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GRADING THE MILLENIUM: THE SPIRIT #1
Reviewed by Paul Hanna
Since the medium's heyday, many American comics tended to resist genre
blending. A science fiction title tended to embrace only the trappings of
that genre. The same was true with romance, superheroes, westerns,
whatever. Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT always aspired to something larger,
which is probably why the title still holds up today as practically a
textbook of comics storytelling. It is certainly one of the few comics that
was consciously aware of both its potential and limitations -- and used both
to its fullest advantage.
The premise of THE SPIRIT was that the protagonist, private detective
Denny Colt, was presumed dead after being doused with a mysterious chemical
in a scuffle with his enemy, Dr. Cobra. However, Denny survived,
reappearing as a kind of "spirit." Donning a simple eye mask, the Spirit
became his new identity. As the Spirit, Denny fought crime as a freelance
investigator on behalf of the police. Sounds like a standard origin story.
But really, the Spirit's origin in itself is ultimately not integral to
his character. What makes it important is that it wipes Denny Colt's slate
clean, so that he is reborn as a character with no discernible past or emotional baggage.
Much of what made the title so appealing had to do with the fact that it was
so malleable. THE SPIRIT could tell any story. And it didn't have
to be about the Spirit himself. Supporting characters occasionally took the
spotlight, as the Spirit fell comfortably and temporarily to the wayside.
In "Dressed to Kill," Ellen Dolan temporarily takes both the spotlight and
the role of resident law-upholder.
What is particularly intriguing about THE SPIRIT #1 is the date it originated. In 1944, America was up to its neck in World War II jingoism, and these stories certainly reflect a strong sense of this. "Tony Zacco, Public Enemy No. 1" exhibits these patriotic sentiments more
than any story in the comic. Can a known criminal redeem himself through
his patriotic will? It sounds trite by today's standards, sure, but almost
all the stories here have an ephemeral, goofy innocence about them. After
the war, THE SPIRIT would become much more edgy - a world we would see more
in shades of grey, as opposed to pure black and white.
Eisner's art at this time is in flux. It is in the process of maturing from
the early, hyper-compressed strips and the later, more theatrical and smooth
work of his graphic novel years (albeit a bit more skewed to the former than
the latter). These strips still evoke a sense of the theatre on some level,
a refreshing difference from today's more cinematic approach to comics
composition. It allows the characters' personae to shine through more
prominently, as they are used more to evoke feeling, rather than the
composition of the panel itself.
Eisner's astounding storytelling style is ultimately very easy to take note
of here, making the most out of standard panel-to-panel composition and
transition. Even in these relatively early years of the Spirit, Eisner
shows how much can be done within the limitations of the comic strip. And
although a couple of the stories were published while Eisner was serving in
the war, he was still able to maintain an irregular output of Spirit
stories, while his studio - made up of Lou Fine and others - picked up the
slack.
THE SPIRIT is likely the most influential American comic ever. Buying this comic means owning a significant slice of comics' history.
Recommended
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THE SPIRIT #1
