The Shadow #10 offers up another change for the series. Denny O'Neil returns on scripts and Mike Kaluta turns up to give the issue its cover. But E.R. Cruz becomes the new regular artist on the series.
The story is titled "The Night of the Killers" and it involves a murderous family named Crouch. Papa Crouch, Ox Crouch and his wife Flossy kidnap some citizens after a hold-up and Harry Vincent and Shrevvy (returned from vacation which is mentioned pointing to some hint of continuity in the series) come across it. There's gunplay and Shrevvy is hurt but not before he spots an important clue which he passes to the Shadow. The Shadow seeks out the one law-abiding son, Moose Crouch a bartender but he's gunned down by another thug. There are many twists and turns with the auto-gyro coming into play and a bridge getting blown up to stop pursuit. The action moves to a train graveyard where there's a final shootout with the Crouchs. The lone survivor, Flossie reveals that one of the earlier hostages a Judge Blaney is the real mastermind who attempts escape but drives his car accidently over the exploded bridge. Shrevvy's clue is not revealed but made into a contest for readers.
The story is okay, and the artwork is more muscular. I have to confess that despite his virtues as an artist, Cruz doesn't really excite me much. He tells a decent story with solid images, but the overall impression is less than its parts, at least in my estimation. Still they could've done much worse.
More to come.
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