The Spirit, Book One

I've often said that if anyone got Eisner's classic character, The Spirit, right when they tried to take it on, it was Darwyn Cooke. His 10 issue run on The Spirit (2 issues were holiday issues done by artists and writers other than Cooke) completely overshadows any previous non-Eisner attempt on the character. The only exception to this statement would have been issues #7 and 12, which, sadly, are not featured in this collection. This particular collection collects the stories "Almost Blue" through "Sand." Harrowing issues, great Eisner-esque artwork, and FANTASTIC writing (god, issue #10 just kills me every time I read it...Cooke must have been channeling Eisner...it's fantastic) make this collection a must have if you don't own the original issues. Don't miss it.

Just absolutely brilliant. I loved the first volume for the way Cooke effortlessly channeled Will Eisner for a new era, and he only got better as he went. Someone described this as like a season of Buffy, where all of the threads come together at the end and the whole thing just batters your brain with its awesomeness. And that seems about right to me. Cooke (and Bone and Stewart) turn in one of the breeziest and most effective superhero comics I've seen in a very long time. The wryness and humanity of Cooke's writing are the sorts of things I have to believe would have made Eisner both proud and unafraid for the future of the medium. A special note on issue #12: This is one of the flat-out best single issues of a comic book I have ever seen. I think comparing it to Eisner is wrong and does a disservice to what Cooke has created, but it's clear that he was freely riffing on everything Eisner did. Is it blasphemous to say Darwyn Cooke may have actually upped the ante on the master?

Will Eisner's original "Spirit" stories are kind of a cult-favorite thing -- they had a very peculiar rhythm and offbeat sense of humor to them and they were also lighthearted parodies of the superhero and detective genres, so they don't necessarily appeal to everyone. But they are also brilliant, funny, richly detailed and deservedly legendary. Author-illustrator Darwyn Cooke has done an absolutely ingenius job of capturing the kooky charm and sensual feel of the original "Spirit" stories, while at the same time modernizing them and streamlining the action in ways that are quite satisfying. Fans of the old series will be pleased, as will any open-minded, intelligent comicbook fan. And if this delightful set of slam-bang, pure fun adventure tales also gets new readers to go back and check out the old Eisner stories, more power to 'em! It would be great if Cooke would continue the series, 'cause he's definitely got a feel for it, and opportunities like this don't come around too often. I read a lot of graphic novels and then pass them on to others -- this one, however, is a keeper. Highly recommended. (ReadThatAgain book reviews)

Darwyn Cooke is one of the greatest comic book writers/artists of today. He does a fantastic job capturing the fun and excitement of Will Eisner's "The Spirit." Whether you are a fan of the original Spirit series or you just appreciate Cooke's work this is a must have.

Though I'm ashamed to admit it, I've never read a single issue of THE SPIRIT until Darwyn Cooke's graphic novel collecting the first six issues of the new series put out by DC Comics. I've read comics nearly my whole life, and heard about Will Eisner and the Spirit for nearly as long. To tell you the truth, the Spirit didn't fit my idea of a superhero. For one, there was the problem of no superpowers. And two, the costume was really lame for a kid who grew up with superheroes wearing Spandex and their underwear on the outside. The Spirit just looked too...real. That meant BORING to the child that I was. So I went on for nearly fifty years with my assumption that I wouldn't like the Spirit. Enter Darwyn Cooke. Actually, I didn't know that I liked him at first either. I thought his art was too raw at the time, too two-dimensional and unfinished. Then he did NEW FRONTIER, which became an overnight bestseller and is coming out as a straight-to-DVD animated movie soon. I picked up NEW FRONTIER and really liked Cooke's writing and art. His artistry is flamboyant and unique. He played fairly with the characters and showed real talent when reimagining the DC Universe for his story. Now he's brought that same understanding of character to THE SPIRIT, a monthly comic from DC. He writes and pencils the comic, something that few people in that business do any more, or are skilled enough to accomplish. From what I understand of the character since I've been poking around after getting curious, he's captured the flavor, pacing, and zest of Will Eisner's work. Denny Colt is a private investigator that cracks a big case but gets overwhelmed by the villains. He is also doused in chemicals that makes it look like he is dead. After he recovers and crawls out of the family crypt, he decides to remain "dead" and adopt a new identity to fight crime. He does this with the reluctant acquiescence of Central City Police Commissioner Dolan. Dolan also happens to be the father of Denny's girlfriend, Ellen. Even though he looks like a 1940s private eye with a domino mask under his slouch hat, the Spirit is much more than a bare knuckles hero. He doesn't just investigate; he has adventures. Those adventures are by turns deadly serious, humorous, absolutely loopy, or anything in between. As I read the stories, I was at first confused. Then I realized that the Spirit was a lot like Jack Cole's PLASTIC MAN series. Totally malleable. (Yep, that's a pun, and I'm not sorry.) I settled into the graphic novel for a light-hearted and fun read that vamoosed through the panels with the pacing of a runaway avalanche. I call the volume a graphic novel, but that's doing the book an injustice of sorts. In this day and age when every writer and artist is trained to produce a five- or six-issue arc that will fit neatly and conveniently into a graphic novel format a few months later, Darwyn Cooke decided to be daring and write standalone tales. That's right, y