Originally Posted by
HellsRider
Thoughts on recent issues of Spawn & King Spawn along with Year 1 thoughts on King Spawn which I'll also do for Gunslinger and Scorched.
Spawn #332 - I came away a bit more positive on this issue than Destro but I can see and understand that sentiment. In an alternate world, this issue would be steeped in Al & Cog history to get to where we need to go, but at the end of the day this is the first shot fired in a larger arc regarding the Dead Zone powers and where that can be. I liked Cog's dialog here as right off the bat simply calling Spawn Albert now instantly changes the tone of the conversation. Given how the last issue covered Cog's history, I'm surprised this issue didn't cover Cog's & Al's time as rulers of Hell from Al's perspective. In essence, this should have been a more dialog heavy issue, but I get the need for having action in the book to both a) show off the Sinn transformation, b) have Al get to the conclusion that Cog has been the one absorbing the other Hellspawns, and c) get to the point of revealing a major point by Al. We also have an update on Downing and his team as Haunt has joined and Downing is working with someone we don't know yet. Hopefully they don't make Downing evil but just another shade of good and interested to see where this group could go. All in all, this issue could have been more in the Cog/Spawn side of the story but we have a direction for what the arc is about and it is now going to be a mad dash to get there. Barberi has been on art duties for almost 2 years now and I think his art is fine, but I do agree that its more superhero-y than Spawn missing the grim and darkness of what a Spawn book should be however that same sentiment can be thrown at Scorched and Gunslinger as well as I feel King Spawn is the only one that feels like what a Spawn book should be artistically speaking. That and going from Jason Shawn Alexander's art to this was jarring at first, but I've gotten used to it over these last couple of years. With this issue specifically and now that we are seeing more of Sinn, I'm really not crazy about that design at all and question why the original Spawn who has taken a piece of Omega and Plague looks like Lex Luthor in a mech suit. It doesn't feel right to me, but maybe it'll grow on me? That said, that sense of visual identity is something I'll get more on when Scorched reaches its end of Year 1. Francesco Mattina is the one that did the alternate cover for this issue and has done several covers for the series since 283 and I like his covers as they capture that darkness and menace of a Spawn book.
King Spawn #12 & Year 1 thoughts - the end of the second arc and this book might as well be titled - Al's seemingly unending series of bad choices - as Al has made a decision as his fight with Black Azrael reaches a conclusion. Upon first reading this issue and reading the second arc as it was coming out, I felt the first arc was stronger than the second, but upon rereading both arcs together for a complete year 1 I actually appreciated the second arc more and what it was trying to accomplish. This issue sees Terry shocked that he survived his own explosion of the Godthrone but sees the Godthrone become a crown along with a nightmare vision of Wanda and Al while Al wraps up his fight with Black Azrael by banishing him to Heaven using what I thought would be referenced in Spawn 332, but then #13 came out and that idea went out the window quick. Now that Al has accepted this role, what happens next? Overall, a good issue that, if #13 is anything to go by, sets the stage for a much bigger fight that is about to start.
Overall, my feelings on King Spawn haven't changed much. It is by far the best book of the Universe books by a country mile. It looks unique thanks to the incredible work that Javi is putting in that makes it look like nothing else while channeling many things that make Spawn work - the darkness, the brutality, and the action. It really shows how much of a missed opportunity the other books are missing out on not establishing their own visual identity. From a story standpoint, it brings in several characters and story points from the past that either long-time or lapsed readers know while not really alienating new readers by giving enough information that if you are only reading this book you won't feel lost but at least understand that their is a history here. The story has been interesting to see Al go down this rabbit hole that might as well feel like dirt is pouring on top of him at the same time which is why I think issue 10 is the most important issue of the series so far. By this point, Al understands that he needs to go down this path but he very much could see himself be lost to it all which is why he tells Terry that he would have to take him out if that time comes while at the same time we know that their is another dimension to the Court with the shadow man (likely the Clown) that we haven't seen yet. The focus on Terry in this book specifically has been nice to see and wonder if more is in store for him either stopping or saving Al as I have to think he'll round up Jessica and Marc to help him and a particular theory of mine is that the title of King Spawn and Simon being dubbed the Kingslayer means someone else is going to have that position soon enough. I do hate the drama/anger tantrums seen in the earlier issues of the book, but I feel like a bit of Todd's influence can still be felt in that regard and the timeline of things is also something that is throwing me off when putting together the events of this book along with the main book and Scorched which is something I'll get to as well with the Scorched Year 1 thoughts. I'm definitely interested in seeing where the book will go next overall and as I said before, I think if you are someone new and looking to jump on a Spawn book I think this is the best shot at it as it develops its own corner and does it quite well.