Shade, the Changing Man (Vertigo)

Rac Shade was created by Steve Ditko in 1977 for his series Shade, the Changing Man, published by DC Comics. In the series, Shade was depicted as resident of the planet Meta who is falsely accused of murder and uses the power of his "M-Vest" to protect himself with a force field and project the illusion of becoming a large grotesque version of himself. The series only lasted for eight issues, as it was one of DC's books that fell victim to the company's sudden 1978 cancellation of over two dozen comics.[6] By 1990, Shade was a regular character in John Ostrander's Suicide Squad (1987–1992).[1] However, comics historian Matthew K. Manning regarded the character as obscure and unknown to most readers.[6]

During the late 1980s, DC editor Karen Berger began to recruit writers from the United Kingdom, such as Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and Peter Milligan; Berger "found their sensibility and point of view to be refreshingly different, edgier and smarter".[7] Gaiman began with Black Orchid, while Morrison wrote Animal Man and Doom Patrol.[6] Then known for his stories in 2000 A.D. (1977–present), Milligan's first work for DC was a post-apocalyptic gangster series called Skreemer.[8]

After completing Skreemer, Milligan went on a brief hiatus from writing[8] and began traveling across the United States.[9] Berger asked Milligan to start writing a new series.[10] Milligan chose to write a series about Shade, who he was fascinated by: "I thought, 'My God, to take on this character'... I liked the idea of changing. I liked the idea of madness. I liked the idea of madness almost like a force for change. ... I heard someone say a really good thing about schizophrenics... that, ah, for most people, schizophrenia is a break down, every now and again it's a breakthrough. The idea that madness can be a breakthrough".[8] Milligan also thought the character was "nebulous enough for me to really put my stamp on".[10]

Though a self-proclaimed fan of Ditko's work, Milligan sought to distance his Shade from the character in the original series. Milligan retained elements he believed were necessary to the character (his "wacky" backstory and powers emphasizing madness) but took some of the character's qualities in a different direction. This allowed Milligan enough creative freedom to put his mark on Shade. Milligan views his Shade as a homage to Ditko's work rather than a direct continuation.[10] As Shade, the Changing Man progressed, Milligan felt as if its narrative was becoming dry. He praised assistant editor Shelly Roeburg for telling him how innovative she thought it was.[8] Milligan described the series as a whole as "a weird road movie with a girl and an alien".[11]

One of Milligan's desires for Shade, the Changing Man was to offer a critique of the United States,[10] particularly at a personal level.[9] Milligan felt as if England had become "culturally dwarfed" by the US,[8] and thought that the series offered him the opportunity to portray how he viewed the United States and its culture.[10][8] Milligan said he typically came up with stories between one and two months before writing them. He preferred to "know where the story's going", but also liked "to be surprised by the characters".[8] Milligan would typically notify his editors of what he planned for the series some time before publication, for advertising. One common request among fans was for Milligan to write a crossover with Shade meeting other DC characters, such as the Doom Patrol or the Sandman. Milligan joked that he wrote the storyline involving John Constantine when he realized the requests had died down.[8] During its initial run, the series was established as taking place within the DC Universe (DCU), the shared, fictional universe that most of DC's publications take place in.[12] The 2005 book Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Compendium declared the series non-canon to the DCU, having taken place in the same world as Elseworlds comics such as Batman: League of Batmen and Shazam: The New Beginning.[13]

Multiple artists contributed to the series throughout its run. The most recurring was Chris Bachalo, who illustrated a total of 38 issues.[lower-alpha 1] Other regular artists were Glyn Dillon, Colleen Doran, Philip Bond, Mark Buckingham, Sean Phillips, Michael Lark, Richard Case, and Jamie Tolagson. Bill Jaaska, Bryan Talbot, Jan Duursema, Brendan McCarthy, Duncan Eagleson, Peter Gross, Scot Eaton, Steve Yeowell, and Andy Pritchett each made the art for single issues. Mark Pennington, Rick Bryant, Pablo Marcos, Dick Giordano, Rafael Kayanan, and Phil Gascoine inked the series, while Daniel Vozzo and David Hornung were colorists and Albert de Guzman, Richard Starkings, and Sean Konot were letterers.[1]

The final thirty-seven issues of Shade, the Changing Man were published under DC's Vertigo imprint

