The Shade #11 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Frazer Irving (art)

The Story: Now where is Dr. Who when London needs him?

The Review: As we get near to the end of this series, it’s worth reflecting back on the reasons why Shade embarked on this journey in the first place.  At the time, he seemed like a man who wanted for nothing: an endless supply of wealth, a penthouse in his favorite city, a girlfriend he loved, even some begrudging respect in the superhero community.  Yet something made him feel unsettled enough to leave.  The quest for his blood just gave him the excuse to do it.

So what was he really looking for?  If you thought his story is about the unbreakable bonds of family, the last panel of this issue makes it pretty clear that such bonds are anything but.  Considering the enormous amount of deference Shade has given to his descendants in the past, his actions seem a bit shocking, but no more than a bit.  Robinson throws the twist at us at the very last second with no build-up, and Shade seems no more blasé about it than usual.