Well this is the first issue I truly did not like. The story was good even excellent in dealing with racism - especially the kind that is subtle and is thrust upon us by society without our conscious knowledge. BUT, I do not feel this story served to add to the ongoing narrative of the Spirit.

This is the danger of writing a character with a long history that spans large changes in society: you can write the character in the microcosm of it's timeframe or you can place the character in modern times and therefore deal with issues from a modern perspective.

Unfortunately, the characters do not ring true. The Spirit comes off as being too naive to the sensative issues of race. (A plus to all of this is the portrayal of Ebony White - however a new character would have served just as well in the story).

Paul Chadwick deserves praise for tackling tough issues and perhaps he succeeded when I felt uncomfortable reading this issue. However, my feelings came from the handling of the characters, not the issue of racism or gender inequality. This story would have been far better handled in Concrete (which you should be reading!)

To read the other reviews, click here.

The Spirit: The New Adventures #5

July, 1998

"Cursed Beauty"

cover, story & art Paul Chadwick