The Spirit is the masked hero of the comic series created by Will Eisner.
Denny Colt, the man behind the mask, was introduced in 1940 in a syndicated newspaper insert rather than a conventional monthly comic-book title. After being presumed dead, Colt adopts the identity of The Spirit and operates from Wildwood Cemetery in the fictional Central City.
Will Eisner used the feature to experiment with splash-page design, cinematic composition, unusual lettering, and stories that could move between crime, comedy, mystery, and social commentary. The Spirit was not presented as an invulnerable superhero; his appeal came from investigation, disguise, persistence, and Eisner’s distinctive visual storytelling.
The title is sometimes confused with other masked crime fighters such as The Shadow or The Phantom. Those characters belong to different fictional universes and originated in other media or creative traditions. The Spirit remains one of the key works associated with Eisner’s influence on modern comics.