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Love Letter to Spawn 312

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Introduction

I mentioned in my previous Spawn review that I hoped there might be a payoff to the long setup. I can’t promise that it is here in Spawn 312. However, it does feel much closer after this issue. I mean, things actually happened. Silly that’s the barometer but that’s where we are right now.

The eternal question of this year. Did Covid make things crappy. Or, have things always been crappy and Covid just made us realize it?

I hate to mention Covid again. But, it definitely had an impact on things in one way or another. As I covered in a couple of my comics articles last month, it seems like Covid threw the comics world into more chaos than anticipated.

Books are being delayed and cancelled at an alarming rate. Creative teams looked haphazard for the better part of the last six months. I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that we’ve had somewhat consistent comics releases in that time. Things could be worse. After all, Hallmark’s 25 Days of Christmas started three months early this year. So, let’s focus on the positive as we often try to do.

The Great

Supporting Cast: Part of my problem with the last issue is that he overpromised and underdelivered. The book promised a huge supporting cast only to have them show up in the last page of the issue and contribute almost nothing to the plot. Well, the main plot revolved around Gunslinger Spawn. She-Spawn had a small, but integral part.

Heck, even Cy-Gor (forgot the robot gorilla’s name in the last review) and Overtkill saw their parts in the story increase in both time and significance. See, I wasn’t being completely cheeky when I said that things happened in this issue. Things actually happened.

The Good

Gunslinger Spawn: I already mentioned him in the previous section. However, he deserves a section unto himself after this issue. I never was a fan of many of the “specialty” spawn. Heck, I was even lukewarm to the change from Al to Jim Downing. This is just one of those books where I want my hero to be solitary.

Okay, that sounds weird after I just said that the supporting cast was great. Allow me to explain. I can handle the occasional team up, like Spider-Man. Most of the time, though, I just want Simmons and his story. I won’t say I like Gunslinger Spawn now, but Spawn 312 went a long way to endearing me more to his character. Uncle Todd kept the momentum moving forward as I hoped.

The Decent

The Story: With all of that being said, it’s not all ectoplasm and symbiotes. Okay, I apologize for that one. I literally spent the last 15 minutes trying to come up with that and that’s the best take. I know. Just bloody awful. Hey, I apologized.

The point of that all is that the story is getting better. However, it still feels like it it moving at a snail’s pace. I get that Uncle Todd has become more deliberate in his old age, but does he really have to emulate Bendis so much? I suppose I should just consider myself lucky that, unlike the current Bendis Superman stories, this one is actually decent.

The Verdict

Spawn 312 represents a continued step in the right direction. After the greatness of the Dark Horror story and then the soft reboot that seemed to be moving things forward, Spawn got a bit stagnant for a few issues there. It might have partially been that the momentum was slowed by the Covid hiatus. Maybe it is just that the book naturally ends up having ups and downs. I mean, most stories are like that, especially one that has been run by the same guy for the last 25 years or so. Whatever the reason, I’m enjoying the book again and I can’t wait for the next issue.

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Love Letter to Spawn 310 and 311

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Introduction

TLDR: I enjoyed Spawn 310 and 311 slightly more than the previous two issues. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the previous two issues. As with anything Spawn related, the issued had good and bad qualities. I very much liked the art, but the story felt too long. There may be a pay off later, but even that felt lacking.

Sad trombone sounds…

Okay, that picture and caption are slightly damning in the face of the final sentence of the previous paragraph. But, I swear. I enjoy Spawn. It’s the one comic that I have made a pact to somehow collect the entire run. I’m probably (at most) 50 issues short. It’s because I love the book so much that it might seem like I’m hard on Spawn 310 and 311. It’s a tough love.

The Great

The Art in 311: I’ve made it known on several occasions that I like the super realistic art in Spawn. With some other titles, I can abide a different art style, but I grew up with Uncle Todd’s and then Greg Capullo’s art on this book. That’s what I want to see from Spawn on a regular basis.

Ken Lashley’s work was amazing in the most recent issues. I think I mentioned last time that I texted Chris to cal it Capullo-esque. I was more than a little upset, therefore, to see a new artist on issue 310. The art wasn’t as sharp. But, that changed with 311. I guess this is just the new reality of post Covid comics this year. Issue to issue changes of writers and artists.

