Throughout the 2010s, Matt Wagner worked for dynamite, forking from his more common stomping grounds at the time with Dark Horse and DC. He began working on many pulp and pulp-inspired licensed characters, including Aaron Campbell and the Green Hornet, the Spirit with Dan Schkadet, and the Shadow of Wilfred Torres.
Most were just a few dozen issues, but it was interesting to see Wagner play with the pulp and noir ratios. Eventually he did his own crossover in Grendel vs. The Shadow. This is a compelling clash between the pulp icon and his anti-hero/villain. They are all worth your time to track your collection.
But that was one of the later works of this period that I wanted to point out, and Wagner really put his own mark in the shadows.
“And… what happens if this is a trap?”
Shadow: Margolaine’s Death is a dark noir adventure at Wagner, dealing with both writing and art duties at Brennan Wagner and the larger World Studios. It basically works to give the title the biggest plot point and kill Shadow’s longtime girlfriend/confidant/agent Margo Lane. There’s more to it, but it’s Red Empress as he’s trying to defeat a new player within the criminal underworld.
Much of the story is told through narration in Margolaine’s diary. It gives the story a continuous voice of otherwise absent characters, and the framework we discover later is essentially a shadow that breaks Lane’s confidence. It is an interesting way to show that he is not particularly good at dealing with her death, and that it affects his effectiveness with his other agents and his fighting against crime. The psychological effects of her death stand out from many other shadow stories, adding something beyond the usual cold calculus. And on the craft side, there’s a bigger world studio (I think this is the studio of Troy Peteri and Dave Lamfia, but it doesn’t show who made it in the studio books).
Visually, the book is incredible. Almost 30 years after last week’s Devil, the book shows the evolution of Matt Wagner’s style. Square and refined, interesting use of shadows, and another kind of exaggeration. Big eyes, perhaps the influence of the comics is gone. Brennan Wagner’s gray and red wash, spot red, gives a moody vibe that evokes the past. Playing with other noir ratios like plane travel maps.
“If you can calm all your emotions and dispel the veil of personal identity… you can become a living shadow.”
Whether you’re a shadow or a longtime fan, there’s something to enjoy about Margolaine’s death by Wagner, Wagner and the bigger World Studios. It’s based on what Wagner and Torres did in the Shadow series themselves, but here we are given enough context to not have to read it.
What you get here is a kind of modern introspection, as the dark noir story working in both pulp and noir traditions, dealing with the loss of someone close to him in several different ways. Along the way there are interesting devastating twists and gorgeous artwork.
Classic Comics Big Summary: Shadow – The Death of Margolaine
Shadow: Margolaine’s death
Author & Artist: Matt Wagner
Colorist: Brennan Wagner
Text: Bigger World Studio
Publisher: Dynamite Comic
Release date: June 1st – October 5th, 2016 (original issue)
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