The trek has been long and even a bit expensive, but we have at long last reached the sweet creamy center of epic Spirit run by Will Eisner. Eisner returned from his time in the military ready to hit the ground running. With the assistance of Jack Spranger, Eisner proceeds to tell some of the finest comic book stories ever committed to paper. Hold onto your Fedoras amigos, this is going to get good.
Dulcet Tone July 7, 1946
The alluring Dulcet Tone comes to Central City and takes over the black-market rackets which are driving up expenses for the war-weary citizens. She takes over from two hoods named Monks and Foxy. She uses her feminine wiles to cajole these two dopes to help her mine the entry to the docks to prevent the Spirit from bringing in supplies to help break the back of the black market's grip. But Dulcet fails to anticipate the frustrations of Skinny Bones, a woman betrayed. The story is enhanced by a strange little ditty which will morph into "Ev'ry Little Bug!" by Gam, a piano player who plays it again and again.
The Postage Stamp, July 14, 1946
He's here at last! The Octopus, the King of Crime arrives in the surprise sequel to last issue's tale. Dulcet Tone survived and is invited by The Octopus to join his worldwide network of crime. The Spirit is about to intrude but is sapped by the returning Satin, now an agent of the United Nations. The duo race to track down a letter which purports to hold valuable information for lawmen about the operations of The Octopus. Both the Spirit and Satin want the information.
A Legend July 28, 1948
We turn our attention to the Catskill Mountains and Eisner does a delightful job of invoking mutated versions of Native American myth. Manitou it seems still exists and wants The Spirit to take charge of a great treasure. This First People's spirit finds a man he can trust. He is assisted by Iroquois a tall and dour Indian who takes more than one for the team. Add in a hood named Sol Grundy and you have a whopper of a yarn, one that seems a bit like Washington Irving meets Raymond Chandler.
The Spirit of Enterprise July 28, 1948
Ebony White takes a bigger role as he tries to make it big in the underwater pen business thanks to his Cousin Suremoney. Turns out these pens, along with some machine guns are being plundered by underwater villains. Gangsters turn on one another in murderous fashion throughout this bloody saga of greed and death. While The Spirit is battling hoods, Ellen Dolan finds she has enough problems with a certain FBI agent named Mr. Handy.
Who Killed Cox Robin? August 4, 1946
This presents itself as a classic armchair detective outing when Commissioner Dolan challenges The Spirit to uncover the killer of the female blackmailer Cox Robin. Dolan claims that all the evidence is on hand. Meanwhile Ellen Dolan and Ebony White furiously attempt to track down the main suspect in the crime, a thug named Quiqly. The Spirit for his part does find the real villain.
The Case of the Inner Voice August 11, 1946
Maurice Maywee claims to hear a voice in his head. It is the voice of his former partner in crime, a chap named Andre Douchard. The two fought together in the Spanish Civil War, but Maywee betrayed Douchard over a buried hoard of treasure and has been haunted by his voice since. We learn this when Maywee tells his sordid tale to The Spirit, but his inclination for betrayal is not done.
Distinguished Men Prefer Borschtbelt's Buttermilk August 18, 1946
Pixie Powers and Singapore Smythe are two swindlers who trade roles. Pixie is down on his luck, but has a map for a gold mine while Singapore has a successful career as the advertising face of Borshtbelt's Buttermilk. The men trade a map for a career, and we see that fortune changes course. The Spirit sends Ebony to investigate the theft of a few blank stock forms. Eisner has quite a bit to say here about how success is a whimsical thing.
Smuggler's Cove August 25, 1946
This is effectively a silent story, a pantomime in which Ebony and P.S. Smith play pirate as they also listen to a radio show about pirates. The events in the show echo uncannily events which happen to our duo when they fall into the clutches of a real pirate bent on stealing from a gambling ship named "Casino". It's a very clever bit of storytelling and Eisner is absolutely committed to it. The Spirit gets involved to save the boys.
Olga Bustle in Outcast September 1, 1946
Olga Bustle is a send-up of the curvaceous Jane Russell. She and her agent conspire to finagle a contest which will elevate Olga's fame, but the plan is stalled when she discovers The Spirit, who has been shanghaied and sent to the same island in a box by Mr. Dusk and his crew. This is a fun story, but it's hard to take your eyes off of Olga's "Big, Big Eyes!". Not that that's a bad thing.
The Vortex September 8, 1946
Actor Adam pretends to be The Spirit in an effort to do away with our hero and take his place. His madness is revealed when he guns down his own paramour Flossy. Adam finds that being The Spirit is a tough gig indeed when he tries to shakedown a gang who proceed to beat him up. The Vortex awaits us all.
Back to School September 15, 1946
Ebony and P.S. Smith agree to help Brains Brown learn all about crime, but mistaken identity has the trio tracking down the local truant officer who himself is after them. At the same time, Boss Bubble has had his gang busy undermining and then crashing in local school buildings. presumably to get the chance to rebuild for big bucks from the city...I think.
The Citizen's Committee September 22, 1946
Boss Bubble doesn't stay in jail long, and when he gets out on bail, he tries to use the "Solid Citizen's Committee" and Commissioner Dolan to bring down The Spirit. When it appears that Central City's Number One Crimefighter has gunned down Dolan, the Committee get cold feet. Ebony for his part is rather frustrated by how events unfold in the end.
The Policeman's Ball September 29, 1946
When The Spirit escorts a dolled-up charwoman named Gussie to the Policeman's Ball it at first makes Ellen angry but when steps in to woo away Gussie, she and the Spirit dance the night away. Meanwhile some gangsters are seeking to rig the Pennyweight Championship boxing match for kids, by bringing in a ringer to battle P.S. Smith. We learn Smith's real name is "Algernon", and Ebony makes a plea to readers to send in a manlier name, but nothing more is heard.