The Good

Overpromising and Underdelivering: Again, this might seem like a negative against the book. Perhaps on its surface, so allow me to explain. At the end of issue 310, he promised Overtkill, Gunslinger Spawn, and one other that I’m blanking. Also, I am too lazy to walk downstairs right now to look it up.

All three of those characters made an appearance in the issue as promised. However, they came on in the last few pages of the issue. So, that’s disappointing. The good is that hopefully that sets up for a great issue 312 and maybe even 313. Here’s to hoping.

The Decent (This is Actually More The Ugly)

Anti-vaxxer Messaging?: It surprised me that the first part of issue 310 contained some anti-vaxxer messaging. I can’t say that’s how it was intended. However, the “villain” of the first few pages was a doctor working on a vaccine for a worldwide pandemic that turns out to be poisonous and making people sick.

I’m not sure how Uncle Todd thinks about vaccines. Initially, I was surprised that it was even included in the issue. But, then I remembered that I was confusing Uncle Todd for Ed Boon and his Twitter crusade to spread the word about masking during the pandemic.

During a time of misinformation and attacks on science and medicine, it felt very irresponsible to include this storyline in the comic. I know that it’s fiction and only a comic, but we’ve seen that pop culture and entertainment can heavily influence opinions. Okay, I’m off my soapbox.

The Verdict

Spawn 310 and 311 are overall good. As mentioned in my previous review, they aren’t as good as the Dark Horror story or even the beginning of the soft reboot started in issue 300. With the inclusion of some older villains, that promises to change for at least the next issue. Hopefully Uncle Todd is able to keep the momentum going forward.

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Love Letter to Spawn 308 and 309

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Introduction

Spawn 308 and 309 arrived simultaneously a couple of months ago. Therefore, after a Zendikar review that took far too long and a detour into the NFL for a couple of days, we are back to our bread and butter on the page. That’s right. It’s time for some nerd content. More specifically, I’m going to catch up on the comics I’ve missed the last couple of months and write some reviews.

Trying to catch up be like…

I’ve already read Spawn 308 and 309. I know, no large feat. However, it feels like I actually accomplished something simply by reading those two books. Now, I can try to plow through the other two dozen or so that I have from the last two months. That might seem like a massive undertaking since it took me a couple of months just to read the two Spawn issues. However, Tuesday is my lighter day teaching and I will have time (theoretically) to devote to reading. But, first, to finish this review of Spawn 308 and 309.

The Great

Ken Lashley’s Art: I have had a love/hate relationship with the art in Spawn since I’ve come back to comics. Sure, there have been some other books that I haven’t enjoyed the art, but this one has had some of the most varied art over the last couple of years. But, I texted Chris and said, “I like Ken Lashley’s art. It has a bit of Capullo vibe.”

The Good

Uncle Todd’s Writing: I was excited to have Uncle Todd back and writing for the old Hellspawn. I learned, again, that you should be careful what you wish for. Uncle Todd is good in small batches. However, when asked to carry a story for much longer than a few issues, he loses the thread a bit and things start to unravel. I’m not saying that’s happening here just yet, but the potential exists.

The Decent

The Story: Speaking of writing, I just can’t get into this story. I liked the “reboot” of issues 300 and 301. Ever since, this story of time traveling, cross overs, and Heaven’s War on Earth is just leaving me cold. These latest issues were slightly better. I’d rather they go back to the creeping terror of the “Dark Horror” story.

The Verdict (Spawn 308 and 309 are fine)

I titled this article, “Love letter to Spawn 308 and 309”. I wouldn’t say this reads so much as a love letter. Then again, they say that if you love someone, set them free. If they come back, then they’re yours. Otherwise, it was never meant to be. I don’t think that I need to set Spawn free again just yet, but I’m certainly not looking forward to new issues like I was before the pandemic.

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How Has Spawn Endured?

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TLDR

Video coming soon.

Introduction

Others have come and gone. Marvel and DC have rebooted and rebirthed numerous times. Heck, there have been 3 different Spider-Mans (but truly only one real one) and Batmans in movies alone. Yet, through it all, Spawn has endured.

Sure, he’s been killed once or twice (I think, I’m still catching up on issues between 150 and 250) and has had a different identity. But, 300 is 300, so you don’t need a silly Legacy calculator to figure out which issue number you’re reading.

