The Stop Button

It’s an all-action strip, opening with a thug on the run from the Spirit, desperately clamoring to be let into the hideout. Moments later, the Spirit breaks through the door.

The thugs have kidnapped Ebony in order to lure the Spirit away from his hideout, so they can then torture the location information from Ebony and go plant a couple bodies there. The police will find them and the Spirit will be a wanted man.

Now, as ever, none of the thugs think about just shooting Spirit dead when they have him standing idle, listening to their schemes. Instead, Ebony’s able to get Spirit a pistol—in what, visually, seems to be a racist caricature gag but we’ll not dwell—and so Spirit can start kicking butt.

Despite being restrained for some of it, Ebony plays a big role in that butt-kicking. It’s a good “dynamic duo” strip for Ebony and Spirit. The thugs’ plan is entirely based on their partnership and friendship, and even though Ebony’s not two-fisted like Spirit, he’s got some moves when it comes to putting down the gangsters. And he never squeals, even though they’re torturing him.

Juxtaposed with this extended action sequence is the gang’s seemingly legit boss trying to convince Commissioner Dolan and the mayor to investigate the Spirit’s hideout for bodies. The boss just doesn’t know where the hideout’s located… yet.

The scenes at Dolan’s office—at least after the first one, which sets up the strip—are breaks from the relentless action. And even though it is just action, Eisner and studio turn it up as far as panel composition and choreography. At one point, Ebony is swinging on a hanging light and we get some great POV shots of the floor. Even that opening chase sequence has a lot of angle work. It’s a great looking strip.

Spirit’s such a delight. Minus the occasional Ebony visual cringes.