Spirit: June 2 - December 29, 1940

Library Journal

When Eisner (the comics legend for whom the Eisner Awards are named) was asked in 1939 to create a weekly comic-book supplement for Sunday newspaper syndication, he saw it as a chance to write for an adult audience and create more sophisticated work than comic books of the day usually featured. Thus was born The Spirit, which ran from 1940 to 1952 and became one of the most acclaimed classics of comics' Golden Age. The Spirit was a masked crime fighter, but Eisner, inspired by short story writers such as O. Henry, progressively focused less on the Spirit himself and more on the lives of the people he encountered. The stories in this volume, however, were created by Eisner's assistants while Eisner himself was in the army during World War II, and they're mainly routine adventures lacking in Eisner's experimentation, invention, and literary aspirations. At $49.95 a book, only the largest collections will want the entire series, which will run to 25 volumes. But most libraries should have some example of this celebrated work. Those wanting just one or a few volumes are advised to start at the beginning or with the upcoming Volume 12, in which Eisner resumes control and the series enters its mature phase. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.