The Spirit Archives Volume Twenty-Three!

In the twenty-third volume of Will Eisner's The Spirit Archives we near the end of the run and will witness Eisner stepping away from his creation again. This time it will not be the war that forces him to leave the weekly supplement but rather the fact that business is better in other areas. Talents such as Jules Feiffer, Klaus Nordling and James Dixon will be left to keep the Central City fires burning for a bit longer. 

A Ticket Home July 1, 1951

The Spirit is desperate to get back to Central City after a long odyssey in Asia and so accepts passage on a flight arranged by P'Gell out of a country seeking to imprison all foreigners. But the ever-treacherous P'Gell in typical fashion is playing both sides against the middle for her own benefit and she and The Spirit end up aboard a plane lost at sea, a plane neither of them can fly. This was both written and drawn by Klaus Nordling. 

The Loot of Robinson Crusoe June 8, 1951

Stranded on a remote island with a gorgeous woman like P'Gell seems an attractive prospect for any typical man, but The Spirit is always on the alert for his female ally to turn the tables on him as they both seek food and shelter on the island. It turns out the island is not quite deserted and fact that both pearls and diamonds seem to be scattered about only increases the motives for deceit and danger as the duo seek rescue. This was both written and drawn by Klaus Nordling with inks by James Dixon. 

Heat July 15, 1951

During a heatwave The Spirit lies largely helpless in an alley while the city's activities unfold all around him. He has been wounded in a battle against the minions of The Octopus. Since we know our hero will survive it is little surprise when his limp form is eventually discovered. This one was written by Jules Fieffer and drawn by Eisner with James Dixon inks. 

Quiet July 22, 1951

The Spirit is in hospital recuperating from his wounds suffered at the hands of the mob of The Octopus. The villain sends three killers to finish the job while both Commissioner Dolan and Mayor Dolan visit our hero, who must take matters into his recovering mitts to save his life. This was written and drawn by Klaus Nordling with James Dixon inks. 

Veta Bara July 29, 1951

Commissioner Dolan resigns and we discover that he does so because he's been torn between his duty to uphold the law and his infatuation with a lovely woman named Veta Bara who in all likelihood murdered her husband. The Spirit seeks enough evidence to reopen her trial, while Dolan succumbs for a time to her ample charms. This was written by Jules Fieffer and drawn by Will Eisner with possible input from Klaus Nordling. James Dixon supplies the inks. 

The Return of the Narcissus August 5, 1951

The Spirit tells a tale of his time before he returned from the Far East. He ends up at a remote location called the Copra Outpost and is there when a ship called The Narcissus arrives, a mere thirty-three years late to the day. He boards this spooky craft and explores it finally chancing upon the ship's log which details a mutiny which left the ship, its captain and passengers helpless before a hurricane. Now The Spirit is in possession of the log despite being told it was impossible. Most likely written by Klaus Nordling with art by James Dixon. 

The Foxtrot Poll August 12, 1951

The target is television, specifically color television and we are treated to a Spirit story fashioned like a TV show with commercials and all. Commissioner Dolan is being interviewed by host Bert Smirk about The Spirit's attempt to crack a diamond smuggling ring which just so happens to involve his childhood love Sand Saref. Included in this story are ads for Gunny Sack Tobacco and Contour Blades made of rubber. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by Eisner with Dixon inks. 

Night on the Waterfront August 19, 1951

The mob is making a huge effort to gain control of the docks and it's up to Commissioner Dolan, The Spirit and the rest of the police force to help stop this gangster takeover. The mob moves with military precision, and despite more than a few blows to his famously tough noggin, The Spirit is able to infiltrate and help block the takeover. Most likely written by Klaus Nordling with art by James Dixon. 

