The return of the Ennis. Noir detective stories are definitely on the come back in the comic world, thanks to writers like Ed Brubaker and Peter Milligan. Ennis is perfect for this genre. "The Shadow," will definitely be violent and bloody in the hands of Ennis in a way we haven't seen in noir comics. There is just something exciting about Ennis writing a period piece in 1938. Think of the Shadow as the Punisher but with Batman's intellect. Can't wait! Thank you to Previewsworld for the interview and no copy right infringement intended. www.previews.diamondcomics.com
Garth Ennis Knows: An Interview with the Man Behind The Shadow
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The Shadow (#1: FEB120897, $3.99) returns to comic stores this April courtesy of fan-favorite and Eisner Award-winning writer Garth Ennis. What can readers expect from the pulp hero’s comeback? Ennis knows, and you can find out by reading this exclusive interview with the scribe.
PREVIEWSworld: What material first piqued your interest in The Shadow and made you a fan?
Garth Ennis: That would be the Howard Chaykin series from the mid-80s. More of an update than a classic story, but Howard pulls it off on sheer ability.
PREVIEWSworld: What is it about The Shadow that made you want to write the character?
Ennis: Great look, with the coat, the hat, the scarf, the twin .45s. Nice sense of the theatrical, he has a tendency to engineer quite grim and tortuous ends for his foes. He sees himself as an agent of fate, pacing and moving the pieces on the board. And an air of mystery and danger about the guy – you're never quite sure how much he knows and how far he'll go in pursuit of his aims.
PREVIEWSworld: What threat will The Shadow face this time around?
Ennis: His most immediate enemies are Major Taro Kondo of Japanese army intelligence and a Chinese bandit warlord by the name of Buffalo Wong, and there are a number of other sinister types about – most notably some German agents, with all the appropriate "Achtung" and "Gott in Himmel" dialogue. But the real threat is a much more profound one, involving the fate of the world itself. It's 1938, after all, and storm clouds are gathering.
PREVIEWSworld: Sticking with that, the story is set in the New York of 1938. How significant do you think that setting is to defining this hero?
Ennis: The aforementioned storm clouds obviously suit the sense of impending doom, with which the Shadow's appearance and methods fit very well. But beyond that it really is the classic pulp era, the time of romantic adventure and terrible peril – from the seedy New York underworld to the mysteries of the Fabulous Orient.
PREVIEWSworld: What do you hope your take adds to the character? Any particular aspects of The Shadow you’ll be focusing on or things you’re approaching differently with this series than in other iterations?
Ennis: I tend not to think too hard about what's gone before, and concentrate instead on the potential I see within the character. I'm playing around with the Shadow's abilities a little bit; if he can cloud men's minds, perhaps he can still do so once they're no longer among the living. But the imperative isn't really some notion of legacy, it's just to tell a good story.
Diamond: What can you tell us about working with series illustrator Aaron Campbell and what he brings to this particular project?
Ennis: Excellent storyteller, good with research, very professional, no problems with the period setting. And a superb sense of character, mood and pacing – all vital for a pulp adventure.
Diamond: You’re known for your work in a variety of genres – war, horror, super-heroes, and beyond. How does writing a pulp series like The Shadow compare to your past work experiences?
Ennis: The most obvious parallel is the Punisher, although the Shadow's a much less straightforward character – where Frank Castle tends to treat his problems like a soldier and knock them down one at a time, the Shadow will generally have some more complex scheme in mind. What he does have in common with Frank, and with Nick Fury and a few others I've written over the years, is that he's a gunfighter, which puts me in mind of some of the characters I grew up with in British comics.
PREVIEWSworld: Finally, what are your long-term plans for the ongoing series? Will you be telling a story of a set length with a definitive end planned, or are you on the title for the foreseeable future?
Ennis: Focusing on the first six issues to start.
Garth Ennis Knows: An Interview with the Man Behind The Shadow
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The Shadow (#1: FEB120897, $3.99) returns to comic stores this April courtesy of fan-favorite and Eisner Award-winning writer Garth Ennis. What can readers expect from the pulp hero’s comeback? Ennis knows, and you can find out by reading this exclusive interview with the scribe.
PREVIEWSworld: What material first piqued your interest in The Shadow and made you a fan?
Garth Ennis: That would be the Howard Chaykin series from the mid-80s. More of an update than a classic story, but Howard pulls it off on sheer ability.
PREVIEWSworld: What is it about The Shadow that made you want to write the character?
Ennis: Great look, with the coat, the hat, the scarf, the twin .45s. Nice sense of the theatrical, he has a tendency to engineer quite grim and tortuous ends for his foes. He sees himself as an agent of fate, pacing and moving the pieces on the board. And an air of mystery and danger about the guy – you're never quite sure how much he knows and how far he'll go in pursuit of his aims.
PREVIEWSworld: What threat will The Shadow face this time around?
Ennis: His most immediate enemies are Major Taro Kondo of Japanese army intelligence and a Chinese bandit warlord by the name of Buffalo Wong, and there are a number of other sinister types about – most notably some German agents, with all the appropriate "Achtung" and "Gott in Himmel" dialogue. But the real threat is a much more profound one, involving the fate of the world itself. It's 1938, after all, and storm clouds are gathering.
PREVIEWSworld: Sticking with that, the story is set in the New York of 1938. How significant do you think that setting is to defining this hero?
Ennis: The aforementioned storm clouds obviously suit the sense of impending doom, with which the Shadow's appearance and methods fit very well. But beyond that it really is the classic pulp era, the time of romantic adventure and terrible peril – from the seedy New York underworld to the mysteries of the Fabulous Orient.
PREVIEWSworld: What do you hope your take adds to the character? Any particular aspects of The Shadow you’ll be focusing on or things you’re approaching differently with this series than in other iterations?
Ennis: I tend not to think too hard about what's gone before, and concentrate instead on the potential I see within the character. I'm playing around with the Shadow's abilities a little bit; if he can cloud men's minds, perhaps he can still do so once they're no longer among the living. But the imperative isn't really some notion of legacy, it's just to tell a good story.
Diamond: What can you tell us about working with series illustrator Aaron Campbell and what he brings to this particular project?
Ennis: Excellent storyteller, good with research, very professional, no problems with the period setting. And a superb sense of character, mood and pacing – all vital for a pulp adventure.
Diamond: You’re known for your work in a variety of genres – war, horror, super-heroes, and beyond. How does writing a pulp series like The Shadow compare to your past work experiences?
Ennis: The most obvious parallel is the Punisher, although the Shadow's a much less straightforward character – where Frank Castle tends to treat his problems like a soldier and knock them down one at a time, the Shadow will generally have some more complex scheme in mind. What he does have in common with Frank, and with Nick Fury and a few others I've written over the years, is that he's a gunfighter, which puts me in mind of some of the characters I grew up with in British comics.
PREVIEWSworld: Finally, what are your long-term plans for the ongoing series? Will you be telling a story of a set length with a definitive end planned, or are you on the title for the foreseeable future?
Ennis: Focusing on the first six issues to start.
1938: The Shadow returns in a tale of blazing action and deadly intrigue, as a night of carnage on the New York waterfront plunges the mysterious vigilante into a conspiracy involving the fate of the world itself. As storm clouds gather across the globe, American Military Intelligence meets with a certain Lamont Cranston, determined to beat a host of spies and assassins to the greatest prize of all... but what that might be, only the Shadow knows.
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