And Then I Read: THE SPIRIT 17

Images © Will Eisner Studios, Inc.

I was not a fan of the lead stories in this Spirit series, but I did like a number of the backups in black and white (along the lines of the "Batman Black and White" series). First, the stories were short, like Eisner's. Second, the writers and artists were all interesting choices, though of course some were a better fit for the feature than others. For the final issue they've skipped the lead story and run three of those Black and White backups, and what a stellar lineup of talent creating them!

First up is writer Howard Chaykin with artist Brian Bolland. Getting Bolland to draw any story is a rare feat, and it's great to see him enjoying the characters here. Chaykin's story is a murder mystery with a film noir feel, but also some black humor, and the banter between Dolan and The Spirit is great stuff. Bolland's style is almost too realistic for the feature, but he does get some cartoony exaggeration in there in his own way, and the story is a delight.

Next we have writer Paul Levitz and artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, who I think comes closest to Eisner in approach and feel, and his gray wash inking adds wonderful depth and appeal to this wintery story. A small-time crime tale about a newsstand owner and the crook that forces him into selling phony lottery tickets is just the kind of thing Eisner would probably have written himself, and Paul does a fine job with it. The one thing I didn't like was what happens to the newsstand owner. Eisner would have given him more justice, I feel.

Finally we have a story written by Will Pfeifer and illustrated by P. Craig Russell. This one takes place in an art museum, and cleverly runs on parallel tracks. One track has two janitors talking about the artwork, while the other has The Spirit in a hearty fistfight with a would-be art thief. The two tracks intersect and cleverly comment on each other in a way that's quite creative, making this the best -written story here in my opinion, and Russell's art is wonderful, as always, with a light-hearted approach that mirrors the humor in the story. His Spirit might look the least like Eisner's, but I'm sure Will would have loved this tale.

What an amazingly choice group of creators this comic has, and I note that all but Pfeifer have been active in comics since the 1970s, and I'm sure knew Will and his work for decades. If the entire run of this title had been as strong, it would have not only survived, but probably swept the awards. Let's be grateful for what we have here. Highly recommended!