The first issue of Shade, the Changing Man was published in July 1990.[1] The series was part of DC's line of comics bearing an advisory "Suggested for Mature Readers" label on its cover, joining Hellblazer (1988–2013), Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), and The Sandman (1989–1996), among others.[6] The series' first story arc was a lengthy, eighteen-issue tale called "The American Scream", detailing Shade's first adventures on Earth and his battle with the American Scream.[1]

The series was initially published with the traditional "DC Bullet" logo. In 1993, Berger started a new imprint for DC, Vertigo, to focus on publishing comics aimed at mature readers.[6] Issue #33 (March 1993) was the first issue of Shade, the Changing Man published under the Vertigo imprint. Milligan has reportedly said he wanted the series to end after issue #50 (August 1994). However, it continued for another two years, ending with issue #70 (April 1996).[1] The series was popular in the United States and, according to Milligan, it sold well.[8]

Shade, the Changing Man is yet to be completely reprinted in trade paperback. Only issues #1 through #19 (which comprise "The American Scream" and a Christmas special) have been collected, through three separate books. The rest of the series (issues #20 to #70) has never been rereleased.[1]

Shade, the Changing Man is remembered as one of Milligan's greatest works and one of the most innovative comics ever published.[5][14][3] Many critics noted Shade, the Changing Man's bizarre, psychedelic, and unconventional take on superheroics. Hilary Goldstein (IGN) wrote that, out of all the strange comics DC published under Vertigo, Shade, the Changing Man was "the biggest headtrip of them all".[15] Glen Weldon and Petra Mayer (NPR) took this notion further, believing the series' intent was to challenge the standard clichés of superhero comics.[5] In an interview with MTV, Milligan said he thought the series is the one he is most known for.[16]

Reviewers were quick to point out the series' emphasis on madness. Reviewing "The American Scream", Publishers Weekly said this mobilized Shade, the Changing Man's outlandish premise in a short time.[2] Brian Salvatore (Multiversity Comics) was more exclamatory: "What starts off as a straight tale of a murder and punishment quickly turns into a metaphysical mind ... almost without warning".[4] Goldstein compared the series to reading a fairy tale-like dream, and expressed disappointment the collection he read ended so quickly.[15] The series' commentary on America was widely noted,[1][2][4] and Burgas found the series offered much more than just being bizarre, from love triangles to identity.[1]

The characterization of Shade and Kathy has been acclaimed. Goldstein thought Shade provided readers "the first step into the wonderful madness of [the series]".[15] Brian Cronin (Comic Book Resources) called their pairing unusual (being a naïve poet and a depressed girl),[3] and Publishers Weekly wrote the duo were well-crafted, empathetic, and said their pairing was perfect.[2] Salvatore considered Kathy the series' true protagonist, calling her powerful considering the circumstances she faces.[4] Burgas declared their relationship "one of the most magnificent love stories in comics".[1]

Bachalo's art was generally praised, and his work on Shade, the Changing Man has been called his breakthrough. Goldstein found the art less refined than some of Bachalo's later work, which he thought had "a more appealing, unprocessed look to it".[15] Salvatore called the art fluid and realistic, yet surreal. He said that, compared to future Bachalo art, Shade, the Changing Man clearly showed who influenced the illustrations (specifically Sam Kieth), giving it a rawness he found satisfactory.[4] Publishers Weekly wrote the "expressionistic artwork and surreal tendencies perfectly complement Milligan's story".[2] Burgas offered praise for Vozzo's digital coloring, feeling it enhanced the impact of Bachalo's art. However, Burgas felt that almost none of the series' artists lived up to the standards set by Bachalo, the exception being McCarthy.[1]

Burgas wrote that, after "The American Scream", Milligan turned his focus from storytelling to the romance between Shade and Kathy, differentiating it from the majority of Vertigo's comics. Burgas thought this caused the book to meander and thought this was frustrating. He said that issues released after Kathy's death, and Bachalo's departure from the series, marked a declining point. However, he still thought "the final 20 issues are still part of a marvelous love story... While Milligan couldn’t quite recapture the magic of the first 50 issues (and especially the first 26 issues), the entire series is a wonderful journey".[1] Cronin thought the series should have ended with the 50th issue.[3]