The twenty-second volume of Will Eisner's The Spirit Archives offers up some of Eisner's best stories about his famous masked detective. Old enemies return as well as many of those folks who mean only good for our hero. But the series is poised for changes as Eisner will start to move away and increasingly rely on others to keep the series afloat.
A Time-Stop January 7, 1951
When an explosion in space stops the rotation of the Earth for a brief period, time stops. During that bizarre intermission on New Year's Eve no less, a Mr. Marc Tymely is saved from being executed by a vengeful thug named Ringo Sykes, and he learns that everyone save for himself is frozen in place. He uses his freedom of movement to commit an array of crimes before time starts again. What happens when time does restart creates a mystery for Commissioner Dolan and The Spirit to ponder.
Rife Magazine January 14, 1951
In a parody of Life Magazine, we get a series of images and captions which introduce the cast of The Spirit series, at least as perceived by the public. We get snapshots of The Spirit, Ellen Dolan, Commissioner Dolan, Silk Satin, P'Gell, Sand Saref, and others such as Darling O'Shea, Dick Whittler, Sammy and Willum, and even Mr. Carrion and Julia.
Future Death January 21, 1951
Professor Tempus J. Fugit enters the police station and confesses to the murder of The Spirit. It turns out though that the alleged murder took place in the future, specifically 1970. We have the pleasure of meeting a middle-aged Spirit, plump and happy with his wife Ellen and son Denny. We meet a retired Dolan after a lifetime of leading the police department. Then we witness the crime in a world free of guns, at least as described by the perpetrator. His attempts to find just punishment fall on deaf ears alas.
The Meanest Man in the World January 28, 1951
Splinter Weevil might well be the "meanest man in the world" but we are witness to his brutal upbringing and it's not difficult to understand where the cold hatred he has for the world originated. Finding no solace from a desolate family, he leaves to find success in criminal ventures, even murder. The Spirit is of course called upon to track down the villain. The teller of this tale might be a surprise.
Showdown February 4, 1951
We are told a story of how Commissioner Dolan gets a call and goes to confront the notorious Octopus, returned to his station as master of crime in Central City. The Spirit of course gets involved with the fight and a ferocious one it is, ending in the "death" of The Octopus himself. But the villain proves difficult to kill as a certain blind man in Central City can tell you.
The Octopus is Back February 11, 1951
When a Blind Man travels the streets and subways of Central City in search of The Octopus, he finds him. The reports of his death have been much exaggerated, but the doom possible for The Spirit seems all to possible when he falls into the vengeful clutches of his longtime enemy. As a reader, it's exceedingly nice to see the ultimate Spirit baddie return.
To Spirit with Love February 18, 1951
The Octopus seems to be behind the scheme by Mr. Carrion to undermine The Spirit by pretending to woo Mayor Ellen Dolan. But when Carrion really falls for the fetching Mayor, that creates a problem for The Octopus, and the two villains come to a parting of the ways with exceedingly violent results. The Spirit for his part is mad with jealousy and the idea of marriage to Ellen resurfaces after quite some time.
The Portier Fortune February 25, 1951
A French detective name DuFrane shows up to investigate the possible theft of the Portier jewels and finds murder as well as the always gorgeous P'Gell. It seems that P'Gell might well be guilty of the murder and she is arrested, but things are not what they seem as usual and it takes the keen senses of The Spirit to discover the truth of the matter, though P'Gell herself is far from helpless. Much of this tale is a reprint from an earlier 1946 adventure.
Death is My Destiny March 4, 1951
This story is told from the point of view of a special gun made by Amos File, an honest gunsmith for two hoods named Enoch Vane and his henchman Smiley. File is forced to make the untraceable gun and curses it with his dying breath. The Spirit gets involved in hunting down the men who killed File and who plan to use the gun to silence another hood who is scheduled to testify against them. The reader never doubts the curse will play out. This is a revised and redrawn story from 1942.
The Case of the Double Jones March 11, 1951
Joe Jones began his criminal career in the gold fields of Alaska where he murdered his partner after a strike. He encounters his exact duplicate, a man also named Joe Jones and the two become entwined throughout what remains of their lives. Later Jones murders his new wife to get her fortune and eventually he moves to Central City where The Spirit becomes interested in his behavior. The doppleganger Jones always is around to save the original.
Darling and the Octopus March 18, 1951
The Spirit pursues The Octopus to a remote Florida island, but things get exceedingly complicated when that turns out to be an island which has been bought by Darling O'Shea, the very wealthy but very spoiled young girl. Her encounter with the deadly Octopus turns out to be a hair-raising event for the villain as O'Shea might well be his match. Andre LeBlanc worked on the backgrounds.
Damsels in Distress March 25, 1951
Officer Klink attempts to teach two young boys about respect for the police with a story from his early days on the force. The story is actually a reprise of an earlier Spirit story from 1947 and tells how Klink was in competition with The Spirit and falls into the clutches of the gorgeous P'Gell and her spritely daughter Saree. Getting to the bottom of a crime is hard for a cop when he cannot take his eyes off the culprit. As it turns out the boys are already respectful of the cops for a particular reason.
The Last Prowl of Mephisto April 1, 1951
The Devil comes to Central City under the name of Lucifer T. Mephisto and is eager to snatch up a few souls. When Mayor Ellen Dolan gets fed up with the sexist comments of The Spirit it's into the cab of Mephisto that she lands. This leads her to end up in the hideout of the Hambo Mob who are upset with Mayor Dolan for her relentless pursuit of them. The Spirit shows up to save the day and round up the gang, and Mephisto finds out that gathering souls in the modern world is complicated. This story was likely inked by James Dixon.
