Everyone loves comic book trivia, but with over 75 years of superhero comics behind us right now, there’s always some new obscure fact to learn. That’s why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite names in comics in our continuing video series. You think you know comics? Well, here’s a few things you might not know!

This week we're taking a look at one of the most highly regarded and influential comics of all time, Will Eisner's The Spirit. From its beginnings in newspapers in the 1940s to its various incarnations in comic books in the decades since, The Spirit has been held up as a paragon of storytelling innovation and formal experimentation. This video takes a look at the history of Denny Colt and his adventures, from the many women he encountered on the page to the various men who worked on his stories behind the scenes.

Show notes:

  • You can get a survey of the history of The Spirit in this 75th anniversary edition, which collects many of the stories referenced in this video.
  • If you would prefer to read The Spirit from the beginning, you can start with The Spirit Archives here.
  • The '90s New Adventures series is collected in full here.
  • The award-winning series by Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone begins here.
  • The Rocketeer/Spirit crossover is collected here.
  • You can pre-order a collection of the entire most recent Spirit series here.

Watch more installments of You Think You Know Comics? below and let us know what comic book characters we should cover next.

 

 

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