Spawn

[Blanks]

Loaded up on a TON of Spawn today. The 4th Omnibus collection (issues 151-200), Gunslinger, Scorched, the Image and DC Spaw. Variants… sigh. And the rest of the Batman/Spawn variants.

If I had any imagining that the crossover story was going to be so atrocious, I wouldn’t have asked mt Local Comic shop to get me all the variant covers. Re-reading the story, over and over the past week… it just wasn’t worth it.

My LCS knows how much I LOVE Spawn, so I wasn’t not going to not buy the variant covers they reserved for me, but damn if I ever put that much faith in that again…

[Toxin45]

Power creep power sweep in play with spawn comics

[Toxin45]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKCtshNjDc

top 10 most powerful spawn villains by top 10 nerd

[tabo61]

Good list of villains.

[HellsRider]

Feels like its been a bit but finally was able to catch up on some of the latest Spawn issues and strictly focus this post on the latest Batman Spawn crossover. I did do a re-read of the previous two crossovers from 1994 - War Devil which was published on the DC Comics end and Spawn & Batman crossover with Frank Miller and Todd McFarlane which was published on the Image Comics end. The former was a pretty mediocre Batman story that just so happens to have Spawn in it in the most vaguest understanding of him bearing in mind the book was written by 3 Batman writers and Spawn had only been out for about 2 years with art that just didn't work for me, Spawn basically gets destroyed by Batman, and the best thing about the book is using Al's military black ops past as a human as an element of the story. The latter feels like the main event of the two given who is on it with art that is way better compared to War Devil and two fights between the title characters that are more even at least compared to their encounter in the other crossover. But man does the dialogue leave a lot to be desired and the story is fine enough as it focuses more on the two characters and just about anything else could be going on to justify them teaming up and winning the day.

Enter the latest crossover with McFarlane now on writing duties and Capullo on art and at least on the art front it is far and away the best of the three and the go-to reason to get this. Capullo having worked on both characters for so long pays dividends but the interesting thing here is McFarlane's inks which at times make the book feel like a fusion of DC & Image art styles especially when it came to certain Spawn panels which I thought was good. The story though...oh boy where to start on that. I feel like Todd had a third of the idea well enough - Spawn gets a little birdie to tell him that Batman has the soul of Wanda to fuel a fight between the two heroes and they has fight - but once that is over this book goes off the rails that it is best to not put an ounce of brain power on this as so many things make no sense (Superman existed and died in Spawn's universe and Spawn shows Batman the shoelace-face which came about due to Batman in the previous crossover and yet Spawn doesn't know who Batman is but Spawn knew of Batman in the previous crossover that is being referenced and this happens in the span of a few panels - like how did Todd think that among many other things) and it ends on a cliffhanger to a future story that just made me think of 2 things - 1) why did they tell this particular story and 2) when (if ever) are we going to see the continuation of this? In the case of the first point, Todd did an interview with CBR about 2015 or so where he talked about a third crossover between the two characters that was supposed to happen about 10 years prior which was going to be a story focused on Batman & Spawn against Joker & Clown and it didn't happen mostly because of Todd (surprise surprise). So years after that, Todd finally gets a chance to do a third crossover only to not tell that story and instead end on a cliffhanger which teases the potential story we were supposed to get decades ago. Like why not just do that story now which probably would have been stronger and make more sense than what we got with likely no cliffhanger? To the second point, reading interviews on this crossover Todd basically ended this crossover this way so either a) he and the team can come back down the line to tell the next tale or b) someone else does that story or something else. The book reads like the start of a small miniseries so it sucks that we are left hanging like that with no plans, as of now, as to the future of this. Despite all of that, I still found it average enough in a turn your brain off and don't think too much on either character's world sort of way while recognizing the serious faults in the story and dialogue that is mostly held up by the art. Its a novelty at the end of the day and if this were just a one-and-done like the previous crossovers have been it is harmless enough but not knowing any level of future plans given how the story ends does dampen the experience on this. I'd honestly like to see either Capullo do a crossover story and continue it on both writing and art duties or get someone like Sean Murphy on writing duties - hell even art duties too like he does the White Knight series - and I think that can be an amazing product.

[Toxin45]

Feels like its been a bit but finally was able to catch up on some of the latest Spawn issues and strictly focus this post on the latest Batman Spawn crossover. I did do a re-read of the previous two crossovers from 1994 - War Devil which was published on the DC Comics end and Spawn & Batman crossover with Frank Miller and Todd McFarlane which was published on the Image Comics end. The former was a pretty mediocre Batman story that just so happens to have Spawn in it in the most vaguest understanding of him bearing in mind the book was written by 3 Batman writers and Spawn had only been out for about 2 years with art that just didn't work for me, Spawn basically gets destroyed by Batman, and the best thing about the book is using Al's military black ops past as a human as an element of the story. The latter feels like the main event of the two given who is on it with art that is way better compared to War Devil and two fights between the title characters that are more even at least compared to their encounter in the other crossover. But man does the dialogue leave a lot to be desired and the story is fine enough as it focuses more on the two characters and just about anything else could be going on to justify them teaming up and winning the day.