Spawn is still Spawn. And, he’s still here. The question I had is why? Or, maybe how?

My Top 5 Reasons Spawn Is Still Here

Honorable Mention (Crossover Appeal): Spawn doesn’t have the name recognition of other comic book characters. Heck, he might not even be as well known as other “independent” characters. Still, he has starred in a couple of animated series, a movie (and another on the way), and most recently in MK 11. Trying to grab fans from other media will always be a good idea to keep your name in the funny papers.

5. Consistency: When I come back to Spawn, I know there are things that I can count on always being there. Like I said numerous times during Mortal Kombat week, you just know what you’re going to get with Spawn. You’re going to get powerful (and powerfully endowed) women, demonic enemies, ultraviolence, and an often sardonic attitude from Spawn about all of it.

And, of course, we can’t forget this Uncle Todd specialty.

4. Adaptability: Even though you are consistent, you can’t be stagnant. You have to change with the times. Spawn has been able to do that, as well. It can be a horror comic as evidenced by the “Dark Horror” story line. It can be a political one (though not as subtle as some other books) when it wants to be. And, it can just be a fight between Heaven and Hell.

What do you mean this isn’t a documentary?

3. Nostalgia: I’m not usually much of a nostalgia guy, but I have to admit that this definitely plays a role in my continued support of Spawn. If this wasn’t one of the first comic books that I was able to get “Issue #1” legitimately as a starter issue, I’d probably not keep coming back.

I’ve bought the first 50 issues three times at this point to replace missing ones.

2. Talent: The roster for Spawn through the years reads like a “Who’s Who” of comic book talent. Snyder, Capullo, Tan, Daniel, Hine, Larsen, Portacio, Medina, Miki, Kudranski. Just the first two alone would be enough to make this book a force.

Without Spawn, do we even have the epic Snyder/Capullo Batman books? An argument can be made.
  1. Uncle Todd: Honestly, this is probably the only reason I needed on the list. However, I probably couldn’t have gotten a 10 minute video out of just repeating the name Todd McFarlane. So, I beefed up the list with the other reasons that are ultimately just Uncle Todd being a true force in the industry. He, along with others, believed in their talents so much they told the big 2 to go eff themselves. He is the only one who has stayed around to prove the idea correct.

The Verdict (How Has Spawn Endured?)

Those are my reasons for why Spawn endured. As with anything these days, I’m sure that others have their own reasons and would be willing to share them, either here or on YouTube. Do you agree? Disagree? Have a declaration of mutiny and wish to run 2 Generations Gaming yourself? Be sure to leave a like and a comment. I’m always up for some friendly debate.

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Spawn 306 Review

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Introduction

Spawn 306. Seems like only 6 months ago we were celebrating the “record breaking” Spawn 300. As usually happens with Spawn and Uncle Todd, that celebration was marked by controversy. Some pointed out that since Cerberus ran 300 issues, Spawn would have to get to 301 in order to hold the record alone.

As a result, Uncle Todd has put a banner on the top of the latest book that says “World Record Breaking Comic!” I mean, troll and get trolled, fellas. It works both ways. I wouldn’t say that he’s a master of trolling. But, this one is pretty good.

The exclamation point at the end is the coup de grace, for sure.

So, here I am. Reading Spawn comics. Listening to Korn. Playing Mortal Kombat. It’s like I’m a teenager all over again. Sure, Korn came after my teenage years, but I also have Megadeth, Metallica, Danzing, Suicidal Tendencies, and others from that time on my workout playlist. So, yeah, I’m basically a teenager again. Now, let’s get to that Spawn 306 review.

The Great

Uncle Todd – I already eschewed the virtues of Uncle Todd as a troll. Now, it’s time to do the same for him as a creative force. I have said numerous times in the past that I’m honestly surprised that the comic has been able to still be this fresh over 30 years later. That’s a testament to both him as a writer and being able to realize when things need to be switched up to keep it fresh.

Exhibit A: Bringing back Philip Tan

Philip Tan: Philip Tan was involved during one of my favorite periods during Spawn. In fact, when I saw that Uncle Todd was bringing back fan favorites for the 300th issue, I was surprised not to see Mr. Tan’s name on the list. I even texted Chris that. But, now he’s here and I’m a happy Spawn fan.

