D.C. MOVIE GUYS

It does not take a comic book fan to recognize Bob Kane as the creator of Batman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster as the brains behind Superman or Stan Lee as the spinner of Spider-Man’s first tales. The name Will Eisner has been lost in the archives of common knowledge despite the indelible mark he left on the comic book industry and the fact that he contributed more to the art form than any other comic writer or artist. Will Eisner is commonly accepted by comic fans and creators as the father of the graphic novel and a master of sequential art (a term Eisner invented for telling stories with static images on a page). In 1940, Eisner began publishing the adventures of a masked crime fighter called The Spirit. The stories of The Spirit contained mixed elements of noir, humor and romance and the original comics are still in print today as well as new adventures by some of the current industry’s best writers and artists. Just like Batman, Superman and Spider-Man before him, “The Spirit” is now fighting crime on the big screen. Sadly, Will Eisner’s creative spirit did not follow him there.

Frank Miller, writer and director of “The Spirit”, has worked in both film and comics for many years. Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, published in 1986, reinvigorated Bruce Wayne’s alter ego and launched not only Batman, but the entire comic book industry forward. He first lent his screenwriting talents to “Robocop 2″ in 1990 and saw his own original graphic novel Sin City made into a movie he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez in 2006. Zack Snyder made Miller’s 300 into a 2007 movie that recreates the comic nearly panel for panel. Despite his background, Miller’s “The Spirit” is uncomfortable to watch. Bad dialogue delivery, poorly framed scenes and a directorial vision that wanders between noir and the absurd sucks all life from “The Spirit”. Frank Miller is a talented artist and writer, but he should have left a creation from a mentor he dearly reveres to other directorial hands.

The most fun in “The Spirit” comes from Samuel Jackson’s villain, The Octopus. Jackson’s performance is appropriately over the top and the only saving grace of the movie. When the Octopus threw his dart at the board of villain motivation, he hit “power through immortality”. Unfortunately, Jackson can’t prevent this film from being dead on arrival. Samuel Jackson is still enjoyable in “The Spirit”, but save your dollars until you can watch him for free on cable.

The best “The Spirit” accomplishes is a renewed public discussion on the works and life of Will Eisner. Head to a book store and look for The Contract With God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue or if you have an interest in how good stories are told, pick up Will Eisner’s Comics and Sequential Art or Will Eisner’s Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative. WillEisner.com is a great place to find more information on the web. Don’t let a bad movie stand in the way of enjoying the real talent still found on the page.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of stylized violence and action, some sexual content and brief nudity.

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