Dynamite Entertainment 2017
By Francesco Francavilla
Denny Colt’s investigation leads him into a place of fears and horrors where he will learn that not all that is dead is dead.
There’s so much here to just simply appreciate! The fact that the look, tone and feel of this harkens back to what Will intended is superb to see. Also aside from the story premise here the characterisation that we see is extraordinary. There are a few moments in this very issue where we see him talk about where he is and what’s happening that he doesn’t want to do, even with being The Spirit, that makes him relatable to (see average Joe).
I really like how the book is structured. With the opening describing where the bank robbers are and then back tracking to understand why EB was calling Commissioner Dolan. Seeing how Denny stumbles upon an important clue as to what’s going on in town. Of course let us not forget Lisa Marlowe and her role in this story which seems to be expanding. All this is done so that there’s this smooth flow to the proceedings and keeps us guessing as to what’s going to happen next. I say wonder because part of you knows or sees but it’s not set in stone thanks to Francavilla’s mind for storytelling.
His artwork is utterly fantastic to see here. I think Francavilla has the perfect style to tell a Spirit story. It’s dark and brooding yet full of life and detail that make him such a recognisable artist. His eye for storytelling utilising page layouts with their angles, perspective and backgrounds really do a lot to further the story and control the flow of what we see. Plus there’s this great tension to the work that coincides with the writing to create that sense of drama needed.
The end of this issue wasn’t anything like I was expecting to see. I mean talk about your cliffhangers! Still I have an inkling of what’s going to happen next and if I’m right I look forward to seeing it happen. If not then i’m completely ready for Francavilla to surprise me further with more twists and turns. Oh and yeah we still need to find out what happened to EB’s cousin! With all the feel of a classic serial this story continues to showcase why The Spirit has been a popular character since his inception!