The Good

New Story: I’m not entirely sure that this is a brand new story. Something tells me that we’ve visited this future at some point in Spawn’s past. However, it is new to me and it is refreshing. It was no secret that I didn’t enjoy the “politics” storyline from a couple of arcs ago. I did mostly like the Hell Hunt story and will go back to finish that one soon. This one, though, is looking like one I can definitely enjoy.

I don’t care for Raptor or whatever the dudes name is, but I like Claudiaz and she’s made the switch in tone more bearable.

New Character: With this new story line has come new characters. I don’t care for the main protagonist. He just seems like another recycled tortured soul type. However, his sidekick/lover/whatever she is, Claudiaz is interesting. Even though it looks like she was mortally wounded towards the end of the book (spoiler alert), I hope she makes it because I think their relationship is worth exploring more.

The Decent

Answers Next Issue: I might not care much about spoilers, but I absolutely abhor cliffhangers. Unfortunately, nearly all entertainment has become rife with them. The end of every single episode of series television and nearly every single comic (unless it’s the end of an arc) has a cliffhanger to keep you “guessing” until the next issue/episode. It’s overkill in my opinion.

Missing Something?: This is typical since I’ve not read comics in a few months, but I feel like I’m missing something here. I will have to go back and read to see if there was any indication that this particular “timeline” was going to happen.

The Forgettable

This little bastard can go straight to hell.

Eff This Virus – I know that comic books are at the bottom of a very long list of priorities. However, that’s what this article is about, so it’s what I’m focusing on right now. I’m going to miss comics for the next couple of months. Chris said something about them being ahead of schedule because of shipping times, but I wonder if DCBS will continue to ship. I do have an idea to keep the review articles going in case they don’t. Still, I really like comic books and they’d help to keep me sane and occupied during this.

The Verdict (Spawn 306 is different. Is that a good thing?)

Well, things have certainly gone in a new direction with Spawn 306. To answer the question in the title, I’m not sure yet if it’s a good thing or not. I know that’s a cop out. But, that’s honestly how I feel. I didn’t really get into this issue as I had been for ones previous. I don’t know who these characters are. Worse, I don’t care about them. Sure, I’d like to see where the whole things goes, but if Claudiaz ends up dying, so be it. I will keep reading just to see if it all pays off, though. Join me. Seems like a good time to jump back into Spawn!

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Spawn 301 Review – Road to 400

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Introduction

After the insanity of 300, is Spawn 301 any good? We made it to 300 and survived. Barely, but here we are on the other side. Is it too early to start the countdown to 400? Well, if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right. Chris and I have texted a few times over the past few months about how fresh the book still feels after over 20 years under more or less strictly Uncle Todd’s control.

I’m not sure that last sentence is grammatically correct. Or, even proper English. But, it does get to my next point quite nicely. Spawn 300 promises a new beginning for the character. I haven’t read all of the intervening books, but I imagine that after so much time and so many issues, there have been other “new beginnings” for our Hellspawn. I’m pretty sure that Al wasn’t Spawn for a while in the 100s or 200s, but I’m not positive.

What makes this one different is (a) I’m here to witness it and (b) I’m all in for it. I loved the story that they started in 300. 301 picks up where that one leaves off and sets the stage for the future quite nicely. Let’s start that countdown and talk some about Spawn 301.

The Decent (Who is this ninja and JSA’s art is improving)

Who the heck is this ninja? The final pages in both 300 and 301 have told the story of a Ninja or Shinobi (does that just mean ninja?) or Samurai or something. I’m not sure of the official title of the character, but it has been an intriguing little vignette. Can’t wait to see how it fits into the greater story.

Jason Shawn Alexander I’ve been critical of his art for much of his run. I did enjoy the aesthetic for the Dark Horror storyline as it added to the overall creep factor. However, as Chris said, getting to have Greg Capullo back on the title for a limited run has shown just how starkly JSA differs from that. It’s just not the art that I grew up with. With that being said, it’s still not the same, but it has been getting better in these issues. I hope that continues.

The Good (Spawn has an army and that cover is sweet)

That Cover Tho The actual cover of the issue is pretty nice. What makes it more so is in the background is a shadow of the first issue’s cover. I thought that was a nice touch since they seem to be bringing back what makes Spawn great.