Deacon Mantis August 26, 1951

Deacon Mantis is a fire and brimstone preacher from the hill country outside Central City, a preacher who leaves his mountain flock to go to Central City to confront sin there. He's taken in by pickpockets Light Touch and Fingers who use the crowds his booming messages assemble to ply their illicit trade without his knowledge. When he learns that his devout messages have been so corrupted Mantis calls down divine doom on the "vermin" of Central City, and then he returns to the hills. It might be a coincidence that every gangster in the city drops dead, or maybe not. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

Dance of the Bullfighter September 2, 1951

Bull Faraday tells the story of Francesca and her Dance of the Bullfighter. Faraday becomes her manager and eventually falls in love with the entrancing dancer, who it turns out might well be a murderer. He helps to cover for her most recent crime, and despite repeated questioning by The Spirit continues to help prod Francesca's career. Eventually she dances with a real bull, always it seems seeking greater danger. If justice is eventually done is left for the reader to decide. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

Dr. Schyzoid September 9, 1951

While The Spirit and Commissioner Dolan furiously attempt to bring some jewel thieves to justice, a Dr. Schyzoid analyzes the action and suggests deep-seated psychological conditions explain The Spirit's relentless desire to see justice done as well as to why he hides his identity behind a mask. The villains too are examined as is Dolan. Everyone in the story, which plays out behind Schyzoid's back on a stage come under his professional scrutiny. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

The Counterfeit Killer September 16, 1951

Things get hot for The Spirit and for Commissioner Dolan when a handsome fellow turns up in Central City claiming to be Denny Colt. Not only must The Spirit get to the bottom of the mystery of the man who has stolen his identity, but Commissioner Dolan must answer for why he has allowed the estate of Colt to be used over the many years since Denny's seeming demise. When the stranger is killed, Dolan suspects The Spirit might be responsible and soon the law takes its course. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

Stony Keefer September 23, 1951

We learn the story of Stony Keefer, a man who is a contract killer for the mob and the patient of Dr. Silken Floss. Keefer falls in love with Floss and when he's contracted to kill her, he finds that his professionalism as a criminal, clashes with his romantic desire. It's a thorny problem for the professional hitman and explains why the story begins with Keefer atop a trash heap. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

The Decline and Fall of the Roamin' Umpire September 30, 1951

In a quite funny parody of Casey and the Bat we are treated to a baseball game in which The Spirit, Commissioner Dolan and sundry police officers play against convicts, a literal "Murderer's Row". The umpire is a convict as well and his decisions behind the plate suggest he's a less than fair arbiter of the game. The cops have a hard time scoring until at last, The Spirit strikes out with explosive results. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

The Suicide Town October 7, 1951

Weepsdale is a town that loses control when a corrupt contractor commits suicide, but circumstances suggest might have been murdered. When suspicion falls on his honest rival, the citizens choose to take the law into their own hands and justice loses as does the entire town when their actions result in a ferocious fire. We get the story from a young accountant who is confessing his particular sins to The Spirit. Written by Klaus Nordling with art by James Dixon. 

Tiny Buttrix October 14, 1951

Tiny Buttrix is a tough young woman who demands help from the police and The Spirit when she feels she's being followed and someone is harassing her boyfriends. The Spirit's investigation uncovers a secret fund, a brutal young fellow who loves a sap, and a gangster fresh from jail with a potent secret. Bullets fly tragically as this story winds its way to a conclusion. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

A Guide to Clean Living October 21, 1951

We are treated to seventeen tips for clean and healthy living all the time seeing in pantomime The Spirit pursue a gang of thugs in an attempt to bring them to justice. The battle rages in ironic counterpoint to the suggestions in this parody of a public service pamphlet. The artwork is weird in this one as everyone seems to have very short legs, either intentionally or more likely in an attempt to fit the visuals in above the text. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

