The Spirit: an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look

In the beginning there was a humble comic-book artist called Will Eisner. Eisner dreamed up The Spirit in 1940 and retired him in 1952. The Spirit was a mysterious vigilante who loved dames and hated bad guys but no one knew his real identity, see, on account of that mask. Photograph: Denis Kitchen Art Agency

Now at about this time there lived, up in Montpelier, Vermont, a little kid by the name of Frank Miller. Little Frank loved The Spirit: "Most of the comic-books I read were about men in tights. And yet here was a guy who wore a fedora and fought crime in the real world." And one day their paths were destined to cross. Photograph: Denis Kitchen Art Agency

And so it came to pass that Frank Miller grew up to be a comic-book artist and film-maker, and The Spirit was resurrected as a Hollywood blockbuster by Odd Lot Entertainment. Execs are calling this their "new tentpole franchise comic-book action film", though they're not putting that on the poster. Photograph: Spirit Films, LCC

But how was Miller to go about tackling The Spirit? Well, first he went back to the drawing board. He sketched figures and scenarios. He was hell-bent on creating a motion picture that "evoked the stormclouds of war and the beautiful women of the 1940s". Photograph: © Spirit Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved. "The Spirit" name and character TM and © 2007 Will Eisner. All Rights Reserved

For good measure he also wanted a film full of "long trenchcoats and fast cars"; one that would lead us up dark alleys and across the rooftops of a wild American city. Finally the storyboards were done. He was ready to start shooting. Photograph: © Spirit Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved. "The Spirit" name and character TM and © 2007 Will Eisner. All Rights Reserved

And what an arsenal he had at his disposal! He had the guys and the dames, the costumes and the digital technology. And of course he had the guns. This one (the RPG-7) belongs to officer Morgenstern, the Spirit's plucky, excitable assistant. Photograph: © Spirit Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved. "The Spirit" name and character TM and © 2007 Will Eisner. All Rights Reserved

And finally, enter the Spirit. The silhouette image is a signature look in Frank Miller’s graphic novels and plays its part here too. But fear not: the digital backdrop has now been safely mapped into place. Photograph: © Spirit Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved. "The Spirit" name and character TM and © 2007 Will Eisner. All Rights Reserved

So how does Miller's Spirit differ from Eisner's? Well, they both wear masks and fedoras. They both like dames and hate criminals. In fact, the only change has been a sartorial one. Eisner's hero was a boy in blue. Miller's, however, is as black as the ace of spades.
• All images from The Spirit: The Movie Visual Companion Photograph: Denis Kitchen Art Agency