Orang is a Frankenstein story from the monster’s perspective. The Spirit is still around, but he doesn’t have anything to do with the actual action of the strip. Instead, it’s the sad tale of Orang, an orangutan, turned into a being with human-level intelligence thanks to a mad scientist.

Eisner and studio do a fabulous job setting up the story. There’s a scientist arriving from war-torn Europe, escaped and ready to reunite with his daughter, Elsa, in his friend’s care. Little does Elsa’s father know his friend is a fiend and has used parts of Elsa’s brain to make Orang smarter. He has left Elsa a savage.

So we get a cave girl and an orangutan in a suit for the action here. There ought to be more tripping on tropes, but somehow there isn’t. Eisner avoids sentimentality, even as horrifying tragedies unfold, even as Orang comes to the realization he does not want the burden of reason, and begs his creator for mercy.

There’s some excellent art. Lots of establishing panels this strip, setting the stage, but also giving Eisner a chance to summarize in long shot. The strip’s rapidly paced; once Orang decides he wants to devolve, it’s pretty much all action. Fight, chase, fight, tragic finish, with the Spirit only arriving to provide commentary on the sad situation.

Without ever having met Orang himself.

The Spirit’s subplot is very moody. He gets drawn into Elsa’s father’s troubles, having gone to meet the scientist to ask about some experiments. Long shadows as he enters and exits through balconies and so on. The father’s anguish gets some attention, too. Not verbalized like Orang’s will be, but very carefully visualized. Orang’s got its Frankenstein ambitions and whatnot, but the strip excels because of the craft on display, where Eisner and studio flex, where they do not. It’s tragic. And lovely. Just excellent work all around.

Orphans is about the Spirit taking a young orphan, Billy, slumming in the underworld. Spirit comes across Billy and his friend, Barney, in the cemetery smoking cigars and getting sick from it. Barney’s trying to convince Billy to join a gang with him. Spirit interrupts; Billy thinks Spirit’s swell, Barney thinks “crimefighters” stink.

After Barney heads off to join the gang, Spirit takes Billy back to the crypt lair to get some information on Barney’s future mob boss. Once they’ve got that information, they head out, with the Spirit busting heads until they get to the big boss.

The “boss fight,” which barely involves the boss, has Spirit fighting a dozen opponents. It’s a beautifully choreographed punch-out, starting with Spirit escaping his restraints and knocking heads. The Spirit moves between panels gracefully, almost patiently, working his way through one thug or four. It’s a beautiful sequence. And then it keeps going. And keeps going again. It’s an incredibly long, absolutely fantastic action scene. Eisner keeps coming up with something new; even some of the familiar poses, with Spirit’s sockless ankles visible, are fresh; Eisner’s figured out how to string the visuals together, finding the rhythm of the scene, and it’s sublime. Orphans has some of the best art in the strip so far, even if the splash page is an almost hokey picture of the Spirit, looking like the cover of a country western album. It’s a combination of the concept, the pose, and some very stiff lines.

Then, the art of the boys is very expressive and fun. Eisner and studio exaggerate their expressions, particularly when sick from cigar smoke, giving the strip some extra pizzazz.

Until the mega fight starts, Orphans is just Spirit lecturing Billy about how crime doesn’t pay. He shows him some examples, but they’re exaggerated ones involving comic strip gangsters. Billy’s eventual reckoning doesn’t even involve any “organized” crime. It’ll be an emotional reaction, which is weird. But it’s also a very thin message—kids always need to remember to tell other kids: crime doesn’t pay.

It’s a gorgeous strip, with some solid writing on the kids (Barney’s a fun little shit), and the didactic stuff can’t overwhelm the strong comics.

Morger Boys has maybe one bad moment, some missed opportunities, a peculiar finish, and fantastic action. The strip opens twenty-five years ago—so, you know, 1915–with the execution of a notorious murderer, Morger. Mrs. Morger makes their four sons promise to avenge Papa’s death twenty-five years later.

The story jumps ahead, revealing the Morger Boys all look alike—kind of jovial so their murderous ways contrast—and are ready to execute their plan. One of them reveals the targets, and the brothers get to work. Never explained are their preparations for this plan. Nor if they’re all dressed the same as a bit or because it’s just a good visual idea (for Eisner).

The brothers only drive the strip for the first few pages, then one of their targets hires the Spirit as a bodyguard. The Morger brothers are ready for Spirit, who is very much not ready for them. After the quick fisticuffs, Spirit is knocked out.

Luckily, from his criminology studies—which did not include clearing a room, based on this strip—Spirit remembers the Morger family had a weird old stone cabin near the jail and it’d be the perfect place to execute your enemies.

The contrived eureka moment gives way to Spirit busting into the house just in time to save hostages and kick ass. There are some startling panels this strip; sublime work, with the lines getting more and more assured. Spirit is coming into its own, visually, week by week.

Eventually, Dolan will arrive and follow up on one of his own related leads. Dolan and Spirit don’t talk about the Spirit being wanted for murder, instead they kick the Morger Boys’ asses. I think it’s the first time Dolan ever starts busting heads in the strip.

The finale is bizarre, involving what could possibly be considered character development for Spirit but also maybe isn’t; it’s notable primarily because it tries to leverage the “grateful dame” trope.

Maybe only in the funny pages.

It’s a solid strip, with that bad moment—pointlessly flexing supernatural—sailing past for another fine action thriller for the Spirit.