The Shadow emerged out of a radio show called Detective Hour in 1930. Street and Smith (sponsors of the radio show as well as the publishers of this comic) felt they had a winner. In 1931 they moved him into pulps. From there, he went into films and eventually, in 1940, moved into comics. It is during this period that the Shadow was at the height of his fame. This issue, from 1944, features an absolutely stunning cover. The image of seven skulls menacing a defenseless woman brings the Shadow out of the background with his trusty gun blazing. The skulls and the woman take the center stage and the reader has to take a second to actually find the Shadow. It is a wonderful portrayal that defines the hidden nature of his powers. The Shadow was set to become as iconic as Superman or Batman, but with the advent of cheap paperbacks in the late forties and the subsequent death of the pulps, he eventually fell by the wayside. Today, the character inspires a feverish sense of loyalty among collectors who know his true greatness. This copy is a single staple issue. The spine is almost perfect. The pages are off-white to white. The book is CGC-certified NM 9.4. They also acknowledge this book as part of the Pennsylvania pedigree. According to the CGC census, this is the highest graded copy known to exist.