# Comics  > Image Comics >  Brian Wood Not "Spawn" Writer "After All"

## CBR News

Brian Wood ("DMZ," "The Massive") has announced he is "not the writer" of Image Comics' long-running "Spawn."


_Full article here._

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## armlessphelan

This actually makes me want the book even more. I was apprehensive about picking it up because of Wood's (alleged) history of sexually harassing women, but knowing he is no longer involved has made it a definite must-buy.

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## RobinFan4880

Sounds like Todd McFarlane isn't quite ready to let his baby go.

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## Anjohl

Big time bummer. Spawn doesn't fit Image at all anymore. Wood could have turned it into a "Hellspawn"-like title. As it stands, its back to the boring status quo.

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## Mjolnir

What's weird about Wood coming on and then leaving because of McFarlane's rewriting what he was turning in completely contradicts what McFarlane had apparently been telling Wood in that he McFarlane was ready to let someone else come in and tell their own story.

From CBR's October 23rd interview with Brian Wood....




> *CBR News: Brian, tell us a bit about your plans for "Spawn" -- obviously, it's still early days, but how do you plan to approach the character during your run?*
> 
> Brian Wood: It's early, but not that early! My first issue ships in February, so we're really hitting the ground running. During the first part of October, Todd McFarlane and I had a bunch of phone calls and I wrote a few pitches. Put briefly, what Todd's looking for is not a writer to come in and continue in the style of the book as it is, but to bring a new point of view and storytelling style to the book. Not a reboot, just finding a fresh angle. I'm to make it my own, using as much or as little of the previous 250 issues as we see fit.


And a quote from USA Today...




> The rule McFarlane says he gave Wood was to break the status quo: "You will be doing your job if every reader says, 'This is awesome! I don't get why Todd didn't do this years ago.' Make me be the dumbest guy who's ever written the book."


If Brian Wood was doing something completely different than what McFarlane had thought in his mind was going to be different, then in a way I don't blame McFarlane too much. After all, it is his character. But as RobinFan4880 said above, I don't think McFarlane is ready to let go. If he wants it a certain way, then McFarlane should just write it himself. I get the idea of getting some outside perspective. Bring someone on that might think of things that you won't (which was a great idea!), but if you're going to micro manage the guy you wanted to completely have a new view point of telling the story, then again, just do it yourself. 

I'm a Spawn fan, have read it since issue 1 through the good and bad. Looking forward to Al Simmons return. So in a way Wood not doing this is disappointing, but who knows what direction he was going to take it. It's obvious McFarlane was thinking one thing, and Wood was thinking something reaaally different(?). It'll be interesting to see how this affects the book in the short term in terms of what will obviously be McFarlane writing for the time being until he can find someone else and whether or not the book will suffer any major delays. I guess if Jonboy Meyers is still on art duties then it might be fine getting out relatively on time.

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## Synthozoid

Another unprofessional move in a career full of unprofessional moves.

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## Rajikaru

Meh, ever since they revealed Spawn/Al's new look, I've lost the excitement I had when they announced Al's return. Losing Wood doesn't make it better or worse. I'm just... Bleh.

Incidentally, the only book I enjoyed that Braon Wood wrote was that DV8 mini from a few years ago.

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## Anduinel

This is interesting in that it's Wood's second time walking away from a fairly prominent work-for-hire gig due to creative differences in the last few months. I wonder if creators get a damaging rep over stuff like this.

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