# Comics  > Image Comics >  Spawn

## HellsRider

So lets see where we left off. We are on the road to issue 250 which is currently planned to be a triple-sized issue. Issue 243 is set to come out next week and a preview has been posted on Todd's Facebook page.



Issue 243 Preview




> Sara is in great danger after mysteriously disappearing, and Jim frantically searches for the person responsible. Not knowing where to point the finger and with time running out, Jim seeks out the one individual who may have answers... but it may be too late.


On issue 243, Todd is currently holding a contest on his Facebook page where you can get your hands on a signed 243 from Todd (only 5 available) and get it before anyone else. Simply like the page with issue 243 on it and they'll draw at random in 48 or so hours to see who gets them.

On issue 250, Todd says he'll be making a few big announcements regarding it within the next month or so.

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## Forever Knight

When is the next issue out?

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## BlaqRain

Whatever... Just bring back Al Simmons. Donald Sterling illustrates that America is still a deeply racist country, addressing this fact was a huge part of Spawn's allure for me. Omitting this theme has essentially neutered the comic.

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## Dark-Flux

Spawn hasnt really delt with race issues for years anyway. Even back when Al was the lead. There was a bit with the Tale of Three Brothers arc but thats pretty much it. He should be brought back if it serves the story. Not just cos some love the status quo.

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## BlaqRain

You take me too literally, sir. Al gives the character an edge. Race doesn't *ever* have to be addressed directly and yet it is. Jim Downing is an insipid, anodyne iteration of what was once an iconic character.

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## Forever Knight

oh boy.....

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## Michael24

I remember an interview with Todd McFarlane back when Al Simmons was revealed as the Omega Spawn in *Image United*. He said he was initially reluctant to let Kirkman use him that way, because he didn't want it ruin his "future plans" for Simmons. Which sounds to me like it means he's going to return at some point. Obviously, exactly when his unknown. But since Todd has always talked about how he already knows the overall story of the Spawn saga (if not necessarily the minute details), I think it's safe to say that Al will return somewhere down the road.

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## Dark-Flux

Hes pretty much confirmed it in the letters pages.

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## Daredevil is Legend

Still waiting for his return

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## Forever Knight

If it's not by issue 250 then you know it will be issue #300. That's almost a given.

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## Daredevil is Legend

> If it's not by issue 250 then you know it will be issue #300. That's almost a given.


What do you think will become of Jim?

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## Forever Knight

I thought Jim could have been the reincarnation of Jesus.

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## Daredevil is Legend

> I thought Jim could have been the reincarnation of Jesus.


very interesting

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## Forever Knight

Only time will tell.

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## gsnake007

i need Al to come back until then i wont be reading spawn because hes way more interesting than jim

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## SpideyAZ

> Just read 246, and Jim Downing is Al Simmons!!! Holy crap, did not see that coming.
> 
> Or Al is inside Jim, it wasn't really explained.


Arrrrrrrgggghhhhh!  Needed a spoiler heads up.




> Found it! The pencils to that cover are in Capullos art book. last page.


I don't mind seeing unused Capullo art.  Can't go wrong with that.

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## Forever Knight

They really need to get theyre asses in gear with the Spawn Hardcovers.

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## Dark-Flux

> They really need to get theyre asses in gear with the Spawn Hardcovers.


Todd mentioned in the last letters page that theyre considering a rebranding. Again...

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## HellsRider

Yeah they said that once the new team starts they'll see what they will do.

Solicits for Image's December 2014 are out and Spawn 250 is conspicuously absent from it. Guess we'll have to wait till next year to get it.

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## Greg

> Todd mentioned in the last letters page that theyre considering a rebranding. Again...


Jeez. That is ridiculously annoying as hell. I wish they would finish collecting Hine's run already.

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## TheCollector

> Yeah they said that once the new team starts they'll see what they will do.
> 
> Solicits for Image's December 2014 are out and Spawn 250 is conspicuously absent from it. Guess we'll have to wait till next year to get it.


Or they want to keep it secret for now, because of what happens in it. Or the whole solicits haven't been released yet. Or maybe it really has been delayed, who knows.

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## Michael24

> Todd mentioned in the last letters page that theyre considering a rebranding. Again...


Ugh. That's . . . frustrating. It seems like they can never finish a full run of collections. It's like they get to a certain point and then start over again. I love the "Origins" hardcovers and stayed up on them, getting each one as they came out. Very disappointing.

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## HellsRider

> Or they want to keep it secret for now, because of what happens in it. Or the whole solicits haven't been released yet. Or maybe it really has been delayed, who knows.


Maybe. Well we know Al comes back in it and I think thats all that really needs to be said. Part of the solicit can be - "When the dust settles after the epic battle between Jim and Bludd the impossible happens. Al Simmons, the original Spawn, returns setting the stage for the future of the Spawn mythos. Plus, take a sneak peek at the new creative team that will be building the new dark road for the series!" Or something like that lol. My best guess, they haven't finalized who the new team will be as they are supposed to make their debut on 250 and I'm sure Todd would want to make a big deal about it.

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## TheCollector

Y'know, speaking of collections, I find it easier to just collect all the cbr files on the computer. Trades are great, but some are such a pain to find, and when a series has over a hundred issues they really take up a lot of space. lol. I have all 246 issues of spawn and every mini series on my comp and tablet and can read them all every time I go out. Though I'd have to be out for two weeks each time to read all that, lol.

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## Dark-Flux

> Y'know, speaking of collections, I find it easier to just collect all the cbr files on the computer. Trades are great, but some are such a pain to find, and when a series has over a hundred issues they really take up a lot of space. lol. I have all 246 issues of spawn and every mini series on my comp and tablet and can read them all every time I go out. Though I'd have to be out for two weeks each time to read all that, lol.


Maybe some folks just dont want to take part in an illegal activity.
Or admit to said illegal activity on a forum in which doing so (and actively encouraging it) is against the ToS.

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## Forever Knight

> Todd mentioned in the last letters page that theyre considering a rebranding. Again...


I will fucking flip if that is the case. 




> Jeez. That is ridiculously annoying as hell. I wish they would finish collecting Hine's run already.


This.

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## armlessphelan

So, yeah, a Spawn fan film was released recently. I'm assuming the Witch is supposed to be Nyx.

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## secretsubscriber

I'm looking forward to the series going digital and a new creative team. I enjoy the tone and the art of the series since issue 201, but as some mentioned earlier in the thread, the series could use an editor. I've pondered dropping the series a couple of times and have reread the Downing story arc from the beginning to see if it could hold me interest if read over the course of a few days instead of piecemeal over a few years and while the plot and art keep me going, there are a lot of places where the writing just plods on without really moving the story forward.

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## Forever Knight

When is the new issue out?

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## HellsRider

> When is the new issue out?


Should be out next week. Todd posted a few preview pages on his Facebook page a few weeks ago (just art no words) that looked like a call back to issue 50.

247 was supposed to come out last week or the week before, but I'm sure Kudranski getting the call to do a good part of Superman Doomed #2 delayed things with Spawn.

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## SilverZeal

> So, yeah, a Spawn fan film was released recently. I'm assuming the Witch is supposed to be Nyx.


SUPERB....many many thnx 4 sharing dat *armlessphelan*.

If Todd is really REALLY serious abt mking his SPAWN film with gr8 cgi @ low cost frm fello fans....he shd SERIOUSLY contact those guys who did dat fanfilm.

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## BlaqRain

> Did you hear anything when would 5th deluxe HC be released?


Yeah. I'm waiting to hear about this too. Does anyone know if Volume 5 is coming out this year?

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## HellsRider

So the preview for 247 is out:






> Sara is rushed to the hospital after the unthinkable happens at her apartment. Everyone comes to her aid, but each has a separate agenda that puts not only Sara, but also Jim in danger.


Preview

Already advertising Al's return huh. Getting some callbacks to issue 50 I see.

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## Forever Knight

Here we go!

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## Jack00

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2...75e8-177815917

Well I am cautiously excited about the new team. Loved pretty much everything Wood has done, loved DMZ and Northlanders, his run on Conan was great too. And as for Meyers, I think we are in for a treat.
What makes me nervous is this : "He gave Wood freedom to rewrite aspects of the character". The only rewrite Spawn needs is the punching Wanda while pregnant episode and that's it, well you know... that and everything that took place since #185.

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## Kuwagaton

#185... was David Hine's run good? And what were some of the better past arcs? It's a little early to know what I can read to get into Wood's run, but I wonder if there are any essentials regardless.

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## HellsRider

Okay so now we know who the new team is. The Massive's Brian Wood and GI Joe's (among other things) Jonboy Meyers. Interesting choices. I haven't necessarily picked up anything from either guy before though I have certainly heard of Brian Wood and Meyers art looks nice from looking around, but as I expected a drastic change from the last 10 or so years of Spawn which went in a more realistic kinda horror approach to where now we'll be going back to a more superhero approach. I'm okay with that and Todd sounding like he's giving the team free, or close to it, reign sounds good.

The only issue I take, and I've been keeping this particular thought until the new team was revealed, is the need for Al to come back. Unlike others that have posted, I see no need for Al to come back and take the Spawn mantle again. His story is over and has been over for a very long time. The idea of using Al and then rewrite aspects of the character rather makes me think they should either A) just work with Jim and make him work or B) start off fresh with someone new. The idea of Spawn lends well for new characters to take the mantle even across different time periods and introducing a brand new cast and if you want to use Al thats okay but use him in a mentoring position. Al has done it all so the idea that we are going back to him, in a superhero approach, and "he's the aggressor" isn't much of a hook for me.

Jim had potential. However 6 years later I can't help but look back at wasted potential. His introduction via the Endgame arc was terrible and we didn't find out about his origin until 4 years after he was introduced. The celebrity angle was completely mishandled and really could have modernized the news anchor portion that Spawn does into something new, meaningful, and worthwhile (think how Lemire's Animal Man used the celebrity angle as an example) and not keep it static as it has been used. Jim fitting into the Spawn mythos as the mastermind behind past Spawn villains like Freak, Tremor, and Overtkill was fine as was the handling of the Wynn arc, but after that (and a bit before with the Malebolgia arc) it really hasn't been good with things just happening and going on and on and plan after plan with no true goal in sight. Clown has plans, the symbiote has plans, Bludd has plans, Cog has plans, Haunt has plans, the Old Guard have plans, Simon Pure and the heaven vampires have plans, the CIA have plans, the Vatican have plans but will someone do something! The art by Kudranski I enjoyed and fit Spawn well and Twitch was good to see. Its unfortunate to see Jim apparently being dropped.  

The major point I'll be looking for with the new team is focus on the title. I want to see a sense of direction and hopefully the new team can do that. I'm not too thrilled on Al coming back, but we'll see how it goes.

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## Dark-Flux

> Okay so now we know who the new team is. The Massive's Brian Wood and GI Joe's (among other things) Jonboy Meyers. Interesting choices. I haven't necessarily picked up anything from either guy before though I have certainly heard of Brian Wood and Meyers art looks nice from looking around, but as I expected a drastic change from the last 10 or so years of Spawn which went in a more realistic kinda horror approach to where now we'll be going back to a more superhero approach. I'm okay with that and Todd sounding like he's giving the team free, or close to it, reign sounds good.
> 
> The only issue I take, and I've been keeping this particular thought until the new team was revealed, is the need for Al to come back. Unlike others that have posted, I see no need for Al to come back and take the Spawn mantle again. His story is over and has been over for a very long time. The idea of using Al and then rewrite aspects of the character rather makes me think they should either A) just work with Jim and make him work or B) start off fresh with someone new. The idea of Spawn lends well for new characters to take the mantle even across different time periods and introducing a brand new cast and if you want to use Al thats okay but use him in a mentoring position. Al has done it all so the idea that we are going back to him, in a superhero approach, and "he's the aggressor" isn't much of a hook for me.
> 
> Jim had potential. However 6 years later I can't help but look back at wasted potential. His introduction via the Endgame arc was terrible and we didn't find out about his origin until 4 years after he was introduced. The celebrity angle was completely mishandled and really could have modernized the news anchor portion that Spawn does into something new, meaningful, and worthwhile (think how Lemire's Animal Man used the celebrity angle as an example) and not keep it static as it has been used. Jim fitting into the Spawn mythos as the mastermind behind past Spawn villains like Freak, Tremor, and Overtkill was fine as was the handling of the Wynn arc, but after that (and a bit before with the Malebolgia arc) it really hasn't been good with things just happening and going on and on and plan after plan with no true goal in sight. Clown has plans, the symbiote has plans, Bludd has plans, Cog has plans, Haunt has plans, the Old Guard have plans, Simon Pure and the heaven vampires have plans, the CIA have plans, the Vatican have plans but will someone do something! The art by Kudranski I enjoyed and fit Spawn well and Twitch was good to see. Its unfortunate to see Jim apparently being dropped.  
> 
> The major point I'll be looking for with the new team is focus on the title. I want to see a sense of direction and hopefully the new team can do that. I'm not too thrilled on Al coming back, but we'll see how it goes.


Pretty much spot on.

