The Cobra by "Maxwell Grant" (Walter B. Gibson) (from The Shadow Magazine, April 1934; reprinted in The Shadow #7: "The Cobra" & "The Third Shadow" from Nostalgic Ventures, May 2007)
The Shadow has some competition! A rival crime fighter, the costumed vigilante known as The Cobra, has been going after the criminal gangs of New York. The Cobra appears to be far better -- and far deadlier -- than The Shadow in fighting crime, and The Shadow's reputation is taking a hit. Who is this newcomer who appears out of nowhere and shoots to kill without hesitation?
As The Shadow investigates, he must also deal with both the criminal gangs and the police who are after him. Also out to put paid to The Shadow's career is The Cobra himself.
The action is fast and furious, the guns blazing.
This is one of the stories in which The Shadow is just The Shadow; his various alter egos -- Kent Allard, Lamont Cranston -- do not appear, nor do his various assistants. It's just The Shadow versus his various foes, although Commissioner Weston and Detective Cardona are in the background hoping The Shadow will prevail.
I'm a fan of the pulp character, although I much prefer other pulp heroes such as Doc Savage or The Spider. At times, Gibson's writing style can be too plodding for my taste, but in this tale, he's hitting on all cylinders. It's the best Shadow story I've read in some time.
P.S. For those who are counting, there were 325 Shadow novels published in the pulps, almost all by Gibson, between April 1931 and Summer 1949. This was #51.
The Shadow #7 is around here somewhere. I'll have to dig it out and reread THE COBRA.
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