The Spawn Army This new Spawn looks an awful like the old Spawn. He’s raiding military installations for the weapons. He’s converting old villains into allies. It’s good that somethings might change, but what’s old is always going to end up being new again eventually.

The Great (Capullo! and the new story!)

Greg Capullo Chris texted me that he was ruined for any other artist on Spawn after seeing Greg Capullo’s art in Spawn 300. While I’m just as much a fan as anyone, I’m going to take the optimists approach on the art as you read earlier. It’s not the exact same, but as long as the story is strong, I will tolerate the art. Still good to see Greg Capullo back on the book I discovered him.

Here for this story I’ve already talked a little bit about how the story is being rebooted (or reimagined (or reinvented( or whatever))) starting with issue 300. Also, as I just insinuated in the last section, it looks an awful lot like the old Spawn. One thing that I wrote here is that it is reminiscent of Buffy, too. I forgot what I meant, but it is just that Spawn sacrificed himself and it looks like he unleashed his power into others similar to how Buffy woke up all the slayers. This is going to be fun.

The Verdict

Just like the other things from my youth that have come back in slightly newer variations, Spawn 300 and Spawn 301 are a welcome and comforting presence in a sometimes scary world. I can’t wait to see how things progress going forward and we only have 99 more issues until #400! See you in 10 years!

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Spawn 300 End of the Road

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Introduction

The Road to Spawn 300 was littered with pot holes and detours. However, we are finally here. And, I have to say, it was worth the wait. Both Chris and I were obviously excited when we heard that Greg Capullo was going to be back for this issue. We both grew up with him as the main artist.

We were both subsequently disappointed because we had somehow convinced ourselves that he was going to be the artist for longer than just the one issue. When we learned that wasn’t going to be the case, I think I suggested that Uncle Todd should sell his McGwire baseball to hire Capullo back as artist.

At least we get him for the next issue, too. Also, he is doing variant covers for the next two. Maybe there is now an open invitation to to covers whenever he wants. As I said to Chris, hope abounds. Now, for my review of Spawn 300. It isn’t exactly like the DC 1000 issues from last year. He invited some other big names to join him. However, the issue followed continuity instead of shorter vignettes. Even so, I will review each story individually like I did with those books.

Chapter 1 (Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo)

The Spawn meter is back. What’s up with that? Oh well, like Chris said, Capullo’s art is going to ruin me for the return to the regular artist. Aside from McFarlane, Capullo’s art is the iconic style for Spawn. The story is just more creepy little girl kills her family nonsense, But, Violator shows up and there’s some gratuitous ultra violence at the end to remind us what Spawn’s all about.

Chapter 2 (Scott Snyder and Todd McFarlane)

I enjoyed the story from this chapter much more than the first one. It called back to a previous battle between the two antagonists and what happened when they “disappeared” from sight and into the shadows. This was probably my favorite story from the whole issue. Scott Snyder definitely shows that he’s a more seasoned writer than Uncle Todd in this one.

Chapter 3 (Todd McFarlane and Jason Shawn Alexander)

Another story that attempts to fill some of the gaps. This one is about the former Spawn enemies that he reanimated to fight on his side. As Chris texted, and I agree, the art style of Jason Shawn Alexander just doesn’t fit Spawn as much as we’d like. But, the story was decent and, unlike Chris, I’m going to keep collecting until the book isn’t produced anymore. In spite of being almost 30 years old under essentially the same creative control that whole time, it is still surprisingly fresh. I want to see where Uncle Todd takes us next.

Chapter 4 (Todd McFarlane and J. Scott Campbell)

The art of this chapter is great. J. Scott Campbell really nails the Spawn style. However, the story is lackluster. I just don’t give a crap about She-Spawn or her story. Alas, it looks like she is here to stay, at least for the next couple of issues, so I’ll have to get over that.

Chapter 5 (Todd McFarlane and Jerome Opena)

A teaser that does exactly that. No idea what it is or means, but I’m intrigued to learn more.

The Verdict

I like what Uncle Todd did with Spawn 300. It is a “historic” issue in that it tied the longest running creator owned comic book. It is also a nice round number that comic book nerds love. Instead of choosing to tell small vignettes as Detective and Action did with their historic 1000 issues, he continued continuity while also setting up future stories.

