Creator Darwyn Cooke (Batman: Ego) updates pioneering comic auteur Will Eisner’s The Spirit in this volume available just in time for the big screen adaptation by Frank Miller. Cooke admirably preserves the spirit (so to speak) of the original.

It’s a light, breezy, old school approach to graphic storytelling. We don’t get much psychological depth to the characters, but it’s still a fun ride.

The Spirit is an unusual hero. A P.I. who was left for dead, he reinvents himself as the Spirit, dressed in a suit, mask and fedora, he is without superpowers or Batman’s expensive arsenal. He fights crime with the aid of the police commissioner (his girlfriend’s father).

Taking his cue from the master, Cooke mixes mystery, adventure and humor. This collection also includes a “Batman/Spirit” crossover issue.

Grade: A-

Will Eisner’s The Spirit, Vol. 1 is currently available.