Darwyn CookeDC Comics, $24.99
Having done a terrific job revisiting DC's Golden Age superheroes in The New Frontier, Darwyn Cooke delves further back into comics history to tackle Will Eisner's prototype masked crimefighter
of the 1940s. Updating the adventures of Denny Colt, aka The Spirit, to the modern day but rendering them in a gloriously retro manner, Cooke pulls off the tricky feat of remaining faithful to the groundbreaking work while maintaining his own slick style. These seven action-packed, humour-peppered stories make for a superb read and introduction to The Spirit.
Also try: Will Eisner, The Spirit
JAR OF FOOLS
Jason LutesFaber and Faber, £12.99
A welcome UK publication of the first graphic novel by American comic book store seller-turned-creator Jason Lutes. It's a beguiling blend of romance and mystery that revolves around a down-on-his-luck stage magician named Ernie Weiss. Life appears to offer little hope until the appearance of a conman with a grand scheme and an ironic moniker: Nathan Lender. Sparse in his visual rendering and spare in his use of dialogue, Lutes nevertheless manages the graphic storytelling equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Also try: Jason Lutes, Berlin: City of Stones
DADDY'S GIRL
Debbie DrechslerFantagraphics, £9.99
Confessional memoirs are becoming commonplace in modern comics, but they don't get any more searingly honest than American cartoonist Debbie Drechsler's thinly disguised account of her abuse as a child. The dozen short stories, originally published in the mid-1990s, are illustrated in chunky black and white on four-panel pages. Drechsler's memoir is stark and unflinching, but also heartrendingly compassionate. This has to be one of the most profound uses of the graphic medium to date.
Also try: Julie Doucet, My New York Diary
The full article contains 306 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
