REVIEW: ‘Spirit World,’ Issue #1

This review contains spoilers for Spirit World #1

Spirit World #1 from DC Comics brings a new Asian hero to the world with interesting powers and surprises. Alyssa Wong expertly writes this first issue with delicious art from Haining, exhilarating colors from Sebastian Cheng, and diligent lettering by Janice Chiang. If you followed Lazarus Rain, you know that magical storm opened up a can of change across the DC Earth and beyond. Xanthe Zhou is one character altered by it and forced to accept how it affects her and others.

This issue begins with a little girl running through Gotham’s Chinatown in the pouring rain. She is saved by a chill and positive Xanthe, fresh from their first adventure in Lazarus Rain. From then on, Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) and John Constantine helped Xanthe fight off jiangshi (Chinese vampires) and a Collective undead but lost Batgirl, who fell into the Spirit World. For context, that’s the afterlife of Chinese mythology, so I’m thrilled we get a new corner of the DCU to explore.

This issue tells a parallel story, one of Xanthe and Constantine working to find a portal to get Batgirl back to the Land of the Living, and one of Batgirl trying to survive the Spirit World, as in this belief, the dead can sense (and hunger for) living souls. Not the best place to be.

First, let’s deal with Xanthe. Cool haircut. Normal street attire. They are always prepared. In terms of persona, they are a bit brash but unhappy with their post-Lazarus Rain status (see below). She and Constantine do not get along. Their team-up is solely due to magical need and a common desire to save Batgirl. Constantine knows a necromancer who might be able to find the portal to the Spirit World, so Xanthe needs him. She has one of the coolest power sets in comics; even better, it comes from Chinese lore. Xanthe is magic, and they can whip out paper images that, when activated, become tangible objects. They use this to significant effect to make a cool anime spirit sword, but also useful items like umbrellas or a set of stairs to get over a locked gate. This relates to a Chinese practice of leaving paper objects at graves to honor the dead and provide them with instruments in the afterlife.

Meanwhile, Batgirl barely survives as soul-eating spirits stop their seemingly normal duties to stretch their necks, literally, and chase after her. But it’s cool. She finds refuge with po po (like mother-in-law) and young Bowen, who also, at some point, helped Xanthe. The Spirit World is cool and so different from Western aesthetics, and the small yet noticeable use of Mandarin gives the book its unique vibe. Lots of personalities that Wong writes so well, with exuberant artwork and catchy colors.

The Collective has invaded the necromancer’s home, so Xanthe and Constantine are pushed into a fight. But the Collective’s presence proves the portal is still in Gotham, and they can find it by tracing the undead’s essence. Once they beat it. They do, barely, and go off to reach the portal. In the meantime, Batgirl is gifted by po po with various things to make her less easy to sniff out by the Dead, and an explanation of how the Spirit World is constructed is given.

However, en route to the portal, Xanthe runs into her mother, who has been searching for Xanthe for 15 years. If you haven’t guessed it thus far, either Xanthe is also dead, or she fell into the Spirit World as a living being fifteen years ago. Either way, the twist was excellent, leaving our new hero utterly gobsmacked.

I loved Spirit World #1. I love the Chinese language, food, and lore, and this book hit the spots. Xanthe is another gray-area hero like City Boy. Every piece of this is excellent.

Spirit World #1 is available wherever comic books are sold.