First Wave #3 - DC

Overall, I like the concept here . . and the story. But for some reason I'm just having a hard time figuring out what this is all about. I think it's cool that we have this world where Doc Savage, the Spirit and Batman all exist in tandem. And the Batman here is one in the very early stages of his career. He's trying stuff out as he goes, and he makes mistakes. But the part that I think I'm confused about it the other 2 First Wave books . . the Spirit and Doc Savage's solo books. The worlds that those characters inhabit don't seem the same as this one. I could be wrong, but to me it seems like the world portrayed in this book is different from the one portrayed in either one of their solo books. So I don't really know if this is a different reality, or just a different time. I know it doesn't really matter, but . . I thought these 3 titles were connected. But they don't feel like it. Anyways, the Blackhawks are also a part of this world. But they seem like a group that plays both sides of the fence. And most of the drama seems to circle around Clark Savage Sr, the Doc's father. We have hints that he's not whom he appears to be. He's supposed to be dead, afterall. And we see that he can change his shape. But we don't know yet just exactly what he is. At first guess I'd say a Durlan. But that's just because of the other DC stories I've read recently. We still have 3 issues left in this series so I'm sure it'll all be sorted out for us . . in time. This issue ends with Clark Sr taking the Batman. Although I'm not sure if he's his hostage, or if Clark Sr is saving him. That part we'll have to wait and see. Also the Spirit is on the lamb. And Doc, who spent most of this issue in jail, gets busted out . . big time, at the end. Either that or they were trying to kill him . . the Blackhawk's that is. Brian Azzarello has weaved a very intricate story here. Right now . . it's also a little confusing. But that's how he usually plays it. Things don't sort themselves out until the end. It's definitely interesting and exciting. Rags Morales is doing a terrific job with the art. Another artist whom I think is hugely underrated. And our beautiful covers are by JG Jones and Lee Bermejo. I really like this book . . the concept and the story . . not to mention the characters, but . . it's not all cohesive to me. Just yet. But I have faith in Brian's talent, so . .

the Spirit #4 - DC

This is another book that I'm not overly thrilled with, but . . I did think it was interesting that David Hine wrote the story for this issue. And, again . . don't get me wrong. Overall, I think this is a good character, and a good series. I guess it's just not my cup of tea. This time it's all about drugs. There's a new drug in town, Frost, and it seems to be sweeping the neighborhoods. The problem is, there are a lot of people OD'ing on this stuff. It's hard to run a business if your clientele keeps disappearing. But there are a few interesting twists in this issue. First of all, we see first hand just how far Dolan's influence goes in this town. In this series, it appears that Dolan, as well as most of the PD are on the take. And while he has considerable influence, because of his relationship with the gangs, when he sends a message to Octopus, it still has to go through a couple of different channels before it gets to him. So, no matter what he thinks, he's not the almighty . . yet. Also, near the end, the girls decide that they're going to try to help the Spirit keep their neighborhood clean. But the youngest ones do it from a distance. Ebony gets up close and personal. Which really pisses off one of the bosses . . Kass. The issue ends with him giving Ebony a syringe of pure Frost. It appears that she's going to OD, and die in the streets. I have to admit, I enjoyed David influence on this book a little more than I thought I would. I think he wrote a pretty compelling story here. Moritat also rose to the occasion and turned in some terrific art. I'd have to say, this is probably the best issue so far. I also enjoyed the Black & White story in the back by Marv Wolfman and Phil Windslade. Although, not as much as the main story. If the book keeps going in this direction, it would definitely be a plus.

