TITLE: Ghost & The Shadow
YEAR: December 1995
COMPANY: Dark Horse Comics
Written by Doug Moench
Art by H.M. Baker
Inker: Bernard Kolle
Letterer: Sean Konot
Colorist: Chris Chalenor
Designer: Teena Gores
Editor: Robert V. Conte
Assitant Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Back in 1993, Elisa Cameron would make her appearance in the Dark Horse Comics imprint, Comics’ Greatest World (Week Three). She would eventually receive a special issue titled “Ghost” in 1994 and receive a monthly title in 1995 which would receive 36 issues and 22 more in the second series and several more volumes followed.
The series would focus on Elisa Cameron who would try to search the truth of why she is dead while trying to protect her sister Margo (who tends to get herself into trouble).
“The Shadow” is a popular American hero that started out in 1930 pulp novels and would eventually become a pop culture icon in 1931. But it was possibly the 1937 radio drama, based on the character created by Walter B. Gibson that would capture the attention of listeners.
While “The Shadow” has been adapted for comics numerous times, as early as a comic strip back in 1940, the character continues to be featured in comic books today.
With the popularity of the 1994 film adaptation of “The Shadow” and the fact that “The Shadow”comics from Dark Horse Comics would run from 1993 through 1995, the final team-up of The Shadow would be “Ghost & The Shadow” featuring the two characters written by Doug Moench, penciled by H.M. Baker and inked by Bernard Kolle.
And for comic book fans, Doug Moench was well-known for his work on “Batman” and “Detective Comics” from 1983-1986 and in 1992-1998. So, it was no doubt a treat that he would be writing a story featuring Dark Horse Comics two popular characters.
In “Ghost & The Shadow”, a group of armed masked men are seen invading a Tibetain location as three Tibetan Monks are guardians of a jade statue. The monks are slaughtered and the jade statue is taken.
Meanwhile, a man receives a message that says “Tulpa Arcadia” and we see the man awaken Lamont Cranston (The Shadow), who has been kept in a Cryonic Chamber and now has been awaken. Cranston is shocked that his assistants have died and one young man, is now very old and Cranston can’t believe that he was awakened many decades later.
Cranston gave his assistant Harry Vincent one message and that is to revive him if he receives a message from Tibet and sure enough that message has come.
While The Shadow heads to Arcadia to go after the jade statue, Ghost Elisa Cameron is with her sister Margo and the two sisters argue because Margo feels Elisa is overprotective.
Meanwhile, masked armed men break into Margo’s home and while Ghost is able to fight off two of them, the rest of them manage to kidnap Margo. One also injures her with a jade weapon (which means others are aware that Elisa can be hurt with jade).
They leave Elisa a message to come to a warehouse at midnight and when she arrives, she is captured with a jade net. She eventually is released by The Shadow who explains to her that she is wanted by whoever stole the statue because inside it is the Tulpa Stone which has great evil power. And the reason why they need Ghost is because she can jump and teleport into the statue and so she can phase back out with the Tulpa stone. And now they kidnapped her sister as leverage.
Can The Shadow and Ghost stop whoever is responsible for kidnapping Margo but also are planning to use the Tulpa stone for evil?
Overall, it’s an entertaining, short one-shot story bringing together both characters. Of course, it’s a bit of a stretch to show the Shadow being revived after decades inside a cryonic chamber but hey, it’s comic books and anything can happen.
But it was an entertaining story, cool artwork and for the most-part, a fun and intriguing team-up.