The Participation of Will Eisner's The Spirit in WWII

This article considers one of the first models for the superhero tradition
in American comics. Among his most distinctive traits, the Spirit’s patriotic aura
tends to move against the background of his persona. However, openly or not,
from the first few publications of The Spirit, Will Eisner often alludes to the historical context of the time, in particular the possibility that the US might intervene
in World War II. As the article discusses, although the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor can be identified as the turning point in Will Eisner’s attitude to World
War II, it is arguable that a strong anti-Nazi feeling, as well as pro-American intervention propaganda, constitutes a recurrent subtext throughout the adventures
of the Spirit. The article highlights the significant metaphorical and factual references, characters, and settings related to World War II in the adventures of the
Spirit. Thus, the Spirit can be considered as the connecting element between the
imaginary Central City and the battlegrounds of World War II: a concrete enemy
and an evil personification of Nazism were transposed into comics in order to
better shape the fictional enemies of the vigilante hero.