The Spirit Archives, Volume 19, July 3 to December 25, 1949
The 1949 stories in the latest volume of vintage Spirit exploits catch the masked crime fighter nine years into the series. Eisner, ever inventive, was still finding ways to keep things fresh, and a four-week arc sees the hero wandering exotic Pacific islands. There are some signs that Eisner may have been wearying of his headliner. In many tales here, including the celebrated "Ten Minutes," which counts down the final moments of a young man's life, the Spirit barely makes an appearance. As always, Eisner's much-imitated "cartoon noir" style finds him moving seamlessly from broad humor to high melodrama.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved