The Spirit #24

   Bodies seem follow wherever the Spirit roams. Or is it the other way around? The hero goes on a globetrotting adventure from the United States to the jungles of Cambodia to recover a missing artifact.  It seems that during the Vietnam War, a unit of soldiers came across a valuable idol near Phnom Penh. Since it would be impossible to bring the statue back to the states and so they form a tontine in which the last surviving member of the group would return to Central Asia and recover the priceless artifact for themselves. 

   Well, one of the vets has decided to end the wait prematurely and is killing off the rest of the unit one by one. But with a dwindling list of suspects, who is the killer and will the Spirit be able to stop the carnage before it's too late? 

   An instant classic by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier. The art by Chad Hardin continues to emulate Spirit creator Will Eisner's timeless style quite well. But I really would like to see MAD Magazine veteran artist Aragones give pencilling the Spirit a try. I think while it would be very cartoony, it would also be a rare treat for fans of both the legendary artist and the classic noir gumshoe.

   Worth Consuming

   9 out of 10 stars.

The Spirit #22 (Correct Version)

The cover is a tribute to Will Eisner's original series
in which the series title would play a part of the scene or action.

   When magicians begin popping up all over the city dead, it's up to the Spirit to solve the case and prevent a crime spree. Most of the stories in this series have been crime noirs that are heavier on action that actual crime solving. That changes here are there are dozens of clues littered throughout this book in which the reader is invited to solve before the protagonist can.
 
    You pretty much know from the start who the villain is. But like the Spirit, you're beginning from square one trying to determine a motive while figuring out just how they did it.  Honestly, I thought the solution stunk. It was so far fetched but the build-up and the conclusion in which the Spirit apprehends the villain was very good.

    The art by Chad Hardin and Wayne Faucher was also well done. They've been a great duo to attempt a reasonable facsimile of Will Eisner's timeless style. But they, along with the deft talents of writers Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier, just aren't enough to make this a very memorable story because as I said the solution just wasn't all that great.

   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.