Will Eisner's The Spirit is in the great hands of Matt Wagner and Dan Schkade. They tell a fun story with a number of intriguing and interesting characters who I couldn't learn enough about in just this one issue. It also sets up story points moving forward with an investigation and the discovery of a new vigilante cleaning up the streets. The Spirit #1 is exciting, fun, and everything you want in a first issue. Read Full Review

It's great to see the character back in action, and here's hoping that the series continues to honor Eisner and his most famous creation (now celebrating his 75th year). Read Full Review

This comics is completely self-contained and that's great. You don't need to have any history with the Spirit to enjoy it, but there are lots of nice touches thrown in that make it all the more fun for people familiar with the character. I really enjoyed this comic and look forward to more of this story arc. I hope Matt Wagener sticks with this book for a good long time and we get to see this classic character re-established with some great stories for a new generation of fans. Read Full Review

Will Eisner's The Spirit is back, with Dynamite breathing new life into the pulp icon. Even if it's at the expense of his death. Delivering a unique tale that's full of mystery and wonder (as well as the of bit of fun), the creative team have a firm grasp on this character, leaving this fan excited for a second outing. Read Full Review

And so, we are off and running with Dynamite Entertainment's newest pulpy gem and The Spirit #1 is a gem in every sense of the word. Matt Wagner, Dan Schkade, and Brennan Wagner turned in an issue that not only celebrates the legacy of the Spirit but translates it through a modern filter for a new set of readers. The Spirit can be much more than just flirting with vixens and punching out hoodlums and this debut displays that effortlessly. The Spirit #1 is every inch a Spirit tale, just starring those closest to him instead of the actual man himself. This shift in focus gives The Spirit a pathos that we haven't seen before and will surely keep readers coming back for more until the time for flirting and punching comes again. Read Full Review

All in all, there's not many people I wouldn't recommend this book to (maybe Golden-Age-phobics? Really reaching here). Longtime fans of Will Eisner's classic character will probably love it; hell, even people who aren't fans will probably love it. I mean, I've never picked up a comic of this character, and now I'm already convinced to pull it next month myself, to continue this awesome story. Read Full Review

Though not a big fan or a deep knowledge fan of The Spirit, Wagner and Schkade have put together a very accessible book here. One that explains a lot of the foundations of the work while also moving it forward in new ways, blending the past and modern styles in some very good ways. The book is a very good read, well detailed, filled with personalities that stand out, and come across visually in some pretty terrific and striking ways. While it's largely doing the heavy lifting here of explaining things and setting the table for what's to come, it does it in a way that really does engage and makes you want to see what the secrets and truths may be, and how the city is going to change because of it. There's a real professionalism and polish about the work that makes me now anticipate the twelve issue run in full and already wishing I had it all to pore over. Read Full Review

Overall, I’d say that Wagner and Schkade tried their hardest to do justice to Eisner’s classic character, but they probably found it difficult. This is, without a doubt, a good and enjoyable comic book. No re-make will beat Eisner’s work, though, and this issue seems a little out of place, with the lingo and even physical appearances that it uses. At the end of the day, yes, I recommend this book to all of you. But like I said, first time The Spirit readers will enjoy it more than the rest of us; keep this in mind. I leave you with that. Read Full Review

It is left on quite a cliffhanger: we wonder what will the father do next, having been sprung from captivity. Also, there is the question of what the daughter will do to get herself out of prison. She will quite possibly stop at nothing to wield her unique form of power once again. Hopefully these questions will be answered sometime soon. Read Full Review

Ultimately, The Spirit #1 is far from a perfect debut for this new series and undoubtedly won't please everyone. While the book is new-reader friendly, those unfamiliar with the character may find the writing to be a tad dated, which suggests that long-term fans may be an audience better suited to this new book. But in spite of its flaws, the story Wagner is telling here has potential and is accompanied by some nice artwork that succeeds in giving the book an energetic feel. The Spirit #1 is worth a go if either you're a fan of the character, or want to learn more about him; however, if you haven't had an interest in the character up to now, then this book probably won't be the one that sparks your enthusiasm. Read Full Review

There are now two sets of characters. Commissioner Dolan and his daughter Ellen who spend the story pining for the missing Denny Colt and Aloysius (Ebony) White who is no longer a sidekick (and racist caricature) and is now a private investigator and it is his story I really want to see. The art is solid and at times playfully emulates the classic Spirit feel and I look forward to some of the more visually stunning femme fatales joining the cast. All in all a strong but not stellar start to my first series. Read Full Review

This was a fun little read, but it read quite too quickly. I wanted a little bit more from this team's opening salvo as I have always been a fan of The Spirit character and pulp comic heroes in general. I thought it was cool to reintroduce the audience by fleshing out the supporting cast without the title hero around (reminded me of the episode of Arrow where the team has to endure in Ollie's absence) but it's something that can only be done for an issue or two before it becomes tiresome. The writing is good enough and faithful to the source material, but I expect a little more oomph from Matt Wagner and I hope his turns it up a notch in subsequent issues. The art however I had a major disconnect with. Read Full Review

"Will Eisner's The Spirit" #1 is friendly to new readers, but Wagner and Schkade haven't given the Spirit and his supporting cast enough of a fresh spin yet. Read Full Review

Perhaps I set my level of expectation too high, but the opening issue of this new series was disappointing. A missed opportunity. Read Full Review