Overall, the strength of the writing is what we’ve come to expect from Spawn all these years. It is disheartening to be going back to Jason Shawn Alexander’s art after seeing the other interpretations of the Spawn style. Again, I like JSA’s art and I actually really enjoyed it for the Dark Horror storyline. However, it just doesn’t look like the Spawn that I remember from my reckless youth. Oh well, put it in the “get over it” bucket with She-Spawn and enjoy the ride. Here’s to another 300!

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Spawn 299 (Spawn Road to 300)

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Introduction

Once upon a time, I had a dream to collect all of the Spawn books up to 300 before 300 released. Given that the release schedule of the book has been spotty recently, that might still happen. Since we are already at Spawn 299, however, things look bleak for my modest attempt to have a full run of Spawn right now.

Nevertheless, I have a clear unbroken streak for the last 20 or 25 books and I am actually pretty close to a full run if I could just bring myself to buy a few books at 20 dollars or more. Alas, I am not prepared to do that. So, once again, it looks bleak for our hero. Join me, then, for my review of Spawn 299.

The Great (Spawn has been around for a long time)

Homage Covers – Remember those books I mentioned earlier for 20 dollars or more? Most of them are the original Homage covers from the mid 200s of the series. I did not collect at that time. Therefore, I missed all of those covers. The prices prevent me from pulling the trigger on those books. This time, I decided not to take the chance. Once I realized that Uncle Todd announced homage covers for these books, I made sure to order them all. In fact, issue 300 got me in a way that few other comics have. I ordered 4 or 5 of the different variant covers. That never happens to me.

I swear! This is the first time!

Getting Close to 300 – I mean, 299 is only one less after all. This book represents my teenage rebellion. It brings me back to a simpler time when I had no worries. Spawn is a part of me. It has been for almost 30 years. I’ve been there since the beginning. Reaching this milestone is an incredible experience as evidenced by my crazy variant purchases on the big 300.

The Good (Spawn 299 takes the book back to its roots)

Heaven/Hell War – This book is about a man. A man who was betrayed in life and then again in afterlife. Surrounding that main narrative is a war between Heaven and Hell. Sometimes, this story gets tiresome. Given the “real world” implications made by recent issues, I will take the Heaven/Hell war.

News Anchors – An Uncle Todd specialty. The names of the news organizations might have changed, but the faces have more or less remained the same. I hardly ever read these panels, but they are comforting in a way that I can’t completely explain.

Except this guy. He’s crazy.

The Decent (The inconsistencies are still there in Spawn 299)

Jason Shawn Alexander’s Art – I’ve said it before. I will say it again. I liked JSA as a change up from the hyper realistic art that we are used to seeing in Spawn. However, as the main art, I’m not a fan.

Melodramatic much? I’m not the same angry 13 year old who fell in love with the ultraviolence of Spawn. I’m now an angry 43 year old man who just can’t take the hormonal mood swings of a perpetually adolescent story line.

The Verdict (Spawn 299 is what you’d expect)

I have no idea what Uncle Todd has planned for Spawn 300. Well, that’s not entirely true. I do know that he has some of the talent that has worked on the book in the past to come back and write/draw for the book. What got me most excited is that Capullo has decided to saddle up for at least one book.

Everything that makes Spawn great is still there. Everything that makes Spawn mediocre is still there. It’s all the same book that it always has been and most likely always will be. I will be sure to be there until the end whenever that happens.

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Spawn Review (Week of 5/19/19)

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Editor’s Note: I haven’t read comics in about six months. Since the only non-Marvel, non-DC book that I consistently collect is Spawn, I will include all of the back issues that I missed in that time. This review covers #289-294. Going forward, I should be able to branch out and include more books in this section of reviews.

Introduction

I have been a fan of Spawn since the beginning. I have discussed on more than one occasion that I remember going into the comic book store as a spry young teenager to see the fresh new #1 comic books from Image. You must understand that this wasn’t at a time when Marvel and DC were rebooting their books every other year and I wasn’t as much of an independent connoisseur as I am these days. That’s not to say that I’m much of one right now. Simply that I knew nothing about them back then. So, these number one books felt special. Hell, they were special to me.