A Perfect Crime Plot October 28, 1951

Young Marvin is a man who has always it seems gotten the blame for things he didn't do. This creates a bitterness in him and eventually he develops a fantasy of committing a terrible crime which he will get away with. When he's brought in for questioning for a bank robbery, he's innocent of, he chooses to leave town, but not before being pursued by The Spirit who suspects him of having stolen a painting. When an opportunity to commit his perfect crime presents itself Marvin submits, but as you might suspect justice does offer an ironic solution. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

Claymore's Castle Curse November 4, 1951

When a young man returns to Claymore Castle to claim his inheritance, the past rears up and he's soon caught in a squeeze between gangsters wanting the riches hidden in the castle and a strange beast which haunts the grounds of the ancient estate. The Spirit and Commissioner Dolan are called in by Scotland Yard when a murder occurs on the grounds. Written by Klaus Nordling with art by James Dixon. 

Vote for Scallion November 11, 1951

When a man named Frank disappoints his wife Elly with the news that newly elected governor Scallion will not give him a much-needed job in his administration, Frank takes steps to revenge himself on the false friend from his old neighborhood. The Spirit and Commissioner Dolan are called upon to supply police protection for the parade celebrating the new governor's election when violence breaks out. One is hard-pressed not to think of the tragic assassination of JFK when reading this 1951 yarn. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

Baleful Buddha November 18, 1951

This is a reprise of a previous Spirit tale titled "The Bucket of Blood". An undertaker appears from nowhere at the bar the Bucket of Blood where hoods battle over possession of a mysterious idol which presumably grants its owner ultimate protection from harm. As the criminals fight it out, The Spriit arrives to take them into custody and gets a solid beating for his trouble. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

The League of Liars November 25, 1951

We learn of a scheme concocted by The Octopus to steal six million dollars-worth of securities through three different small essays written by Mr. Carrion, P'Gell and The Octopus himself. Each writes down why they hate The Spirit the most, and in each case it reveals how our hero foils his or her part in the robbery. Mr. Carrion's attempt to be a lookout fails when Julia is compromised by love, P'Gell is frustrated when The Spirit rejects her advances, and The Octopus is finally put behind bars. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

The Man from Mars December 2, 1951

Mr. RZL is a man from Mars, but he looks like a man of Earth. He comes to Earth to bring a message of peace, but his arrival ignites a hysterical wave of fear and hate which ultimately undermines his mission and brings about a change in the Martian himself. The Spirit comes to believe that Mr. RZL is what he claims to be, but others are skeptical. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by James Dixon. 

The Balloons December 9, 1951

Madness overtakes a brilliant professor who ultimately kills. In this story which reprises an earlier Spirit yarn we follow Professor Hormone as he prepares his experiments in balloons to evaluate the upper atmosphere. An assistant named Phip proves to be a singular burden to Hormone and eventually rage gets the better of the Professor. Commissioner Dolan and The Spirit are left to divine the truth of the crime six months after the crime. Most likely written by Klaus Nordling with art by Manny Stallman. 

The Spirit Gets Older December 16, 1951

When The Spirit gets shot that's nothing new, but when he's told his age is requiring him to take longer and longer to recover, he begins to rethink his approach to crimefighting. When he goes to track down his attempted murderer, our hero takes a ferocious beating, and we are left to wonder if a domestic life might be what's best if he's to keep on being healthy. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by Don Perlin. 

Christmas Spirit - Joe Fix December 23, 1951

Joe Fix is contracted by Lucifer himself to wage a war on Christmas. Fix is notorious for "fixing" things and he uses his influence and bribes to change the public's opinion of Santa Claus, causing even children (as evidenced by a rare appearance of Sammy and Willum) to doubt the old elf's goodness. In a campaign which puts public pressure to ruin the holiday Fix is promised a cool million dollars, but as we see The Spirit and the Christmas Spirit win out. Written by Jules Feiffer with art by Manny Stallman. 

