. Additionally, Jericho’s got a history of working as, or posing as, doormen or janitors, even chefs (in The Hooded Circle), of being placed in positions where he gets to listen unseen because of course the villains aren’t usually paying attention to him. The key here is focused aggression, Jericho applying his absurd strength and natural fighting expertise and protective instincts and smarts with a Monk's training and abilities.

I should probably also point out also that Jericho once partook in a gunfight with frying pans, and also by throwing a stove at his attackers. If there's ever been a Shadow character who's needed guns the absolute least, it's Jericho.

Burbank

Plays as/Is: Druid. Assuming Burbank’s not the DM, I’m thinking of him being either a Wizard or Druid, as classes he’d like to play as, and be. But I’m going here mainly with plant-based Druid, based somewhat off his name inspired by horticulturist Luther Burbank, and how Burbank’s job requires him to stay rooted much more so than the other agents. Much like how a Druid is usually the character who’s the closest to some of the inner workings of a setting’s world, Burbank is often described as the stitching in the tapestry of The Shadow’s design, the one agent who actually is described as a cog in the wheel, in mechanized terms, a greater mystery than The Shadow himself.

Burbank stays firm, steady, unmoving, setting into motion plans big and small, whispers across the city, messages through the surroundings, a secret network onto himself.

Shiwan Khan

Plays As: Cleric. On top of being the most overtly superpowered character in The Shadow Mythos (and certainly the most powerful among the villains), Khan is both his own god, as well as the high priest of a religion that begins and ends with himself and the great kingdom he intends to create out of Xanadu, and his entire campaign of conquest. Khan repeteadly passes himself as a spiritual leader of men, and is even defeated in the end when The Shadow calls upon an actual tulku to expose him. One of his adopted sobriquets is even “The Power of God on Earth”, and Khan isn’t exactly religious.

He is, however, extremely devoted to whatever he deems worthy of worship, one of his more consistent traits across adaptations being that, where as other villains are disdainful and contemptful towards threats of equal or greater power, Khan instead expresses open admiration to them, bordering on fan worship, even if his endgoal is to supplant them. He adores any and all innovations on conquest, war, industry and etc that the West has to offer, he makes no secret of his admiration for the strength of those who resist him, and in the movie he outright declares himself The Shadow’s biggest fan several times over.

Is: Warlock. Poor, poor Shiwan, doomed again and again. Doomed by his quest to find his own destiny, doomed by his attempts take the reigns of his own destiny, doomed by his desire to live up to the prophecy that cast himself as the future great ruler of mankind. Doomed to have his principles and morals rot away as he grows stronger and stronger and plays the villain every time, doomed to degenerate into worse versions of himself, doomed to be a caricature again and again, doomed to never win even when he does. For all his power, for all his ego, for all his devotion to the legend he has no choice to obey or create out of himself, Khan is doomed for absolute failure. In a way, he's as bound to The Shadow's fate as Margo, the two having a rather peculiar dynamic as a result which is also why I paired Khan as a warlock. But where Margo finds acceptance and purpose, Khan rages futily and loses everything he is or could be, and thus fails to escape his shadows.

Which brings us to...

The Shadow

Plays as: Bard. Of course we could find times where he did play every class, in the faces and names he’s taken for himself. But I’m sticking with The Shadow playing as a Bard because

1: A massive part of The Shadow’s strategies and effectiveness come from a sense of theatrics completely unparalleled even in the century of crimefighters that have taken up after him. As an urban legend, as a magician, as a commander, as an avenging crusader, as a mysterious chessmaster, as a teacher, as an ally, as a friend, there is always a veneer of spectacle, always a smokescreen, even if not by his design (or is it?).

2: What else can we assign to a character who owes his existence, his legacy, his gargantuan success and influence, to nothing but a captivating radio performance?

But still, if I had to assign a class that he’d ultimately be, only one choice comes to mind

Is: Ranger. Because for all the things that The Shadow could have been or can be, which is all of them, he chooses to be the Ranger, The Dark Avenger, a hunter in the garb of urban wilderness prowling and stalking the dangers that loom over us so he may rescue us from them. Rangers are defined as a wandering class of that’s trained extensively in many disciplines to fight evil, and a class with an emphasis on Dexterity and Wisdom, all too appropriate for his catchphrase, and his intent. He stares unblinking into that which he knows better than anyone else, the evil that lurks in our hearts, and makes it his mission to fight it.

His real ultimate enemy, a thing that vastly transcends a single man and a fictional character’s ability to meaningfully do anything about it, but that which he tirelessly fights nonetheless, that which he cannot turn away from, that which no one who knows can ever turn away from. Something he may perhaps never truly defeat, perhaps couldn’t or even shouldn’t defeat by himself, for the true meaning of The Shadow’s quest lies not on The Shadow himself, but on the lives affected by him, those that he’s rescued and uplifted, or even those he has failed, none of whom walk out unchanged from the experience of meeting the living shadow.

Perhaps there’s something to the idea of The Shadow and roleplaying, a game where, in response to the machinations of a mysterious master and his world and the stories that follow him, groups of people from all backgrounds join forces, growing closer both to each other as well as new versions of themselves, selves that they may have never even expected they could create or live as, while the master pulls the strings unseen on a journey every player has to ultimately figure out for themselves. No winners or losers in the end, only people playing the same game their own way. Heroes, villains, their fates and how they affect the world are the one thing the master cannot fully control, which may be what makes the game not just fun, but worth playing in the first place.

Everyone gets something different out of it, but who knows if there’s a point of it all.