Al coming back and the return to a more superheroic direction just kinda smells of desperation to me in the light of falling sales. Not necessarily organic to the story that was being told. (As drawn out as it was)

Still, i like Brian Wood and am excited that him coming aboard should at least give the book a more solid direction.
...hope they dont ditch Jim altogether though.

Meyers im not so keen on. Hes talented no doubt, but his work has a very clear manga influence to it and i cant see him being a good fit for Spawn. Time will tell i guess.

And whilst theyre at it; relaunch Haunt please!

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## Dark-Flux

> #185... was David Hine's run good? And what were some of the better past arcs? It's a little early to know what I can read to get into Wood's run, but I wonder if there are any essentials regardless.


Yeah Hines run was great.

If youve never read Spawn before id say read the first 20 or so issues of McFarlanes run. You can then kinda pick and choose stuff from the Capullo era. Its all decent but not particularly "required" reading. Skip ahead to just before #100 and read that arc, then skip to 150-184 for Hines run.
Endgame (185-200) was kinda crap but important, then 200-present has been a decent read but has major pacing issues. I imagine itll read better in chunks.

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## Forever Knight

> #185... was David Hine's run good? And what were some of the better past arcs? It's a little early to know what I can read to get into Wood's run, but I wonder if there are any essentials regardless.


Hine's run is the BEST of Spawn.




> Okay so now we know who the new team is. The Massive's Brian Wood and GI Joe's (among other things) Jonboy Meyers. Interesting choices. I haven't necessarily picked up anything from either guy before though I have certainly heard of Brian Wood and Meyers art looks nice from looking around, but as I expected a drastic change from the last 10 or so years of Spawn which went in a more realistic kinda horror approach to where now we'll be going back to a *more superhero approach*. I'm okay with that and Todd sounding like he's giving the team free, or close to it, reign sounds good.



I cannot fucking wait!!!!. I do enjoy the horror/realisitc approach but I also welcome the Superhero style. I am pretty damn pumped for this right now.

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## kevinism

I read a few issues after Jim became the new Spawn and wasn't invested at all. Now that Al is coming back, maybe I'll add it to my pull list again. Can someone point me to where I can get some good, detailed recaps? THANKS

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## SilverZeal

> Okay so now we know who the new team is. The Massive's Brian Wood and GI Joe's (among other things) Jonboy Meyers. Interesting choices. I haven't necessarily picked up anything from either guy before though I have certainly heard of Brian Wood and Meyers art looks nice from looking around, but as I expected a drastic change from the last 10 or so years of Spawn which went in a more realistic kinda horror approach to where now we'll be going back to a more superhero approach. I'm okay with that and Todd sounding like he's giving the team free, or close to it, reign sounds good.
> 
> The only issue I take, and I've been keeping this particular thought until the new team was revealed, is the need for Al to come back. Unlike others that have posted, I see no need for Al to come back and take the Spawn mantle again. His story is over and has been over for a very long time. The idea of using Al and then rewrite aspects of the character rather makes me think they should either A) just work with Jim and make him work or B) start off fresh with someone new. The idea of Spawn lends well for new characters to take the mantle even across different time periods and introducing a brand new cast and if you want to use Al thats okay but use him in a mentoring position. Al has done it all so the idea that we are going back to him, in a superhero approach, and "he's the aggressor" isn't much of a hook for me.
> 
> Jim had potential. However 6 years later I can't help but look back at wasted potential. His introduction via the Endgame arc was terrible and we didn't find out about his origin until 4 years after he was introduced. The celebrity angle was completely mishandled and really could have modernized the news anchor portion that Spawn does into something new, meaningful, and worthwhile (think how Lemire's Animal Man used the celebrity angle as an example) and not keep it static as it has been used. Jim fitting into the Spawn mythos as the mastermind behind past Spawn villains like Freak, Tremor, and Overtkill was fine as was the handling of the Wynn arc, but after that (and a bit before with the Malebolgia arc) it really hasn't been good with things just happening and going on and on and plan after plan with no true goal in sight. Clown has plans, the symbiote has plans, Bludd has plans, Cog has plans, Haunt has plans, the Old Guard have plans, Simon Pure and the heaven vampires have plans, the CIA have plans, the Vatican have plans but will someone do something! The art by Kudranski I enjoyed and fit Spawn well and Twitch was good to see. Its unfortunate to see Jim apparently being dropped.  
> 
> The major point I'll be looking for with the new team is focus on the title. I want to see a sense of direction and hopefully the new team can do that. I'm not too thrilled on Al coming back, but we'll see how it goes.


Al Simmons IS Spawn...PERIOD.

Jim can b frm a diffrnt reality or watevr but present. current & mainstream SPAWN is & shd b Simmons....afterall being Simmons being Spawn is immortal meaning he can possibly live-on indefin8ly 4 4 several centuries if nt millenia unlyk Bruce Wayne/Batman & yet Bruce Wayne IS d core, 1st, true & always "real" Batman so y nt Simmons as Spawn?

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## HellsRider

> Al Simmons IS Spawn...PERIOD.
> 
> Jim can b frm a diffrnt reality or watevr but present. current & mainstream SPAWN is & shd b Simmons....afterall being Simmons being Spawn is immortal meaning he can possibly live-on indefin8ly 4 4 several centuries if nt millenia unlyk Bruce Wayne/Batman & yet Bruce Wayne IS d core, 1st, true & always "real" Batman so y nt Simmons as Spawn?


I think I understand what your saying and I get your point. I'm coming from it in two ways - 1) I liked Al and his story, but their is nothing new for him to do at this point. He beat a devil (Malebolgia), he beat THE devil and God, he beat what God & Satan couldn't (Urizen) and stopped Armageddon. He's been through mob wars, bum wars, actual wars, and all in a bid to get to his one goal to be with Wanda which he never can be. His story to me ended in issue 164 - "the man who saved the world, but couldn't save himself." 2) I never looked at the very core idea of Spawn (ie someone that has died and picked by a devil to become an agent on Earth) and compare it to Batman, something which I know even Todd compares Spawn to, but I compare it to a character like Swamp Thing. A mantle passed along over centuries, its someone new and to some extent their is a parliament (just one really evil in Spawn's case) and you have an internal conflict within this group just between using humans versus using demons. Will the character as Spawn be influenced by Hell and do their bidding? Will he/she try to retain their past, or use the time as Spawn to leave their mark for better or worst for either Hell, Heaven, or humanity?

I really understand what Al brought and his importance in the comic world, but looking at what Spawn can be in a larger sense I don't want the series to be beholden to Al forever (to use your Batman point, Dick Grayson wore the suit at one point). I'm up for an actual shake up of everything for someone new to be Spawn (I had no problem with Jim taking the mantle, but the execution was very lacking) and actually have new villains and not use the legacy characters because then your just riding on Al and not fully committing to the new character (I mean the current stuff is bringing in some aspects of Case Files Sam & Twitch and the Hellspawn series). You want to keep Al? Like I said, a mentoring role like Cog is perfect and he can be around forever and I felt that was the direction he may be going in (from his appearance in 200) but now we know that isn't the case.

The direction of Al coming back and going in a superhero approach is old hat. We've seen it before and Todd himself pointed that out. We have the first 185 issues of that, but the new team sounds exciting and we'll see what they can do, but when you start talking about rewriting aspects of the character it lights a bulb in me and makes me think they should use a new character or work with Jim and do a soft reboot like they did in 201 instead of messing with Al.

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## Dark-Flux

> I think I understand what your saying and I get your point. I'm coming from it in two ways - 1) I liked Al and his story, but their is nothing new for him to do at this point. He beat a devil (Malebolgia), he beat THE devil and God, he beat what God & Satan couldn't (Urizen) and stopped Armageddon. He's been through mob wars, bum wars, actual wars, and all in a bid to get to his one goal to be with Wanda which he never can be. His story to me ended in issue 164 - "the man who saved the world, but couldn't save himself." 2) I never looked at the very core idea of Spawn (ie someone that has died and picked by a devil to become an agent on Earth) and compare it to Batman, something which I know even Todd compares Spawn to, but I compare it to a character like Swamp Thing. A mantle passed along over centuries, its someone new and to some extent their is a parliament (just one really evil in Spawn's case) and you have an internal conflict within this group just between using humans versus using demons. Will the character as Spawn be influenced by Hell and do their bidding? Will he/she try to retain their past, or use the time as Spawn to leave their mark for better or worst for either Hell, Heaven, or humanity?
> 
> I really understand what Al brought and his importance in the comic world, but looking at what Spawn can be in a larger sense I don't want the series to be beholden to Al forever (to use your Batman point, Dick Grayson wore the suit at one point). I'm up for an actual shake up of everything for someone new to be Spawn (I had no problem with Jim taking the mantle, but the execution was very lacking) and actually have new villains and not use the legacy characters because then your just riding on Al and not fully committing to the new character (I mean the current stuff is bringing in some aspects of Case Files Sam & Twitch and the Hellspawn series). You want to keep Al? Like I said, a mentoring role like Cog is perfect and he can be around forever and I felt that was the direction he may be going in (from his appearance in 200) but now we know that isn't the case.
> 
> The direction of Al coming back and going in a superhero approach is old hat. We've seen it before and Todd himself pointed that out. We have the first 185 issues of that, but the new team sounds exciting and we'll see what they can do, but when you start talking about rewriting aspects of the character it lights a bulb in me and makes me think they should use a new character or work with Jim and do a soft reboot like they did in 201 instead of messing with Al.


Couldnt agree more.

As much as i like the character, i just cant see what theyre gonna do with the character from here on out.
As stated, 164 was pretty much the end of his story. Even Todd seems to have done his best to sweep Hines run under the rug (despite its quality) because after Armageddon, where is there left to go? They just hit the reset button and have been building to a new armageddon again. At least with having Jim we were dealing with a new point of view and had new conflicts and motivation but now we're just back to Al again.

For all Todds talk of "now Als the aggressor!" - to whom exactly? Clowns been defeated before, Wynns dead, Malbolgias been killed, resurrected and defeated again, God and Satan were defeated before...whos left?

TBH i think Spawn is unlike any other ongoing superhero book like Batman or Spiderman in the the mythos thats been set up actual has an endgame in mind - armageddon. Once thats been done its hard to find a reason to go on. Thats why Spawns always had pacing issues imo; its delaying the inevitable end point.

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## HellsRider

> Couldnt agree more.
> 
> As much as i like the character, i just cant see what theyre gonna do with the character from here on out.
> As stated, 164 was pretty much the end of his story. Even Todd seems to have done his best to sweep Hines run under the rug (despite its quality) because after Armageddon, where is there left to go? They just hit the reset button and have been building to a new armageddon again. At least with having Jim we were dealing with a new point of view and had new conflicts and motivation but now we're just back to Al again.
> 
> For all Todds talk of "now Als the aggressor!" - to whom exactly? Clowns been defeated before, Wynns dead, Malbolgias been killed, resurrected and defeated again, God and Satan were defeated before...whos left?
> 
> TBH i think Spawn is unlike any other ongoing superhero book like Batman or Spiderman in the the mythos thats been set up actual has an endgame in mind - armageddon. Once thats been done its hard to find a reason to go on. Thats why Spawns always had pacing issues imo; its delaying the inevitable end point.


Really agree with everything here.

If we want to get technical Al never directly dealt with the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse so it could be said they took over Hell after a time and their is still Mammon sort of, but I really don't want to see him again.

The idea of Al is an aggressor has also already been done thanks to Armageddon. The moment Al realized he was something more and Legion was introduced that was Al's moment of "You can't control me anymore. I'm something far more and I'm gonna take you all down." So we'll see what this interpretation of "an aggressor" means this time.

I like your point about the fact that a Spawn's actual goal is to stop Armageddon as a macro point and the micro point can be personal from Spawn to Spawn. The idea of Armageddon can be interpreted very differently depending on how one views it and is executed and their is even the idea of what if a Spawn exists past Armageddon actually having happened like the first arc in Curse of the Spawn played with a post-apocalyptic world. That is exactly what I mean when I said that Spawn can be so much more and have either a realistic side, or a fantastical side, a horror side, a superhero side (look at the current Future's End which predicts a tech based Armageddon or rotworld which went more into a natural order gone awry Armageddon), a mystical side and more made more evident by the side series like Godslayer, Dark Ages, and Curse of the Spawn. A series can be reinvented and still retain the core parts of it and I just think Spawn can do so too and be looked at in a new way.

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## NecroDragon

Time to start reading again! I'm glad Todd finally hired another quality writer and gave him free reign to do what he wants. That's aces.

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## Kuwagaton

Thanks *Forever Knight* and *Dark-Flux*. I generally really like Hine so it's good to hear positivity about his run.

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## Jack00

> #185... was David Hine's run good? And what were some of the better past arcs? It's a little early to know what I can read to get into Wood's run, but I wonder if there are any essentials regardless.


Hine came in at #150 with the armageddon arc, which is pretty much where the book started to be on the decline. I don't think there are any essentials to read for the new team coming in, what you need to know you probably already do. If you have any questions when you'll start reading Spawn again (if you do) just come here and pm or ask in the forums.
But, if you do want to read the best Spawn, read anything Holguin made (#60ish-149ish, can't quite remember exactly). That is when Spawn was at it's prime and when it used to be my favorite comicbook of all time...

