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View Full Version : Shade, The Changing Man



Hoss
06-30-2008, 08:36 PM
Since I have been off new comics now for a couple of weeks, I've been browsing a lot thru my back issue assortments. I started reading DC's Shade, the Changing Man as I have a nearly complete run in my unsorted comics pile.

After reading the first 20 issues I've found it's a pretty good, but weird, series. It's written by Peter Milligan and has art by Chris Bachalo.

The basic idea behind this series is that Shade was sent to earth to stop a "madness" that taking over the planet. Using his reality altering Madness Vest, he begins to tackle the weird happenings occuring in the United States. After revisiting JFK's assassination in the first arc, Shade takes you on a surreal adventure thru a nightmarish America in his quest to stop an entity callled the American Scream.

I don't know if any of you have read this book before, but I'm enjoying it so far.

The series ran for 70 issues beginning in 1990. It's based loosly on the character created by Steve Ditko in 1978. Ditko's run lasted for only 8 issues.

There is a trade paperback (http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&from=R40&satitle=shade+the+changing+man+tpb&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=78639&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32&fsoo=2) of the first arc, but I haven't been able to find any info on other volumes published since then. The individual issues are not really burning up the back issue bins, and are available fairly cheaply (http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&catref=C6&from=R40&satitle=shade+the+changing+man+&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=78639&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32&fsoo=2)on eBay.

Has anyone else read this weird series? #exorcist#

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jaydeebee
06-30-2008, 08:56 PM
The 70's run got axed during the DC IMPLOSION! I remember buying the first couple of issues of the Milligan run and being completely baffled by them...so I gave it up. Maybe I should revisit it sometime.

toz1960
06-30-2008, 08:57 PM
Sounds good hoss.I loved Ditko's original and wondered about this series.I liked some of Milligan's stuff back in the 80's but Bachalo's art makes my head spin round & round.

DC released #9 in the super low print run "Canceled Comics Cavalacade" during their gutting of the lineup from that time.It has been counterfited some but I have never seen any copies.Does anyone here have access to them? I'd really love to read that last ish.

Capitalrecoveryman
06-30-2008, 09:02 PM
Thanks for the tip hoss. I liked this character's treatment in Sandman, plus I like PM. This sounds right up my alley.

Hoss
06-30-2008, 09:42 PM
I remember buying the first couple of issues of the Milligan run and being completely baffled by them...

I felt like that too, jay, but once I got the feel of where the story was heading, it all started making sense! Most of the time anyway. These are some fo the weirdest comic stories I have ever read!

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comicstock
06-30-2008, 09:46 PM
I'm with Jaydeebee on this one.
I lasted thru the first storyline and couldn't take it anymore.
I bailed after that to keep my sanity.
I've never been a big Milligan fan.

Blah
07-02-2008, 05:22 AM
I liked it through the first thirty-three issues or so. Basically, when it became part of the Vertigo imprint it lost something. Still good, just not very good.

disneyteddies
07-02-2008, 09:02 AM
Never liked the comic but I named one of my band's Shade (no relation).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/Hank27/shadeCD-2.jpg

SILLYSHIP--pirate eye--
07-02-2008, 10:22 AM
Thanks for writing about this Hoss. I've always wondered about this one. If it's weird I may dig it. I can't say I'm gonna pick it up now as it is summer and my money is all into art right now, but maybe this winter I'll look into it. What a great title though.