Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, David Avallone, dynamite, entertainment, the shadow, The Twilight Zone

Shadow Noir In A Serling World – David Avallone Talks Twilight Zone: The Shadow

Published Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:30:18 -0500

Writer David Avallone talks about Twilight Zone: The Shadow #2 (of 4), on sale in May from Dynamite. Cover is by Francesco Francavilla.

BYRON BREWER: David, adapting one imaginative franchise (especially from another media) is tough enough. How did you handle the challenge of THIS mashup with the Shadow?

DAVID AVALLONE: It's a tricky one. The Shadow is always in control of every situation. It's one of his defining characteristics. HE is the mystery to others. But The Twilight Zone is a show about people getting caught up in the unexplained and the baffling, and being forced to confront themselves. How would the Shadow react to that kind of situation? That's the question. The Shadow seems himself as a walking embodiment of Justice… but The Twilight Zone often teaches lessons to broken people, and forces them to confront their own darkness. What does the Shadow need to learn, and who would dare try to teach him?

BB: How ironic was it to make the TZ Shadow a radio actor on a "Shadow" show? Who came up with that concept? Genius!

DA: Well, that came naturally out of developing the story. What would really throw the Shadow off, and force him to see the world from a different perspective? Going meta with it seemed like the natural. And if memory serves, there's a TZ episode where a man finds out his life is a TV show. This issue echoes that trope a bit.

BB: Has it been difficult to maintain a Shadow noir feel in a Serling world?

DA: The Shadow seems to carry that with him pretty well wherever he goes, no matter where he finds himself or what disguise he might be wearing. Issue #2 might feel a little more comical than the others – and it is – but it's still New York City in the 1930s, at night. And it's still a man facing his own demons. The noir feeling is baked into those ingredients.

BB: As May's issue #2 approaches, can you tell us in non-spoilery manner if we will be learning anything about the man behind the Shadow we have not heretofore known?

DA: Throughout the series, I'm hoping you see the Shadow from a lot of unfamiliar angles. Issue #3 will deal even more with "the man (or men) behind the Shadow" than Issue #2.

BB: What does Dave Acosta bring to this table?

DA: Dave is the best. I'm relatively new to this field, and this is the first time I've been allowed to request an artist on my work, rather than being assigned one by my editor. Last year Dave drew my Altered States: Doc Savage comic, and I really loved how the book turned out. For want of a better description, his "1930s" is the one I want to see in a comic book. Clean lines, beautiful design, and very well laid-out/paced action. So I was very happy to be allowed to bring him on for this book. We set up a private Pinterest to trade visual ideas back and forth, and his ideas are incredibly good. I can't wait for people to see these pages.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!