the Spirit #3 - DC

Somehow I completely missed this book a couple of weeks ago. I didn't miss it on the shelves. I picked it up when it came out. But somehow in my pile of books it got mixed up and I didn't get it into my blog. So, for any Spirit fans out there . . I'm sorry. Sorry for not posting it. And sorry that I'm getting bored with the book, again . . already. Don't get me wrong. I think that Mark Schultz is doing a pretty good job with the stories. I liked this whole Angel Smerti, the European assassin thing during this story-arc. And I think that Moritat's art is perfect for this series. It's kind of 'retro' and 'new', all at the same time. I think it gives a good feel to the book. No, I think that my problem is just with the whole Spirit character in general. I just think he's kind of boring. Even in this fight with Angel, the Spirit doesn't beat her with his fists, or even with his head. Instead . . he beats her with his heart. And even that, he did by accident. Angel has captured him and plans on delivering him to the Octopus. But on the way the Spirit keeps provoking her. 'You don't make mistakes like that. You've had many chances. You don't want to finish me. Or, at least, the little girl who grew up in rough times doesn't want to finish me.' Which really seems to get to her. When they get to the drop off point, she decides to kiss him before dumping him off. The problem is . . there's a connection. She senses something in him . .'You . . your kiss! There is no . . corruption in you . . never in my life . . what kind of man . . there is no . .' And then her heart has changed. She decides to let the Spirit go, and try to help him escape . . even if it means her own death. 'You told me you had to die to find yourself. Maybe I need to find myself, too.' So . . while it was interesting. It just didn't 'do it' for me. But I do like this New Wave angle, so . . I'll probably continue buying it. At least for a little while. I enjoyed the back-up story by Michael Uslan, FJ DeSanto and Justiniano. But the best part about the whole thing was Justiniano's art. It looked amazing in black & white. Like I said . . it's an ok book. I guess it just doesn't' thrill me.

the Spirit #2 - DC

This is an ok series. I have to admit that I do like it better than the last incarnation. Mark Shultz seems to have a pretty good handle on the character, without making him seem all goofy and stupid. I mean, I know he's not the sharpest crayon in the box, but . . he does seem to have something going for him. But unlike Batman, his detective skills aren't all that honed. He seems to be more lead around by that clues, or information rather than using deductive reasoning to try to figure out what's going on, by thinking 2 0r 3 steps ahead. With him it's more like he stumbles into situations, and then tries to work his way out of them. Sometimes he's lucky . . sometimes he's not. In this issue Denny finds out that the Octopus has hired some European contractor to take him out. He goes by the name of Angel Smerti. He's looking into this when Dolan calls him into his office. There's a woman there, Yvette Plaisir, a Madame actually, that's looking for the Spirit's help. Anyways, long story short . . it's all a set-up. Yvette is actually Angel, making the contractor . . a woman. An idea that would've never crossed Denny's mind. Which is why he got caught with his pants down. Sorry . . not literally. Angel gives Denny a pretty good beating, but he does manage to get away. He ends up beaten and battered at Ellen's house. But unfortunately, that leads Angel right to them. The issue ends with Angel crashing through Ellen's front window. I'm also enjoying Moritat's art. It's not overly polished, and has a raw kind of gritty feel to it. It's actually perfect for this series. And it's got just the right amount of sex-appeal also. For the Black & White back-up story, we get a little tale by Harlan Ellison and Kyle Baker. It was an ok story, but I gotta say, Kyle did a terrific job with the art for this one. Not at all what I expected when I saw his name on the cover. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable book. Not overly exciting, but . . still entertaining. But it's only on issue #2, so . . the jury's still out.

First Wave #2 - DC

So far we know that this series takes place on another world . . an Elseworld, if you will, that appears to be set in the 40's or 50's. But they have a lot of our recent technology. As far as phones, computers and CDs. Doc Savage and the Spirit have been around for awhile, but the Batman is just getting started. Also, we find out this issue, that Richard Benson, the Avenger, is also around and operating Justice Inc. . . a detective, crime-fighting type group. And the Blackhawks seem to be some kind of covert operation . . mercenaries, working for whomever will pay the highest price. As with any story by Brian Azzarello, we're fed a whole lot of information this issue. But we don't know yet how it all fits together. Doc Savage's men, Ham and Monk, are trying to hire Benson for some 'ill-orthodoxed behavior'. They want him to impersonate someone. Meanwhile, the Spirit, having crossed paths with the Blackhawks last issue, is trying to recover and figure out what they were after. But he won't have to wait long because they soon come after him. Apparently this all has to do with Dr Richtor, Dr Gaul and NeoAtlantis . . an underwater city that they're working on. But another of their associates, Littlejohn, took off with a bunch of thier information. He has ended up at a plantation on the northern border of Hildalgo. He thinks he's been rescued, but apparently even these people, in this remote location, are working for whomever is behind all of this. It appears that the Batman has yet to cross paths with these other crime-fighters. But since Clark Savage Sr is now in Gotham . . it's probably only a matter of time before everything converges here. We only see him for one panel this issue, but . . he's doing his usual back-alley head-busting routine. We also only see Doc Savage when he comes to the Spirit's rescue. Unfortunately, we probably won't really know what's going on until issue #4 of this series. Brian doesn't like to show his cards to soon. But, with all the characters that we have available to us here . . it sure won't be a boring ride. And Rags Morales is doing an incredible job with the art. I've been a fan of Rags for a long time. I think he's a hugely underrated talent. But this issue is easily some of his best work to date. The whole issue looks great, but the page with the Batman is exceptional. This series is definitely a classic in the making.

