
Written by DAVID HINE • Co-feature written by MARV WOLFMAN • Art by MORITAT Co-feature art by PHIL WINSLADE • Cover by LADRĂ–NN
New series writer David Hine comes aboard for the first chapter of "Frostbite!" The ultimate high has arrived on the corners of Central City, and the ghouls who deal it aren't interested in cutting the all-controlling Octopus in on the action! It doesn't take long for hot blood to hit the icy city streets!
And in the co-feature, THE SPIRIT: BLACK & WHITE, Marv Wolfman and Phil Winslade show us what happens in Central City when the lights go out – every last one of them! It's a citywide blackout in black and white!
Good beginning to a new story about a drug-ring pushing a new "product" that's killing off the clientele too fast. Ellen Dolan comes out very aggressive and fearless against the drug dealers of Frost. Getting a glimpse of a different side of her. Commissioner Dolan seems to be letting certain things go on behind-the-scenes to keep the criminals and crime balanced. He knows what is going on with the big crime bosses in Central City and just let's some of them happen to keep control of other parts of it. He isn't working with them but he tries to control some of the going-ons to an extent. The Spirit delivers a couple good beatings here and there, but mostly just does investigating in this one.
Of note in this issue is the introduction to Ebony White for the first time in the First Wave universe of The Spirit. We're introduced to an extremely hard-nosed and strong-willed Ebony White. A lot different than the Ebony White of Will Eisner's time. Oh, I guess I forgot to mention - Ebony White is a girl in this series! She works with the little kids that help The Spirit out getting information on the streets and who sing it to him in song form.
The "Black & White" story for this issue, which is entitled "Connected," reminds me a lot of the old Will Eisner stories. It's got that noir feel to it (probably because of the black and white) and is a "you reap what you sow" type of story. I found myself giggling at the end. This was an eight page story.
This was Issue #4 of First Wave's The Spirit. Still not quite understanding the difference between regular DC and the First Wave tag.