Joshua Blows His Horn December 30, 1951

When a drunken New Year's Even celebrant imagines he's Joshua and blows his horn the walls of a bank actually do tumble to the ground. Gathering up the revealed wealth the drunk wanders off only to be waylaid by two thugs named Prosper and Rathbone. They are pursued by The Spirit who is still recovering from wounds suffered a few weeks before and take refuge in a holiday party, but unwisely choose one attended by the police. This one features a rare appearance by P.S. Smith. Most likely written by Klaus Nordling with art by Manny Stallman. 

Eisner's absence hurts the series no doubt, but that doesn't mean there are not still entertainments to be had. The artwork of James Dixon is a far cry from Eisner's lush look, but it did remind me of one of my favorite artists -- Sam Grainger. Grainger was primarily an inker, but he had a wistful style that was much like Dixon's in many ways. The nagging theme of The Spirit's age seems to be the creators commenting on the very nature of the strip itself, as not only is the hero showing signs of age, so is the series and attempts to rejuvenate it are starting to fail. But The Spirit was not dead yet.

Next time we wrap up long run of The Spirit with the final volume dedicated to the Spirit Sections. It's an over-sized affair showcasing all the stories for the final year of 1952. See you in a fortnight. 

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Alter Ego Day!

Roy Thomas was for many years my favorite writer. His work on The Avengers completely won me over. Roy was Stan Lee's hand-picked successor to the Marvel empire, but after a few years he dropped those duties to concentrate on Conan the Barbarian. Later he jumped to DC, and there went about creating a completely detailed narrative of DC's WWII years in the pages of All-Star Squadron. Roy's work with Alter-Ego began in the late 90's and I've followed every issue since. But that was not the first Alter-Ego. 

In the 1960's Alter Ego was a trail-blazing fanzine and in the 1970's it reappeared as a fascinating prozine. In the 1980's it changed once again and became the very thing which it once viewed with historical perspective, critical acumen and fanboy fervor. It became a comic book. In the 80's as we know the comic industry changed and the newsstands gave way to the comic book shop as the main means of delivering comics into the still oft sweaty hands of its readership, and with that change came many a new company to fill the expanded racks. Pacific, Capitol, Eclipse, AC, and many others. But for my money for a tiny time the cream seemed to be First Comics hailing out of Chicago, a company which seemed to combine the knew attitudes toward talent with a substantial business model. Turns out it was less impressive than I'd imagined and went away faster than I expected, but during its time among the many titles such as  a revived E-Man, Starslayer, Mars, and ground-breaking American Flagg was a humble little limited series with a famous name -- Alter Ego. 

Roy Thomas, an original contributor and eventual publisher of the fanzine Alter Ego got the rights to the name and using a concept he'd imagined back in the misty days of the Sliver Age, brought together a gaggle of public domain superheroes to form a "Limbo Legion" which was to led by a boy turned superman named "Alter Ego". The details are immense for a four-issue series as is the wont of a Roy Thomas effort. The artwork by Ron Harris is adequate to the task but just and is immensely helped by the addition of inker Rich Burhett on the final two issues. 

A boy named Ron Lindsay finds a comic shop and canny eye-patch wearing owner who gifts him a box of Golden Age comics. Soon that shop is destroyed and we discover the owner was none other than Captain Combat (a new name for the hero Captain Battle). In the box is a mask which when worn turns the wearer into the other-dimensional Alter Ego, a superhero of great powers who leads the likes of Skyboy (Airboy), Holy Terror (Black Terror), Scarlet Streak (Silver Streak), and other against the villain Scarlet Claw (The Claw) and his henchmen Rockjaw (Ironjaw), Uriah Heap (The Heap), and Emerald Empress (Green Sorceress) among others. 

It of course turns out there is much more to the story when we learn that the origins of the Scarlet Claw and Alter Ego are actually linked in a weird way. We see batches of airplane heroes battle the Claw's forces and later a squad of jungle heroes stand up to the evil threat, as Alter Ego comes and goes into this dimension which seems still to be fighting a variation of WWII. When not there he's just Rob Lindsay questioning his sanity and trying to deal with the questions of his caretaker Grandfather and his two absent and divorcing parents as well as the officials at the school he sometimes attends. It's the bouncing back and forth between dimensions which I feel is the greatest weakness in the storytelling as it forces the concoction of various motives to drive Rob back into danger. 

