It's always sad to see the mighty laid low.But that's been the case with The Spirit in recent months. After a tremendous start by Darwyn Cooke, the newest version of Will Eisner's classic hero was placed in the capable hands of writers Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones - and the result has been, surprisingly, average at best.
Instead of being a home for creative stories and stunning art, the comic was a model of middle-of-the-road comics, with each story being the "murder mystery of the month," with bland art and sitcom stories. Very disappointing.
Now, like a blast of fresh air, we have a three-issue mini-series-within-a-series written by the producer of The Spirit film (and numerous other comics-related movies), Michael Uslan.
The stories in the two issues so far have been fun, focusing on the women in The Spirit's life - Dr. Silken Floss last issue, and adding Lorelei this time around. The stories give a glimpse of Denny Colt's past, and both comics have heart.
The art is a lot of fun, too. The art by Justiniano and Walden Wong is a lot of fun, especially whenever Lorelei is on the page. Some of the characters don't quite look right, but that's a minor quibble - every issue should have such striking art.
The comic still isn't up to Eisner, of course - or even Cooke - but it's a big step in the right direction.
Grade: B
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