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## Jack00

> I read a few issues after Jim became the new Spawn and wasn't invested at all. Now that Al is coming back, maybe I'll add it to my pull list again. Can someone point me to where I can get some good, detailed recaps? THANKS


A whole bunch of nothing and long boring ass monologues that's what happened. Honestly you didn't miss anything.

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## HellsRider

> Hine came in at #150 with the armageddon arc, which is pretty much where the book started to be on the decline. I don't think there are any essentials to read for the new team coming in, what you need to know you probably already do. If you have any questions when you'll start reading Spawn again (if you do) just come here and pm or ask in the forums.
> But, if you do want to read the best Spawn, read anything Holguin made (#60ish-149ish, can't quite remember exactly). That is when Spawn was at it's prime and when it used to be my favorite comicbook of all time...


Honestly after issue 100, the book was dragging its feet a lot until Hine came in at 150 and stopped that. Everything was Mammon and really began my hate for that character as everything was him that did it in some way (even post-Armageddon did this). Not to say Hine's run was perfect - what was done to God/Satan was questionable at best, I wasn't much of a fan of issues 166-184 (going back to Wanda, bringing in Al's family history, and a time traveling Cyan), and Man of Miracles was something, but to me Hine just streamlined all the BS that was dangling throughout the series history and produced the book's ultimate goal for Al from 150 - 164 and did that very well I think.

----------


## TheCollector

Quick question, I probably know this, but a quick reminder would be nice, with issue 250, is the comic going digital, part of me thinks I've heard that. It'd be nice to get my Spawn on day one instead of waiting a week and a half til the comic store by me actually gets it.

----------


## Forever Knight

> Thanks *Forever Knight* and *Dark-Flux*. I generally really like Hine so it's good to hear positivity about his run.


Hine's run was the best. I am so happy to hear Spawn is going more of the superhero route again. It's long overdue.

----------


## El Sombrero

> Quick question, I probably know this, but a quick reminder would be nice, with issue 250, is the comic going digital, part of me thinks I've heard that. It'd be nice to get my Spawn on day one instead of waiting a week and a half til the comic store by me actually gets it.


Yep:




> When the 250th issue hits, McFarlane plans to launch Spawn digitally for the first time and hopes to get the whole library out, where fans can catch up on his, Capullo's and other artists' work over more than 20 years.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2...sive/16931425/

----------


## Jack00

> Honestly after issue 100, the book was dragging its feet a lot until Hine came in at 150 and stopped that. Everything was Mammon and really began my hate for that character as everything was him that did it in some way (even post-Armageddon did this). Not to say Hine's run was perfect - what was done to God/Satan was questionable at best, I wasn't much of a fan of issues 166-184 (going back to Wanda, bringing in Al's family history, and a time traveling Cyan), and Man of Miracles was something, but to me Hine just streamlined all the BS that was dangling throughout the series history and produced the book's ultimate goal for Al from 150 - 164 and did that very well I think.


There's been awesome issues between #100-149, I don't know what you're talking about with dragging feets, it was just more of the good stuff with Spawn kicking ass like we've had for years. I for one liked Mammon alot and was looking for his appearances out of nowhere. If you ask me it was all downhill when MoM came in revealing how he is the one who create God and Satan which are just 2 dumbasses fighting each other like children. They used that MoM character as a cop out to close the loop on lots of stuff too. Fuck that guy. #150-170ish wasn't that bad but still far from anything made before that.

----------


## Dark-Flux

I personally found 100-149 to be the weakest era of Spawn. It just had no direction.

----------


## Forever Knight

^ Agreed. :Cool:

----------


## SilverZeal

> I personally found 100-149 to be the weakest era of Spawn. It just had no direction.


Co-signd!!!!

----------


## Greg

100-149 as a whole was very weak but it had some great stuff in patches. Mammon, Nyx, and Redeemer were the highlights. That one arc in Hell was fantastic. Everything else was a drag and felt pointless and just meandered around.

----------


## HellsRider

> There's been awesome issues between #100-149, I don't know what you're talking about with dragging feets, it was just more of the good stuff with Spawn kicking ass like we've had for years. I for one liked Mammon alot and was looking for his appearances out of nowhere. If you ask me it was all downhill when MoM came in revealing how he is the one who create God and Satan which are just 2 dumbasses fighting each other like children. They used that MoM character as a cop out to close the loop on lots of stuff too. Fuck that guy. #150-170ish wasn't that bad but still far from anything made before that.


The series pretty much didn't know what to do after Al killed Malebolgia between 100 - 149. A Season In Hell definitely had a promise with Al going to Hell to take the throne, but it leading to Cog taking on the throne and Al back to Earth as a human with his memories lost and what came afterward I felt kinda meh about it. The Kingdom arc was decent, but then you later go back and do the same thing only with the Violator and clowns overrunning the city that just magically fixes itself up and no one mentions that again. Wynn being involved was tiring, Redeemer was okay but no follow through with him, and Nyx was probably the best thing about that whole part but then Al befriends her despite her backstabbing him, but that is okay I guess. Also by then Wanda/Terry were so far removed from the storyline that they were just there and nothing much was done with them. Also Al lost his memory twice! My problem with Mammon was his very first appearance when Al owned him easily and then we're just supposed to accept that he's this Lex Luthor like mastermind, I never bought it and his appearances grew grating for me as time went on. MoM, despite a few things, wrapped things up that needed to be wrapped up and not drag on to another storyline (like the Greenworld).

----------


## Jack00

> I personally found 100-149 to be the weakest era of Spawn. It just had no direction.


True it didn't have a big master plot in the making, and to be honest that's what I found the coolest about it. It was just random/bizzare/interesting things happening that would take 2-3 or 4 issues to resolve, nothing grandiose or mythos reshaping event. With Cog taking the throne of hell (too bad they didn't go further with that because of copyright issues), redeemer trapped in hell, Nyx using the symbiot to search hell for her friend, Spawn using big ass guns again, I thought that was awesome.

My biggest problem is how almost everything we thought we knew about the spawn mythos was just flushed down the toilet after #150. They changed so many things that made what spawn is to that date that it felt like a giant FU for everything that I had read about Spawn. They should of just rebooted the serie after the armegeddon arc, the book was barely the shadow of itself after that.

----------


## HellsRider

> True it didn't have a big master plot in the making, and to be honest that's what I found the coolest about it. It was just random/bizzare/interesting things happening that would take 2-3 or 4 issues to resolve, nothing grandiose or mythos reshaping event. With Cog taking the throne of hell (too bad they didn't go further with that because of copyright issues), redeemer trapped in hell, Nyx using the symbiot to search hell for her friend, Spawn using big ass guns again, I thought that was awesome.
> 
> My biggest problem is how almost everything we thought we knew about the spawn mythos was just flushed down the toilet after #150. They changed so many things that made what spawn is to that date that it felt like a giant FU for everything that I had read about Spawn. They should of just rebooted the serie after the armegeddon arc, the book was barely the shadow of itself after that.


I disagree with the "mythos flushed down the toilet after 150." If anything it picked up a major plot point planted very early on - that Spawn has to prevent Armageddon and be the Earth's champion. This was planted when the Greenworld was introduced, but after Malebolgia died it seemed the series had no interest in pursuing that despite it being a very logical goal for being the next big plot point. I'm actually surprised that outside of the Kingdom arc, Heaven wasn't as big into the series as I would have thought until Armageddon. You would think that Al killing one of the devils of the eight circles would be reason enough for heavenly forces to come and be focused on and that would have been very interesting. I do agree though that the series probably should have been rebooted after the Armageddon arc.

----------


## NecroDragon

> I personally found 100-149 to be the weakest era of Spawn. It just had no direction.


100% Agreed.

----------


## HellsRider

With Image's January 2015 solicits out we have details about Spawn 250. It'll be a triple sized issue, 6 covers, and a price tag of $5.99. It will wrap up the Jim Downing story which I have absolutely no idea how that is even possible with so many lose threads to wrap up in the next few issues and Al's back. Keep in mind the new team of Brian Wood and Jonboy Meyers will appear here too in the issue's epilogue.






> This HUGE, TRIPLE-SIZED 250th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE marks only the second time an independent comic book has reached such a lofty number! This issue marks the cataclysmic climax in the story of the current Spawn: Jim Downing's final struggle against his costume while the fate of New York City lies in the balance. From the ashes of that battlefield comes the long awaited return of the original Spawn AL SIMMONS.
> 
> The celebration of this anniversary issue will feature covers from TODD MCFARLANE, GREG CAPULLO (Batman), SKOTTIE YOUNG (Rocket Raccoon), JOCK (Detective Comics), SEAN MURPHY (The Wake), and PHILIP TAN (Batman and Robin).

----------


## HellsRider

New interview on Brian Wood and Spawn.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=56542

This whole part stood out to me from the interview:




> Well, Todd's last issue as writer is #250, and at the end of that issue, Al makes his reappearance. When I start with [the] "Spawn Resurrection" [one-shot] and then onwards with #251, we get into how Al's changed, what he's seen while he's been away, where he's actually been, and, to quote the solicitation text, who did he piss off so bad? The mysterious answer to that is: Something that makes that eternal Heaven vs. Hell thing, the conflict that's always driven this series, look like a petty squabble. Al's back, smarter, stronger, wiser and with a perspective that no one else has. In a way, he's 'King Spawn,' the experienced soldier who, while he has his stronghold and his minions and his land, is not afraid to get down off his throne, pick up his sword and join the battle.
> 
> I'll let you decide how much of that last sentence was metaphor and how much I'm actually writing into the book!


So is Spawn Resurrection the name of 250's epilogue or is it its own separate issue that will come out in between 250 and 251?

So Al pissed off someone that makes Heaven vs Hell look like childs play? Hmm, interesting.

----------


## Michael24

> So is Spawn Resurrection the name of 250's epilogue or is it its own separate issue that will come out in between 250 and 251?


According to what Todd recently said on his Facebook, *Spawn Resurrection* is essentially a one-shot that will be released between #250 and #251.  :Smile:

----------


## Forever Knight

Love that cover of Spawn on the Throne of Death.

----------


## HellsRider

> According to what Todd recently said on his Facebook, *Spawn Resurrection* is essentially a one-shot that will be released between #250 and #251.


Thanks for that. Its the first time I've heard of it so I was wondering.

Pretty interesting and glad that with the one shot we'll see the new team in action a bit sooner than 251.  :Smile:

----------


## Forever Knight

This is gonna be good.

----------


## HellsRider

A bit more information on Spawn Resurrection, the one shot coming out in February that will introduce the new team and new direction from Todd's facebook:




> But in the meantime, the above headline is for those of you who need a #1 as a jumping on point! Spawn RESURRECTION #1 will introduce a new creative team, a new direction, along with a new attitude and more. Oh...did i mention all of this is on top of the return of the original Spawn: Al Simmons!


https://www.facebook.com/liketoddmcfarlane

Also Todd mentions that his current goal is to get Spawn to 301.

----------


## Forever Knight

This is gonna rock! I can't wait to see more action with Spawn.

----------


## Ite

> This is gonna rock! I can't wait to see more action with Spawn.


You will be waiting a long time.

----------


## Forever Knight

> You will be waiting a long time.


Not from what I've been hearing.

----------


## HellsRider

> You will be waiting a long time.


Highly doubtful. Jonboy's art is very much superhero almost manga-esque so its very well suited for a ton action, compared to Kudranski, especially given the series that he's worked on in the past are very much action-oriented (GI Joe, Transformers, etc...). Plus you can't have "Al the aggressor" mission without action so I think we'll definitely be seeing more action in the series than we have in some time.

----------


## Forever Knight

New ish out yet?

----------


## Michael24

Pretty sure I saw the new issue at my LCS yesterday.

And Todd McFarlane revealed the cover for *Spawn Resurrection* on Facebook last night.  :Smile:

----------


## HellsRider

Yeah issue 248 is out now with the finished cover below. Been catching up on the last 4 issues so I'll have thoughts later.



Interesting cover for Resurrection. Plan seems to be to do 250 in January, the Spawn Resurrection One Shot in February, then 251 in March.

Art is going to take some getting used to going by that cover and the Comic Con art especially the facial area that is more demon/Venom like.

----------


## Scott M Davis

If you pull a Liefeld and count up all the specials and annuals etc, its well over 300  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## Forever Knight

Rob Liefield doesn't count. He doesn't even exist.

Awesome cover tho.

----------


## Dark-Flux

Anybody find the 250 variant covers yet?

----------


## HellsRider

> Anybody find the 250 variant covers yet?


Are they out there already? I haven't seen any outside of the regular cover Todd did.

----------


## Dark-Flux

No i dont think so, thats why im asking.
Frustrating when you preorder your comics, not knowing which cover to spring for. Especially with the likes of McFarlane, Capullo, Jock etc...

----------


## HellsRider

> No i dont think so, thats why im asking.
> Frustrating when you preorder your comics, not knowing which cover to spring for. Especially with the likes of McFarlane, Capullo, Jock etc...


