Unbeatable Comics: The Shade #9

writer: James Robinson
artist: Frazer Irving

Having had an opportunity recently to catch up with this series, I've become more eager to read more.

Beginning the final arc of the twelve-issue run, Robinson finally reveals who in his family line was interested in murdering Richard Swift, the Shade.  Turns out his enemies are both in league with gods, and in control of them (Egyptian, in case you were wondering).  In fact, by the of the issue, for the first time in centuries, he's powerless.  Yeah, the stakes have gone way up.

Although the character has possessed spectacular powers since he first appeared, the Shade has never really been defined by them.  Robinson has gone out of his way to write him more for his deep connection to legacy.  In Starman, he was Jack Knight's best connection to legacy.  Jack's father, Ted Knight, was the original Starman, by was now an old man.  Jack's brother, David, died in the first arc of the series, and was the reason why the reluctant collector of novelties accepted the role of superhero in the first place.  The Shade was once a supervillain, but had grown more ambiguous over time, less interested in taking an active role, perhaps because he no longer felt he had much purpose.  Jack helped give him purpose again, and helped redefine him as a theoretical force for good.

The Shade so far has been steeped heavily in the character's history, with two "Times Past" issues (one of the recurring elements of Starman, along with "Conversations with David"), while the last arc saw how his long relationship with La Sangre has affected both their careers.  We've gotten to see a portrait of Richard Swift that has convincingly presented him as more interesting than even Jack Knight.  Of course, "ambiguous" is the key term here, and perhaps that's why few readers have been reluctant to embrace his successor, because unlike a reluctant superhero, there's no easy thing to grasp onto with this story.  The Shade is not a hero and is not even a villain in Robinson's intricate vision.

Speaking of visions, art chores are now given to Frazer Irving.  I guess I didn't expect that the art would change with every arc, but now that there've been several, and several good ones, there's no more denying that this was always the plan.  Irving is yet another coup, and a testament to DC's interest in seeing the best for this project.