It’s the ’60s, and a demon is rampaging, but the key to taking it down lies much further in the past. Your Major Spoilers review of Shadow of The Golden Crane #1 awaits!

SHADOW OF THE GOLDEN CRANE #1

Writer: Chris Roberson
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Chris O’Halloran
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editor: Kath O’Brien
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 15th, 2025

Previously in Shadow of The Golden Crane: A mysterious B.P.R.D. case in the 1960s forces Agent Sue Xiang to dive into the history of the secretive Golden Crane Society, and into her own family past as well.

MYSTERIES FROM YEARS GONE BY

Shadow of The Golden Crane #1 opens with Agent Sue Xiang reminiscing about her upbringing and the stories her uncle had told her about The Golden Crane Society and their ancestors. Sue suddenly gets a vision as Hellboy and another field agent named Victor, are about to head out to investigate. She tags along with them to Portland, where they encounter a dragon. Victor and Hellboy try to subdue it but are unsuccessful, Sue comes into contact with it and has another vision. This one shows her events from the end of the last century. There, a woman named Lady Bai Lian, a member of the Golden Crane Society is investigating a series of murders that have been plaguing Beijing. She and her partner are able to track down the assumed culprit, which is another demon. Bai Lian notices a charm hanging on its neck and is able to remove it, revealing that the demon was a goat. Back in the present, the team wrestles with the implications of past missions they’ve had and how it’s all connected to The Golden Crane Society.

A NICE PULP-INSPIRED STORY, ALBEIT A LITTLE DRY

On the surface, Shadow of The Golden Crane #1 has just about everything you’d want in a Hellboy and B.P.R.D. related story. There’s supernatural stuff going on, a deep mystery spanning different time eras, and the sense that this is all being done as part of a clandestine agency’s investigation. Each of those elements is handled well and is used to create plenty of intrigue. Also, the use of the flashback to serve the present situation was done perfectly. What this issue lacks is attitude. We don’t get any hint of Hellboy’s signature gruff sarcasm, Victor is pretty much a non-factor personality-wise, Sue doesn’t really have any discernible personality traits other than being the link to The Golden Crane Society. The characters shown in the flashback suffer a similar fate, in that they’re really only there as a vehicle for the story to play out through, but they don’t add anything unique or interesting to the events. As for the plot itself, while there’s some fun coming from the two-time eras, it’s a straightforward, paint-by-numbers plot that shows promise of opening up into something bigger, but what you get here is fairly shallow.

NOT UTILIZING THE SETTING ENOUGH

For a comic that takes effort to establish itself in not one but two specific time periods, it doesn’t do much with this information visually. While the scenes set in Beijing benefit from some distinct clothing choices, the 1960s plot offers nothing to suggest that it takes place in that decade, which feels like a missed opportunity to add some life to this issue. All in all, the visuals seem to be following the same path as the writing, they’re mostly fine, but they lack anything interesting to set them apart or be anything other than a utility.

BOTTOM LINE: IT GETS THE JOB DONE, IN A LIFELESS SORT OF WAY

Shadow of The Golden Crane #1 is a well-put-together action adventure that does some clever things with its two main settings, which is entertaining in its own right. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much beyond this and misses a lot of opportunities to add some flair. Also, the characters and visuals lack personality making the whole thing feel soulless. 3 out of 5 stars.

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