In
this issue, Kitchen Sink Press presents 4 stories from the original run of the
Spirit. These stories are classic noir, full of hot guns, even hotter dames,
and lots of gritty action. Written and drawn by the legendary Will Eisner,
these stories are signs of the times they were written in.
African
Americans, such as Spirit’s side-kick Ebony, are portrayed as buck-toothed,
swollen lipped, and ignorant. The women in these books are either ditzy damsels
in distress or cunning femme fatales who get what they want with their feminine
whiles and they act like Praying Mantis, eating their mates after they’ve
achieved their goals.
This
volumes includes a ‘directors cut’ set of notes that go into further detail of
the behind the scenes goings on to make the Spirit comics. Will Eisner is often
quoted as having said that he regrets the way he portrayed women and
minorities. Even though the material in these books wouldn’t fly into today’s comics,
they shouldn’t be ignored. As the old adage goes “those who do not learn from
history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat it” and by examining the prejudices of
yesteryear hopefully we can learn to overcome them.
The
most important aspect of these comics that are vitally important is the artwork
themselves. Eisner was always crafting unique ways to incorporate the title of
the comic into the splash page. He was also looking at different ways to from a
panel for heighten drama and symbolism. Without Will Eisner we wouldn’t have
Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, or Jim Sternako to name a few.
The
stories themselves are entertaining. First up is a patriotic WWII era morality
play between two orphans: one who chooses to fool good and one who ends up down
the dark path of gang life. Then there’s a rare two-part story involving Orang,
an intelligent ape whose biggest flaw is being in love. Finally is a tale that
stars Ebony. When a head injury causes him to have x-ray eyes, the Spirit must
keep an eye of him after thugs kidnap the youth to break into a bank vault. It’s
actually the start of Eisner trying to rectify the stereotypical portrayal of
Ebony in the Spirit and proof that people can change for the better.
A
fantastic read that is a must for fans of the Spirit or the comics medium.
Worth
Consuming
Rating:
9 out of 10 stars
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