Ellen Dolan

Ellen Dolan is the sharp-witted, strong-willed daughter of Central City Police Commissioner Dolan. Appearing from the earliest days of Will Eisner's The Spirit, she has a close relationship with the masked crimefighter the Spirit and frequently becomes entangled in his dangerous adventures.

Few characters in Golden Age comics have shown the staying power of Ellen Dolan, who made her debut in Will Eisner's landmark The Spirit all the way back in 1940 and has been gracing its pages — across multiple publishers and formats — for an extraordinary 77 years. Born from the pen of the legendary Will Eisner himself, Ellen is woven into the very fabric of one of comics' most celebrated and influential properties, sharing her adventures alongside the likes of The Spirit, Commissioner Dolan, and Ebony White in nearly 200 catalogued appearances. With two key collector issues to her name and a presence stretching from the Golden Age through the modern era, she's a testament to how richly Eisner built his world — characters who endure not by accident, but because they genuinely matter to the story. If you're exploring the roots of the American comics tradition, Ellen Dolan is absolutely someone worth knowing.