Enter the latest crossover with McFarlane now on writing duties and Capullo on art and at least on the art front it is far and away the best of the three and the go-to reason to get this. Capullo having worked on both characters for so long pays dividends but the interesting thing here is McFarlane's inks which at times make the book feel like a fusion of DC & Image art styles especially when it came to certain Spawn panels which I thought was good. The story though...oh boy where to start on that. I feel like Todd had a third of the idea well enough - Spawn gets a little birdie to tell him that Batman has the soul of Wanda to fuel a fight between the two heroes and they has fight - but once that is over this book goes off the rails that it is best to not put an ounce of brain power on this as so many things make no sense (Superman existed and died in Spawn's universe and Spawn shows Batman the shoelace-face which came about due to Batman in the previous crossover and yet Spawn doesn't know who Batman is but Spawn knew of Batman in the previous crossover that is being referenced and this happens in the span of a few panels - like how did Todd think that among many other things) and it ends on a cliffhanger to a future story that just made me think of 2 things - 1) why did they tell this particular story and 2) when (if ever) are we going to see the continuation of this? In the case of the first point, Todd did an interview with CBR about 2015 or so where he talked about a third crossover between the two characters that was supposed to happen about 10 years prior which was going to be a story focused on Batman & Spawn against Joker & Clown and it didn't happen mostly because of Todd (surprise surprise). So years after that, Todd finally gets a chance to do a third crossover only to not tell that story and instead end on a cliffhanger which teases the potential story we were supposed to get decades ago. Like why not just do that story now which probably would have been stronger and make more sense than what we got with likely no cliffhanger? To the second point, reading interviews on this crossover Todd basically ended this crossover this way so either a) he and the team can come back down the line to tell the next tale or b) someone else does that story or something else. The book reads like the start of a small miniseries so it sucks that we are left hanging like that with no plans, as of now, as to the future of this. Despite all of that, I still found it average enough in a turn your brain off and don't think too much on either character's world sort of way while recognizing the serious faults in the story and dialogue that is mostly held up by the art. Its a novelty at the end of the day and if this were just a one-and-done like the previous crossovers have been it is harmless enough but not knowing any level of future plans given how the story ends does dampen the experience on this. I'd honestly like to see either Capullo do a crossover story and continue it on both writing and art duties or get someone like Sean Murphy on writing duties - hell even art duties too like he does the White Knight series - and I think that can be an amazing product.

Will you also do your thoughts spawn unwanted violence?

[Blanks]

So I don’t have any personal thoughts/review on the newest issue of Spawn as of yet, but apparently (from an in story authors note) Batman/Spawn is canon to Spawn?! That story was all over the place…. And I’ve re-read it several times.

Now knowing that it is connected to the Spawn comic, (even loosely…) I’m gonna have to re-read it. Again.

Maybe it’s my own OCD, but when things don’t fit right or make sense (in comics or stories at least), I stress over the lil details about things.

[Toxin45]

So I don’t have any personal thoughts/review on the newest issue of Spawn as of yet, but apparently (from an in story authors note) Batman/Spawn is canon to Spawn?! That story was all over the place…. And I’ve re-read it several times.

Now knowing that it is connected to the Spawn comic, (even loosely…) I’m gonna have to re-read it. Again.

Maybe it’s my own OCD, but when things don’t fit right or make sense (in comics or stories at least), I stress over the lil details about things.

It is about the black beast,also Nyx got half of the dead zones and sinn got back to hell green world is next

[PossumGrease]

What's wild about Spawn is that it seemingly only has 1 story arc that should have taken about 15 issues to tell, but instead they've been telling it for 330 issues. It just seems that nothing ever really happens, but I keep buying it because I like the art and the logo and I keep thinking that one day McFarlane will put it all together into a compelling story.

Arguably, the "status quo" is the status quo for many titles, but at least things happen and there are consequences within the story arcs themselves. I'm about to launch into a re-read of the series through the compendiums, so I'm interested to see if my opinion is different after the re-read.

[Toxin45]

What's wild about Spawn is that it seemingly only has 1 story arc that should have taken about 15 issues to tell, but instead they've been telling it for 330 issues. It just seems that nothing ever really happens, but I keep buying it because I like the art and the logo and I keep thinking that one day McFarlane will put it all together into a compelling story.