(Fan-art on the right by dr-kineil-wicks, image on the left comes from the comic DIE by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans)

#the shadow #pulp heroes #DIE #pulp fiction #harry vincent #margo lane #cliff marsland #clyde burke #the shadow pulps #hawkeye #jericho druke #shiwan khan #burbank #moe shrevnitz #shadow comics #agents of the shadow #I didn't plan for this post to turn into my most extensive piece on the agents just yet that took a couple days to put together #I guess all I needed was just a fun excuse and framework to do something I already wanted to do #btw DIE is amazing thank you davidmann for the rec

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theshadowstrikes · 7 years

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The Shadow, by Michael Kaluta

#The Shadow #Michael Kaluta #Comics #Lamont Cranston #Shrevvie #Moe Shrevnitz #Pulp Art

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oldschoolcrimefighters · 7 years

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095: Death Rides the Skyway was not quite as boring as I remember but still eminently skippable.

As such have some of the more amusing moments.

Present circumstances made it appear that this single clue -- the mention of Finger Lurbin -- would never reach The Shadow.

That thought rankled Miles Crofton. As he and Jolles reached the hall, he felt a wild desire for action.

Harry is not the only one who becomes irresponsibly reckless when stymied in his duty.

[To Joe.]“Why don’t you take Burke?” questioned Markham, with a slight grin. “You know -- the Classic reporter.[”]

“You know, the little shit we all know is your favorite no matter how much you growl at him.”

“Burke wasn’t interested. Anyway, I don’t want a newshawk tagging along[.”]

-- but if he had been interested you’d have totally brought him.

Joe/Clyde brotp

Some of the shots struck the gravelly edge and ricocheted; those bullets, too, went over the heads of The Shadow and Cardona. The two had rolled apart; but both were lying low in darkness.

I was initially amused by the shades of ‘no homo’ in including that second line, because no shit they’re laying low when they’re under machine gun fire, but this is also pretty great out of context.

Whining winds whooed weirdly from the mountainside.

Okay that’s just a weird bit of alliteration.

As detective and as acting inspector, Cardona had frequently shown skill in tracking down deep-set crime.

not much to see here I’m just happy whenever the narration acknowledges Joe is good at his job.

Cardona was deep in his task when he looked up to see Clyde Burke standing in the doorway.

“Hello, Burke,” growled Joe. “What do you want?”

“A story,” responded Clyde. “Looks like you might have one in that pile of junk.”

CARDONA chuckled. He studied the wise-faced reporter; then held out the batch of papers. Clyde had been lounging in the doorway; at Cardona’s gesture, the reporter’s indolence ended. His slender, wiry frame became active as Clyde stepped forward eagerly. Then a look of chagrin appeared upon the reporter’s face.

[...]

Hearing footsteps, Cardona looked up angrily, thinking that another reporter had arrived.

I will shut up about Clyde and Joe’s semi-antagonistic friendship when I’m dead. They are adorable and I love them.

BACK on the avenue, Moe Shrevnitz was keeping on. He was doing so in response to a quick order from Harry Vincent, in the back seat. Harry had guessed Cliff’s game. The present job was to take after the sedan.

But Moe was due for trouble. [...] A policeman came dashing from the curb to commandeer the cab. [...]

Moe looked back quickly at Harry, who gave a nod.

[...]

The officer had picked the running board on the right, to be ready with his revolver. He was looking straight ahead when Moe curved left. The swing sent him lunging out to the middle of the avenue. Harry had been leaning forward, ready to loose the cop’s hold on the door. The action had not proven necessary.

1) Other people acknowledging Harry’s competence is my favorite thing and agents looking to him for orders is right up there.

2) I didn’t cut any dialogue between Harry and Moe, they literally shared one look and had this plan ready. The agents are in sync and I love it.

As the taxi driver stopped, Cliff and Hawkeye came tumbling from their wrecked car.

Harry Vincent had thrust open the door. Cliff dived into the cab, Hawkeye just behind him. Moe stepped on the gas as the patrol car shrilled its arrival.

[...]

In the exciting minutes that followed, Moe Shrevnitz displayed the driving skill that had caused The Shadow to choose him as an aid.

[...]

His three passengers, settled in the back seat, were silent.

Moe had done all that was possible in the pinch. They had landed in too deep. The loss of the coupe did not matter; it was not registered by either Cliff or Hawkeye. Escape had been paramount in the emergency; The Shadow himself would have ordered it. But there was no chance now for these agents to aid The Shadow.

Agents being awesome and watching each others’ backs and then being sad cuz they can’t help the boss.

Easily the best section of the book.

To add to Cardona’s disgruntled feelings came an arrival whom the ace had not expected. It was Clyde Burke, stepping from a taxi.

[...]

“How about the Holland Tube?” queried Clyde. “Maybe the car you’re talking about beat it for Jersey.[”]

Cardona spun about, his dark eyes agleam. The detective whacked an approving hand upon Clyde’s shoulders. Then Joe began to bark orders.

[...]

“We’re going in two cars -- you can come along, Burke.[”][...]

AS a detective scurried into the Knife and Fork to make the telephone calls, Cardona bounded into the first car. Clyde jumped in beside him.

We’re going to catch some criminals but sure you can come along, I mean, as long as you’re already here.

[Criminal referring to The Shadow:] “We didn’t lamp him, but we heard him. He handed us the ha-ha and opened up with those gats of his.”

...That’s an interesting turn of phrase.

So yeah some cute Clyde and Joe and a good scene with Cliff, Hawkeye, Harry, and Moe. Otherwise this book can be forgotten.

#095: Death Rides the Skyway #crimefighter commentary #miles crofton #joe cardona #clyde burke #cliff marsland #not that hawkeye #harry vincent #moe shrevnitz

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dailybarrycaitlin · 4 years

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The Shadow meets Kryptonians

Read on the Ao3 here

by Phillipe363

Margo Lane is tracking a gang of criminals on Lamont's orders whose ready to strike as The Shadow, a myth most people don't even believe is real. Meanwhile Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan deciding to take a break from their busy super hero lives decide to visit New York with running across the same gang. (The Shadow meets Kryptonians)

Words: 4181, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Smallville, The Shadow (1994), The Shadow - All Media Types, The Flash (TV 2014)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Lamont Cranston, Margo Lane, Clark Kent, Barry Allen, Caitlin Snow, Harry Vincent, Moe Shrevnitz

Relationships: Clark Kent/Chloe Sullivan, Lamont Cranston/Margo Lane, Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow, Lamont Crantson & Margo Lane & Moe Shrevnitz

Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon, Mystery, Crimes & Criminals, Barry Allen Isn't The Flash, Crime Fighting

#dctv #the flash #barry allen #caitlin snow #snowbarry #ao3

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my-imogenie-fan · 4 years

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Shadow

Hi Everyone!