the Spirit #1 - DC

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this issue. I wasn't really expecting much. The previous series had started to bore me long before it was over. To me it seemed like the humor that they tried to infuse into the series just became stale. And the character, really just wasn't all that believable. However, it seems to me that Mark Shultz is taking a little bit of a different approach this time. First of all, Central City is corrupt as any city can get. Everyone is on the take. So while Dolan can try to help out Denny whenever possible, he has to do so on the sly. By maintaining his reputation as a corrupt city official, it helps him be privy to information that he wouldn't get by trying to beat them from the outside. Even his daughter doesn't realize that he's trying to do the right thing. Meanwhile, the Spirit walks a fine line. He doesn't really have any powers, or enhanced cognitive abilities, so he's just playing the game with what he's got. And what he's got is the rumor that he's come back from the dead. So criminals are afraid of him because they don't think he can be killed. And the people on the street see him as a 'spirit' of justice. He's got an intricate web of information sources built up throughout the streets of Central City. And he uses that to try to figure out the actions of the Octopus and the Eight Families. There's still an air of subtle adult humor strewn throughout the book, but . . it's very feint. Anyways, by the end of this issue, the Octopus is tired of the Spirit's actions. So he hires an assassin to take care of him. A beautiful European assassin that goes by the name Angel Smerti. He hasn't seen her yet, but . . I can just tell that this woman is going to be trouble. So overall, I thought it was an interesting first issue, which actually shows quite a bit of promise. Of course the art by Moritat didn't hurt either. It looked great. I think this one will be ok. As a back up we're presented black & white stories about the Spirit by a plethora of talent. This issue's story was by Denny O'Neil and Bill Sienkiewicz. It was a nice addition to the first issue. I wasn't very kind at the end of the last series, but . . after reading this issue, I'm kind of looking forward to this one. Hopefully they have some staying power.

