Dark Horse Comics; $5.99

It’s not surprising that writer-artist Matt Wagner’s crossover of his long running creator-owned character Grendel with the iconic pulp hero The Shadow is thoroughly enjoyable. After all, as much as he created Grendel, he’s really put his stamp on the Shadow’s legend the past year in The Shadow: Year One, and it’s a clear-cut battle between good and evil (though it’s a hard-edged good vs. a sometimes charming evil).

No, what’s surprising is just how seamlessly this story works. He’s taken Grendel out of the modern era and put him head-to-head with The Shadow in 1930s New York. And the results have been just spectacular, beginning with the art, which may be Wagner’s best in years.

The 48-page format has thus far allowed the story to play out at a natural – though very fast – pace, and it’s given a bit of physical weight to a story that deserves it.

If you haven’t picked up this one and you have the slightest inclination to either character, it’s time to rush out in a buying frenzy and find this issue and the first one. You won’t be sorry.