The Cobra / The Third Shadow

The Shadow - Sanctum Reprints #7

by Walter B. Gibson

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The Shadow Knows!" The Master Avenger returns in two of Walter Gibson's most memorable mysteries. A new crimefighter called The Cobradecimates the Manhattan underworld in a murderous war on organized crime. Has The Shadow finally met his match, or will he be forced to de-fang a human snake? Then, the Knight of Darkness confronts not one but two sinister doppelgangers in The Third Shadow. Which Shadow will have the last laugh? In his foreword, Marvel Comics-great Dick Ayers recalls how The Shadow inspired the creation of the Ghost Rider, while popular culture historian Will Murray explains how The Shadow influenced the creation of classic characters including Batman, the Spider, the Black Bat and the Darkman. This classic pulp collection also features George Rozen's electrifying pulp covers, and all the original interior art by acclaimed illustrator Tom Lovell.

Genres: Pulp, Mystery

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2007

About the author

Walter Brown Gibson (September 12, 1897-December 6, 1985) was an American author and professional magician best known for his work on the pulp fiction character The Shadow. Gibson, under the pen-name Maxwell Grant, wrote "more than 300 novel-length" Shadow stories, writing up to "10,000 words a day" to satisfy public demand during the character's golden age in the 1930s and 1940s.

Reviews

[Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The seventh volume of Shadow double novels presents two stories in which the Shadow is challenged by imitators. In “The Cobra”, a new costumed crime fighter appears on the scene. More vicious and deadly than The Shadow, he begins taking out the big shots of New York crime one by one. The Cobra’s true motive is fairly obvious from the beginning, and his physical description and illustrations make him seem more silly than intimidating. There are few surprises in the plot, and while this isn’t the worst of the Shadow’s novels, it is a fairly forgettable one.

The headliner of this volume is “The Third Shadow,” a much more intriguing tale. Inspired by the fear that The Shadow strikes in the heart of the underworld, a certain rogue gets the bright idea to strong-arm a number of illegal gambling dens and wealthy victims by impersonating the Shadow when he commits his crimes. While there isn’t much of a mystery here, the story is nonetheless entertaining as it features double crosses, masquerades, and stolen identities throughout, along with a final big twist at the end. This one is well worth the read for fans of the Dark Avenger.

[James Elkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dind't enjoy The Cobra as much as I enjoyed The Third Shadow. I am still amazed at how solid Gibson's plotting and writing are especially when compared with later imitators like The Black Bat and the Whisperer. Make mine, THE SHADOW!

[Tim Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cobra was a quite entertaining tale. The Third Shadow was interesting and fun, but a bit disjointed in the narrative.