Ah gotcha. Yeah I haven't seen any word on them. I'm just hoping they don't pull a 200 and use one of the variant covers as a panel in the actual issue like they did with Capullo's 200 variant. Capullo is gonna rock it like always, Jock I'm really interested in, but the one I'm most looking forward to seeing is Sean Murphy's. I think his style fits Spawn very well and can't wait to see what his cover looks like.

----------


## SSJett

> Anybody find the 250 variant covers yet?


Midtown Comics has them but not pictures yet.

----------


## Jack00

Man I miss Haunt. KIRKMAN'S Haunt, not that steaming pile of shit Casey did. Was the best book on the shelve :/ Still pissed at Capullo even if he is my fav artist of all times for leaving the project thus ending the title with Kirkman.

----------


## Jack00

> Ah gotcha. Yeah I haven't seen any word on them. I'm just hoping they don't pull a 200 and use one of the variant covers as a panel in the actual issue like they did with Capullo's 200 variant. Capullo is gonna rock it like always, Jock I'm really interested in, but the one I'm most looking forward to seeing is Sean Murphy's. I think his style fits Spawn very well and can't wait to see what his cover looks like.


Highest incentive is 1:100, don't remember who is making it tho. Ordered them all for 200$ at my LCS.

----------


## Forever Knight

> Man I miss Haunt. KIRKMAN'S Haunt, not that steaming pile of shit Casey did. Was the best book on the shelve :/ Still pissed at Capullo even if he is my fav artist of all times for leaving the project thus ending the title with Kirkman.


This.

Kirkman's run was fucking amazing. That futuristic bullshit they pulled was horrendus crap, from what I'm told it's been nixed anyway, so only Kirkman's run counts when seeing this Haunt in Spawn. I actually wouldn't mind Haunt as a "side-kick" for Spawn in this new run after #250 since it'll be more Superhero style. Having a Priest be the sidekick of a Hellspawn would actually be ironic and awesome.

----------


## Daredevil is Legend

I wonder if Al will look all burnt and disfigured when he's not covered by the Hellspawn.

----------


## Dark-Flux

> This.
> 
> Kirkman's run was fucking amazing. That futuristic bullshit they pulled was horrendus crap, from what I'm told it's been nixed anyway, so only Kirkman's run counts when seeing this Haunt in Spawn. I actually wouldn't mind Haunt as a "side-kick" for Spawn in this new run after #250 since it'll be more Superhero style. Having a Priest be the sidekick of a Hellspawn would actually be ironic and awesome.

----------


## prismablue

Another artist I can't get into. 

Will Todd be drawing the triple sized 250?

----------


## Rajikaru

> Default
> I wonder if Al will look all burnt and disfigured when he's not covered by the Hellspawn.


Man, I hope not. Al's story has evolved him being burnt. But I bet they'll use some explanation about him blowing his own head up to have him disfigured again.

Al can't catch a break.

----------


## prismablue

> Man I miss Haunt. KIRKMAN'S Haunt, not that steaming pile of shit Casey did. Was the best book on the shelve :/ Still pissed at Capullo even if he is my fav artist of all times for leaving the project thus ending the title with Kirkman.


Todd could have stepped in and drawn the book after greg left. I wonder what they book could have been if Todd did real inks straight through instead of darkening pencils, the few pages he really inked were phenomenal.  Haunt probably needs a redesign if they're going to bring him back, in costume he seems like spidey-venom. IMO they should sleek him up. the supporting cast was interesting

----------


## HellsRider

Okay so I had a chance to read the last 4 issues of Spawn, but before I get to that going back to the last issue I wrote, 244, I had a few things that scratched my head. First, why is Clown still doing the doctor guise? The purpose for Clown to do this was to move the angel from Endgame, Victoria, into a secure facility so he can make a deal to gain information on who helped Al do what he did. Bludd tainted that so she's no use at this point so why keep the charade. Second, when Jim poured the dirt of the Dead Zone on Clown eliminating all of his powers why does Clown still have the ability to transform to another being mere seconds after Jim leaves? That should have ended his doctor schtick. Anyways, on to the other issues.

245 - A ridiculous amount of filler here. Only the last 3 pages or so are worthwhile as Jim finds out that Marc's contacts died because of the wedding photo, Jim reveals Spawn to Marc, and something is up with Sara. The rest is drawn out - the conversation of Jim/Sara (which I find so time wasting) and the useless pages of the two guys in the cafe and Jim in the cab. My biggest problem with this issue is Marc having a photo of Spawn. Up to this point, we know that Marc's sole contact in the CIA is Terry Fitzgerald. So why would Terry give that photo to Marc with Terry knowing full well what Spawn is and capable of on top of the fact that he would think its Al. If the CIA believes Jim's connected to Spawn, shouldn't that prompt a more aggressive action towards Jim and plan to attack him or something. 

246 - "When today started, it had been my best since waking from my coma." Really Jim? The day you woke up you were attacked by a super villain, the hospital you were in was bombed, you turned into a demonic creature, went to multiple hospitals, met up with Sara again, and turned into said demonic creature again to kill some random thugs. But best day ever before this issue right. Anyways this was a decent issue with Jim confiding in Marc what he's been keeping from him and how best to handle the CIA situation. Additionally Sara being possessed served as a reminder of the lesson Cog taught Jim and Jim uses the big cross Redeemer 3 left behind in issue  197 to dispel the possession for a bit. Not sure what to make of apparently Al coming through Jim while holding the cross. Also is their a reason why Kudranski couldn't finish this issue? Just odd that he couldn't do the last 2 pages and Todd had to step in. Probably related to him getting the call for Superman Doomed #2?

247 - So we find that the crap has the hit the fan as Jim apparently had sex with Sara in between the end of 244 and the beginning of 245 and that just turned everything upside down because with Sara having gone through "The Black" and Jim having sex with her after saving her, a piece of the symbiote is now within Sara. One of the doctors works for Bludd and tells Jim that he must give up a blood sample and they won't kill Sara to which Jim agrees. Meanwhile Clown tells Hel to become crazy powerful by simply touching Jim a lot which would drain his powers and Father Kilgore looks to have a conversation with Marc. While it seems like a lot happened more could have been done. Todd uses way too many words and has a number of useless scenes of the most minutiae of detail that instead could be moving the story more (the doctor details and two reporter pages for example). Marc flips out because he's been through his dad in a coma before, but everyone else should be more pissed off because you know, Jim is supposed to be the miracle worker so if he can't cure Sara what chance do regular doctors have considering what the foundation has been preaching. Kinda meh issue with a useless Spawn scene that was completely unnecessary.

248 - The ebola page was unnecessary. Anyways, Marc goes back to the Clarion to research Ramus/Bludd when he meets Father Kilgore who tells Marc that Spawn has his final test coming up and must win, that Jim & the costume have been spreading a disease and not curing people, and for Marc to look to Wanda Blake for answers. Meanwhile, Bludd is attacked by Jim (in Wings of Redemption mode then later his angelic mode) and looks for answers on Sara to which Jim's plan is for the symbiote to seep into Bludd so Jim can get answers on saving Sara though of course he doesn't know if this will work. Oh and I think Jim revealed he's a vampire too because why the hell not. Decent issue however those wondering about Haunt will be disappointed in knowing that their is only one page of him that was completely unnecessary. Kilgore transforms into Haunt during his conversation with Marc for no reason and Marc apparently has no reaction to seeing this transformation. So close to 250 we still don't know how Haunt knows about Spawn, Al, and what he is really trying to do or how he knows what he knows. On top of that, so many forces need to be touched on such as all the heavenly forces - the Vatican/Medieval Spawn, Redeemer, Solomon Pure and heavenly vampires, the albinos, what Cog is up to, Sam & Twitch's investigation, and Rowand and the CIA if they ever will do anything.

The letters column of this issue also has Todd having a few answers on why the new team was picked and on Haunt too.

On Brian Wood:




> I was looking for someone to come aboard who has a wide range of experience on a book. That was the biggest deal for me. If we forget Brian's resume as a whole and just look at DMZ and X-Men, X-Men is about as traditional as a superhero book can get. Then look at DMZ and it's sort of funky. I was looking for someone who wasn't writing the same kind of story for years and Brian fit that.


On Jonboy Meyers:




> Art in the eye of the beholder and there are just some times you look at someone's stuff and just say, "WOW"! His art fell into the "WOW" category for me. We are going to see if he can bring that impact to a monthly comic book. On top of Brian's new direction, I hope it will have a big impact on this book and the way it looks.


On Haunt:




> He's in this very issue you are reading. I've mentioned it to Brian and Jonboy that he exists and he is in the mythos at the end of #250. So they are going to think about what they want to do or not do with that character. Depending on what that answer is, we will go from there.


My biggest problem in all of this is that I don't care about the Sara plot because I have no idea why she was taken in the first place about 8 months ago. That was glossed over and while Jim may know why the reader doesn't so its tough to care about what happens to Sara. Additionally the villains are all acting reactionary to what Jim is doing and not the other way around. For example, how would Bludd have obtained Jim's blood, which Bludd didn't plot, if this didn't happen and why wait till now to have now Clown reveal that Hel could have gotten stronger this entire time by simply touching Jim and draining his powers which I thought was what Clown wanted in the first place to weaken Jim and the symbiote. Because they sit around and plot all the time and not do anything to Jim their is no sense of threat outside of the symbiote itself and if that is supposed to be some huge threat and everyone vying for it why is no one doing anything about it.

----------


## Daredevil is Legend

> Man, I hope not. Al's story has evolved him being burnt. But I bet they'll use some explanation about him blowing his own head up to have him disfigured again.
> 
> Al can't catch a break.


I hope that's not the case

----------


## Greg

> Okay so I had a chance to read the last 4 issues of Spawn, but before I get to that going back to the last issue I wrote, 244, I had a few things that scratched my head. First, why is Clown still doing the doctor guise? The purpose for Clown to do this was to move the angel from Endgame, Victoria, into a secure facility so he can make a deal to gain information on who helped Al do what he did. Bludd tainted that so she's no use at this point so why keep the charade. Second, when Jim poured the dirt of the Dead Zone on Clown eliminating all of his powers why does Clown still have the ability to transform to another being mere seconds after Jim leaves? That should have ended his doctor schtick. Anyways, on to the other issues.
> 
> 245 - A ridiculous amount of filler here. Only the last 3 pages or so are worthwhile as Jim finds out that Marc's contacts died because of the wedding photo, Jim reveals Spawn to Marc, and something is up with Sara. The rest is drawn out - the conversation of Jim/Sara (which I find so time wasting) and the useless pages of the two guys in the cafe and Jim in the cab. My biggest problem with this issue is Marc having a photo of Spawn. Up to this point, we know that Marc's sole contact in the CIA is Terry Fitzgerald. So why would Terry give that photo to Marc with Terry knowing full well what Spawn is and capable of on top of the fact that he would think its Al. If the CIA believes Jim's connected to Spawn, shouldn't that prompt a more aggressive action towards Jim and plan to attack him or something. 
> 
> 246 - "When today started, it had been my best since waking from my coma." Really Jim? The day you woke up you were attacked by a super villain, the hospital you were in was bombed, you turned into a demonic creature, went to multiple hospitals, met up with Sara again, and turned into said demonic creature again to kill some random thugs. But best day ever before this issue right. Anyways this was a decent issue with Jim confiding in Marc what he's been keeping from him and how best to handle the CIA situation. Additionally Sara being possessed served as a reminder of the lesson Cog taught Jim and Jim uses the big cross Redeemer 3 left behind in issue  197 to dispel the possession for a bit. Not sure what to make of apparently Al coming through Jim while holding the cross. Also is their a reason why Kudranski couldn't finish this issue? Just odd that he couldn't do the last 2 pages and Todd had to step in. Probably related to him getting the call for Superman Doomed #2?
> 
> 247 - So we find that the crap has the hit the fan as Jim apparently had sex with Sara in between the end of 244 and the beginning of 245 and that just turned everything upside down because with Sara having gone through "The Black" and Jim having sex with her after saving her, a piece of the symbiote is now within Sara. One of the doctors works for Bludd and tells Jim that he must give up a blood sample and they won't kill Sara to which Jim agrees. Meanwhile Clown tells Hel to become crazy powerful by simply touching Jim a lot which would drain his powers and Father Kilgore looks to have a conversation with Marc. While it seems like a lot happened more could have been done. Todd uses way too many words and has a number of useless scenes of the most minutiae of detail that instead could be moving the story more (the doctor details and two reporter pages for example). Marc flips out because he's been through his dad in a coma before, but everyone else should be more pissed off because you know, Jim is supposed to be the miracle worker so if he can't cure Sara what chance do regular doctors have considering what the foundation has been preaching. Kinda meh issue with a useless Spawn scene that was completely unnecessary.
> 
> 248 - The ebola page was unnecessary. Anyways, Marc goes back to the Clarion to research Ramus/Bludd when he meets Father Kilgore who tells Marc that Spawn has his final test coming up and must win, that Jim & the costume have been spreading a disease and not curing people, and for Marc to look to Wanda Blake for answers. Meanwhile, Bludd is attacked by Jim (in Wings of Redemption mode then later his angelic mode) and looks for answers on Sara to which Jim's plan is for the symbiote to seep into Bludd so Jim can get answers on saving Sara though of course he doesn't know if this will work. Oh and I think Jim revealed he's a vampire too because why the hell not. Decent issue however those wondering about Haunt will be disappointed in knowing that their is only one page of him that was completely unnecessary. Kilgore transforms into Haunt during his conversation with Marc for no reason and Marc apparently has no reaction to seeing this transformation. So close to 250 we still don't know how Haunt knows about Spawn, Al, and what he is really trying to do or how he knows what he knows. On top of that, so many forces need to be touched on such as all the heavenly forces - the Vatican/Medieval Spawn, Redeemer, Solomon Pure and heavenly vampires, the albinos, what Cog is up to, Sam & Twitch's investigation, and Rowand and the CIA if they ever will do anything.
> ...


