The Spirit # 7 - Harder Than Diamonds

I have really enjoyed this series. I new very little about Will Eisner's character The Spirit other than his historical impact on comics in general. I picked up the first couple of issues of this new series on a whim and must say I have been more than satisfied.

This particular issue is the first issue that hasn't been written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke, and I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be as enjoyable.

The first story, written by Walter Simonson with art by Sprouse and Story seemed a little less 'fun' than previous issues, but was still enjoyable.

The second, by Palmiotti and Jordi Bernet, however, was great! It was just as fun and charming visually as any of the Cooke issues has been. Palmiotti wrote a very nice little story with a nice end full of irony.

In the last story, by Kyle Baker, explores the darker side of the world The Spirit inhabits with significantly less subtlety than I'm accustomed to in this book, but Baker's art really sets the tone for it from the start so it isn't too jarring.

As a side note, I have to say Kyle Baker never ceases to surprise me. No matter what kind of story he decides to write, this guys art always seems to fit it perfectly.

All said and done, Will Eisner's The Spirit is a fantastically fun read that can be picked up from any issue without having to worry about knowing any back-story. There really should be more comics out there like this.