It's a brand new week, which means I've got a brand new read! This week, I complete the trifecta of Image Comics books on my shelf with Spawn. BACKGROUND:
Spawn is probably one of the most iconic non-Marvel/DC comic book characters of all time, and easily the most recognizable character to come out of Image Comics. Even when I was very young, I knew who this guy was. I unfortunately never got to read much more about him until I got older, and buying this book was a step to rectify that. By the time I bought this, I'd already been exploring many comic publishers outside of Marvel and DC. This, of course, included Image Comics, which prided itself in making sure its creators, not the company, owned the rights to their IPs. I learned that Todd McFarlane (the man behind Spawn, famed artist for several Spider-Man comics, and co-creator of Venom) was one of the founders of the company, and that Spawn was one of the first comics to be published by Image. All that history behind Spawn was further incentive to buy the book. THE WRITING: Al Simmons, a former hired gun for the government, returns from the dead as Spawn after a devil deal gone wrong. Now cursed to serve as an agent of hell, he roams New York City, taking on criminals and supernatural threats. Along with that, he must struggle to piece together his fragmented memories and remember the life he once had. Spawn spends these first few issues trying to remember why he's been resurrected. As it turns out, he made a deal to see his wife again in exchange for his soul. Unfortunately, he made that deal with Malebolgia, a demon from hell who takes advantage of Simmons and turns him into an agent to further his was with God. Even worse, Spawn returns five years after he died, which means everything's changed, including his wife's life. Realizing he can't have his former life, he relents and becomes New York's deadliest anti-hero. Tragic past? Unrelenting violence? Edgy costume? Spawn is practically the poster child of "badass anti-hero". He's very representative of the edginess that dominated the '90s. None of this is a shallow façade, however; Malebolgia's psychological torture of Spawn felt utterly cruel considering what the latter learns about the fate of his wife and the circumstances surrounding his death. With this and the fact that his second life is now tethered to hell, Spawn lives a tortured existence, and it's fascinating to read how he deals with that. The first six issues also introduces a bunch of other characters, like the aforementioned Malebolgia, the Violator (another demon who becomes a frequent adversary for Spawn), Al's wife/widow Wanda, and more. You don't get to spend as much time with them as you do with Spawn, but they're established sufficiently that you want to see and learn more about them. Most of Spawn's adventures at first are more episodic in nature; you won't get any major story arcs with these beginning issues just yet. That isn't to say it's not building to anything, however. Sure, Spawn isn't quite gearing up for an encounter against a big bad quite yet, but the narrative through line of him uncovering his past is enough to tie things together. There are a few cute nods to Youngblood and Savage Dragon, which are also comics published by Image (and, along with Spawn, some of the very first books to be released under the label). I'm a little familiar with these comics, so I appreciated the references. THE ART: Although Todd McFarlane has done his fair share of writing, he is most renowned in the comics industry for his art. The man puts a meticulous amount of detail into everything, and goes the extra mile for facial details, muscle definition, and everything else in between. He also goes all in on character proportions; buff guys look jacked as shit, larger guys couldn't look more rotund, the and the demons look like completely grotesque freaks. If that's not enough for you, the violence is graphic, bordering on sickening. McFarlane doesn't pull any punches when it comes to his art, and Spawn is exemplary of that. Spawn's design still holds up to this day and will likely stand the test of time. Between his unmistakeable face design, his massive, striking red cape, the overabundance of chains and spikes, and the splashes of white on his mostly dark color scheme, you could be as near-sighted as I am and still spot the guy in a crowd. He's a prime example of "too much going on" in a design, but it somehow works. VERDICT: If you're looking into comics outside of the typical Marvel and DC offerings, Spawn should be one of your first stops. It's perhaps the magnum opus of the industry's all-time greats, and its place in comic book history isn't to be taken lightly. Spawn's also perfect for those of you with the darker, edgier persuasion. If you want to experience Todd McFarlane's art, this is also the perfect place to start. You can buy the entirety of the Spawn Origins Collection on Comixology. Here's Vol. 1: https://www.comixology.com/Spawn-Origins-Collection-Vol-1/digital-comic/154719?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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