The Best of the Best.

The Best of the Spirit
Writer: Will Eisner
Penciler: Will Eisner

In December, DC released a trade containing 22 Spirit stories from the master of comics, Will Eisner.

The Spirit is one of the most influental comics of all time. Not only did it launch the great career of Will Eisner, but it also helped comics to be taken more seriously, all while inspiring a nation of youths, such as Frank Miller ( All-Star Batman and Robin) and Neil Gaimen (American Gods, Sandman). In this collection, DC re-prints 22 of the all-time greatest Spirit stories, including The Origin of the Spirit, The Killer, and Sand Saref.

The book begins with a forward written by the aforementioned Neil Gaiman. Gaiman begins the book with the story of how The Spirit influenced and his own life. Just a New York Times best selling author calling the book a masterpiece would be enough for most stories, but not one of this caliber.

The first story we're treated to is, as expected, The Origin of the Spirit, in which a young criminologist named Denny Colt faces off with Dr. Cobra. Colt is thrown in a puddle of a strange chemical after a scuffel with the not-so-good Doctor. As it turns out, Denny Colt isn't actually dead, but rather unconscious. He manages to come back and get his revenge upon Dr. Cobra and his goons.

I'm going to be honest and say I didn't like this story very much. Eisner's art is fantastic and he manages to create incredibly life-like characters that still maintain a cartoon feel. My problem isn't with the art though, but rather the writing. The dialogue seems forced and not well thought out, especially when compared to Eisner's later work. Of course, once you make it through the origin, the rest of the book is absolutely fantastic.

Eisner's work really shines through in stories like Ten Minutes and The Story of Gerhard Shnobble, which features characters besides The Spirit as the lead. Instead, we are treated to tales of ordinary men trying to make their way through an ordinary world. Will Eisner's ability to create realistic characters really shines through here. I won't spoil anything, but you really feel for the characters as if you actually knew them.

After you make it through the origin story, you won't want to put the book back down. Eisner will suck you into a world with great characters, fantastic stories, and beautiful women. If you see this sitting on a shelve somewhere, buy it, read it, and love it.

Story: 9/10
Art: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Humor: 5/10
Action: 7/10
Entertainment Value: 10/10
Overall: 9/10 (Very Good)