There is so much to praise and duscuss here, that is hard knowing where to begin. The twelfth volume in DC Comics archival collection which reprints all the Spirit stories in chronological order marks the return of the character’s creator after time away enlisted in the army during World War II.
But let’s first talk about how remarkable this collection is. DC assembled the definitive library for one of the most important characters in comics, a hero who helped change the medium through Will Eisner’s extraordinary imagination. After that, just imagine how special it must have been, from 1941 onward, to buy the Sunday paper—or have it delivered to your home—and find this weekly “Comic Book Section” inside, featuring some of the finest comic art ever produced, even if readers at the time probably did not realize it.
Finally, let’s talk about this specific volume, which collects stories published between January and June 1946. According to historians, these are not among Eisner’s very best Spirit stories—those would come a little later—but they are stronger than the tales produced during the previous two years by other writers and artists while Eisner was away on military service. Even so, there are many small gems here.
There is a new retelling of the Spirit’s origin, the return of the charming criminal Satin, the hilarious case of the Siberian Dagger, the search for a stolen atomic bomb about to explode, an adventure in the Arctic, another in Brazil, and yet another on a distant, disaster-stricken island. The volume also features the debut of the villain Mr. Carrion, who harms a boy helping the Spirit and provokes the hero’s wrath. The beating the Spirit gives him is so savage that it would almost seem more appropriate coming from Batman. It is a surpring development and another sign of Eisner’s genius.
Once again, the general opinion is that these stories are not among the greatest Spirit tales. Even so, they remain tremendously entertaining, full of action, mystery, humour, a touch of romance, and rich character work. I know that I am giving the impression of being overly reverent toward these material, but it is hard not to fall in love time and again with the Spirit, specially when comparing these stories with much of today’s mainstream comics.
Will Eisner’s The Spirit Archives – Volume 12 (2002, DC Comics)
By Will Eisner
192 páginas
Nota: 8 nerds (de 10) 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
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