Only the Shadow knows!

What did the Shadow know? Even his sidekick and driver Moe Shrevnitz (played by Peter Boyle) didn’t know.

I have always wondered.

Have a great day! Hope Shadow from Word of the Day Challenge from WordPress.com Clip Art & Photos from Bing.com

P.S. Just in case you didn’t know Alec Baldwin played The Shadow.

View On WordPress

#5/1/2020 #Alec Baldwin #Blogging Blogger #Only The Shadow Knows #Peter Boyle #Shadow #Word of the Day Challenge

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theshadow365 · 7 years

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November, 1934 Shadow Case File #65

This story is notable for not only being a sequel to the very first Shadow story “ The Living Shadow, “ but also for introducing the character of Moe Shrevnitz into Shadow lore,

Moe is The Shadow’s personal cab driver, and main method of transport whenever our hero is in need of a quick getaway!

#the shadow knows #The Shadow Strikes #whoknowswhatevil #Walter B. Gibson #street and smith #pulp fiction #pulp art #poster art #art #noir #mystery #mysterious #cab driver

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saphura · 7 years

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I’ve re-read the Twilight Zone/The Shadow crossover, and I have a few thoughts. First off, how has no one done this sooner? The Shadow is perfect for a trip through the Twilight Zone. He has such a convoluted history with multiple origins and variations honestly they could have at least another issue or two. As it is, the series explores the duality of Lamont Cranston and The Shadow, then the radio Shadow, and finally the original pulp creation before bringing it back to the comic Shadow’s reality. I think it would have been hilarious if they had included the serial/movie incarnation because I feel like this incarnation of the Shadow would have just noped his way right off the movie set. More thoughts and a further review under the cut with some spoilers.

There is a lesson to be learned with every trip into the Twilight Zone for the reader/watcher and those caught up in the events to learn. As powerful and seemingly all-knowing as The Shadow is, even he has things to learn. Moe and feisty Margo show up in the first and last issues, so The Shadow is alone on his journey into the Twilight Zone.

Each issue had its moments. There is one point in issue 2 where The Shadow - in the body of Preston Springs (who is supposed to be Orson Welles, the original voice of the radio Shadow), refuses to take off a black opera cape he had donned for a photo shoot because he feels more “comfortable” in it. I don’t blame him, suddenly finding yourself in a world where you’re a fictional character must be overwhelming, but it’s adorably hilarious that The Shadow clings to one semi-familiar thing like a security blanket.

By far, my favorite issue was #3. We get to see The Shadow as “Art” (short for Arthur), who is clearly supposed to be Walter Gibson, the man who created The Shadow and his world from the ground up. We also get a look into The Shadow’s motivation and history and find out why he is in the Twilight Zone. This is the issue where The Shadow is in the least control and seems actively terrified in a few pannels despite words of encouragement from the first agent we see him recruit and right-hand man: Harry Vincent.

Also, Jewish Moe Shrevnitz. I am totally on board with this idea. I love it.

I know some people are not fans of a more “human” Shadow, but I like it. In my opinion, it’s superior to the Death of Margo Lane arc by quite a bit. A fun romp through the Twilight Zone. 8.3/10.

#Saphura reviews something #the shadow #the twilight zone #totally recommend this one #why am i on a shadow kick?#this is one of my problematic fandoms but I love it #it's so small

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tildytwo · 6 years

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I just saw a post trying to convince me that if the new Star Wars films were the Shadow Kylo Ren would be the Shadow/Lamont Cranston and Rey would be Margot Lane.

This could not be more wrong if it tried.

Obviously Rey would be Lamont/The Shadow and Finn would be Margot. If we’re going by the movie, then Poe is going to be the the nerdy guy the Shadow saves at the beginning of the movie and Kylo is obviously going to be Shiwan Khan, (great-great) grandson of original baddy Genghis Khan. Leia is clearly the holy guy who teaches Rey and Kylo/ Shadow and Shiwan the ways of stabby stabby rebellion, Luke is now Finn’s doofus father who builds what amounts to an atomic bomb without realizing it, and Han is Moe Shrevnitz who wants nothing to do with this but he’s the only one who knows how to drive.

Also Chewie voices the sentient dagger thing.

#i know han dies so technically he should be the holy guy but SHUT YOUR FACE HOLE #the shadow #star wars

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 4 months

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A Shadow Falls Over Gotham.

by MateusCristian For years, the criminals of Gotham deemed the shadows of the great metropolis safe, where the law and retribution would never reach them. But they were wrong. For the shadows began to laugh at their evil, and justice will be served by The Shadow. Words: 2115, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, The Shadow (Pulp) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con Categories: Multi Characters: Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Kent Allard | The Shadow, Talia al Ghul, Ra's al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Jim Gordon, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Hugo Strange, Jonathan Crane, Victor Fries, Nora Fries, Victor Zsasz, Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, Pamela Isley, Bane (DCU), Clayface, Joker (DCU), Harleen Quinzel, Margo Lane, Moe "Shrevvy" Shrevnitz, Burbank (The Shadow), Original Lamont Cranston, Harry Vincent, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Diana (Wonder Woman), Wally West Relationships: Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel Additional Tags: Murder Mystery, Film Noir, Action/Adventure, Superheroes, Pulp, Drama & Romance via https://ift.tt/04tpDrn

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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Struck by an amusing mental image of The Shadow seeing through Clark Kent's disguise five minutes after seeing him in both identities and spending the next fifty years more impressed by Superman's ability to maintain a secret identity without even wearing a MASK than he is by 'mere' superhuman powers (I'd like to think at least one of the agents sometimes thinks Clark just HAS to covering up for the REAL Superman - Bruce Wayne! - in sheer disbelief at such audacity).

spending the next fifty years more impressed by Superman's ability to maintain a secret identity without even wearing a MASK than he is by 'mere' superhuman powers

I think he'd be more impressed upfront that Superman somehow managed to create the world's most foolproof disguise just by a casual change of hair and wardrobe and posture, when he's known people who could shapeshift much more drastically (himself included) to try and do so. And I think he'd chuckle at the irony that even he, of all people, couldn't create a disguise as rock-solid as Clark Kent, that he's been bested at something he's unbeatable as, which is apparently common when you're a human dealing with Superman.

