MTV has posted the first teaser trailer from The Spirit, directed by Frank Miller and due in theaters January 2009.

A new teaser poster for The Spirit was unveiled today to coincide with the New York Comic Con. The movie is being directed by Frank Miller (the creater and co-director of Sin City) and from the looks of what I have seen so far, it will continue the Sin City vibe of harsh contrasts mixed with very purposeful color.

Adapted from the legendary comic book series created by Will Eisner, The Spirit is a classic action-adventure-romance. It’s the story of a former rookie cop who returns mysteriously from the dead as the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His arch-enemy, the Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) has a different mission: he’s going to wipe out Spirit’s beloved city as he pursues his own version of immortality. The Spirit arrives in theaters on January 16th, 2009.