Jeez, that all sounds very frustrating and awful to read.

----------


## HellsRider

In brighter news, Todd revealed on his Facebook page the Lucky 13 winners, the fan art contest Todd was running to have fans submit art. Just wanted to post a couple that caught my eye, but overall really good picks all around.

----------


## Michael24

I was looking at those last night. Lots of good ones.

I have to admit, between one Todd drew himself awhile back and this entry, I've become really fond of Baby Spawn drawings.  :Smile: 



I love the little touch of the Spawn skull emblem being the nightlight, too. Haha!

----------


## HellsRider

Baby Spawn needs to be a thing like a plushie. I didn't even catch the nightlight before, good detail.

I remember when Image United was around they had a backup of all the Image characters in kid form that was rather cute.

----------


## Forever Knight

Anyone here own extras of Spawn #243-248 they could sell me?. Ebay is just too damn expensive. No way I am paying $20 for a fucking issue. I just need to catch up on these for my collecting.

----------


## El Sombrero

I think that Jonboy Meyers art (the Resurrection cover) is pretty weak.  There's nothing really "wrong" with it but it just strikes me as really generic superhero art.  I don't get why Todd handpicked him at all, it's not dark or edgy or anything that strikes me as classic Spawn.

The Kudranski / McFarlane cover right below it looks incredible.  Todd's inking is soooo good.  If Spawn is going to continue to stick around, Todd should ink the book.  Give it his artistic touch on some level.

----------


## HellsRider

> Anyone here own extras of Spawn #243-248 they could sell me?. Ebay is just too damn expensive. No way I am paying $20 for a fucking issue. I just need to catch up on these for my collecting.


You can try Midtown Comics. They do ship issues and you can get all the issues you are missing for about $15 and change overall and they do free shipping and free peel-n-stick bag & board too.

----------


## HellsRider

> Another artist I can't get into. 
> 
> Will Todd be drawing the triple sized 250?


Going by the solicit, Kudranski will be doing the whole 250. Maybe Todd will step in for a few pages or not, we'll see. However, the epilogue will have art by Jonboy Meyers.

----------


## Michael24

> Anyone here own extras of Spawn #243-248 they could sell me?. Ebay is just too damn expensive. No way I am paying $20 for a fucking issue. I just need to catch up on these for my collecting.


You can get them for $2.99 each at MyComicShop.com, although #247 is currently out of stock. They offer flat shipping rates, too.

----------


## Forever Knight

> You can try Midtown Comics. They do ship issues and you can get all the issues you are missing for about $15 and change overall and they do free shipping and free peel-n-stick bag & board too.


link??!?!?! I will try them first.

----------


## HellsRider

> link??!?!?! I will try them first.


Whoops. Sorry about that. Here you go. Best to do a specific search for each issue otherwise if you do a general search on Spawn you'll get everything.

http://www.midtowncomics.com/?pname=...comics%5Fimage

On searching for your missing issues though, I noticed they are out of stock of them all except a variant of 247. :Frown: 

Though you can add the issues to your wishlist if they are out of stock and once they have in stock (which they stock up pretty regularly) they'll let you know.

----------


## Forever Knight

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

----------


## HellsRider

Todd posted a look at the cover for 249 coming out next month. Take a look:






> OKAY...countdown to SPAWN 250 is down to ONE!!!!!!! Here is a SNEAL PEEK at the cover to issue 249. This is the lead up to the return of the original SPAWN, Al Simmons.
> 
> In this issue, there is a dramatic fight between the current Spawn, Jim Downing, and his living costume. As you might imagine...the results will be revealed in a BIG way in our Triple-Sized Anniversary 250th issue (at which time we will be launching the comic as a digital down load for all you folks out there that don't live near a comic shop). Hard to believe that this title and Image Comics have been hanging around for over 20 plus years.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the cover. See you around!!!!

----------


## Forever Knight

Bad assery. Can't wait!

----------


## PennyD

This is gonna be sawheeeeet

----------


## SilverZeal

> Todd posted a look at the cover for 249 coming out next month. Take a look:


Awful cvr...gosh!

Y's Todd allowing Spawn 2 b 'venom'-ized?!?!

Urghhhh!!!!!!!

----------


## HellsRider

Alright so with the February 2015 solicits out we have details on the one shot - Spawn Resurrection which will be the full debut of the new team of Brian Wood and Jonboy Meyers which will then continue in March's 251 onwards. This one shot will look to cover what Al's been up to while we've had Jim for the last 6 years. Their will be a second cover from Todd himself. This is probably the best jumping on point for those that have been out of the series for a while or are brand new readers.






> NEW TEAM! NEW DIRECTION!
> 
> The return of Al Simmons, and the start of a brand new era for SPAWN!
> 
> No one quite knows where Als been all this time, but its clear hes come back a changed man. Wiser, stronger, and with the memories from an experience thats hes still struggling to understand. Tucked away in a crime-ridden corner of New York City, hes beginning to forge new alliances, preparing defenses, and testing out his newly acquired powers... because theres a battle coming, and its something that makes the Heaven/Hell thing seem like a petty squabble. So just who did Al piss off so badly while he was away?
> 
> Introducing a bold new direction for SPAWN, as creator TODD McFARLANE hands the reins over to BRIAN WOOD (Star Wars, X-Men, DMZ) and JONBOY (Marvel Adventures, Araña). It all starts right here, and continues next month in SPAWN #251!

----------


## Forever Knight

Hell yeah!

----------


## The Overlord

Do you think the animated series from HBO did a better job at telling the story of Spawn then comics did? The animated series seemed far less convoluted and told more cohesive story then the comics did. The animated series seemed to have one major retcon/plot twist, while comics had several, so much so that it was hard to keep track of what was happening in the comics and what was in canon or not.

----------


## Forever Knight

The Animated series was enjoyable but nothing compared to the comic.

----------


## Rajikaru

Ever since the Armageddon arch, the costume has been getting ugly and uglier.

----------


## armlessphelan

> Ever since the Armageddon arch, the costume has been getting ugly and uglier.


I hate the teeth. Hate.

----------


## Forever Knight

It's Venom-esque.

----------


## Dark-Flux

I dont mind it in the current run since the costume was becoming more sentient.
But not sure how itll apply to Al when hes back. Unless he'll be having trouble with it too?

----------


## The Overlord

> The Animated series was enjoyable but nothing compared to the comic.


The animated series told a straight forward cohesive story that was not convoluted, I think it should get a lot of points for that. 

There was a series of videos on a Youtube channel called "Spawn Year" that detailed how the Spawn narrative collapsed into incoherence over time, due to various retcons and snap backs in terms of continuity.

----------


## HellsRider

Just an update from Todd on his Facebook page and one particularly interesting since we are discussing the new look. He posted a few designs of Spawn that Meyers sent in to him, one of which will be used and we'll be seeing going forward. What do you think of them?



I particularly like the top right version 2. Feels inspired from the first arc in Curse of the Spawn a bit and doesn't stray too far. Don't particularly like versions 4 and 5. Not sure what to think of version 6. Version 3 looks like what we will get. Kinda wish they get rid of the big boot though. The thing about these is context too. The state with which Al will come back and a few of these designs look evil-ish particularly version 4 and the face in versions 3 - 5 but the symbiote should be under control with Al back but maybe not?

Jonboy says to expect new versions of the past cast to pop up later in the new team's run.

----------


## Dark-Flux

Not really a fan of the shredded cake tbh. I prefer when its big and full, so he can wrap himself in it.
6 is waaay overkill. And not keen on the horns of 4.

But then as said, i guess it depends on Als state when he returns.

----------


## HellsRider

> Not really a fan of the shredded cake tbh. I prefer when its big and full, so he can wrap himself in it.
> 6 is waaay overkill. And not keen on the horns of 4.
> 
> But then as said, i guess it depends on Als state when he returns.


I think shredded cake could be good. :Stick Out Tongue: 

But yeah that is the interesting part out of all the designs that they all have the shredded cape. The costume did get a bit shredded after the fight with Redeemer 2 around issue 32 signifying a more rapid change in transformation of the symbiote and it potentially getting a bigger hold on Al so it was a bit of a plot point around that time. Maybe its bringing this idea back and the symbiote will have more control which in turn would explain the venom-like face.

----------


## Daredevil is Legend

> Just an update from Todd on his Facebook page and one particularly interesting since we are discussing the new look. He posted a few designs of Spawn that Meyers sent in to him, one of which will be used and we'll be seeing going forward. What do you think of them?
> 
> 
> 
> I particularly like the top right version 2. Feels inspired from the first arc in Curse of the Spawn a bit and doesn't stray too far. Don't particularly like versions 4 and 5. Not sure what to think of version 6. Version 3 looks like what we will get. Kinda wish they get rid of the big boot though. The thing about these is context too. The state with which Al will come back and a few of these designs look evil-ish particularly version 4 and the face in versions 3 - 5 but the symbiote should be under control with Al back but maybe not?
> 
> Jonboy says to expect new versions of the past cast to pop up later in the new team's run.


I like the first pic

----------


## armlessphelan

> Just an update from Todd on his Facebook page and one particularly interesting since we are discussing the new look. He posted a few designs of Spawn that Meyers sent in to him, one of which will be used and we'll be seeing going forward. What do you think of them?
> 
> 
> 
> I particularly like the top right version 2. Feels inspired from the first arc in Curse of the Spawn a bit and doesn't stray too far. Don't particularly like versions 4 and 5. Not sure what to think of version 6. Version 3 looks like what we will get. Kinda wish they get rid of the big boot though. The thing about these is context too. The state with which Al will come back and a few of these designs look evil-ish particularly version 4 and the face in versions 3 - 5 but the symbiote should be under control with Al back but maybe not?
> 
> Jonboy says to expect new versions of the past cast to pop up later in the new team's run.


I love the original. It's just simple. Everything else is way too cluttered. 6 could work if they got rid of the shoulder pad and gave him the gauntlet from 5, though.

----------


## Joe

Wow Spawn wielding the Final Fantasy inspired sword. I'm so damned happy Al Simmons is back.

----------


## SiegePerilous02

Finally jumping on board with this when the new creative team takes over. I got some early Spawn trades for cheap and didn't care for them that much, but I've been really enjoying the Armageddon storyline by David Hine. Collection 2 is being shipped to me soon. I hope Wood's run is more in line with those. It seems that Spawn is great when Todd lets someone else do the writing chores.

----------


## Joe

> It's Venom-esque.


Spawn's costume has always been a knock-off of Venon's costume/Spiderman symbiote suit anyway. Spawn turned into crap after Todd decided to make Spawn white.

----------


## Forever Knight

> Spawn's costume has always been a knock-off of Venon's costume/Spiderman symbiote suit anyway. Spawn turned into crap after Todd decided to make Spawn white.


Who created Venom?

----------


## Dark-Flux

Well, McFarlane is credited as a co-creator, but he mainly came up with the "creepy" look of the teeth and tongue. 
The black costume and the actual character was a bunch of other folks.

----------


## HellsRider

So 249 - the battle between Jim and the Symbiote/Bludd. Now in the last issue, Jim wanted to use Bludd so the symbiote can go into him and Jim can then find out from the symbiote how to save Sara, but wasn't sure this would work. Is he successful? The answer is no and I came away not quite sure what to take away from this issue. The fight itself isn't interesting as its just flying, grabbing, and a few punches. But whats really happening, and the main focus of the issue, is that the symbiote's evil has been given form as a massive infestation that threatens to engulf the millions of people of NYC. However this seems to be Jim's plan for all of the evil to seep out of the symbiote so its weak enough to take over completely and then he'll save Sara? I'm just not entirely sure as Jim uses the time to boast at the symbiote about how he's been in control this entire time just to get to this moment. As the fight progresses a mysterious narrator appears that is neither the symbiote or Jim that is implying that this fight is bringing Al back and at the end, the symbiote and Jim are one again and flies off somewhere but the entity is neither so is this Al back? Oh and Bludd survives this entire thing so where does this leave him?

Their are several scenes such as the news portion and Marc that are used to advance this infestation plot and at the end Cog is with Sam & Twitch who are still investigating the reason why Jim has multiple fingerprints and Cog tells them to look at the clues completely different as the answer is so obvious (I'm sure it is Cog). The issue ends with the infestation having formed at 3 sites and the reporter stating that the infestation has formed letters or symbols but Twitch sees that they aren't letters but numbers - 5 5 1.