Maaaybe just a wee bit jealous, even. One of my favorite personality traits of The Shadow that rarely comes up (for good reason, mind you), is that sometimes he can be petty and humorous in a pretty undignified way, as a character flaw mostly played for comedy.

Sometimes it takes the form of him delighting in making fun of Commissioner Weston's ignorance, or playing mild pranks on Cardona like swiping evidence or sending him tips written in dissappearing ink that vanish the second he tries showing them to anyone else, or the sequence below where he's pursuing a man who knocked him out cold earlier in the story:

He wanted to take Kerford suddenly, when the man was unaware, and deprive him of the gun he carried.

Kerford was desperate, and might do considerable damage if pursuers tried to take him openly. His testimony, too, would prove important, and couldn't be spoken by a dead man.

Moreover, The Shadow had a personal score that wasn't fully settled with Kerford. He wanted the elusive lawyer to experience the sensation of having someone bob up from behind him and supply a sincere blow with a chunk of metal

The Shadow intended to do it more neatly than Kerford had. One clean tap from an automatic would daze Kerford lightly, but still allow him to retain his senses, thereby appreciating the fact that he had been outguessed - The Book of Death

I think you could get some pretty great mileage out of playing The Shadow and Superman's interactions slightly for comedy.

I'd like to think at least one of the agents sometimes thinks Clark just HAS to covering up for the REAL Superman - Bruce Wayne! - in sheer disbelief at such audacity

I'm definitely thinking this has to be Clyde, because regardless of whether or not the Agents are in on the secret, if anyone was going to learn it on their own and know Clark personally enough to make that assumption, it would be Clyde. He'd be incredibly on-point towards many of his assumptions regarding how Superman's secret identity works and the cracks in Bruce Wayne's public façade, but as an impetous thrill-seeker with a taste for adventure who's grown used to writing about the dirty dealings and secrets of the city's richest or most upstanding folks (and started off his career as an agent being attacked by one of them), he'd leap to the assumption that Bruce Wayne has to be Superman, and that this is something only The Shadow is supposed to know.

And then one day Moe would bring up that, yeah, of course he knows who Supes is, it's Clark Kent and he's known about it for years now, he picked up the Kents for a drive downtown one day and made chat with them, and when he looked at their kid another day, he just kinda picked up the rest of the story along the way later, but he swore on his honor as a cabbie to never say a peep to nobody.

And then Clyde calls him an idiot who's been reading too many comics again, and decides he's gonna go on foot again.

#replies tag #the shadow #superman #comics tag #clyde burke #moe shrevnitz #shrevy

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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If there was a Shadow animated series or movie, who would you like to see as voice actors ?

Ooh! Nice question, weirdly I hadn't really thought about this one, usually my casting picks tended more towards live-action even though I generally prefer voice acting.

I can never really come up with a single, definitive answer as to who I'd want to play The Shadow himself. For live-action, I fully second @oldschoolcrimefighters's choice of Oded Fehr, and he's got a great voice for it too (the voice is the most important thing when it comes to The Shadow). Jeremy Irons, if I recall, was supposed to play the character in the 80s when they were kicking around movie projects, and he's DEFINITELY got the right voice for it. Another one that comes to mind is Bill Nighy, based off his role as Rattlesnake Jake (snake-like is a good word to describe how The Shadow should talk). A good choice for a more elderly Shadow would be Charles Dance.

Personally, I'd prefer to cast a less-known actor in the role, because I don't think audiences should be able to recognize or be familiar with The Shadow when he speaks. I wouldn't want people to go "oh it's that guy from this", because it's The Shadow speaking, and no one else. I would prefer to cast someone really obscure, someone with theater and villain experience. So for now, I'm gonna say my number one pick for The Shadow himself would be Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, based off his performances from The Dark Crystal and True Detective. He lacks the venomous hiss that Frank Readick had, but he definitely has a deep, strong and unique voice that can be overpowering in both cruelty as well as warmth, and you definitely want that for The Shadow.

Harry Vincent is a deceptively tough call, because he seems like an everyman character and he kind of is, and usually people don't pay much attention to that, but it's perhaps the most crucial role other than The Shadow himself, because Harry's the guy who's gonna have to carry us into the adventure, he is the main character. For the moment I'm gonna say Ben Schwartz, who really impressed me by achieving the monumental task of making Sonic the Hedgehog genuinely likeable (okay, I joke, I don't actually hate Sonic, but Ben Schwartz is easily my favorite voice the character's ever had). Someone young, strong, spirited, charming, as friendly as The Shadow can be scary, but who can carry the dramatic moments and self-esteem issues Harry has to overcome.

My two picks for Margo Lane in general would be Yael Grobglas, who is one of the main reasons Jane The Virgin was worth watching (the other being Jaime Camill) and Rhea Seehorn, who so far has not gotten the shelf full of Emmys she deserves for KILLING IT in Better Call Saul. Yael is who I think of to play Margo as the high-society chameleon and con woman who crash landed in The Shadow's network, who can be both humorous and cool. Rhea is who I'd cast to play Margo as the fearless and manipulative badass with an enigmatic past who takes no shit from anyone and has a willpower that matches The Shadow's own. I guess it depends ultimately on just how much of a role Margo is going to have.

