Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

The Spirit # 24

By Koppy McFad
December 19, 2008 - 21:53

Vietnam war veterans are being murdered and the Spirit heads to Cambodia to find out why in this rather straightforward mystery story.

There is really nothing very wrong with this issue. The mystery behind the murders isn't too hard to unravel but the writers throw in a decent number of twists and action to keep things interesting. The Spirit himself seems likeable and charming and Cambodia is depicted as a fairly normal place rather than a war-torn hell-hole.

The art is also clean, well-crafted and sharp. It is cartoonish, but in a good way. It makes the story easy to follow and is actually relaxing to the eye, quite a relief from the overly-detailed, overly-shaded and overly-scratchy art in so many other books nowadays.

But the story just doesn't grab the reader. It never becomes exciting despite the constant threat of death and the peril-fraught journey to the jungle. And once again, the Spirit is bailed out of trouble by someone else in a conclusion that makes the hero look a bit like a chump. It is really starting to look as if the hero of this book can't handle his own fights.

The cover is very good, evoking an "Indiana Jones" type of adventure. However it just gives the impression that this book will be filled with non-stop action. Those who are expecting to see the Spirit swinging through ancient temples, fighting armies of thugs, will be sorely disappointed. Maybe the writers of this book can step up the action to avoid such disappointments.

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12