How will Ebony appear in the Spirit movie?

I’m a bit surprised that it’s taken Hollywood so long to notice the late great Will Eisner. His graphic novels tell wonderful tales of everyday people, many of them tied to the strong Jewish cultural identity that shaped Eisner’s career and life, and a number of mainstream literary critics have written about them in recent years. (In my dreams, I see Edward Norton starring in a film version of Dropsie Avenue directed by Martin Scorsese. It could happen!)

But it’s The Spirit that he’s remembered for most, and it’s The Spirit that will get the big-budget Hollywood treatment first, to be directed by none other than Eisner devotee and new Hollywood bigshot Frank Miller. Why is this relevant to this blog? Well, it’s simple, really, and it involves a specific element of the Spirit that will likely play a major role in the film version, or should I say… a specific character.

I can’t read the Spirit comics. I have read them; I can tell you why they’re important to the history of comics and I can even tell you a little bit about the basic premise and main characters, but I cannot enjoy them the way I can enjoy any of Eisner’s graphic novels, or comparable work like, say, Dick Tracy (and yes, I realize "comparable" is a relative term when you’re talking about Eisner). Ebony White is the reason why. Every time I see him, he takes me out of the story completely and I become aware of him as a prime example of what was wrong with society in general sixty years ago (and still is). Unlike others, however, I do not hold Eisner in contempt for it. The good in Eisner’s prolific career far, far outweighs the bad, and while I understand how easy it can be to point to Ebony and cry racism, one has to look at a creator’s career as a whole in order to even begin to fully understand it, and the mind behind it. Everyone has to do that on their own, though it’s safe to say that history has treated and continues to treat Eisner well. I mean, c’mon, the industry’s most prestigious award is named after the man.

Which brings us back to the forthcoming Spirit movie, and especially to Miller’s involvement as director. Miller is a tremendous Eisner fan; that’s a given. If he’s going to direct this film, he’s gonna want it to be as true to Eisner’s vision as possible. But it should also be remembered that this is a man whose entire career in comics and film has been about shaking people up. Miller’s in his element when he’s tweaking the nose of convention, pushing the boundaries of propriety, tradition, and good taste. Being an agent provocateur is in his blood and he delights in creating images and dialogue that shock, titilate, anger, thrill, outrage, or confound readers: Bullseye killing Elektra with her own sai (and Daredevil’s subsequent reaction). Batman owning Superman in combat. Marv’s slow torture of Kevin in the first Sin City. Full frontal male nudity in 300. "I’m the goddamn Batman." The list goes on. Simply put, the words "Frank Miller" and "politically correct" do not go together in any combination.

Given all of this, is it possible that the version of Ebony we will eventually see on the big screen will reflect the print version, or will the studio heads step in and demand something less offensive? Remember, Miller has been one of the comic industry’s strongest voices speaking out in favor of free speech and the right of the creator to say what he or she chooses to say, in the manner they choose to say it. His views on the Comics Code Authority are well known. And with the Sin City movie, he set the precedent for comic book movies that are direct and virtually unvarnished representations of their source material.

Still, Miller’s not stupid. He has to be aware of the fact that if he were to keep Ebony intact, he’d have Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and Bill Cosby up his ass in five seconds screaming for a boycott. And from a business perspective (the only one that really counts here), it would be bad business to alienate the black moviegoing audience for what could be a potential tentpole summer blockbuster. I believe if Miller were to fight to keep Ebony intact, he'd lose – and to be honest, if "artistic integrity" was his only defense, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. After all, Eisner would not be the first creator, comics or otherwise, to see his work altered for the big screen.

Given Miller’s history, though, I’m convinced the possibility exists, at least – and I could not support such a film if it were to get made. Give me my Scorsese Dropsie Avenue film instead. Still, we don't know at this point what Miller's exact plans are. Let's wait and see.