First Wave #1 - DC

I couldn't resist finding the variant cover to this one. It's by Neal Adams. Luckily though, I got it on e-bay for $5. Yay me! Anyways . . this is the first issue of this series . . and new dimension in the DC Universe . . where Doc Savage, the Spirit and Batman all exist on the same world. In it, Doc Savage has been around for quite some time and is considered pretty much the world's saviour. Well . . between he and his father, Clark Savage Sr. However, this story starts out shortly after Sr's death. Doc Savage has been out exploring the world and making his discoveries, so . . he wasn't able to make it to his father's funeral. The media is eating this up. However, once returned, and hearing that his father died of some mysterious ailment that the doctor's couldn't identify . . Doc decides to exhume his father's body and perform his own autopsy. He probably thinks that he owes his father at least that. But once the casket is opened . . Doc finds if filled with nothing but sandbags. Sandbags with a painted red hand print on each one. And . . they're all filled with gold dust. We also get a little introduction to Doc's entourage this issue. Not much. But enough to start to get a feel for the characters. We then move on to see what Denny Colt, the Spirit is up to. We get the usual banter between he and Dolan. But with Brian Azzarello writing this series . . it seems a lot more sharp . . and wittier than usual. Well . . I should say . . at least more than what we've seen lately. There's another underlying story going on here where the Russians are running some kind of secret project on an undisclosed island . . somewhere. Anyways, one of the scientists, William Littlejohn, has escaped and is running towards freedom. Unfortunately, the Russians running the project, specifically Anton Colossi, can't let him out into the world because he has to much information about what they're up to. The head of all this seems to be a Mr Sunlight, and he's in the US. Coney Island, to narrow it down. And while he's concerned about William's departure, he's also confident in Colossi's ability to retrieve him. Plus . . he seems more concerned with the news stories about Clark Savage Sr's death, and the actions of the young Doc Savage. He feels that everything is playing out the way it should be, so . . I'm thinking he has a hand in orchestrating those events also. Anyways, this Littlejohn character is about to be dumped right into the Spirit's lap as he's following one of Dolan's leads that a mysterious Russian character is supposed to be arriving in the train-yards that evening. Denny follows the lead, finds the body, but ends up square in front of . . the Blackhawks. Now . . Batman isn't introduced, or even talked about this issue. We did see him in the preview though. Apparently in this world, Bruce Wayne is just beginning on his crime-fighting journey. So here . . compared to Doc and the Spirit . . he's going to be the rookie. That should be an interesting twist. I'm sure we'll see how he plays into the story next issue. I think it's an interesting project. It definitely has potential. And with Brian writing it . . I think it's going to be a lot better than people anticipate. Brian is a fantastic writer, and this crime-drama theme fits right into his forte. I'm also thrilled that Rags Morales is doing the art. I've always thought that Rags is a lot better artist than people give him credit for. Unfortunately, he hasn't done to much work that would put him in the spotlight. Maybe this series will change that. I thought he did a fantastic job with this first issue. He really seems to have a grasp for the feel of Doc and Denny's characters. I'm all for continuity, and streamlining story-lines and character connections, and interactions, but . . I also think there's something to be said for DC, and Marvel, doing more an more with these divergent time-lines or dimensions. There's some fantastic characters out there, but I feel that sometimes they get to caught up in the continuity, or history or said character. There's big myopic story-lines, but . . in the end . . nothing ever really changes. I think they become to predictable. With these off-shoot dimensions, different paths can be explored. Risks can be taken. And I think for the genre, the characters, and the story-lines . . it definitely pays off in the end. Anyways . . long story short . . I have high hopes for this series. It's only 6 issues, but . . I think we may see more depending on how well it's received. Plus . . Doc Savage is now part of the DC Universe . . kind of. How cool is that?

the Spirit #25 - DC

Ok. So this isn't the final issue of this book, but . . it's the final issue I'm going to read. I just can't see wasting my time on it anymore. I have to cut the cord sometime. Nows as good as ever. Anyways, I think I've finally figured out why it's so hard for me to get into this book. There's virtually no character development. I mean we get these stories every issue with the Spirit, and Dolan and occasionally Ellen. But we don't really know anything about them other than the way they interact with each other. Well, we have had a couple of Spirit solo stories, with little or no supporting cast. In those stories, we've learned some about him. But really, he's still pretty much a mystery to us. The stories are more about the crime or the pursuit than necessarily about the characters. And then, on top of that, the crime stories . . . are pretty lame. This issue is about the Octopus trying to corner the canned mushroom market. He wants people to cook with his mushrooms, which contain a certain chemical, that when mixed with chipotle chilies causes a chemical reaction that produces a fast-acting poison. This is how he plans on poisoning the population. But, he doesn't want to seem to obvious when he blows up the 2 mushroom factories in town, so he sets fire to the Sardine factory just to throw them off his trail. Yeah . . . right. The crimes are predictable and obvious. And . . they're lame. You end up with this 'who cares?' feeling afterwards. I did appreciate Aluir Amancio and Hilary Barta's art this issue. It was more appealing than the last few issues. So . . I guess that's it. I'm done with this title. It just didn't get turned around for me, and . . I don't see it happening anytime in the near future. So . . Adios!

