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Post by tealproductions on Aug 24, 2022 8:41:54 GMT -6
 The strip opens with a couple orphan boys talking about how cool it would be to be a 'big time' gangster. Barney knows the whereabouts of Ripper Regan and he's going to join up and can help Billy do so also if he wants to join. There journey takes them through Wildwood Cemetery, home of The Spirit. The Spirit overhears Billy and Barney discussing their plans and attempts to dissuade them. Billy changes his mind and wants to now hang with The Spirit but Barney journeys on to meet up with Ripper. After a quick stop off at his secret headquarters The Spirit takes Billy to show him that Ripper Regan is a bad guy and that bad guys are no place to be. The Spirit/Billy run a couple thugs off from a grocery store caper and then follow the crooks into the sewers to hopefully find their hideout. Allowing himself to be captured by the crooks, The Spirit/Billy are indeed taken to Ripper's hideout. Barney is there, having found his 'heroes' and Billy gets the chance to see how 'big time' gangsters treat little kids. In an effort to find out what the police know about Ripper, he has his men torture The Spirit. Fighting off Ripper's men further impresses Billy how cool it is to be a 'good guy'. The final confrontation is Billy taking down Ripper who is beating up Barney believing Barney led The Spirit /Billy to the Rippers secret hideout. The strips ends with The Spirit delivering The Ripper to Commissioner Dolan and a final panel PSA. 
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Post by tealproductions on Aug 24, 2022 8:52:12 GMT -6
 I found Billy and Barney getting sick trying to be tough guys by smoking cigars, pretty amusing. I was surprise that The Spirit just led Billy to his 'secret' lair Unfortunate visual cauterization. The panels depicting the fight in the grocery store and those showing the quick journey into the sewers afterwards were well done and emotive of the situation. The Spirit escaping and overcoming the bad guys were all very actiony and IMHO Eisner at his best. I really can't believe that The Spirit would take a young grade school age boy with him on this kind of adventure. No the best choice in my mind.
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