For Clyde Burke I'm not too decided but for now I'm gonna say Jack DeSena (who voiced Sokka), someone who also sounds young and high-spirited but is more energetic and funny and more of a troublemaker, to make for a contrast with Harry. For Moe Shrevnitz, I'm thinking John DiMaggio. If it was live-action I'd pick John Goodman. Simplest way I can describe the reasoning is: you want someone who's got a good "Ben Grimm" quality to them, because Shrevy does. You want someone who's rough and funny and lovable, like he's gonna get into a fight to save you and then take you out for ice cream.

For Cliff Marsland you want someone who is a bit older than Harry or Clyde, but not that old, someone who's believable as a gangster but also a good, stern friend who's got your back. He might be a little too old for the role but Clancy Brown is the one that comes to mind.For Hawkeye, I'm thinking Tom Kenny. Joe Cardona I'm thinking Steve Blum.

My version of Slade Farrow I imagine being played by John Malkovich or J.K Simmons, purposefully older than all other Agents and The Shadow himself and convincing as both a criminal mastermind as well as the humanitarian friend and mentor he ultimately is.

Haven't really decided one for Shiwan Khan or other characters yet.

#replies tag #the shadow #pulp heroes #pulp fiction #harry vincent #margo lane #clyde burke #cliff marsland #joe cardona #moe shrevnitz

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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You are your top 5 Shadow agents

I don’t talk about the Agents as much as I should, even though I constantly try to stress their importance, because I’m working on essays for them individually. To be honest, I think about the Agents practically every day to the point I have a hard time separating my headcanons from the actual canon material, but I have to stay true to it, and the lack of material regarding them means that the only way I can truly talk about their characterization is by diving deep into the novels and taking notes, which I don’t have much time to do, and then finding the right books or moments to talk about, which is even more difficult.

This by no means constitutes my big thinkpiece on them, but it’s a start, and ultimately narrowing it down was a lot harder than I expected. This order is by no means final, if you asked me this question next week or next month I’d probably have a different answer, but it’s the 5 that I find myself thinking on the most.

Honorable mentions: Jericho Druke and Myra Reldon, who are incredibly awesome characters conceptually and who have great moments each, and whom I definitely think deserve big turns on the spotlight if the Agents ever get put on the spotlight again, but are held back by issues with their presentation and lack of prominence. Margo Lane, whom only just narrowly missed the cut because, as much as I like her and think she gets an underseved bad rep and definitely has great things going for her, I sadly have to concede isn’t as consistently great or well-written as she should be. Clyde Burke, whom I definitely like a lot based on what I’ve read and consider an integral part of the line-up, but haven’t read enough of the novels he’s in to really solidify him as one of my favorites just yet. And Slade Farrow, who is a bit too complicated to talk about superficially.

Allright, so here they are

Number 5: Burbank

As the center of all communications within The Shadow’s network and the only character in the series who is even more mysterious and elusive than The Shadow himself, Burbank is fascinating and the kind of character who simultaneously seems to be both begging for an in-depth exploration and yet who also should be dead last on the list of mysteries about the series we want spoiled, because nobody wants the mystery ruined. He’s a bit of cipher personality-wise compared to the other agents, but he kind of has to be, and I think it helps to illustrate the many forms the agents of The Shadow can and should take, that one of them is this total mystery whom we know nothing about and yet is so vital to the whole thing. And it’s interesting also because, for all the many variations we’ve had on The Shadow’s life and thoughts and feelings and etc over the years, Burbank has stayed more or less the same. Whatever variations he’s had in design aside, Burbank just is.

The pulps did often have moments where we would get to see moments that told us a little more about Burbank, gestures he did, capabilities he had and didn’t have, little details Gibson would sprinkle in to keep people fascinated. Several scenes with Burbank are almost presented like you’re watching a movie, in the way Gibson keeps describing his face being mysteriously blocked from view by objects or lighting, like not even in your mind you are supposed to know what he is. And it’s all the more fascinating because, unlike The Shadow, as far as we know, Burbank is just some guy who’s good with tech, who was only recruited in the 2nd story but apparently knows The Shadow from before it, and whom The Shadow entrusted with virtually every secret necessary to keep his operations running.

It’s kind of a sign as to how utterly neglected the agents are that, to this day, few writers who’ve ever touched The Shadow has ever come close to giving us any sort of explanation or backstory or anything on Burbank, and I refuse to believe these people had that much self-control. Of course I have my own ideas for Burbank, but even I would hesitate to put them on a story, because Burbank epitomizes that double-edged sword that comes with a solid narrative mystery. Burbank just is, and hopefully he will stay that way.

Number 4: Dr Roy Tam

Mention of Dr. Tam meant much to Sayre. He was acquainted with Roy Tam, the Chinese physician. He knew that Tam was a power in Chinatown; one who worked for good

Unrolling a map, Tam showed the entire Manhattan area, studded with tiny dots in districts quite remote from Chinatown.

"These represent my outposts," he said soberly. "They are places, owned by Chinese - restaurants, laundries, curio shops, other places of business. In each of these places, I have a friend."

The Shadow understood. Dr. Tam was the motivating factor among the Chinese who adapted themselves to American ways. His mission was to create good will among races, to put an end to prejudice and superstition.

A newer and more sober spirit had replaced the old and dangerous festivities. Feuds in Chinatown were a thing of the forgotten past. Dr. Tam and his associates had done much to bring about the present sentiment; but there were persons - even among that group - who felt regret at the passing of old traditions.

Dr Tam is a remarkably layered character for one that only appears in about ten stories, and he’s one of the agents I’m most eager to discuss in-depth. He’s another one of those agents that Gibson introduced by tricking you into seeing him as a villain, as a Yellow Peril cliche, until he is revealed to be in fact a good man. Not just good, Roy Tam is presented as a powerful, influential and cunning Chinese man with a lot of assistants secretly working for him, and who is consistently presented as a progressive, pacifistic, benevolent civic leader and ally, even friend, of The Shadow.

