Spawn

[MosSuperman]

IMG_20161212_191321.jpg

https://twitter.com/Todd_McFarlane/s...66504589131776

[Paulie Blade]

I think Todd should reestablish what SEXY means, lol. No, I'm kidding. This art is FUCKING SEXY.

[spaghettidracula]

Has anyone else noticed the past 2 issues, 269 and 270 have been awesome! I donno much about Tom Leveen, I guess he co-wrote them, but the writing is great. It's creepy and intriguing and the art is fantastic. It feels Like My favorite era of Spawn again. They even brought Cogliostro back last issue.

[spaghettidracula]

...And this "Shade" guy. Total creep. Love it. You got some new stuff, some old stuff... very exiting.

[Destro777]

Has anyone else noticed the past 2 issues, 269 and 270 have been awesome! I donno much about Tom Leveen, I guess he co-wrote them, but the writing is great. It's creepy and intriguing and the art is fantastic. It feels Like My favorite era of Spawn again. They even brought Cogliostro back last issue.

Yes, im liking the direction this is taking. Issue 268 was 100% terrible - I nearly dropped the book again, but 269's mysterious ending and now Cog's reappearance in 270 dragged me back. I never understood why Cog has been so low key after the multi-year long legal battle Todd had to get him back in the book. I love how he is still keeping his secrets to himself - THIS is the Spawn that's been missing. You can already tell the impact the new co-writer has, this writing is drastically improved - im getting a Brian Holguin vibe back when he co-wrote the book.

Im wondering if Cyan is going to end up being a Spawn herself? My memory is hazy of old issues but I seem to remember her having a piece of Spawn's power from an old shoe lace or something...

[BlaqRain]

I see Todd is talking about the reboot again. Again. It's his own neglect which has resulted in no one caring any longer... What a shame...

[thefiresky]

Hey guys, just a quick question for all you Spawn gurus out there - I'm looking to get into Spawn (I guess officially for the first time). I know Spawn's basic premise but is there a good jumping-on point for the comics right around now? Is it currently any good (writing, storyline, art), and what should I read before tagging along?

[Paulie Blade]

Hey guys, just a quick question for all you Spawn gurus out there - I'm looking to get into Spawn (I guess officially for the first time). I know Spawn's basic premise but is there a good jumping-on point for the comics right around now? Is it currently any good (writing, storyline, art), and what should I read before tagging along?

I'd say you could start reading at Spawn #250, then Spawn: Resurrection (one-shot) and Spawn #251 onwards. It's when Al Simmons came back as series' protagonist and it's a good jumping-on point. Shortly after there was a well-received by readers run with Todd and Erik Larsen doing both story and art. Then Erik left and with the return of Szymon Kudrański a new arc started - as I hear many readers dropped the book at this point, but I personally really enjoy the currect incarnation of Spawn and I strongly recommend it.

[HellsRider]

Been a while that I haven't posted on here. Left the book for a while just before the Larsen stuff and been catching up.

I really enjoyed the Larsen stuff at first with Satan Saga Wars. It was a nice intimate story with God and Satan still having a hand in things and I liked how it wrapped up two of the series major storylines since the beginning - the importance of the symbiote and the Wanda/Al story. After that and the Savage Dragon stuff, however, that was a real disappointment. Just weak stuff all around and the constant going back to the apartment seemed like it was building up to something, but no payoff at all.

Then Larsen leaves and Syzmon comes back and the series becomes even more aimless with Spawn's fight on drugs that goes nowhere, Terry's issues with the CIA that kinda go nowhere, Cyan becoming a drug addict which that never really sat well with me as she always was the most hopeful. Nice that Al and Cog reconnected though. Still felt like we weren't really going anywhere again and limping to 300.

Now this week with the new team, who will be on the book for the remainder of the year with no word on if they'll stay on further, I gotta say I'm intrigued. Art right off the bat takes a bit of getting used to, but after a few pages it felt right for the story being told. Characters weren't talking in vague terms and their is such a level of creepiness to it that I really like. Wished their was an interview or something in the back pages from the new team to get their thoughts on things, but overall off to a good start and looking forward to the rest of the arc.

[son of booyah]

Not a big superhero guy at the moment, but Empty Zone is awesome and if the team is on this book, I'll at least check it out.

[ralphtown]

New Spawn fan here in UK

Just picked up #276 from my LCS and really liked it.
I,m in!

Just need the other 275 issues now LOL.

RALPH.

