I eagerly anticipate the next issues of Green Lantern, Action, Detective and Brightest Day each month as much as the next guy, but I'll take a few paragraphs here to talk about a book that's quietly snuck its way to the top of my read pile each week it's been released.

For the past nine issues of the series, David Hine and Moritat not only created a comic that captures the spirit (no pun intended) of what makes the The Spirit fun, but also a series that's very accessible to comic fans who haven't been lucky enough to read all of Will Eisner's original Spirit (I'm about 1/3rd of my way into that epic undertaking myself, courtesy of a pile of The Spirit Archives volumes tracked down around the office.)

And if that weren't enough, I'd be remiss not to talk about the great black & white co-features by guest creators that make up the back of each issue.

I mean, we had a Harlan Ellison and Kyle Baker co-feature story a few issues back. HARLAN ELLISON. Really, the talent they round up to do those second stories is pretty sick. Walt Simonson and Jordi Bernet. Joe Strnad and Richard Corben. Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso. David Lapham and Michael WM. Kaluta. Marv Wolfman and Phil Winslade. Denny O'Neil and Bill Sienkiewicz. Michael Uslan, FJ DeSanto and Justiniano. This issue's co-feature is by Paul Dini and Mike Ploog. That's a group of creators that you'd be really hard-pressed to beat in just one year's worth of a single monthly comic title.

Et tu? Are you reading The Spirit? Which co-feature's been your favorite?

THE SPIRIT #9 is in stores today.

Some things you probably know: The Spirit returns in a new ongoing series next month from writer Mark Schultz and artist Moritat. We showed off a page of the first SPIRIT: BLACK AND WHITE co-feature by Dennis O’Neil and Bill Sienkiewicz just last week.

Did you also know that Mark Schultz is not only writing the issue, but also contributing a variant cover? It’s possible. But I know it hasn’t been seen yet, so here it is:

THE SPIRIT #1 hits 4/21.

Starting with the first issue of the new SPIRIT ongoing series, each issue will feature a SPIRIT: BLACK AND WHITE co-feature from the top talents around the industry. And what better way to kick things off than by having living legend Dennis O’Neil pair with artist Bill Sienkiewicz for a tale of Will Eisner’s creation? We were psyched when this piece of artwork found its way into our inbox, as we’ll sure you’ll be when you click on it.

THE SPIRIT #1 hits in April.

Did you think we’d run out of news after two weeks of DCU in 2010?

No such luck, Source crew. In fact, we’ve got two new ongoing books to unveil, both hitting in April.

You’re all familiar with FIRST WAVE, right? The pulp-y, neo-noir epic from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Rags Morales hits in March and brings readers into a world where the Batman, Doc Savage, the Spirit and many more hard-boiled heroes stand side by side.

To further flesh out the FIRST WAVE world and give some of these iconic characters some much-needed face time, we’re launching two new ongoing series: THE SPIRIT and DOC SAVAGE.

DOC SAVAGE #1 kicks off the Man of Bronze's very own ongoing, as Doc Savage finds himself the target of a brazen attack on New York City. And things get worse as tragedy befalls one of Doc's allies, and it's starting to look like someone may not survive the opening pages of "The Lord of Lightning" arc. Featuring a story from Paul Malmont, the national bestselling author of THE CHINATOWN DEATH-CLOUD PERIL, with art by Howard Porter, with covers by superstar artists J.G. Jones and John Cassaday.

That's not all, though. the DOC SAVAGE series will also sport a JUSTICE INC. co-feature, courtesy of crime novelist Jason Starr (Vertigo Crime's THE CHILL) and artist Scott Hampton. The first installments finds our star, Richard Benson, the Avenger, chasing down the criminals that have abducted one of his own detectives, sending Benson into an heated, unforgiving rage.

THE SPIRIT, written by Mark Schultz (Superman: Man of Steel, Xenozoic Tales) with art by DC newcomer Moritat and a snazzy cover by LADRÖNN, puts the spotlight back on Will Eisner’s fedora-wearing vigilante. What happens when the international crime syndicate known as The Golden Tree decides to help the villainous Octopus consolidate control over Central City’s criminal underworld? Well, it’s safe to say this is the kind of thing the Spirit handles best, even if The Golden Tree has offered up one of their deadliest – and sexiest -- assassins to take down the Spirit.

Check out a few pages of Moritat's lovely work below:

The first issue also features the debut of the eight-page THE SPIRIT; BLACK & WHITE co-feature, showcasing some of the industry’s finest talents interpretation of the classic hero. And what better way to kick things off than a tale of the Spirit by writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Bill Sienkiewicz?