the Spirit #24 - DC

Another boring issue of this comic. Ok, I'll admit this one was a little more interesting, but really . . . not much. It wasn't really hard to figure out the plot of the book . . or the motivation. And in the end when the wheel-chaired veteran comes for some pay-back . . walking . . it certainly wasn't that much of a surprise. And even if it was . . . who cares? I thought the best part of the book was the Paul Smith cover. I've decided not to see the movie either until it gets to the $1 movies, or it comes out on DVD. I'm sure it's an ok movie, but . . . it looks an awful lot like Sin City or 300. At least from the previews. I understand that Frank Miller is the executive producer . . . which explains the look and feel of the movie, but . . unless he wrote it, I can't see that he'd be able to make all that much of an impact on the story. But like I said, I'll check it out . . . later. I'm thinking that #25 will probably be my last issue of this book. I can't justify paying for it every month when I'm really not getting that much enjoyment out of it. So . . I have to stop someplace, and #25 seems like a nice number to wrap it up. Unless something changes next issue . . . thats it for me. Sorry. I have to watch my budget and I'd hate to miss something better because this book is still in my list.

the Spirit #23 - DC

Ok, I have the same complaints about this series that I've had from the beginning . . the stories are boring, predictable, and rely too much upon nostalgia to try to keep it alive. Which to me is really sad because I have nothing but respect for Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier's talent. They've both done so much for this industry. I just don't think trying to keep this title alive is one of their more shining moments. That being said, we get a new artist this issue, Aluir Amancio, and I actually think his art could do a lot for the longevity of this book. It's bright and fresh and . . a few issues ago I talked about how some sexual innuendo could go a long way in making these stories more interesting . . well, there's not much more in this issue, however . . there is a bit that's implied through the art. It was enough that it kept me interested in a rather boring story. I mean, why not? The Spirit is an attractive and adventurous kind of guy. There's always women throwing themselves at him. Also Ellen is a very attractive woman. Why isn't there more sexual tension between these characters. I know the Spirit doesn't want to upset her father, the Commissioner, but . . he's not always around. There could be a lot more playfulness, and flirting, between them And seeing how the Spirit doesn't seem to have a specific love interest . . what's wrong with Ellen? I don't know, maybe I'm looking at the series the wrong way. I just think it needs something to spice it up a bit. Speaking of which, the Spirit movie is coming out this Christmas. I wouldn't think that it's story would be as contrived as those in these books, but . . I'll guess we'll just have to wait and see.

the Spirit #22 - DC

I'm still just not getting in to this book. I really do appreciate all the talent that's involved on this title . . . Sergio Aragones & Mark Evanier on the scripts, and Chad Hardin and Wayne Faucher with the art, but . . I just can't get in to the stories. I just find them boring and rather simple. This issue was about a magic story, and . . it was all rather predictable. And when there is the opportunity for some more adult humor, or innuendo, between the Spirit and Ellen . . the don't capitalize on it. I mean, Ellen's a good looking girl, and she's putting herself out there for him . . you'd think he'd at least do some good natured flirting or something. That wouldn't necessarily change how I feel about the book, but, at least, it would make it more interesting. Right? Anyways, I guess I just don't see what the draw is. Nostalgia? Maybe! I'm not sure. But Super Friends is the first book I'm dropping off of my list. Maybe this book should be the second. I'll let you know.

the Spirit #21 - DC

The story this issue was a tad better, but . . I still found myself bored and starting to drift off. I'm really not sure how they can make this book more interesting. I mean, this guy really doesn't have any powers. He's an adequate detective, but . . mostly he just stumbles into things. And this thing with him and Dolan's daughter? You'd think that unrequited love would only be unrequited for so long before it either turns to scorn or stalking. Maybe that's what would help . . turn Dolan's daughter into a Spirit stalker. She could make his life uncomfortable . . pop up in little teddies here and there, when he least expects it . . have him pull embarrassing undergarments out of his pockets, or wherever, that she's strategically left behind or in hiding . . convince her 'daddy' that they're engaged or have a date set . . any number of humorous things. He would think it was cute or humorous at first, but, eventually, he'd be looking over his shoulder at all times. The irony would be that she's stalking him as it's a gender reversal. All I know is that there was an issue . . several issues ago . . that had a lot more sexual innuendo in it . . and it made the book a lot more interesting. It's a comic. Have fun with it. Right now, mostly, I see it as an initiator of a nap.

