The Spirit

Probably two of my favorite non-DC or Marvel mystery men were Lee Falk's The Phantom and Will Eisner's The Spirit. Although, I suppose now both characters have been published in DC or Marvel in some form or another. Although, at times, not nearly as well done as the original. But it never is.

I'm really thrilled to be seeing the Spirit finally get the theatrical treatment. I love how they've given it that very Film Noir treatement of Sin City. It should be noted that Frank Miller is directing this film who also created Sin City and directed the film.

I was first introduced to the character and it's creator Will Eisner back in 1989 when I was given a copy of The Smithsonian Book of Comic Book Comics. Which I still have in my collection to this very day. The story that stood out was The Story of Gerhard Shnobble. What caught my attention was Will Eisner's artwork. After looking at both the artwork on the first Superman and first Batman stories, this was a huge departure from a lot of the comic art that was out at the time.

It was good!! It was stylish. I was pretty much into only cartoony sort of characters at the time, and what I really liked was the fact he seemed to blend a somewhat more realistic comic book style with a slightly cartoony look the characters.

At the time I was beginning to become disenchanted with cartoon characters and I wanted to do something more. In 1989 Tim Burton's Batman had just hit the theaters and besides that film I had started really becoming interested in comic books through two sources.

1.) A tattered copy of How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way given to me by my friend Jason Burtchell.

2.) My friend Michael Goodrow's comic book collection. At that point, I had never in my life seen a cedar chest full of comic books.

For me, the Spirit was a happy medium between my cartoony style and this new found appreciation for gritty comic book characters.

I also couldn't help thinking at the time "This would make a really great movie". I might have told a friend who fancied himself a filmmaker I thought this would make a grat film only to get scoffed by him tell me he thought the character was stupid and would not make a good film.

Hmmm? Let's see now. 19 years one kick ass looking film from one kick ass writer/director later WHO WAS RIGHT BITCH???

Sure, I really can't claim victory just yet. I haven't seen the film. But I'm really impressed with the way it looks. Honestly, it's a lot better than what I would have had in mind for the character.

What I like is it's different from the Batman and Iron Man films. Not saying anything bad about either of those films. They're great films and deserve the praise they have been given. I just like it when you have so many films like this coming out because it gives something for everyone.

And I can't wait to see a film that has been, in this once young and eager comic book fan's opinion, years in the making.

And for those of you who fancy yourselves well versed in all things comics, graphic novels and sequential art. Before you have anything derrogatory to say about anyone who suddenly comes to like the Spirit just because the only thing they know about the character is the movie SHUT UP!!

Don't act so high and mighty about it just because they don't know what Will Eisner was doing on August the 15th 1946 when inked panel four on page one and what sandwich he ate for lunch that day and every line of the working script he may or may not have been working on doing the story. Or haven't read a Spirit comic book a day in their life.

JUST SHUT UP!!

If that's their introduction to the Spirit and they only thing they know about the character, then so what?? It's a movie. It's meant to be enjoyed by everyone. Know-it-all's and novices alike.

So there!!