Series Review: The Spectre, vol. 2 (1987-1989)

It’s 1987. DC Comics recently finished the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, to great success, and is reinventing its entire lineup to be fresh and exciting. Batman will become the Dark Knight. Superman is much less powerful and has no history as Superboy. Select titles are being printed in the “new format” on higher-quality paper with better inks/colors, and some have dispensed with the Comics Code Authority approval, allowing them to print stories suitable for adults with complex, gritty, and nuanced plots. It’s an exciting time that will lead to a renaissance in the comics industry.

In previous years Spectre had been elevated to a godlike being with unbelievable power. But during the Crisis he was greatly weakened. Also, the events of Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #50 saw him humbled and diminished by his encounter with the Great Darkness. Finally, in The Last Days of the Justice Society of America, Spectre flat-out died.

This is where the new series begins. Spectre is revived from his coma/death to continue his mission, but in a greatly diminished capacity. In addition, he’s tied to the body of a human, Jim Corrigan, who had also been dead and was revived to serve as Spectre’s host. The two can separate, but after 24 hours will feel increasingly negative effects, until 48 hours when they will both die. Or, rather, Corrigan will die and Spectre will cease to exist. Supporting characters include Madame Xanadu, a fairly obscure DC character who gains prominence from this series, and Kim Liang, a new character created by writer Doug Moench. Spectre and Corrigan have an antagonistic relationship, with Corrigan being upset about Spectre’s extreme methods of punishment and resentful at Spectre about their forced association and Spectre’s inconsiderate treatment of him.

This was a fantastic beginning with immense potential. Unfortunately it failed to live up to that potential. I purchased these comics as they were published, and issue #8 caused me to write my one and only letter to a comic book publisher (sent via postal mail no less!). I complained about the poor quality of the artwork, which was far different from the type of work seen in other renewed titles such as Batman and George Perez’s Wonder Woman. Even Marvel Comics got into the groove with mind-blowing Spider-Man art by Todd McFarlane. But not The Spectre. With the exception of issues #24-28 which I liked, I find the artwork of this series to be adequate at best, and often poor. Additionally, DC had a difficult time finding steady creators for the series, with Moench being the only person to stay for the whole run, amid a rotating cast of artists and editors.

The story underwhelms, with a major change of direction in issue #18. Several of the thirty-one issues were dedicated to the crossover events Millennium and Invasion!, both of which had little lasting impact. The six-part Ghosts in the Machine story arc (#24-29) had some promise but lost steam toward the end and devolved into something involving many visible manifestations/explosions of power while Spectre fought the bad guy in a virtual world and Corrigan’s detective friend did the same in the real world.

The ongoing resentment/conflict between Corrigan and Spectre, rather than becoming a compelling plot point, ended up being annoying. The stories improved a bit after issue #18, injecting a bit of humor, and were more entertaining. Unfortunately the series only ran for another thirteen issues, with one being part of a crossover and another six as a single story arc.

I recall enjoying this series when it was first published, but after rereading it now, I can’t remember what I liked about it. It’s disappointing. A low-powered Spectre isn’t interesting, and the stories aren’t entertaining. The ongoing conflict between Spectre and Corrigan is annoying, and the artwork is unexceptional.

Also, for some reason (likely related to licensing but that’s an uninformed assumption on my part) issues #7 and #30 aren’t available in e-comic format.

Overall I find this series isn’t worth reading unless you’re a Spectre fan, and even then not unless you’re a completionist. Not recommended. I give it 2/5 stars.