Because this issue is entirely focused on the Jim/Symbiote battle and infestation plot nothing else is advanced and I came away not sure what to look forward to in the next issue as that is being sold entirely on the return of Al Simmons. I now see why 250 is a triple-sized issue because their is a TON of work that needs to be wrapped up and I'm honestly not sure if a triple sized issue is enough.

----------


## Forever Knight

> Well, McFarlane is credited as a co-creator, but he mainly came up with the "creepy" look of the teeth and tongue. 
> The black costume and the actual character was a bunch of other folks.


Still can't call it a knock off. That's like calling all of Liefeld's Cable look a likes a knock off as well when that isn't the case.


Was Spawn #249 releasd this week?

----------


## armlessphelan

I thought the costume wasn't a symbiote until the Alan Moore stuff. I could be wrong, though. Just seems like something Moore did and McFarlane ran with it. Like when Moore and Warren Ellis redefined the WildStorm universe and the changes went into every following book. Image was never really cohesive story-wise its first few years so I let a lot of shit fall to the wayside.

----------


## Dark-Flux

I remember there was the time a bum tried of the mask and it triedto suffocate him, giving the impression that it was sentient. Cant recall if that was before the Moore stuff tho...

Moore was definetly the one to outright state it was a symbiote though. K7-Leetha an all that.

----------


## Ben11345

Anyone know if the HC Spawn origins are continuing? 
It's been a while since book 9 and haven't been able to find anything on a book 10
Thanks

----------


## Forever Knight

> Anyone know if the HC Spawn origins are continuing? 
> It's been a while since book 9 and haven't been able to find anything on a book 10
> Thanks


Been over a freaken year now since we've been waiting for Book 10.  :Frown:

----------


## Greg

> So 249 - the battle between Jim and the Symbiote/Bludd. Now in the last issue, Jim wanted to use Bludd so the symbiote can go into him and Jim can then find out from the symbiote how to save Sara, but wasn't sure this would work. Is he successful? The answer is no and I came away not quite sure what to take away from this issue. The fight itself isn't interesting as its just flying, grabbing, and a few punches. But whats really happening, and the main focus of the issue, is that the symbiote's evil has been given form as a massive infestation that threatens to engulf the millions of people of NYC. However this seems to be Jim's plan for all of the evil to seep out of the symbiote so its weak enough to take over completely and then he'll save Sara? I'm just not entirely sure as Jim uses the time to boast at the symbiote about how he's been in control this entire time just to get to this moment. As the fight progresses a mysterious narrator appears that is neither the symbiote or Jim that is implying that this fight is bringing Al back and at the end, the symbiote and Jim are one again and flies off somewhere but the entity is neither so is this Al back? Oh and Bludd survives this entire thing so where does this leave him?
> 
> Their are several scenes such as the news portion and Marc that are used to advance this infestation plot and at the end Cog is with Sam & Twitch who are still investigating the reason why Jim has multiple fingerprints and Cog tells them to look at the clues completely different as the answer is so obvious (I'm sure it is Cog). The issue ends with the infestation having formed at 3 sites and the reporter stating that the infestation has formed letters or symbols but Twitch sees that they aren't letters but numbers - 5 5 1.
> 
> Because this issue is entirely focused on the Jim/Symbiote battle and infestation plot nothing else is advanced and I came away not sure what to look forward to in the next issue as that is being sold entirely on the return of Al Simmons. I now see why 250 is a triple-sized issue because their is a TON of work that needs to be wrapped up and I'm honestly not sure if a triple sized issue is enough.


Todd McFarlane plotting 101.

----------


## Toxin45

> Reading the most recent issue of Scorched, it hit me, all the writers have been referring to medieval Spawn just as Medieval. I’d thought by now that he would correct them and tell Al or Jessica, that his name is John of York.
> 
> Just something I noticed in the latest issue that hit me.
> 
> As per your point about Jessica, part of me thinks (or accepts this reasoning since Spawn has so many story contradictions) that when Al recreated the world post Armageddon, the works got retconned as well. Sone of hid past and other characters past, as such. Such as Chapel being totally removed from existence, any association with Youngblood, and Priests backstory altered.
> 
> Priests backstory from Curse of the Spawn never sat well with me, so I’m glad it got altered.
> 
> Also, that makes me think of something else; I wonder if we’ll ever see Daniel Spawn, from the Curse of the Spawn future, pulled here to the current timeline like other Spawns were. I’d much rather read about him than Gunslinger…


Cuz of real life writers the plot liefled too the rights along with man of miracles being retconned to just Gaia now so spawn is now his own universe and it is for the best. Like watch they retconned morana’s backstory now since spawn resurrection retconned al being a wife beater as a fake memory

----------


## Blanks

> Cuz of real life writers the plot liefled too the rights along with man of miracles being retconned to just Gaia now so spawn is now his own universe and it is for the best. Like watch they retconned moranas backstory now since spawn resurrection retconned al being a wife beater as a fake memory


I know all of that. Ive reflected that in previous comments and posts that Ive made.

----------


## Toxin45

> I know all of that. I’ve reflected that in previous comments and posts that I’ve made.


I see guess I didn’t notice like Daniel laslino would be cool showing up in the current comics and upcoming 12 more titles as a member of scorched

----------


## tabo61

Enjoyed the SoulCrusher storyline.

----------


## Toxin45

king Spawn 16 is out now

----------


## HellsRider

> Reading the most recent issue of Scorched, it hit me, all the writers have been referring to medieval Spawn just as Medieval. I’d thought by now that he would correct them and tell Al or Jessica, that his name is John of York.
> 
> Just something I noticed in the latest issue that hit me.
> 
> As per your point about Jessica, part of me thinks (or accepts this reasoning since Spawn has so many story contradictions) that when Al recreated the world post Armageddon, the works got retconned as well. Sone of hid past and other characters past, as such. Such as Chapel being totally removed from existence, any association with Youngblood, and Priests backstory altered.
> 
> Priests backstory from Curse of the Spawn never sat well with me, so I’m glad it got altered.
> 
> Also, that makes me think of something else; I wonder if we’ll ever see Daniel Spawn, from the Curse of the Spawn future, pulled here to the current timeline like other Spawns were. I’d much rather read about him than Gunslinger…


I actually can buy that thought process regarding the change in Jessica's story having changed due to Al recreating the world. It is plausible and the event itself is something allows to keep what is and change what needs to happen. Her backstory in Curse of the Spawn is certainly a byproduct of both the movie and the time period but would have been nice to keep some of that darkness of the character and not have her character basically reduced to mom/worrying about people finding out about her daughter. Good point on Medieval as Downing is the only one, at least on panel, that we know knows Medieval's real name which is interesting.

Daniel Spawn would have been a cool reveal as the Spawn that has taken over the future that Redeemer came from and Clown visited instead of noting Al is the one that is king in the future. Sure they can always say that is a future that can be changed, but I have always liked Daniel's design. For me, I hope they bring back Raenius who was a Hellspawn during the Greek Gods era. His design is crazy and you can do a major arc on him given his background and the current state of affairs with the Dead Zones/Heaven/Hell. I am just a fan of the Greek gods in general so it'd be interesting of some characters from that time period get pulled into the current timeline.

For all you figureheads out there, the newest wave of figures is out which includes Omega Spawn, Plague Spawn, Nightmare Spawn, Sam & Twitch, and King Spider.

----------


## Toxin45

> I actually can buy that thought process regarding the change in Jessica's story having changed due to Al recreating the world. It is plausible and the event itself is something allows to keep what is and change what needs to happen. Her backstory in Curse of the Spawn is certainly a byproduct of both the movie and the time period but would have been nice to keep some of that darkness of the character and not have her character basically reduced to mom/worrying about people finding out about her daughter. Good point on Medieval as Downing is the only one, at least on panel, that we know knows Medieval's real name which is interesting.
> 
> Daniel Spawn would have been a cool reveal as the Spawn that has taken over the future that Redeemer came from and Clown visited instead of noting Al is the one that is king in the future. Sure they can always say that is a future that can be changed, but I have always liked Daniel's design. For me, I hope they bring back Raenius who was a Hellspawn during the Greek Gods era. His design is crazy and you can do a major arc on him given his background and the current state of affairs with the Dead Zones/Heaven/Hell. I am just a fan of the Greek gods in general so it'd be interesting of some characters from that time period get pulled into the current timeline.
> 
> For all you figureheads out there, the newest wave of figures is out which includes Omega Spawn, Plague Spawn, Nightmare Spawn, Sam & Twitch, and King Spider.


Yep already know this I already wanted Danial and ramilue to show up along with Ken Kurosawa,suture,jade,Lily,dark ages spawn,alien spawn,mutant spawn,nerco cop,and godslayer spawn too

----------


## Blanks

> Daniel Spawn would have been a cool reveal as the Spawn that has taken over the future that Redeemer came from and Clown visited instead of noting Al is the one that is king in the future. Sure they can always say that is a future that can be changed, but I have always liked Daniel's design. For me, I hope they bring back Raenius who was a Hellspawn during the Greek Gods era. His design is crazy and you can do a major arc on him given his background and the current state of affairs with the Dead Zones/Heaven/Hell. I am just a fan of the Greek gods in general so it'd be interesting of some characters from that time period get pulled into the current timeline.


It’d be cool to see a lot of those other Spawns that were introduced in Curse of the Spawn return.

----------


## Toxin45

Also dc is releasing variant covers featuring spawn to hype up the spawn and Batman crossover coming out

----------


## Toxin45

Spawn 335 is out Dakota from Gunsligner shows up and forsaken returns and he is abel cog’s brother

----------


## Blanks

After re-reading the Batman/Spawn collection today, and looking over the solicits for the crossover in December; I can’t help but wonder, if the Batman/Spawn story is a continuation of the continuity that was in Batman/Spawn: War Devil… or a brand new one-shot ignoring both the original DC and Image Crossovers, ��

If it’s a continuation of just Batman/Spawn, then it would be cool if later on they do a follow up of the Spawn/Batman Frank Millar continuity one-shot.

Honestly, after seeing all those DC variant covers, I want to see a Spawn/Wonder Woman crossover. I get crazy Spaen and Angela vibes from that potential.

----------


## Blanks

GunSlinger felt drawn out again. I get it; its being drug out to fill a trade. Here is hoping that after Gunslinger locates the 10 people hes looking for, and has his revenge either the GunSlinger book either catches up with where Spawn is at with its story, or just come to an end. I just dont see to much longevity with an ongoing Gunslinger, but maybe itll surprise me.

----------


## Toxin45

> GunSlinger felt drawn out again. I get it; it’s being drug out to fill a trade. Here is hoping that after Gunslinger locates the 10 people he’s looking for, and has his revenge either the GunSlinger book either catches up with where Spawn is at with its story, or just come to an end. I just don’t see to much longevity with an ongoing Gunslinger, but maybe it’ll surprise me.


Sales are doing well dude so yeah along with scorched and king spawn as well as the main series people will still read it regardless

----------


## Toxin45

> After re-reading the Batman/Spawn collection today, and looking over the solicits for the crossover in December; I can’t help but wonder, if the Batman/Spawn story is a continuation of the continuity that was in Batman/Spawn: War Devil… or a brand new one-shot ignoring both the original DC and Image Crossovers, ��
> 
> If it’s a continuation of just Batman/Spawn, then it would be cool if later on they do a follow up of the Spawn/Batman Frank Millar continuity one-shot.
> 
> Honestly, after seeing all those DC variant covers, I want to see a Spawn/Wonder Woman crossover. I get crazy Spaen and Angela vibes from that potential.


It is a new thing

----------


## dougtheplumber

Our team of qualified plumbers can help you whether you need routine maintenance on your house or business' plumbing bastrop tx systems or are planning a remodel.

----------


## Toxin45

Scorched 12 is out now

----------


## HellsRider

> After re-reading the Batman/Spawn collection today, and looking over the solicits for the crossover in December; I can’t help but wonder, if the Batman/Spawn story is a continuation of the continuity that was in Batman/Spawn: War Devil… or a brand new one-shot ignoring both the original DC and Image Crossovers, ��
> 
> If it’s a continuation of just Batman/Spawn, then it would be cool if later on they do a follow up of the Spawn/Batman Frank Millar continuity one-shot.
> 
> Honestly, after seeing all those DC variant covers, I want to see a Spawn/Wonder Woman crossover. I get crazy Spaen and Angela vibes from that potential.


You just reminded me that I have to do my own re-read of the previous Batman Spawn crossovers before the new one comes out. The upcoming new one is its own thing though.

I'd honestly like to see Spawn and Swamp Thing crossover as I'd think they would have a pretty interesting conversation. Heck, sticking Spawn in that environment with the different parliaments would feel like the old days when Al entered the Greenworld as I can see Al fight those freaky-looking creatures the Hunters Three.

----------


## Toxin45

https://www.cbr.com/image-comics-vil...not-memorable/

thoughts?

----------


## Blanks

> You just reminded me that I have to do my own re-read of the previous Batman Spawn crossovers before the new one comes out. The upcoming new one is its own thing though.
> 
> I'd honestly like to see Spawn and Swamp Thing crossover as I'd think they would have a pretty interesting conversation. Heck, sticking Spawn in that environment with the different parliaments would feel like the old days when Al entered the Greenworld as I can see Al fight those freaky-looking creatures the Hunters Three.