the Spirit #20 - DC

To me, the best part about this book is the covers. I like all of them, and I like seeing the Spirit in these ridiculous situations. However, the rest of the book . . for me . . just doesn't cut it. I do like the addition of Paul Smith on pencils. Remember when he was at his height with that streak on the X-Men? Anyways, he's adapted his style a bit for this book, and it works nicely with the 'spirit' of the Spirit. But, that doesn't mean that I enjoy the book any more. To me it just seems that since the inception of this line, the creators have worried to much about keeping the character, and the stories, more sophomoric than they need to be. Everything seems to be 'tongue in cheek', but, with the 'political correctness' of the world now a days, they seem to be unwilling to take the joke to far. We get a glimpse of where it could go, but . . there's no payoff. It's all anticipation . . and no climax. To me, the best issue of the whole series was a couple of issues ago, when, for some reason, they wrote in a whole lot of sexual innuendo. It made the book more interesting . . and edgy. Now it's just an average book, sitting on the shelves with the rest of the average books, trying to get attention through it's covers. Unfortunately, there's nothing to back them up.

the Spirit #19 - DC

First of all, I enjoyed the art in all 3 stories in this issue. The artists aren't any of my favorites, but they all did a good job in styling the visuals along with the theme of the stories. Everything fit together very well. Jason Armstrong did the first story. It was set in the past, about some kids who learn a lesson. The second story was pencilled by Aluir Amancio. It was about a rabid-dog of a villain who ends up changing his ways. Sure it was out of necessity, but . . he still changed. And the final story was drawn by Paul Rivoche. This was probably my favorite of the 3 because the whole story poked fun at itself. It was about the murdering of a comic-book artist. In the story they take the mediums pressures and pit-falls and blow them way out of proportion. I mean who would try to kill and artist with their inking pen? One it wouldn't work, and two . . you'd have to buy another. But of course, in the end, the whole thing was blamed on the Editor. Isn't that the way it always is? Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier are the creative force behind this book now. I do actually enjoy their stories, but I feel like there's really only so much they can do with this character. In order to keep him in character, it seems like they have tremendous restraints. So, I'll give them props for what they have been able to accomplish. I still think the books kind of a 'snoozer', but . . I don't think it's necessarily a creative problem.

the Spirit #18 - DC

This one . . . was a snoozer!! Yawn!! I got my hopes up after reading last issue. It seemed like maybe we were making a turn towards a little more adult humor. This issue . . . what little humor there was . . was weak and witless. By the time I got to the end of the book I didn't care who stole the damn mummies or why. I just wanted it to be done so I could read something else. They tried to throw a little intrigue into the book with the Octopus. They always just show his hands. They won't show who he actually is. But after reading this issue . . I don't really care who he is because whomever it is . . . is only mildly less lame than the Spirit. And Dolan's daughter? She needs to get a clue. How many times are you going to let a man dog you out, but yet you keep coming back for more. Hello!! Now I'm just trying to find something to talk about. I'm sorry! I don't like it! It's dull and boring and as a reader I don't really care about the characters or the story. I try! But it hasn't gotten any better. Snoozer!

the Spirit #17 - DC

I don't know why . . I can't really pinpoint it, but . . I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this issue more than any other of the previous ones. It's still written by Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier. However, they did have a new penciller this issue . . Aluir Amancio. The style is really not that much different, so I really don't think the artist is what changed my mind. However, in this issue, there is a lot more sexual overtone and innuendo. And maybe that's what peaked my interest. I'm not sure. But from this issue, you can tell there's a lot more going on with the Spirit, and Ellen, than we see on the surface. Plus, the Spirit comes out of his shell and makes some forward comments about this insurance adjuster's secretary. I didn't notice this kind of playfulness in any of the other issues. I like it. It adds a little more "adult" humor to the series. I'm still pretty bored with the themes. This issue it's a robbery / murder mystery that happens aboard a cruise ship. It was interesting, but fairly predictable. I still don't completely understand what the draw to this character is. I guess I just don't "get it". However, this issue was actually enjoyable. Unfortunately, with the price of gas being what it is, I do have to start thinking about where I'm going to start saving money from week to week. There may be some books coming out that I may have to drop. It's a sad reality of the times.

