The Stop Button

For Christmas, the strip does a story without the Spirit. He shows up in the bookends; at the beginning—with some lovely art—Spirit and Ebony discuss Christmas plans. Ebony had been expecting Spirit to go after some known crooks, but instead, Spirit’s going to leave it up to the “Spirit of Christmas.”

The action cuts to those known crooks, who’ve decided to rob a bank. It’s Christmas Eve, people are busy, and the bank’s just gotten a ten thousand dollar deposit (from the Spirit, actually); perfect night for a heist.

They even dress up as Santas to pull it in the holiday spirit.

The robbery itself goes swell, but when the crooked Saint Nicks are on their way out of town, they slow to listen to the tranquil sound of Christmas carols from a nearby church. Worse, the kindly priest comes out and invites them in—after all, they’ve spent their whole day working with the needy or whatnot.

After some consternation, the crooks agree to attend, and get a dose of the true meaning of Christmas. In addition to the church having a peaceful vibe, their fellow attendees show them kindness, which softens our crooked Santas a little. They just get softer when they hear the money they stole was going to get needy orphans their first ever Christmas presents (and Christmas dinners).

The crooked Krises Kringle scurry out, the guilt too much.

Their individual (and, eventually, joint) resolutions will get the strip to its appropriate Christmas vibes, with the Spirit and friends returning for the finish. They’re still not involved in the case—they’re just reading about it in the paper on Christmas morning. It’s interesting to see who makes the regular cast at the Dolan house—Dolan, Ellen, Spirit, Ebony, and Finnegan, one of Dolan’s coppers (who I’m pretty sure at least once tried to railroad Spirit). However, Finnegan’s just there as a gag, not participating in the revelry.

It’s a good strip. Lots of dotty inking but not too severe. Little cloying but it’s Christmas, after all. It’s the time of miracles. And spirits.