I did not know I wanted a Spawn/SwampYhing cross over until you said that.

It makes so much sense.

Maybe after this crossover, the next scrolls over could be a Spawn/JLA… or something like that.

----------


## Toxin45

> I did not know I wanted a Spawn/SwampYhing cross over until you said that.
> 
> It makes so much sense.
> 
> Maybe after this crossover, the next scrolls over could be a Spawn/JLA… or something like that.


Todd also wanted a spawn and spectre crossover

----------


## tabo61

How about the Scorched team becomes Amanda Waller's new Suicide Squad in a "What if" story set in the DC universe.?

----------


## Blanks

> How about the Scorched team becomes Amanda Waller's new Suicide Squad in a "What if" story set in the DC universe.?


I think that it would work too. At least 50 percent of DC’s properties would mesh well with Spawn interacting with them. Some like Green Lantern, no so much, I don’t think. But. Good enough writer could make it work.

----------


## HellsRider

Alright catching up a bit more on the universe books with a Year One writeup on The Scorched coming soon. Btw as two other ideas when it comes to DC/Spawn crossovers, I can easily see Jonah Hex/Gunslinger Spawn on an adventure and if Demon Knights are ever brought back do something cool with Medieval Spawn. Thinking a bit further, I can see Haunt in the Wildcat side of things for some reason or Justice League Dark with little back and forth between Deadman and Kurt but maybe its just me. Speaking of Haunt, I wish Todd would re-release the trades/make them more available on Haunt now that he is in the Spawn Universe proper just for folks that want to know more about him though I know the writer and artist switch that the Haunt series had didn't go over well but it'd be nice to have. 

Spawn #335 - We pick up where we last left off with the reveal of Downing's partner. She reveals how she died and how Al has lost his way putting everyone in danger. Downing and his partner decide to go into Al's mind to extract information on the whereabouts of the Dead Zone powers. As this is going on, Kurt Kilgore looks on and Marc is trying to call Jessica to get The Scorched to help out Al. Meanwhile, at Omega Island, the fight rages on as Sinn and his forces are overpowering Clown's forces though Clown's minions and Dakota from Gunslinger Spawn (for some reason) are holding a bit of their own. Realizing that the situation is quickly becoming dire, Clown calls Jericho in a hail-mary move to get help. The end of the issue comes as the move pays off and Sinn comes face to face with The Forsaken and his identity is revealed. While disappointing that we didn't dive much deeper into the many questions the reveal at the end of the last issue had, I thought this was a good issue that largely focused on the Omega Island battle. Made sense that Clown would call for a big backup given how things went with Gunslinger and that backup being Forsaken and who he actually is made sense and I liked it. How much of a fight Forsaken can be against Sinn though, given Al beat Forsaken previously by himself, remains to be seen. We are also heading to a collision course with Downing's team versus The Scorched which on the one hand feels odd given that feels like something that should happen in The Scorched book and on the other hand Haunt is a part of both teams just like Marc and yet Marc is giving Haunt the cold shoulder for whatever reason and again not a fan of the Marc side of the story. Should be interesting, though, to see how things progress.

King Spawn #15 & 16 - Issue 15 started with a red flag for me with an overly long speech by Clown that the Spawn series loves to do from time to time and after a rather talky and meh issue 14, the last thing I needed from the start of issue 15 was an opening like this though Clown reveals it was Wanda that sent him which is interesting. We then move to Clown's group fighting the Court of Priests and a bit of Clown and Spawn action until Al realizes that Psalms 137 is causing havoc. Terry and the person he called at the end of the last issue, Redeemer, try to stop it all while Terry tells Redeemer that Al has gone crazy. The issue ends as Spawn and Redeemer stop Psalms' attack, Redeemer warns Al of the future he has seen, and we find out that Spawn needs two more pieces to join his side, and as he leaves Clown believes he has won. Issue 16 sees Al at the Dead Zones taunting those on either side to come to him when we are introduced to two new characters - Brimstone a Hell soldier and The Offering a Heaven soldier the latter of which is hunting Black Azrael still stuck in Heaven and warns Al that they are coming for him too. We then see a few points from The Scorched book - Soul Crusher in Limbo and the Sin Devourers with The Scorched (suggesting the end of The Scorched's Year One is ahead of this book) - when we are moved to the Court with Al as Al has created a small crack in the Dead Zone with the plan being the Court finding Wanda and in exchange they get the throne of Hell. We then cut to Terry who is making a list of people he can trust when Al comes in and tells Terry about a mission they did when Al was alive in the 80s that ultimately is about how Al played both sides to get out alive and says that is what he has been doing as he sent the Court to a suicide mission and had to make Terry believe that Al was going AWOL and while it seems they have reconciled there is still a bit of doubt from Terry. The issue ends as Disruptor finds Brimstone.

We are two issues away from the end of this arc that has been a who has been manipulating who arc which feels like it gained more steam in issue 16 with Al revealing to Terry what he has been really doing. Time will tell, though, how things really will play out, especially with Al needing two more pieces to join his side as I found issue 15 okay and issue 16 a step better and it was nice to have Javi back on art duties who looks to be back for the rest of the arc. A question of how Al is even capable of creating a crack in the Dead Zone as he did despite the fact that he supposedly doesn't have those powers per the main book and is a big part of that book's arc right now and why he didn't have the Court just tell him the crack they came through that Disruptor mentioned at the end of the first arc is beyond me. Hope that is something that is touched on further given what Brimstone said to Disruptor at the end of issue 16 because it creates a massive plothole if it is just left as is from a Universe perspective.

----------


## Toxin45

> Alright catching up a bit more on the universe books with a Year One writeup on The Scorched coming soon. Btw as two other ideas when it comes to DC/Spawn crossovers, I can easily see Jonah Hex/Gunslinger Spawn on an adventure and if Demon Knights are ever brought back do something cool with Medieval Spawn. Thinking a bit further, I can see Haunt in the Wildcat side of things for some reason or Justice League Dark with little back and forth between Deadman and Kurt but maybe its just me. Speaking of Haunt, I wish Todd would re-release the trades/make them more available on Haunt now that he is in the Spawn Universe proper just for folks that want to know more about him though I know the writer and artist switch that the Haunt series had didn't go over well but it'd be nice to have. 
> 
> Spawn #335 - We pick up where we last left off with the reveal of Downing's partner. She reveals how she died and how Al has lost his way putting everyone in danger. Downing and his partner decide to go into Al's mind to extract information on the whereabouts of the Dead Zone powers. As this is going on, Kurt Kilgore looks on and Marc is trying to call Jessica to get The Scorched to help out Al. Meanwhile, at Omega Island, the fight rages on as Sinn and his forces are overpowering Clown's forces though Clown's minions and Dakota from Gunslinger Spawn (for some reason) are holding a bit of their own. Realizing that the situation is quickly becoming dire, Clown calls Jericho in a hail-mary move to get help. The end of the issue comes as the move pays off and Sinn comes face to face with The Forsaken and his identity is revealed. While disappointing that we didn't dive much deeper into the many questions the reveal at the end of the last issue had, I thought this was a good issue that largely focused on the Omega Island battle. Made sense that Clown would call for a big backup given how things went with Gunslinger and that backup being Forsaken and who he actually is made sense and I liked it. How much of a fight Forsaken can be against Sinn though, given Al beat Forsaken previously by himself, remains to be seen. We are also heading to a collision course with Downing's team versus The Scorched which on the one hand feels odd given that feels like something that should happen in The Scorched book and on the other hand Haunt is a part of both teams just like Marc and yet Marc is giving Haunt the cold shoulder for whatever reason and again not a fan of the Marc side of the story. Should be interesting, though, to see how things progress.
> 
> King Spawn #15 & 16 - Issue 15 started with a red flag for me with an overly long speech by Clown that the Spawn series loves to do from time to time and after a rather talky and meh issue 14, the last thing I needed from the start of issue 15 was an opening like this though Clown reveals it was Wanda that sent him which is interesting. We then move to Clown's group fighting the Court of Priests and a bit of Clown and Spawn action until Al realizes that Psalms 137 is causing havoc. Terry and the person he called at the end of the last issue, Redeemer, try to stop it all while Terry tells Redeemer that Al has gone crazy. The issue ends as Spawn and Redeemer stop Psalms' attack, Redeemer warns Al of the future he has seen, and we find out that Spawn needs two more pieces to join his side, and as he leaves Clown believes he has won. Issue 16 sees Al at the Dead Zones taunting those on either side to come to him when we are introduced to two new characters - Brimstone a Hell soldier and The Offering a Heaven soldier the latter of which is hunting Black Azrael still stuck in Heaven and warns Al that they are coming for him too. We then see a few points from The Scorched book - Soul Crusher in Limbo and the Sin Devourers with The Scorched (suggesting the end of The Scorched's Year One is ahead of this book) - when we are moved to the Court with Al as Al has created a small crack in the Dead Zone with the plan being the Court finding Wanda and in exchange they get the throne of Hell. We then cut to Terry who is making a list of people he can trust when Al comes in and tells Terry about a mission they did when Al was alive in the 80s that ultimately is about how Al played both sides to get out alive and says that is what he has been doing as he sent the Court to a suicide mission and had to make Terry believe that Al was going AWOL and while it seems they have reconciled there is still a bit of doubt from Terry. The issue ends as Disruptor finds Brimstone.
> 
> We are two issues away from the end of this arc that has been a who has been manipulating who arc which feels like it gained more steam in issue 16 with Al revealing to Terry what he has been really doing. Time will tell, though, how things really will play out, especially with Al needing two more pieces to join his side as I found issue 15 okay and issue 16 a step better and it was nice to have Javi back on art duties who looks to be back for the rest of the arc. A question of how Al is even capable of creating a crack in the Dead Zone as he did despite the fact that he supposedly doesn't have those powers per the main book and is a big part of that book's arc right now and why he didn't have the Court just tell him the crack they came through that Disruptor mentioned at the end of the first arc is beyond me. Hope that is something that is touched on further given what Brimstone said to Disruptor at the end of issue 16 because it creates a massive plothole if it is just left as is from a Universe perspective.


King spawn 17 is out tomorrow so maybe that will answer your questions.spawn 339 has a new contender for the throne of hell and it is not sinn.

----------


## Blanks

> Alright catching up a bit more on the universe books with a Year One writeup on The Scorched coming soon. Btw as two other ideas when it comes to DC/Spawn crossovers, I can easily see Jonah Hex/Gunslinger Spawn on an adventure and if Demon Knights are ever brought back do something cool with Medieval Spawn. Thinking a bit further, I can see Haunt in the Wildcat side of things for some reason or Justice League Dark with little back and forth between Deadman and Kurt but maybe its just me. Speaking of Haunt, I wish Todd would re-release the trades/make them more available on Haunt now that he is in the Spawn Universe proper just for folks that want to know more about him though I know the writer and artist switch that the Haunt series had didn't go over well but it'd be nice to have.


Really wish that Haunt concluded better than it did. We never got any real resolution with any of his disappeared cast or anything. If Haunt never gets another book, it would be cool if sone of those Agency cast join the regular/rotating Spawn cast.

----------


## Toxin45

> Really wish that Haunt concluded better than it did. We never got any real resolution with any of his disappeared cast or anything. If Haunt never gets another book, it would be cool if sone of those Agency cast join the regular/rotating Spawn cast.


with the upcoming spawn universe titles haunt will gain his own series again under spawn banner.

----------


## Toxin45

also dakota being in the main series plus black azazel cameo means that characters from the other series will appear in the other titles.

----------


## Toxin45

King spawn 17 is out

----------


## HellsRider

> Really wish that Haunt concluded better than it did. We never got any real resolution with any of his disappeared cast or anything. If Haunt never gets another book, it would be cool if sone of those Agency cast join the regular/rotating Spawn cast.


Well, my hope is that if a new Haunt book doesn't happen, at least not in the immediate future, then at least do a Haunt arc in one of the books like The Scorched. Team books usually have a formula of one of the members taking center stage and an arc being about him/her/it and given how the Scorched did on Medieval and fleshing him out I think they can do so with Haunt that then can be used to launch a new book if need be. It'd be better than the slowest-acting poison ever that doesn't really hinder him much story while being on two teams that don't seem any interest currently in helping him with said poison he has currently going on.

----------


## Toxin45

> Well, my hope is that if a new Haunt book doesn't happen, at least not in the immediate future, then at least do a Haunt arc in one of the books like The Scorched. Team books usually have a formula of one of the members taking center stage and an arc being about him/her/it and given how the Scorched did on Medieval and fleshing him out I think they can do so with Haunt that then can be used to launch a new book if need be. It'd be better than the slowest-acting poison ever that doesn't really hinder him much story while being on two teams that don't seem any interest currently in helping him with said poison he has currently going on.


meh just ignore it besides we are getting a two issue mini series

----------


## Bslythegamerguy

When the Toddfather decided he was going to expand Spawn beyond a single monthly book and launch 3 more ongoing titles alongside his long running Spawn comic, he talked a lot about his vision of being seen as a third alternative to Marvel & DC. He made several statements about the character of Spawn being devalued in favor of other characters (and new characters) being given the limelight, and he mentioned how he wanted to grow this line into something big over the coarse of time.