Many of those books are now dead due to their creators not being able to keep up with the rigorous demands of self imposed deadlines or just not being very good. One, in particular, has stood the test of time and kept Image afloat at a time when comic book companies haven’t exactly had the best time of it. That little comic that could is Spawn. I have to admit that I was a bit worried coming back to Spawn after all this time, but those worries are unfounded as you will soon read.

Besides, we are getting Homage covers again. What a time to be alive.

The Good (Spawn is Still Pretty Good)

Spawn is Still Fresh: Sure, it shows some of the wear and tear of any comic book that has been around for over 25 years. But, let’s save the not so good for those sections. This is all about why you should be reading Spawn right now. The book is still telling great stories quite well. The Dark Horror arc is when I started reading again and it kept me interested enough to keep the book on my pull list in spite of some of the judgy looks and comments I got from my LGS clerk at the time. But, that store is out of business now, so who got the last laugh?

I haven’t been as excited about the latest story. That’s more my issue with the inclusion of the current occupant of the white house in the story. I have taken great strides to even forget that he exists. I understand that I might do so to my detriment, but ignorance is bliss as they say. The rest of the story has been fine, I guess.

Honestly, that hair is the most unrealistic thing about this whole story.

Spawn is Including Current Events: That’s not to say that I consider the inclusion of current events as a bad thing. Sure, we’ve had to see the BLotUS in our beloved pages. But I suppose that’s the price to pay for a comic that likes to dabble in real life for inspiration. And, honestly, he’s played a small role in the story. It’s just my issue that I have with the man and his methods. Your mileage, as always, will vary. The current events have gone miles to keeping the story going and fresh. See the previous comment.

The Bad (There are Inconsistencies in Art)

Two Different Artists: Initially, I liked the odd art of Spawn. It was different from what we are used to seeing out of the book. In my experience, it was always a hyper realistic art style. The dream like quality of the fuzzed borders and muted colors were a nice change. However, another has been bringing a more traditional Spawn art style to the book. It has ruined me for Jason Shawn Alexander’s art. However, that all looks to change as Chris texted me the other day to say that Uncle Todd is going to get together with Greg Capullo on a Spawn project. I’m hoping it is an extended run on the main book. But, we will see. Whatever it is, I’m all over it.

The left is what I consider the more traditional style of art for the book while the right is the the the more “fuzzy” art, so to speak. Both definitely have their advantages and disadvantages. I’m just saying that, for my money, I prefer the left. And, this is my article after all.

The Ugly (In Spite of it All, Spawn Feels Dated)

Spawn Feels A Bit Dated: In spite of all of the changes and attempts to keep it fresh, the book is showing its age as I said earlier. The ultraviolence and swearing feels like it is from a different era. As comic fans have shown, there is still an audience for this type of book, but it doesn’t help the stated goal of trying to expand the audience. Sure, you might argue, maybe that’s not a necessary or realistic goal. Realistic? I’m not sure. Necessary? It sure is. Comics and comic book fans are on the endangered list. Okay, I’m done arguing with myself for now.

The Verdict (While Flawed, Spawn is Worth Your Time)

Is the book perfect? No, but few books are. I would argue that right now, Hulk is a perfect book. Batman, when Tom King isn’t writing filler for in between his big and inspired stories, is a perfect book. Other than that, every book has flaws. Spawns are forgivable. The art style is inconsistent. You can argue that isn’t all bad. And, I sort of did. Also, the overall style of the book makes it feel like it is from a different time and speaks more to teenage me than current adult me. Again, we sort of argued that wasn’t all bad.

In spite of these flaws, you should definitely pick up this book. It is still very entertaining and well worth your time. If you can, get started with the Dark Horror storyline and read through. Besides, 300 is only around the corner and you definitely want to get your hands on that. For me, it’s actually more exciting than Detective Comics or Action 1000.

Snap *censored* Pop Culture

Spawn in 2018

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Introduction

Seeing as how we are entering the 3rd week of the new year, I’m a bit behind on my 2018 retrospectives. Better late than never, right? Perhaps not, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. So, without much further ado, let’s start our look back at comics in 2018 with Spawn.