Arguably, the "status quo" is the status quo for many titles, but at least things happen and there are consequences within the story arcs themselves. I'm about to launch into a re-read of the series through the compendiums, so I'm interested to see if my opinion is different after the re-read.

Good luck with all those spawn titles todd's end goal was always for spawn to outlive him and still making comics like walt disney for example when his creations outlive him

[HellsRider]

Will you also do your thoughts spawn unwanted violence?

Oh yeah absolutely. Since it is just 2 issues, I'll wait until the whole thing is out and then put my cents on it. I like the art preview with the way Freak looks more undead than say the way too-clean look he has in the recent Scorched issue.

And yeah Blanks the recent main book issue does connect the recent Batman/Spawn crossover (which is a choice that I'll have thoughts on that when I get to it) and the upcoming Scorched issue, based on the preview now out, also makes both the Spawn & Batman crossover from 1994 with Frank Miller & Todd McFarlane and the Spawn Simony one shot from 2004 canon as Margaret Love & Necro from the respective books are back too and both Love & Necro are together as a couple.

[Blanks]

And yeah Blanks the recent main book issue does connect the recent Batman/Spawn crossover (which is a choice that I'll have thoughts on that when I get to it) and the upcoming Scorched issue, based on the preview now out, also makes both the Spawn & Batman crossover from 1994 with Frank Miller & Todd McFarlane and the Spawn Simony one shot from 2004 canon as Margaret Love & Necro from the respective books are back too and both Love & Necro are together as a couple.

Hmm. Intriguing. I must have missed that part about Love. I’m gonna have to go back and re-read. Any key issues you recommend?

Also, I’ve always been keen on shipping Al and Nyx, I felt the characters worked well. It’s a lil sad to see them at opposite ends, but since this main story plot deals with Al trying to get Wanda’s soul back…..

[Blanks]

What's wild about Spawn is that it seemingly only has 1 story arc that should have taken about 15 issues to tell, but instead they've been telling it for 330 issues. It just seems that nothing ever really happens, but I keep buying it because I like the art and the logo and I keep thinking that one day McFarlane will put it all together into a compelling story.

Arguably, the "status quo" is the status quo for many titles, but at least things happen and there are consequences within the story arcs themselves. I'm about to launch into a re-read of the series through the compendiums, so I'm interested to see if my opinion is different after the re-read.

There are times I feel like I am in an abusive relationship with Spawn (well, a lot of the comic characters I enjoy ((cough, cough, Ben Reilly Scarlet Spider, cough, cough)), but I can’t seem to stop collecting Spawn, lol.

There are a total of what? 4 books, pretty much telling the same onward narrative, but no real advanced progression. But alas….

[Toxin45]

There are times I feel like I am in an abusive relationship with Spawn (well, a lot of the comic characters I enjoy ((cough, cough, Ben Reilly Scarlet Spider, cough, cough)), but I can’t seem to stop collecting Spawn, lol.

There are a total of what? 4 books, pretty much telling the same onward narrative, but no real advanced progression. But alas….

I mean it does have cog/sinn as him back in hell while Nyx has at least seven of the dead zones

[HellsRider]

Hmm. Intriguing. I must have missed that part about Love. IÂ’m gonna have to go back and re-read. Any key issues you recommend?

Also, IÂ’ve always been keen on shipping Al and Nyx, I felt the characters worked well. ItÂ’s a lil sad to see them at opposite ends, but since this main story plot deals with Al trying to get WandaÂ’s soul backÂ…..

Yeah, Love will be back in Scorched 14 at the end of this month as the preview of that is on Mcfarlane.com. Love's only appearance was in that Spawn & Batman crossover that they recently re-released a few months back along with War Devil called Batman/Spawn: The Classic Collection which makes me wonder if they'll do something with the War Devil side of it but I doubt it as Todd wasn't on that at all and strictly published by DC at that time plus nothing really of note is there. So that is really the only primer you need on Love as she never appeared in anything else in the franchise to my knowledge. Necro is an interesting choice as I don't think Spawn Simony has seen any re-release since it came out in 2004 so that is a curious choice. I know that even existing is interesting as it came about as the publisher of the French versions of Spawn, Semic, having a really tight relationship with Todd such that Todd allowed them to put a team together to create an original story in the Spawn mythos. It has been years since I read that and don't remember much from it.

I definitely liked the Nyx and Al dynamic back in the day and felt if Al couldn't be with Wanda and not have a happy ending that way, Nyx would be the potential happy ending for him. It does suck that they are currently against one another but hopefully, down the road, they'll be able to work together as we just don't have the full story yet of Nyx's return and end goal with Downing and I hope that they flesh out the Nyx/Priest relationship too.