Tam is very much westernized and the stories paint that mostly as a good thing, and this is one of the areas that I think could very much result in an interesting story that looks at the ramifications of his role, because of course not everyone is going to agree with his viewpoints, of course him being an advocate against superstition and tradition isn’t necessarily a good thing (and it’s not how Yat Soon, The Shadow’s other major Chinese ally, works, which puts the two at odds), and of course it’s a complicated situation, but the fact that Tam invites this kind of debate at all I think is something very interesting

Largely because of the movie, Dr Tam is one of the few agents of The Shadow who’s managed to sustain appearences in modern stories, and none of them have ever really went with his original angle as a powerful civic leader. Instead he’s been largely painted as either a scientist, like in the movie, a general practitioner, and a psychiatrist, and his age has been all over the board.

I prefer him in his original form but I also very much like the idea of Roy Tam being, like the Chinese supervillains he was created to be a subversion of, an incredible genius who’s got skills in all fields that can fit under the “Dr” part of his job and is also an incredibly capable leader able to unify splintered communities under a cause of unity and cooperation, someone who absolutely could be the adventuring genius so many other pulp heroes are, except he dedicates himself wholesale to his community and the fight against prejudice and the betterment of lives, even if he’s misguided or wrong at some of the causes he takes up. I really think this character could partake in really great stories if ever brought back.

Number 3: Cliff Marsland

(Fan-art by @cryptixcreations)

Cliff may have actually been the first agent I really fell in love with based on concept alone, even before I read the stories he was a part of and started loving all of the others. He’s one of the few agents who has prior history with The Shadow and we get ever so tantalizing hints at his background that we ultimately never get to learn about in full. He’s the resident tough guy and underworld contact of The Shadow, which in any other series might have made him the biggest badass and a loner action hero who’s too cool for things like thinking and relying on others for help. But here, trying to be that only gets Cliff into trouble, and circumstances gradually morph him into the series equivalent of a Team Dad.

He was one of the agents who we got to see develop as a character. As he appears more frequently past his introduction, he grows from a headstrong, careless jackass, mostly interested in the action parts of the job, who “resigned himself to an adventurous career with violent death as its inevitable termination”, into one of the most reliable and capable agents, taking the lead during action scenes but otherwise fully defering leadership to Harry, and being the agent most likely to partake in gunfights and rescue The Shadow out of trouble, joining in missions like infiltrating circuses or high-society clubs and forming very strong friendships with Harry, Clyde & Hawkeye, who almost kills a man with his bare hands when he thinks Harry’s been killed. He’s the hardass, square-jawed ex-con who plays the reputation of a brutal killer, and is in reality a great friend, ally and husband (Arline has sadly only been mentioned in three stories), on top of being an invaluable fighter and secret agent.

Cliff could have easily been the protagonist of a long-running series all his own and that’s one of my favorite aspects of The Shadow’s agents. They are people with agency, goals and dreams and relationships and lives beyond the roles they play, they all have strengths and weaknesses and faults and positives that bring them much closer to us than The Shadow could ever be, with no end to the variety of roles they can take, and Cliff in particular is a character I’m very attached to.

I do hope that he eventually found peace in a quiet life with Arline once his business with The Shadow was over.

Number 2: Harry Vincent

The Shadow as a franchise has been vastly worse off as a result of Harry Vincent being completely sidelined and mischaracterized in virtually every adaptation since, and the sheer love that Shadow fans hold for Harry purely may be the closest thing to a true universal opinion in the fandom.

Harry is a lot of things: the audience surrogate, the protagonist of much of the early stories, the leader of the agents in field duty, the dude in distress who gets kidnapped far more than even Margo, a hopeless romantic, an action hero, the one who gets sent to recruit agents because all The Shadow has to do is send Harry on an assignment and wait for him to come back with a new friend. He is a competent, resourceful, strong, extremely kind ball of sunshine who's got the potential for greatness, even if he can't see it.

And for this post I’m going to highlight this: Harry is, on top of all that, the ultimate embodiment of what The Shadow strives to protect, help and uplift. He is the living proof that The Shadow's mission has a good, positive effect in the world, long after criminals are brought to justice and plots are failed and victims are rescued, purely by the fact that he’s alive and helping others who were once like him. Someone who, despite having so much to offer, could have easily been swept away by the world’s callousness and cruelty, if The Shadow wasn’t there to rescue him and uplift him.

I liked The Shadow pretty much at first sight after seeing the character’s design and listening to episodes of the radio show, and my appreciation for the character grew after reading The Shadow’s Shadow, but it wasn’t until I encountered @oldschoolcrimefighters and her brilliantly informative writings on The Shadow and Harry that I not only fell in love with the series, but decided to do everything in my power to try and get other people to love it too and see the potential it has. I think a lot more people should at least be aware of why Harry matters.

Number 1: Moe Shrevnitz

I was honestly a bit surprised when I rounded up all of the agents to make this list and Shrevy here ended up in Number One, but in hindsight, it may have been obvious all along.

My reasonings as to why Shrevy is my favorite agent do get a bit too personal, especially because of something that happened to me as I was writing this post, so I’m putting it on a separate post here.

#the shadow #pulp heroes #pulp fiction #replies tag #harry vincent #moe shrevnitz #roy tam #cliff marsland #burbank

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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(Personal rant) What Moe Shrevnitz means to me

Shrevy is as good of a man as I’ve ever met on this world - Twilight Zone: The Shadow

So, as I was writing my reply to jcog’s ask about my Top 5 Agents of The Shadow, I ended up discovering that my number one favorite agent was actually Moses Shrevnitz, The Shadow’s cab driver. And as I was writing about it and gradually figuring out my reasoning, something happened to me. I’m putting it along with the rest of my reply under the cut.

