Will Eisner is God. Well, in comic book terms, he is the creator of what we have come to know as the graphic novel. His storytelling has hugely influenced generations of artists and writers (including Frank Miller, director of the recent movie version), both in its innovative style and characterisation as well an his continual evolution of the comicbook craft, which led him to producing what is now considered the first graphic novel, A Contract With God. This tantalising selection of stories is taken from the long career of his most familiar character, The Spirit.

Created in 1940, it was a weekly serial about a masked crimefighter, who was once a cop called Denny Colt, who after being assumed dead fought the villains from his base in Wildwood Cemetary. Each week, Eisner would devise an self-contained adventure in seven pages but what become clear is that The Spirit is frequently an incidental character who is a framing device for the particular story he wants to tell, experimenting with narrative, perspective and sequential storytelling. Each is a complete work of art in itself, concentrated into human tales of tragedy or good fortune, which could be funny or sad, sentimental or surreal.

This volume selects 22 stories, all beautifully recoloured and restored, which start with his conventionally told origin before moving into the classic post-war era with a rich vein of people or places which remain at the heart of each fable. One of the remarkable aspects of Eisner's tales are the striking splash to each tale where the Spirit logo is ingeniously incorporated into the action. He takes a psycholigical point of view with Henry in The Killer, showing how someone so meek and milk could turn to murder. Ten Minutes reveals a crime that happens in the same length of time it takes to read the story. The vagrants in the sewers are explored in Life Below whilst Santa Claus has a reforming effect on a hardened criminal in The Christmas Spirit. As for The Story of Gerhard Schnobble, it's a tragic encounter with a down-on-his luck nobody who proves he can fly but nobody fatefully notices, but we're warned not to laugh because it’s not a funny story!

However, some of the iconic Spirit stories feature a hoodlum harem of memorable femme fatales with equally unforgettable names such as Silk Satin, Lorelei Rox, 'Wild' Rice, and the sultry temptress, P'Gell. But the one woman who has stolen his heart and slides in and out of his life is the amoral Sand Saref. Their shared childhood maintains long-lasting bonds that resurface on each of their encounters, and her devotion to her young daughter makes her as richly complex a person that can be found in any form of literature. This volume may represent just a small sample of The Spirit's adventures, but they all celebrate a kaleidoscope of life and imagination. It has been referred to as "the Citizen Kane of Comics", and in his introduction to this book, Neil Gamian endorses Eisner's contribution to both the comics medium and to short story writing in general. A masterpiece each and every one that rewards you with every subsequent reading.