the Spirit #16 - DC

I have to be honest with you . . I almost fell asleep while reading this one. I found it to be completely boring. This one is a murder mystery, and while the answer wasn't the obvious one . . it was completely pulled out of left field. The most enjoyable part of the book . . I thought . . was Paul Smith's artwork. I really got into him back in the 80's, when he was hot, and then he did the X-Men for a little while. But, he really hasn't done anything noteworthy since then. I know I've said this the last 15 issues, but I really don't see what the appeal of this character is. Maybe because it was a different time when he was popular . . the world was in a different place. And, like I've also said, I know nostalgia is chic. But, I just don't get it. I'll probably stop getting this one pretty soon, because it seems like month after month I'm having a harder time having anything positive to say about it. I have huge props for Will Eisner. I just find this incarnation very lethargic.

the Spirit #15 - DC

Another chapter in the life of the Spirit. I'm still not sure what the appeal of this guy is. Maybe in the 50's when our police role-models were Barney Fife & Sheriff Taylor, but now? Now we expect a little more sophistication from our crime fighters. We have CSI teams all over the television. Law & Order shows on some channel, like every night of the week. And even the Sheriff in Eureka has some common sense and street smarts. Maybe it's the nostalgia thing. I could accept that, but, I don't know if it's enough of a draw to publish a book month after month. I will say that I actually like Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier's stories better. This issue Paul Smith does the art. It's not great, but it does keep in the same style as has been established throughout this run. I'm sorry, but to me, the Spirit just comes off as a goof . . a joke. I'm really only buying it because of my penchant . . . or obsession . . to have a complete run. I guess I'm hoping someday I can lump them together and sell them on E-Bay. Anyways, I read it. I don't get it. But I read it. I don't fault the creators because they're obviously doing what they've been told. Or, they're trying to make it look exactly like the old one. But to me, old-fashioned doesn't necessarily mean nostalgia. I'm sorry. I just can't get in to it.

the Spirit #14 - DC

Again, I'm a little surprised by a book. I really haven't been getting in to this book, to much, but this issue . . was a little bit different. This issue, the story was set up more like a detective story. I know. That's the essence of this book, but . . sometimes . . the goofiness, and moronic character of the Spirit kind of over-powers the rest of the story. I mean, I know this guy isn't the brightest bulb. But . . does he have to be a moron all of the time? This issue proved that he doesn't. Yes he's not necessarily the one that actually solves the crimes, all of the time. But, he is willing to take credit, and is involvement is always much more crucial in his own eyes. That's really the basis of the character. I think they were just playing him a little to silly in the beginning of this series. At least for me anyways. For me, the book always kind of felt like it was a sit-com, that really wasn't all that funny. Know what I mean? And I like it much better as a crime-drama, that's occasionally humorous. But like I said, that's just my opinion. Sergio Aragone's and Mark Evanier did the story this issue. Mike Ploog and Mark Farmer did the art. That quite a few big names on one little book. But it appears that the effort paid off this issue. Thanks guys.

the Spirit #13 - DC

Honestly, I'm still having a bit of a hard time getting in to this book. It was a little better this issue, because I had 3 different short stories to choose from. And, I especially liked the first one, because it was drawn by Eduardo Risso. He really is a fantastic talent. Also, it looks like they're going to be switching creators next issue. Cooke and Bone are leaving, and it looks like Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones and Mike Ploog are coming aboard. As well as Paul Smith. That's quite a list of names there. I can't believe that this book could draw upon such incredible talent. I guess it's just an homage to Will Eisner's incredible vision. I really do have respect for this book . . and this character. It's just, to me, it's kind of hard to get in to. It's usually a quick, fun read. But it just all seems kind of . . . old-fashioned. But, I guess, that's the intent. It's just not my cup of tea. But it does make me ask myself, when is someone going to start paying homage to Jack Kirby? And what character would they possibly do?