The Spirit #16

The Spirit and his young partner Ebony have clearly had a rough go of it — the cover, inked and penciled by Will Eisner, shows a battered, handcuffed villain sprawled on the ground while a triumphant Spirit (mask askew, shirt in tatters) stands behind Ebony, who gleefully brandishes a $1,000 reward poster for one "Godcher Grapple." A gallery of familiar faces lines the left margin, hinting at the rich cast of characters waiting inside this July 1949 Quality Comics package. Three complete Spirit stories — including "The Case of the Uncanny Cat" — plus Flatfoot Burns and Jonesy make this a genuinely satisfying read for a dime.