[Katatonia]

You know what was left unanswered that is like really important to Spawn? Do any of you remember when Cog had screwed Al Simmons over when he was the King of Hell, and then blackmailed and reversed the roles, and Cog had become the King of Hell? Like, right after Cog took the helm from Simmons, there was no word about Cog. Not even in the Satan Saga Wars, about why, or whatever happened when he was in Hell. That's until, just recently he's resurfaced. Like, so was Cog just the King of Hell for a time, and then gave the throne back to Satan, or Malbogia? I mean ****, if David Hine had wrote the conclusion of what had happened, that would've came to a conclusion for sure. I love Spawn to death, I'm a huge mark for this series. And, I did mention I read it religiously as each issue pops out. However, McFarlane leaves too much **** unanswered and waaaay too many plots (Plot-Devices) hanging. And, not enough stuff to go on, to support what had previously happened. It's almost as if he swept whatever David Hine did under the rug and just kept moving forward. Furthermore, what David Hine did with Simmons' daughter was a perfect. A true example of making a horrible idea into pure magic. And, As the story goes, Todd McFarlane was actually jealous with how great David Hine had treated his series. So Hine had left. But Hine pushed Spawn to new heights that the series hadn't seen since the beginning. Which is huge, because after Jim Downing appeared the series turned into pure utter ****.

And I dreaded reading anything with the "New Spawn". Spawn's a black dude, an ex-military fucking murdering machine that's literally born from the pits of Hell itself. And David Hine took that message seriously. So seriously, that he established Simmons' killed his unborn daughter. And, then he'd later face her in Hell. So then Todd in pure jealousy literally forgot everything Hine wrote and acted like it never happened. And, although we did get Simmons back, and Syzmon K. did the artwork. It was and wasn't enjoyable. It wasn't like wow, this is Spawn!! It was more like, "What the **** happened to your series!?". It sickened me to see people fight for drugs and Cyan being an addict. That's bullshit. It's an atrocious joke and a spit in the face of everyone who knew Cyan was an important character. She was the reason Simmons' had turned into "God Spawn" and kept him grounded. You remember how amazing that arc was? Like, how can Cyan go from that to a mute/socially awkward drug addict on pain pills? And, why the hell was Simmons suit a peal off symbiote? What is the suit, Venom? I get McFarlane created Venom, but that just makes no sense. Even at the start it made no sense. From what I remember, his suit was apart of his actual soul. Again, Hine touched on that subject heavily.

Now, Satan Saga Wars and everything leading into it was amazing. I loved it completely. Erik Larsen brought Spawn back when I thought the title would die from pure boredom and painfully done issues that seemed to just put a story out with no head or tail. And everything was perfect. Though, this new team has potential, so lets hope they get it right. However, I hope that Todd revitalizes his series completely. Cause it's the oldest series Image has since the start, and it's still the best, but it's lacking waaaay too much. And, it's on it's last legs. I truly mean that. I know he mentioned something about not breaking Sim's record. But like, does that even matter? I'm not going to get into that. At least not now. And, I think McFarlane re-releasing the series will only hurt it even more. If anything, bring an all-star team like Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to do an entire new era of Spawn. That would be an amazing era in Spawn, it would be like Batman all over again, but no holds barred and balls to the wall violence. Hell, even have Marc Silvestri doing an arc. Or someone like Jeff Lemire, or even Ron Marz, do something to save it. Or, McFarlane can do the series himself, story and art. But he shouldn't throw everything he built in all these 25 years in the garbage cause he's lacking any kind of creativity to keep it going forward. When someone else as previously mentioned like David Hine can keep your series moving forward in an amazing way. You know?

[BlaqRain]

Well played, Ralph and welcome.

[Greg]

How is the new team thus far? I didn't realize Todd switched teams (AGAIN!) and wanted to know how it reads. I haven't enjoyed the book since Hine and Haberlin's run and dropped it soon after but tried to give it a look see ever new team. I love the experimental horror art but wanna know how the story reads.

[HellsRider]

So a small status report on the new team with 3 issues out so far and the verdict is that it has been really good.

What I like the most is that no one is talking in unnecessary vague terms and if something is a mystery it is treated as such wondering where it will go in the right way especially in the case of Cyan's side of the story. Al's side has gotten a lot clearer given the last issue where we are introduced to the main bad guy (seemingly, I think their may be an even higher power at work) and his motivations which actually ties into Al's action at the end of Satan Saga Wars so I like the nice tie to that and makes sense. Al's still too gun ho as always, but that's pretty much a character trait at this point. The art I've also grown to appreciate especially the Spawn moments. I especially liked the opening of the last issue where Al simply let go controlling the costume to get out of a bind and it turned into these demonic dogs that kinda reminded me of Alucard from Hellsing. So definitely excited to see where this goes and honestly hope the team stays longer than this arc because they definitely get the character and mythos.

Btw, never thought I would see a Hickman cover (even if it is an alternate one) for Spawn with issue 277, but that was nice.