Meet P'Gell October 6, 1946
This is Eisner's Casablanca. P'Gell is a beautiful and scheming woman from the slums of Paris who survives by attaching herself to powerful and wealthy men. She is ruthless, and she is always looking to improve her lot in life. When the Nazis fall, she sees that it's time to turn over her Nazi husband, and then she tries to turn that into safety in America. When The Spirit refuses, but he instead tries to get Kalkov Formula for extended life to America instead she plots to have him stopped. We know that this will not be the last time we meet the beguiling P'Gell.
The Heart of Rosie Lee October 13, 1946
Ebony is hopelessly in love with Rosie Lee, so much so that when an X-Ray shows she has no heart, he offers to have his transplanted to save her. All of this goes down while The Spirit and Commissioner Dolan are attempting to get behind the scenes of a fraudulent doctor who is hawking fake medicines to the public. The story ends with echoes of The Grinch by Dr. Seuss. "Ev'ry Little Bug!" makes another appearance as the song grows again.
Artemus Peap October 20, 1946
Artemus Peap is a bold gangster who profile evokes Charlie Chaplin He makes good on his claims to have an army of escaped criminals and murderers at his beck and call, and his reign of terror nearly brings Central City to its knees. The counter-attack designed by Commissioner Dolan and The Spirit forces Peap to make desperate choices to save his skin. This story is a more whimsical version of the extended saga of The Spirit's trip to the Moon which ran some years later toward the end of the Section's run.
The Haunt October 27, 1946
Where you find ghosts, you find smugglers and black marketeers. Mister Codjer is such a greedy pirate, who is using his wealth to wring even more money from desperate people after the war. Meanwhile the housing shortage has caused the supernatural community to feel the pinch, so they ramp up the effort to drive out two of Codjer's agents. Also, Ebony and his two allies, the Smith brothers try to find out where the black marketeers are located. Justice is served.
Beagle's Second Chance November 3, 1946
A swindler named Beagle is mysteriously released after capture. It turns out that the Spirit owes this criminal a debt. Beagle refuses to leave town and instead continues to fleece veterans with phony storefronts, emboldened by his dealings with The Spirit. Ebony and Ellen take up the slack in the case as The Spirit seeks to help one of Beagle's victims. Several of these post-war Eisner tales have dealt with scams which were set up to ensnare veterans.
Caramba!! November 10, 1946
Deep in the jungle of Brazil is Caramba, a mysterious city which has become a haven for criminals interested in using slave labor and a new rubber formula to make themselves rich. The leader is a man named Kazar. The Spirit seeks Caramba so that he can take the deadly whip-wielding Pantha Stalk back to Central City to face justice. A mysterious servant proves deadly to many in this remote but highly dangerous city.
Return to Caramba November 17, 1946
After barely surviving his first trek to Caramba, The Spirit returns, this time with Ebony in tow when he learns that The Octopus is seeking to use the remote city as his capitol of world crime. The always-unseen Octopus is a deadly opponent, and The Spirit's mission is made all the more so when he finds himself followed by a bearded stranger.
Coot Gallus November 24, 1946
The political machine of Central City is driven to murder when a mysterious hobo named Coot Gallus wins a Congressional race and proves to be beyond their influence as he works diligently to serve his constituents. One man in particular, a Mr. Pilch is intent on removing Gallus if he cannot bend him to his will. There has always been the flavor of corruption and graft in Eisner's Spirit tales, but it's especially heinous in this yarn, one which speaks to the current day.
The Portier Fortune December 1, 1946
P'Gell comes to Central City for the first time in this story of deceit, lust and greed. She has a key given to her for a strongbox filled with the Portier family fortune. A detective in in pursuit, but there's more to him than meets the eye, or is there. It's clear that readers and Eisner like this new femme fatale, a woman who is absolute catnip for wealthy men. The Spirit, still nursing a wounded arm from the previous adventure steps in to help wind things up.
The Killer December 8, 1946
Eisner literally takes us behind the eyes of a killer. Appearing to be a mild-mannered chap, we learn there is more to the man named Henry. He found only oppression and disdain before he was drafted where circumstances cast him as the American leader of a French Resistance cell. Henry thrived in this new role and was sad to return to his humdrum life. Trained to kill, he finds civilian life oppressive, and he takes actions. Eisner is addressing the difficult nature of getting soldier back into normal life as well as the need for civilians to understand.
The Van Gaull Diamonds December 15, 1946
The gang's all here in this story about diamonds stolen from Europe and which bounce around from one wannabe thief to another. Satin is in town both for the diamonds and to rescue her adopted kid Hildie. Ebony and Hildie work together when he frees her. An actor named Sterling Steel is wooing Ellen but has his eyes on the gems as well. We get some more for "Ev'ry Little Bug" as sung by Bucken Wing.
The Christmas Spirit - A Fable December 22, 1946
Idealism is on the table as Eisner offers up a fable of "Three Wise Men" who are presented with choices which will impact the peace and prosperity of the entire world. The Spirit for his part withdraws from the action, allowing the spirit of the Christmas season to take over for a day. Dolan must follow the criminal Gooly Brothers on his own. Santa even makes an appearance. Eisner offers up the opportunity to see the world free of war and poverty. The choice was ours to make in that time.
A Moment of Destiny December 29, 1946
It is fun to see Will Eisner reclaim his domain. The stories here are strong and getting two new characters like P'Gell and the Octopus is no small addition to a series gearing up constantly. We are in the very heart of what fans love about The Spirit. I'm eager to read the next one.
1947 will see the series open up even more. And we get more P'Gell!
I haven't read "The Haunt" yet but that witch on the first page looks like a possible ancestor for Hazel P. Macbeth.
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