Will Eisner is one of the most influential comic book writers/artists of all time and his comic book, The Spirit, is considered by many to be extremely important to the growth and expansion of the medium of comics. He is also credited with establishing the book format of comics, a.k.a. the graphic novel, with the publication of his book A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories.
Many of comics’ most influential writers and artists credit Eisner as an inspiration in their own work. One of those hugely influential creators is Frank Miller, an artist/writer known as well for his legendary work with characters such as Batman and Daredevil as his creator owned projects like Sin City and 300. After co-directing Sin City in 2005 with Robert Rodriguez, Miller wanted to try directing on his own, which led him to Will Eisner’s The Spirit.
Will Eisner’s The Spirit “is the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit to fight crime from the shadows of Central City.” (link) Gabriel Macht stars as the Spirit, Samuel L. Jackson stars as the villainous Octopus, and Sarah Paulson stars as Ellen. Also appearing is Eva Mendes as Sand Saref, Dan Lauria as Dolan, Jamie King as Lorelei and Scarlett Johansson as Silken Floss. Look for Will Eisner’s The Spirit in theaters January of 2009.
With Miller’s trademark dark and gritty style, The Spirit is sure to be a cinematical masterpiece. I am assuming the movie will look visually very similar to Sin City. The Spirit has made a major comeback in recent years, first with a new comic book series produced by DC Comics and written/drawn by Darwyn Cooke (DC: The New Frontier) and now a major motion picture. While the first teaser poster for The Spirit was released last summer at the San Diego Comi-Con, a new 3 piece promotional poster was unveiled this week. The movie posters can be displayed individually or together as one massive poster.