Ultimately of course the heroes win the day and it's not a spoiler to tell you that. The way in which it happens is not totally unclever at that. The weakest part of the storytelling is the incessant whining interior monologue by Rob as he moans about whatever situation he's in. It might have the veneer of realism, but it gets tedious to once again have to endure his questioning of the reality he's experiencing. He has a girlfriend who hangs by him for reasons that seem unclear, but that might just be life. Frankly I think the series needed much less of Rob's world (supposedly ours) and much more of the fantasy comic book universe into which he is propelled. But still it's a smart comic book series with a nice evergreen whiff of nostalgia, a Roy Thomas specialty. 

There is a fifth issue of this series celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary and was published along with the rest of the limited series in 2012, but of course it is not included in the 2005 reprint from Heroic Publishing and I do not have a copy of it alas. 

As it turns out, Roy was not the only one who had the spritely notion to harness the power of public domain heroes such as Airboy, Claw and Black Terror. Here are some others examples from the Eclipse, AC, and Dynamite publishing outfits. 

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Danger Street Signs - Outsiders!

In anticipation of a review of Danger Street by Tom King, Jorge Fornes and assorted cover artists I am representing my thirteen reviews of DC's 1970's Showcase-style comic 1st Issue Special. The books by King and company make use of ALL of the sundry heroes and heroines who appeared in these pages. So, let's continue. 

Comic books have long been a haven for misfits and unusual people -- both in the content and the audience and the producers. Many a comic book reader of my generation latched onto the medium because it was colorful and exciting and filled up with characters who had trouble fitting into their landscapes as much as the readers might've done. Comics like The Uncanny X-Men and Doom Patrol made a theme out of the heroes being "freaks" compared to the regular society, despite their sometimes handsome appearances. Characters like The Thing were downright icons of the man dubbed "monster" by those who were more or less commonplace. 

In 1932 Tod Browning made a movie about such misfits called simply Freaks. This legendary movie was sensation because it used real people who were either afflicted or gifted (depending on your attitude) with physical anomalies that set them apart from the regular herd of mankind. This movie is actually discussed in the forward to 1st Issue Special #10 which sports an intriguing Ernie Chan cover which offers up figures which in no way match the characters within. Beneath that cover is a story by Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti which offers up some "Freaks" of their own, in this case calling themselves "The Outsiders". (The original title was "Super Freaks", but I guess DC was a bit scared of that one just as Universal had been frightened of Tod Browning's movie.)

Be warned though that this is merely a glimpse. We meet the team made up of "Doc Scary", "Hairy Larry", "Lizard Johnny", the "Amazin' Ronnie", "Mighty Mary" and "Billy". They are a super team of sorts under the leadership of Doc Scary and they costumes and drive around with laboratory attached to their car. We see them battle a mob to free a terrified kid named Billy who learn later was kept in a basement of a Tailor shop by his father wo is killed by two thugs. It results in a mob wanting to kill Billy. We also learn that Doc Scary was once sent into space and when his spaceship crashed his body was reconstructed by aliens who used themselves as models. We get a glimpse of the birth of Lizard Johnny who as a tadpole is saved by Doc when another researcher wants to chop him up. The Outsiders live in an underground complex beneath the hospital where Doc is a renowned surgeon, albeit one who works in disguise. Sadly we never learn more about the team as the story abruptly stops. 

Next time Gerry Conway makes organized crime shudder when he introduces Code Name: Assassin. 

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Danger Street Signs - Dr. Fate!