Destiny for Johnny Buffalo April 8, 1951
A young boy in a coonskin cap named Walkalong Haggerty rides his tricycle in relentless pursuit of owlhoots and spots The Spirit and follows him as he is on the trail of the wanted criminal Johnny Buffalo. It's a wild ride for all concerned as the youngster hunts down his prey with implacable energy, that is until he finally needs a nap.
Time Bomb April 15, 1951
A political fixer and operator of the Escape Travel Agency named Pinnacle and his minion Fingle are attempting to blackmail Commissioner Dolan. It appears that they might be successful, but Dolan shows up not with money but a bomb and demands a confession by a certain time or its curtains. Meanwhile The Spirit is desperately attempting to round up the gang before the deadline.
Hobart April 22, 1951
Hobart is a happy but silent hermit who has found a happy life away from society. His paradise is invaded by a gangster named The Commodore and his trio of henchmen. The also bring The Spirit with them, as they have captured our hero. The Commodore imagines that Hobart must be a villain also, hiding from the police and attempts to bribe him but Hobart has no use for money save to burn it to start a fire. When The Spirit does get loose things really break out in some hectic action.
Help Wanted April 29, 1951
Commissioner Dolan is flummoxed when a man named Lester who looks just like him shows up and offers to stand in for him. When he rejects the offer the other man shaves him and takes his place while Dolan cools his heels in jail. Meanwhile the man's brother Ed also turns out to look just like Dolan and with three identical men it proves a real challenge for The Spirit to get to the bottom of the case, especially since the first bogus Dolan fired him from the force.
The Facts May 6, 1951
In this strange tale of alien invasion, we are introduced to Mr. Carrion's nephew named Ghoul. Ghoul is a prolific inventor and has not only a rocket but also concocts a TV which picks up transmissions from Mars and when the Martians find out they are under scrutiny they come to Earth to take action. The Spirit is the only member of the police force to take the situation seriously, but even after it's all said and done his colleagues still imagine he's been on a fool's errand. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon.
The Hero May 13, 1951
Henry J. Timeclock was a quiet unassuming man who was far from king of his castle and was forced to commute to work on a relentless schedule to a job of drudgery. But he was not a complainer until he tries to get a seat on his train and finds himself caught up in a robbery, one which The Spirit is attempting to thwart. When Henry finds himself aboard a runaway train with death and mayhem the only result, he becomes a hero, but will anyone ever know. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon.
The 7th Husband May 20, 1951
The lovely P'Gell is at it again with her seventh husband, this one named Ellis Murdoch is a shipping magnate and he even names a ship after his new bride just before the ship sails with a cargo of guns headed for a warlord named King Kwang in the Far East. Aboard the S.S. P'Gell is The Spirit who hopes to stop the illicit transaction and though he succeeds he finds himself stranded in a distant land. Eisner drew this one with inks by Jim Dixon.
King Kwang May 27, 1951
Stranded in the Far East, The Spirit finds himself up against the warlord King Kwang, a brutal military revolutionary who returns to his home village and his mother with his cruel army bent on putting the people into servitude. He closes the school and dismisses the teacher Yuang, and then has a happy reunion with his very proud mother. Then news of government reprisal reaches Kwang's ears, and he prepares to wreck the train to stop his loss of power. The Spirit gets involved despite his best efforts. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon.
The Thing in the Jungle June 3, 1951
Still trying to make his way across the continent to a seaport, The Spirit hooks up with big-game hunter Travail. Travail is a cruel man who is relentless in his pursuit of his prey, this time a legendary creature known as "The Thing". His traps are useless as The Thing proves too intelligent and surprisingly too gentle to trap easily. By story's end Travail is a changed man and The Spirit is once again on the road to home...eventually. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon.
Wanchu June 10, 1951
The Spirit finds himself in the remote village of Wanchu after an encounter with rebels in the mountains. He finds Wanchu ruled by Warlord Loo - The Morning Lotus, a lovely but cruel woman who is keen to oppress the local population. But she and her men are confident that their advantage in arms will secure them from the rebel attacks. When The Spirit discovers the true nature of the situation he decides to alter the balance of power. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon.
Khyber Bill June 17, 1951
After a single panel where we learn that the Dolans and Sammy have been monitoring as best they can The Spirit's progress, we get the story of Khyber Bill and his son Willy, two British mercenaries. They work for the Rajah of Opagjore, and he wants them to make sure that Lamasery of the Holy Ones is brought down so as to not pose a threat to his power. The Spirit takes up their cause and after the death of the Rajah, things really amp up. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon. Eisner did touch ups to the faces of the last several sections as well.
School is Out June 24, 1951
Our scene shifts back to Central City, but The Spirit is not yet home. The only glimpse we get is his small image on a newspaper suggesting he might well be dead. Instead we are treated to the return of Ebony White who celebrates the end of the school season with his best girl Liz and two other friends by setting sail on a cruise of adventure out to sea. In classic Tom Sawyer fashion, the kids imagine a grander adventure than the one they actually take with Ebony imagining he's solving a jewel heist as well. When he finds a cache of crabapple jelly, he might be closer to the solution than he thinks. The cops of Central City welcome him back...eventually. The art is by Klaus Nordling and Jim Dixon.
This is not the strongest volume in the run by any means. Eisner pet project is beginning to lose readership and he's refocusing his efforts elsewhere. The running of marginally revised vintage tales speaks to the lack of energy to create something new, and the art begins to lose its vigor as well. The Eisner gloss is still there on most stories, but he layouts and storytelling are becoming somewhat pedestrian. It's a shame that not more was done with Ellen Dolan's run as Mayor in this sequence, but perhaps next time. Sammy and Willum disappear and by the final story Ebony has returned. If it's for good remains to be seen.
We take a look at the last half of 1951, the penultimate year of the series in the next volume in a few weeks' time. While the general quality of the series is slipping there are highlights still to enjoy.
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