In a world of crimefighters, few could conflict more than the styles of Batman and The Spirit.
Most people know that Batman is a hard-edged, gritty crusader for justice at all costs. A lot fewer know of The Spirit, a breezy, light-hearted do-gooder originally rendered by comic-book great Will Eisner.
While Batman is a DC Comics character, The Spirit is an independently owned creation. Only recently did DC Comics acquire the rights to use The Spirit and this is the first non-Eisner created Spirit comic to come out of the deal, and it's an almost-perfect package.
From seeing the two legendary heroes interact to watching the villain-filled plot unwind, the comic has it all — except a quick intro to the primary characters.
You'd think that with  "Smallville" writer Jeph Loeb at the helm we'd have a quick explanation. Nope. Instead, readers not-so- familiar with Eisner's characters are left wondering who some of these guys are. Heck, casual readers might not even know who The Spirit is.
Let me tell you this much: He's a great character, and if we're lucky, this is only the beginning of a Spirit revival. You'll have to get the rest from a trade paperback.

BATMAN/THE SPIRIT No. 1 (2006)
DC Comics
$4.99
Written by: Jeph Loeb
Art by: Darwyn Cooke
Two and a Half Stars out of Four for non-fans.
Three and a Half Stars out of Four for fans.