In the past, I might have titled this article as independent books, but probably not. I know that I’ve talked about independent books as a concept in the past. The truth is that I’ve only read Image besides Marvel and DC. Further, I gave up on The Walking Dead. Spawn is the only other Image book in my pull list. Perhaps that says something about the state of Image comics. More likely, it says something about me. Okay, on with the show.

The Good (Spawn in 2018 is surprisingly consistent)

I can’t speak on the past as comic book plots are notoriously inconsistent and require numerous reboots. I will say that, not having read Spawn for the better part of 5 (maybe 10), years, I still understood and followed the plot without a problem. That’s not always the case with some of the more recent attempts to redefine the various Marvel and DC properties.

I never read The New 52, but I’ve read that it was a disaster. Also, Marvel Legacy was pretty much DOA after trying to undo the new heroes they spent several years constructing.

Also, creative teams change quite often. Sure, you have the occasional team that stays together for a few years and writers tend to stick to a title for a long run. However, the recent trend seems to be to shuffle guys from title to title and even from company to company. I’m not sure if this is their attempt to keep things fresh and interesting.

Granted, Spawn isn’t all that different. Though, I will say that in the time I’ve been reading it, the title has had the same writer and artist for most of the issues. Also, Todd McFarlane isn’t as involved as he once was. Still, he writes occasionally and does a variant cover every now and then.

Speaking of variants, in this day and age of overpriced (in my opinion) variants, that hasn’t been the case with Spawn. Seeing as how I’m not quite the variant hawk that Chris is, I might be wrong. However, I am aware of many of the covers available and will buy the ones that I find interesting or attractive. The only variants that I’ve seen for Spawn were for cover price, which is great for a collector on a limited budget like me.

The Bad (Spawn in 2018 is showing its age a bit)

I don’t mean in the Old Man Logan way, either.

Even with all of the good about the comic, Spawn is beginning to show its age a bit. Seeing as how the book is 25 years old, that isn’t a surprise. However, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t notice it while reading the title last year. It is still a fun title in the nostalgia sense, but I don’t know if it is something that would grab my attention if it wasn’t already something that I knew about. It is absolutely a title conceived in another time. This is only a minor gripe as they seem to be in the process of updating the title in terms of style and content. It remains to be seen if that continues.

The only other negative about the title is also nostalgic. Those of us who were there at the beginning of Image remember delay after delay. Some titles came out months after they were scheduled. It did little to dampen my excitement, but others were understandably upset. Most companies have been able to avoid significant delays. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed the delays in Spawn if not for the notifications from my online pull list. But, I noticed, and it’s odd that there are shipping delays in the age of on demand printing

The Ugly (Spawn in 2018 is a bargain)

Speaking of bargains, why can’t I get this book for cover price?

How is the comic book being a bargain an ugly? Also, $2.99 for a comic book? Is that really that much of a bargain? Let me answer those questions in reverse order. While I decry the price of comics, they actually haven’t increased as much relative to other things over the last 2 or 3 decades. Would I like nickel or dime comics? Sure, but that’s simply not realistic. Plus, Spawn is on the lower end of the price spectrum.

As far as the ugly, it is alluded to in the picture above. Let’s take one more nostalgic trip back in time. When I started reading Spawn again a couple of years ago, I noticed that it was close to issue #300. That inspired me to try to go back to fill in the issues I was missing. For the most part, that was easy. What is not easy is there is a run of book around the time of the cover in the picture that run anywhere from 20 dollars to over 100. As someone who doesn’t want to pay 3.99 for a book, 20 bucks is way too much. As I said in the previous section, we live in an age of on demand everything. Why can’t they reprint these books so that people can get their hands on them for cheaper than what the secondary market charges?

The Verdict (Spawn in 2018 is still worth collecting)

Sure, it is 25 years old and showing its age. But, they seem to be trying to change that somewhat. As with most renovations in comics, we will see if it continues, but I like what they’re doing so far. Focusing on Spawn’s daughter has proven to be an interesting story. There have been delays recently, but that doesn’t bother me too much. I think that they’ve figured it out and it is just one month delay that has continued for the past few months. The older issues are very expensive, but that’s the same with any collectibles. Overall, the story is strong, the art is cool, and the book is cheap compared to other books on the market today. If you are looking for something new and potentially different from other comic books, definitely pick up the most recent issue.