In anticipation of a review of Danger Street by Tom King, Jorge Fornes and assorted cover artists I am representing my thirteen reviews of DC's 1970's Showcase-style comic 1st Issue Special. The books by King and company make use of ALL of the sundry heroes and heroines who appeared in these pages. So, let's continue. 

The ninth issue of 1st Issue Special just might be the best comic in the run. Written by Marty Pasko and drawn by the great Walt Simonson, this is a wild and wooly yarn of fell magic and ancient pseudo-history which shakes the typically stoic Dr. Fate to his core. The story is incredibly dynamic thanks to the artwork of Simonson who in this book breaks free of the more delicate stylings which had marked his work heretofore on such things as Manhunter and Sword and Sorcery. These are muscular pages rocking with supernatural action. The lusty Joe Kubert cover doesn't hurt matters either. 

Dr. Fate was always a character who seemed to get less attention at DC than he deserved. He had a run in More Fun Comics during the Golden Age, but after that little attention. His opposite number at Marvel Dr. Strange always seemed to have a series of some kind bubbling, but Dr. Fate never. Despite one of the best superhero outfits in the game he rarely if ever elevated above his roles as a sturdy member of the Justice Society of America in those delightful annual crossovers. I remember seeing him as drawn by Dick Dillin and Sid Greene and loving his look immediately, a look which didn't seem throwback in anyway as some of the JSA costumes did.

In this story Dr. Fate must battle a mummy named Khalis who seeks nothing less than the amulet that Fate wears and which gives him some of his powers. We get a glimpse of the weird life Kent Nelson lives with his personality sublimated under the magical presence of Nabu and we see his wife deal with the complexities of an existence in which she is isolated and her husband is only himself on rare occasions. The battle rages across the pages and it will come as little surprise that Dr. Fate wins the day. But his victory did not secure a series for him alas despite the potency and craft of his outing.  

The next time we glimpse a 1st Issue Special we greet the return of Joe Simon and Jerry Gandenetti and a gaggle of freaks. 

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Captain Flash Day!

Mike Sekowsky was one of the most influential artists of his era. During the Silver Age boom at DC he was a key artist on many titles and genres, most especially his long run on Justice League of America. Later he became one of Carmine Infantino's artist-editors taking on Wonder Woman giving the Amazon one of her most famous runs when she lost her powers for a time. But Sekowsky worked for many publishers over the decades and created more than a few heroes in that time including today's focus -- Captain Flash. 

I like all other comic book fans know that the Silver Age of comics began when Julie Schwartz got veteran writer Gardner Fox and longtime artist Carmine Infantino together and they brought forth a new dazzling rendition of the vintage Golden Age character called The Flash. Barry Allen, the new Flash was sleek and modern and a hero for the new time. That's what we all know. But we are wrong.

The presumption of the Flash theory is that superheroes disappeared from the comic book stands, replaced by other genres such as war, romance and horror. The masked marvels of the early days of comics were represented by stalwarts Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. With few exceptions that was it for the underwear set. But how do we account for Captain Flash.

Created by Mike Sekowsky and possibly the editor at Serling Comics, one Martin Smith, we get a brand-new superhero in 1954, two years ahead of the DC revival we all know about. Captain Flash is a transitional hero, evocative of the olden days but also drawn with a somewhat modern flair. He could create little atomic explosions by clapping his hands together, a somewhat unwieldy power admittedly. He had a boy sidekick in the Golden Age tradition, something that would be eschewed in the Silver Age for the most part. Tomboy was the companion feature in the book, a young teen who fought crime but who didn't seem particularly tormented.  Captain Flash was at once a throwback and look forward. He was a superhero at a time when supposedly there were no superheroes. What he didn't spark was a new wave of superheroes. That would have to wait until a particular lightning bolt struck in a particular police lab a few years later.

The PS Arts book features all four of the Captain Flash comics and since that makes it a bit thin adds two issues of The Tormented, a handsome pair of comics from Sterling.

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