This is a very, very personal rant, maybe the most personal thing I’ve ever posted or will post on this blog, and maybe it’s not something I should be talking about in the context of discussing a fictional character, but it’s my blog and, idk, it felt like something I needed to get out, so read at your discretion

In a way, Shrevnitz is the only agent besides Margo who's sort of "survived" the phasing out of agents in recent Shadow stories. Thanks to the radio show, Shrevy has been able to carve a niche for himself as comic relief, the closest thing The Shadow has to a "sidekick", often made into a stooge in the show despite not being one in the pulps, and even in a lot of later adaptations Shrevy is generally prone to mistakes as the go-to comic relief. A lot of fans don't like it and I certainly am not a fan of Shrevy being just a bumbling idiot, but I don't actually mind at all that Shrevy's come to take on a role of comic relief. I mean, someone has to, in a world so dominated by shadows.

I like Shrevy a lot because he might have overall the most consistent personality out of all the agents, in the adaptations. He's a shrewd and friendly NYC cabbie who works as The Shadow's main driver. He is an incredible, if reckless, driver who's not afraid to jump into a fray with his fists if necessary. He loves to scare tourists with reckless driving and tell outlandish stories of life in the big city. He loves to read anything he can get his hands on and even collects comics. He can be rude and even a little brutish. He talks in a more rough, common language than the other characters, and makes mistakes at points, but is by no means stupid or mean to anyone other than people who threaten him and his friends. He's got a likeability to him often reminiscent of Ben Grimm.

I’m thinking, while you’re gone...I’m gonna go to night school. Maybe then I can figure out what you’re always talkin about - Midnight in Moscow

He's an ex-boxer, sometimes he's got a family, he's Jewish and proudly so, he's a little on the ugly side but has a great smile. Clyde hates his driving and the two don't get along. He looks after Margo and often frets over her involvement in these grisly affairs. He's a little scared of the Chief sometimes but never lets that get in the way of his interactions with him. While a lot of the agents are created as audience surrogates, Shrevy to me feels like not just the most consistently characterized of them, but also the one who feels the most like a real person. We all know, or knew, someone like Shrevy. We all met someone like Shrevy at some point in our lives.

I think all of us have known, at some point or another, a stranger who helped us in a way, big or small, even if they had no particular reason to do so. Someone who just took a moment out of their days to make your life a little easier. A cleaning lady whom you've helped pick up garbage off work and she never forgot your name for it. A cashier at the market who took the time to wrap up your products with extra care so nothing would tear or spill. The cooking lady who lets you grab an extra bite when no one's looking. A janitor at school who lets you hide from bullies in his break room. A doorman who talks to you about a funny little thing he saw on tv the other day. Just small interactions with people that we are generally told to overlook or dismiss, but who often have so much kindness to spare and even more so to repay.

I've seen a couple of Shadow fans displeased at moments when Shrevy interacts more closely with The Shadow, citing that "The Shadow shouldn't be chatting with his cab driver", like that's some form of insult or something too "low" for The Shadow, and it saddens me to imagine having that kind of thinking. They seem to forget that The Shadow himself mops floors in disguise a lot of the time and never looks down on good people regardless of their station.

I've always learned a great deal through the various drivers that I've met or worked with at one point or another. It can be an incredibly personal thing, to share a trip with another person, something that most of us take for granted or don't engage in. So many stories can be shared, so much can be learned in such small details and such personal conversations, even with people you may never meet again after the trip is over. People who often find you at moments where you are getting ready for something, steeling yourself for something, most exhausted and tired or even injured by something. I recall fondly a lot of conversations I've had with drivers, even people whom I've only talked to once, who just happened to be there at a particular moment that made a difference.

(And to be honest, part of the reason I bring this up is because of my uncle, who was the closest thing I had to a father and whom I mostly interacted with as he drove me to school and college. And, as I discovered while I was writing this post, has now just passed away after a grueling struggle with brain cancer, something I haven't really begun to process and probably won't for a while).

Shrevy is the Shadow's driver, yeah, but being someone's driver, for any extended period of time, isn't something that goes by unnoticed. Having any kind of extended contact with someone who drives for you opens a doorway not just to learn much about them (which may not be a good thing, to be clear, I've obviously had terrible driver experiences as well), but also for them to inevitably learn much about you. The horror of being known, and all that. Shrevy is the Shadow's main driver, for himself and his agents. He has to interact with all of them, ferry them through their journeys and rescue them from trouble, speeding through the streets with his expert knowledge on them, and jump out of the car to rescue them if necessary.

He's often there when The Shadow has to switch back and forth to Lamont Cranston, or apply disguises via a hidden kit and mirror stashed in the backseat of Shrevy's cab. Shrevy picks up The Shadow when he's injured, when he's in the middle of gun fights, when he has to make a quick get-away. There are people who are closer to knowing The Shadow's secrets, people with whom he entrusts more information about his secret identity. But nobody ever quite sees The Shadow the way Shrevy does.

Nobody gets to watch The Shadow transform the way Shrevy does. Nobody gets to pick up the pieces and rescue The Shadow the way Shrevy does, and regardless of how close they are, this is something that inevitably would affect their dynamic. I've seen a couple of takes on Shrevy that play up the fact that he's more elderly than The Shadow, and even sort of turn Shrevy into a pseudo-paternal figure for the agents and even The Shadow himself, and to be honest, I don't mind that at all. Maybe not that close, but, I don’t mind the idea of Shrevy sort of being one to look out for The Shadow in his own way, even when he scares him, even when he’s cold and distant and grimly focused, because Shrevy looks out for everyone and he’s not gonna let the fact that his boss is terrifying to get in the way of that.

I think the premise that The Shadow has to stay distant and cold and unassailable from his agents (and the completely wrong idea that he treats them like cogs in a machine), as necessary as that has to be, inevitably doesn't last once you start giving the agents focus, once you start humanizing The Shadow through interactions with them, as the pulps did. You cannot put a group of people fighting crime and getting into danger and rescuing others together and not expect bonds to form, and I think Shrevy is the kind of character who would be right at the center of a lot of them.

