Batman/The Spirit #1

Storytellers: Jeph Loeb &
Darwyn Cooke
Inker: J. Bone
Letterer: Comicraft
Colorist: Dave Stewart

When the police commissioners of both Gotham and Central City are invited to speak at a Law Enforcement Convention in Hawaii you just know it’s a recipe for disaster. Sure enough as soon as the two leave for their trip the vigilante defenders of Gotham and Central, Batman and The Spirit, discover that their respective rogues galleries have teamed up to sabotage the Convention.

When Darwyn Cooke is involved with a comic project then it’s almost a guarantee that it will be a project I will thoroughly enjoy. The Batman/The Spirit crossover is no exception. Some of Cooke’s best work to date has been related to Batman. Add in his excellent take on the late Will Eisner’s most famous creation, Denny Colt, a.k.a. The Spirit and it’s a match made in heaven.

From the opening scene when the oversized letters of the Pier Sixty warehouse tumble to the ground, spelling out “Spirit” behind the tumbling Denny Colt, you immediately realize that Cooke knows exactly what makes this character tick. What follows is a fun-filled romp of brightly colored action and adventure with Batman, Robin, The Spirit, lots of attractive ladies, nasty bad guys, beautiful scenery and some pretty clever twists and turns. This story takes place in a timeless world, one which could be the 1950’s or could be tomorrow, but you know it’s a place where everything’s beautiful and the stories will always be fun.

Not only is this some of Cooke’s best artwork to date, he more than proves that he is a natural successor to Eisner, one of the industry’s best storytellers. J. Bone, the story’s inker and frequent Cooke collaborator, makes the art look even better with his smooth, sharp linework. And Dave Stewart, the best damn colorist in comics, brings the whole thing together with some of the most eye-catching coloring I’ve seen in a long time. Batman/The Spirit is a perfect crossover and the perfect lead in to Darwyn Cooke’s upcoming Spirit ongoing series, which I’m now looking forward to more than ever.
 

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