The Spirit #1
Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Dan Schkade
Colored by Brennan Wagner
Letters by A Larger World Studios
Cover art by Eric Powell, Matt Wagner & Brennan Wagner, Alex Ross, and John Cassaday
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: July 1, 2015
Cover Price: $3.99

The Spirit #1 is the latest addition to Dynamite Entertainment’s pulp library and I honestly have to say, with very few exceptions, these pulp characters are being given rock star treatment by Dynamite editorial, and it really shows.

Dynamite gets A-List talent for this book. First up is writer Matt Wagner. Wagner brings a WHOLE new spin on the Spirit mythos while keeping it very close to the original. There’s a few changes, but nothing that changes or loses the spirit of the book, no pun intended. There is definitely a different status quo for everyone in this book, and all of it’s good. None of it is pandering, and it’s all really entertaining. It wouldn’t be a Spirit story without a mystery, and Wagner manages to put a GIANT one in the book, one that HAS to be solved before the book can really get going. This issue is both head-scratching and a little frustrating, but in a good way. By the end of the issue you’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting for the second issue.

Up next is artist Dan Schkade, who honestly, I’m not familiar with. And, like a friend on mine says, “shame on me!” Schkade is a SUPER talented artist, who does some great work on this book. I’m very much looking forward to future issues, as I think that he’s maybe holding back a little bit here, and soon we’ll see him absolutely tear the house down!

Not to overshadow the art, but something that HAS to be talked about in regards to this comic is the lettering by A Larger World Studios. I have NEVER seen lettering like this in a comic book, and to try to describe it would not do it justice. You have got to see it to believe it.

Yes, heaps of praise go to the creative team on this book, but I want to take a moment here to thank Dynamite Entertainment’s editorial staff (Hey Joe!), for putting the focus on these books that they deserve. You know what happens when you put hard work into getting the right creative talent on a comic? You get an awesome comic. Everybody wins!! Seriously, go out and grab this book. It’s really fantastic!