The one guy who's always got a bad joke to share or a piece of urban wisdom to impart, a guy who really is just like anyone else you may have known in your family or friends, or someone who you could have met and made friends with, if only you'd paid more attention to your surroundings. The kind stranger, and in The Shadow's case, a part of legions of kind strangers all of whom united under one cause, under the guidance of one mysterious being. And when that mysterious being needs to get around quickly or escape trouble, there's one kind stranger he can always rely on.

I guess ultimately, that's what Shrevy means to me. Fond memories I have and wish to impart on others. That’s part of why I think the agents are so special, and why I want so badly for them to get the appreciation they deserve.

#the shadow #rambles tag #moe shrevnitz #shrevy #i'm not really processing it right now #i don't want to talk about it further #but i'm gonna be okay

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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The idea of the Shadow co-existing with Superheroes brings the question: How does the Shadow react when events escalate beyond the point where he can have an impact? How does he feel when the entire world is at risk, and he can't help?

Basically the above panel. By refusing to acknowledge the possibility that he can’t help, even if just to save one person, one life, at the end.

By doing whatever he can, even if he can’t save everyone or finish those causing it. Even if he is taken aback by it (and he definitely would, because he is rarely if ever out of his depth to such an extent), there is rarely, if ever, a time where nothing can be done to help someone, even if it can’t be done by addressing or fixing the problem, even if a lot of the times, we don’t know what to do to help.

There’s a particular passage that came to mind when I read your question, from a story called The Living Joss, where The Shadow stops to mourn a man, a total stranger, whom he failed to protect in time. We rarely ever get to see scenes like this as usually The Shadow expresses thoughts and feelings through non-verbal gestures and laughter (sometimes he almost laughs more often than he talks), and this moment always stuck out to me.

Amid the misty drizzle, The Shadow lowered himself from the side of the bridge, and dropped to the craggy side of the ravine. He reached the smashed car. Blaine Goodall, in a mad effort to escape death, had opened the door of the failing coupe. Caught beneath the rolling body of the car, Goodall had met his doom.

The Shadow stood in silence. Again, fate had contrived against his surpassing skill. He had arrived in time to shoot down one squad of blocking enemies. He had turned and driven back to deliver death to another corps of skulking assassins. But in the midst of conflict, the man whom he had come to save had hurtled to his own destruction.

Long minutes followed The Shadow's sad discovery; then a figure clambered into the speedster, and the powerful motor roared as it started along the road that led back to New York.

The Shadow had another score to settle. Never again would Koy Shan slay. Death would strike him before he had the new opportunity.

Here, after he manages to stave off the assassins and finds the guy, he takes a moment to mourn, to reflect, to think, and then he immediately gets back on track to pursue vengeance against the ones responsible for said death to stop them from killing others.

Obviously The Shadow outright failing is a very rare occurance, unless it’s by narrative design heroes very rarely botch rescues so badly that people die or don’t manage to get at least one victory at the end of the story. But The Shadow failing or miscalculating, failing to protect people, failing to calculate certain factors and so on, was nowhere near as unthinkable of an occurance in the pulps as people seem to think.

No matter how unshakeable his confidence in himself is, how prepared he is for everything, or how his willpower is so strong than in the radio show it allowed him to protect himself and Margo from a literal time loop through willlpower alone, he’s not the omniscient demigod he pretends to be, and he’s aware of it. He has to be, because arrogance is the downfall of every villain he’s ever fought, and third-person speaking black-clad cackling ghoul he is, he is all too aware of his proximity to them.

I...have concerns about my clarity, and my mental focus. I’m not one to suffer doubt...nor to take the scope of my actions lightly.

Yet of late, I’ve felt...untethered. And subject to foul emotions I’d long since thought buried.

But I am a commander in a war. There are people who risk their very lives under my authority.

But no matter how badly it got in the stories, how hopeless circumstances got or how many people had already been killed by the villains he fought, The Shadow never appeared close to giving up protecting others, no matter the cost to himself.

It’s one of the things that runs contrary to the common idea that he’s an unfeeling sadist murder machine, how often he completely disregards everything to go and throw himself in danger to rescue anyone who’s in any danger. Creeping Death has one such sequence where he jumps out of cover to the middle of a gunfight, and gets shot in the process, to literally throw Vic Marquette into safety (Marquette, who is not an agent, or an especially likeable character for that matter), and then sticks around after the bad guys are dispatched to ensure that help is on the way. Or in Invincible Shiwan Khan, when he gets injured throwing himself on the path of a flying Moe Shrevnitz to cushion his fall, and because of it, gets beaten so brutally by Khan’s minion that he staggers barely conscious out of the fight, even though by this point he’s racing against the clock to stop Khan from acquiring his doomsday devices. At these moments, all he really could do, regardless of the odds, was to try and stop people from being hurt or killed, no matter the personal cost to himself or the mission, and so he did.

Throw a superhero apocalypse his way, and he’s going to be doing whatever he can to recruit the right people, obtain the right resources, anything he can to stop as much bloodshed as he can. And if he can’t? He’s going to be there to rescue people caught in the crossfire. If a zombie apocalypse hits town, he puts all of his agents to work on containing it as much as they can or finding a cure. If a giant monster’s rampaging downtown, he’s going to hitch a ride in a train and fire at it so it chases him and gives others time to run. If there’s an earthquake or tsunami, he gathers as many agents as he can and starts finding ways to ferry people to safety. If everyone he knows is dead, his greatest enemies have been winning for decades, and he’s stuck in a world that hates him and has no use for him, and he has no idea anymore what he even used to be? Still not gonna stop him. The Twilight Zone traps him in constantly shifting dimensions that break down his identity until he learns he’s nothing more than a fictional character, and he walks out of it having learned a lesson in humility.

If he’s thrown, alone, in a full on dystopia setting completely unlike his own, where he has to learn single-handedly to fight alien hordes to save Earth?

It's not that he never fails, can never fail or become emotionally distressed at it, it's that it ultimately does not stop him from doing whatever he can, whatever needs to be done, as The Shadow. His whole thing is knowing what to do above all else, and when he doesn’t know, he learns, studies, does whatever he can to remedy that as soon as possible.

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