Here we are, close to 2 years later, and the 4 titles are going strong. But what does the future hold? Will there be more expansion, or will 4 be the number? What would you like to see?

----------


## HeartofTheStoriesWeTell

> Todd also wanted a spawn and spectre crossover


I would love to see spawn and spector interact.

----------


## Toxin45

> When the Toddfather decided he was going to expand Spawn beyond a single monthly book and launch 3 more ongoing titles alongside his long running Spawn comic, he talked a lot about his vision of being seen as a third alternative to Marvel & DC. He made several statements about the character of Spawn being devalued in favor of other characters (and new characters) being given the limelight, and he mentioned how he wanted to grow this line into something big over the coarse of time.
> 
> Here we are, close to 2 years later, and the 4 titles are going strong. But what does the future hold? Will there be more expansion, or will 4 be the number? What would you like to see?


From the spawn ground mail it seems she-spawn is getting a series and wants at least 12 more books starting with spawn unwanted violence maybe a Sam and twitch mini,plus a cyan/misery ongoing series,redeemer series,medieval,haunt,and villain minis like violator,sinn,and disruptor. Heck even a Ken Kurosawa and freak series would be good

----------


## Toxin45

Spawn 336 is out

----------


## Mr. White

Random Spawn Q:

Is he able to change (back?) into human form?

----------


## Blanks

Yep. He’s been “human” since issue Spawn Ressurrection One-shot/issue 251. He revealed in issue 300 or 301) that he can revert to “meat-head” at will if he desires.

----------


## Toxin45

spawn compedium volume 4 is coming this week on December 14

----------


## Toxin45

4th compedium is out now along with batman and spawn.

----------


## Mr. White

Thanks Blanks

----------


## Blanks

> Thanks Blanks


No prob.

Honestly, Al’s human self has been rather inconsistent. He first “crawled” out the Grave with his human body way back in the last part of issue 120. Then somehow (without any real explanation) his body got regressed back into “meathead form” by issue 150 with the change of writer and artist, but mostly I think it was due to the change of the Spawn mask now having teeth. He’s been able to appear human several times from issue 120 all up to his “resurrection” from the Resurrection one-shot/issue 251 and now he pretty much stays in default human mode, which I think has been one of the best evolutions of Spawn in a long time for Al.

After the Satan Saga Wars, it was shown that his human form bleeds red, but it’s is kinda inconsistent.

----------


## Toxin45

> No prob.
> 
> Honestly, Al’s human self has been rather inconsistent. He first “crawled” out the Grave with his human body way back in the last part of issue 120. Then somehow (without any real explanation) his body got regressed back into “meathead form” by issue 150 with the change of writer and artist, but mostly I think it was due to the change of the Spawn mask now having teeth. He’s been able to appear human several times from issue 120 all up to his “resurrection” from the Resurrection one-shot/issue 251 and now he pretty much stays in default human mode, which I think has been one of the best evolutions of Spawn in a long time for Al.
> 
> After the Satan Saga Wars, it was shown that his human form bleeds red, but it’s is kinda inconsistent.


Favorite spawn character?

----------


## Blanks

> Favorite spawn character?


Al Simmons easily.

----------


## Blanks

Very, very disappointed in Batman/Spawn. That story was all over the place. Because I’m familiar with Batman and the Court of Owls… I wasn’t lost, but they really should have marked this as a mini-series. This was an atrocious story.

----------


## Toxin45

> Very, very disappointed in Batman/Spawn. That story was all over the place. Because I’m familiar with Batman and the Court of Owls… I wasn’t lost, but they really should have marked this as a mini-series. This was at oculus.


i mean there is a possibility of a sequel with violator and joker cameos.

----------


## Toxin45

https://twitter.com/ThomasHealy/stat...76107383865344

a preview of the two issue mini series spawn unwanted violence freak is still a zombie unlike the others.

----------


## Toxin45

Scorched 13 and gunslinger 15 are out

----------


## 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….

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## 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

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## 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.

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## Toxin45

> 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.


Okay but that gunslinger spawn preview seems like his new speedster isn’t a villain but also wants revenge on one of gunslinger’s targets.

Seems like Gaia was the one who revived nyx and is one of her agents alongside downing.

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## Toxin45

Gunslinger spawn 16 and spawn unwanted violence  issue 1 are out today

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## HellsRider

The Scorched Year One - "The insinuation is clear. Spawn put this team together. He was supposed to be their general, yet one year later, they're battered and beaten with little direction. Something needs to change." This is on the second to last page of issue 12 that perfectly captures this book. The Spawn franchise has never really had a team book to call its own though Image Comics crossovers like Splitting Image, Altered Image, and Image United for example have happened. We have seen team-ups for brief periods like Sam & Twitch and Spawn, Spawn with his former enemies, or Spawn and Angela, but a team book has never happened given the premise of Spawn itself being a single soldier that is placed on Earth every X number of years. However, with the rip in time from 300/301 a unique opportunity has presented itself as Heaven and Hell forces from across different time periods both past and future are now in the present timeline where now a team book is actually viable. But out of all the new books released so far, this is one that has the highest level of potential and brings in new readers, but is currently being squandered away, and since issue 1 is only for those already versed in the Universe which in itself brings some problems. The story has a lot going on but isn't given the time to flesh much of it out, Medieval and Sergei are bright spots in the latter half of Year One but most of the other members just exist when opportunities were there for further character development as the team hasn't found any sense of cohesion by the book's own admission, and while the art looks fine and action scenes done well nothing really sticks out regarding the art resulting in a lack of a distinct visual identity. Where King Spawn has felt like a book with a certain vision since the first arc with major implications and Gunslinger has felt like a character idea with nothing else behind it, the Scorched feels more like an idea that is still in the planning out phase.

I actually felt bad for Sergei with how Spawn treats him and leaves him in Limbo when all he wanted to do was help while tying Medieval Spawn's history to Plague Spawn was good though I hope we don't see Plague again any time soon with how often the book uses every type of synonym for a virus to get its point across. We get how a plague works. Gunslinger goes from the hot head of the group to just existing and flip-flopping later (defending Sergei and then an issue to two later saying he never trusted him with no proof of that and then later saying he'll drag Spawn back for taking Sergei away) which is made worse by how little development he has in his own book, Redeemer, Reaper and Haunt exist, and She Spawn acts like a leader at points but it never felt that way and by the end of the first year, it feels like her wings were clipped as she has been saddled with being a mom and worrying about enemy forces discovering that continuing into issue 13 with the time-honored tradition of files. I actually don't care for Spawn being in this book as the book already has the task of establishing itself, its team dynamic and fleshing out members that have yet to be fleshed out further. This goes back to my comment regarding the book not being new reader friendly as the book assumes your in the know on these characters but even then the majority of them we know at the basic level only and I think the book misses out on bringing in new readers that maybe interested in a team book and jump into the Universe this way. It wouldn't have been hard to have dedicated a single page in the first six issues to each member of the team from the perspective of Priest in terms of establishing the relationship to join the group, the character's goal, and abilities while injecting Priest's personality and then transition in the second half to doing something similar with the big bad of the first year in an unreliable narrator bit. As it stands, I should care more about this team but sadly I don't and if this is meant for me to care for some characters getting their own book down the line I just don't see that. 

We finally get to story and this is where the book is all over the place, not in a good way and the Universe rears its ugly head again. To it's credit, the Scorched's first year has a lot going on - Black Flag, Plague Spawn, Reaper, Soul Crusher and the orphans, The Buyer, Haunt, and the Sin Devourers - but the book moves too fast to develop any particular plot point as much as it should and misses opportunities for where fleshing out needed to happen. The book posits Black Flag in the same breath as Psalms and the Court but BF is given only two issues and thus feels unearned and cannot be taken as a similar threat of that level. Why does Redeemer want to find Reaper? Your guess is as good as mine as the book doesn't explore it. Sergei has an answer to some of the challenges the team and Al have been facing - throw him in to Limbo because Al said so to "prove himself." A traitor storyline comes as the book positions Soul Crusher, Haunt, and Medieval to be the ones to turn on Al specifically that really isn't taken to any point of believability so maybe its something for later but seems that may have been dropped if issue 13 is anything to go on. The Curse is revealed to be The Buyer, but wait didn't he die, brought back to life as an undead working for Al along with some other former villains and may have last been with Downing? None of that apparently has happened as Curse is back to being a human as his only past is up to when he fought Al way back when in the main book. Haunt comes in and knows Jessica but how? The book doesn't explore it. The original Plague Spawn appears seemingly to make a move of some kind only for nothing to happen with that as Natasha is taken over by Plague's quills into a faux Plague Spawn like the Russian general as the Plague part of Year One just ends. Medieval can summon a McFarlane dragon out of nowhere for a final battle against Curse and the Sin Devourers - but how come Medieval didn't summon that during the team's fight against the Sin Devourers so they don't get captured and what happened to said army of Sin Devourers when Medieval and Sergei easily took them and Curse down? In issue 13, The Freak is now part of the team but a) he's still got his undead look kinda looking Tales of the Crypt and b) wasn't he on a mission for Downing last we saw him in the main book and Downing's team is against Spawn's at least given what is going down in the main book right now? The recently released Unwanted Violence #1 puts that book sometime after 300 but before 301 as Spawn finds Freak which means after this mini-series, Freak went missing again and Spawn found him and Overtkill in 301? Guess we'll see how the mini goes. The surprising thing about this first year is that this book is written by Sean Lewis who also writes King Spawn. Where I feel Lewis is careful and deliberate with King Spawn, Scorched doesn't have that same level of care to it opting to go for a more chaotic approach that confuses more than engages that if you told me that Todd's "additional dialogue" is more than we think I wouldn't be surprised. 

Despite this bevy of issues, the book has its bright spots - the aforementioned time taken to flesh out Medieval and Sergei is well done and the simple novelty of all of these characters being together is fun in parts in a simple smashing toys together kind of way that as an action comic it works on a basic level but the book desperately needs an anchor and direction and stick with it. Get into the mind of Jessica for her thoughts on forming and leading the team, having doubts of leading a team filled with characters with far more experience than her, coming to her own with her powers, and actually treating her as the leader and not a substitute teacher because Al isn't on the clock, flesh out whatever relationship that there is supposed to be between Reaper and Redeemer that was missed in Year One, keep Gunslinger as the hot head and continue the relationship the writers seem keen on between him and Jessica, keep Spawn far away from the book unless absolutely necessary, do something with Haunt when is in the book, and when new team members come in have Jessica provide more of a reason to be on the team than say Freak's "he can be effective" weak reasoning seen in the most recent issue. The potential is there for this to be a great & fun book and between Gunslinger and Scorched I do look forward to this one to see what corner they touch on next, what team or team member will be on it, and hopefully, be fleshed out and hopefully Year Two can bring the direction and change that the end of Year One says the book needs.

----------


## Toxin45

> The Scorched Year One - "The insinuation is clear. Spawn put this team together. He was supposed to be their general, yet one year later, they're battered and beaten with little direction. Something needs to change." This is on the second to last page of issue 12 that perfectly captures this book. The Spawn franchise has never really had a team book to call its own though Image Comics crossovers like Splitting Image, Altered Image, and Image United for example have happened. We have seen team-ups for brief periods like Sam & Twitch and Spawn, Spawn with his former enemies, or Spawn and Angela, but a team book has never happened given the premise of Spawn itself being a single soldier that is placed on Earth every X number of years. However, with the rip in time from 300/301 a unique opportunity has presented itself as Heaven and Hell forces from across different time periods both past and future are now in the present timeline where now a team book is actually viable. But out of all the new books released so far, this is one that has the highest level of potential and brings in new readers, but is currently being squandered away, and since issue 1 is only for those already versed in the Universe which in itself brings some problems. The story has a lot going on but isn't given the time to flesh much of it out, Medieval and Sergei are bright spots in the latter half of Year One but most of the other members just exist when opportunities were there for further character development as the team hasn't found any sense of cohesion by the book's own admission, and while the art looks fine and action scenes done well nothing really sticks out regarding the art resulting in a lack of a distinct visual identity. Where King Spawn has felt like a book with a certain vision since the first arc with major implications and Gunslinger has felt like a character idea with nothing else behind it, the Scorched feels more like an idea that is still in the planning out phase.
> 
> I actually felt bad for Sergei with how Spawn treats him and leaves him in Limbo when all he wanted to do was help while tying Medieval Spawn's history to Plague Spawn was good though I hope we don't see Plague again any time soon with how often the book uses every type of synonym for a virus to get its point across. We get how a plague works. Gunslinger goes from the hot head of the group to just existing and flip-flopping later (defending Sergei and then an issue to two later saying he never trusted him with no proof of that and then later saying he'll drag Spawn back for taking Sergei away) which is made worse by how little development he has in his own book, Redeemer, Reaper and Haunt exist, and She Spawn acts like a leader at points but it never felt that way and by the end of the first year, it feels like her wings were clipped as she has been saddled with being a mom and worrying about enemy forces discovering that continuing into issue 13 with the time-honored tradition of files. I actually don't care for Spawn being in this book as the book already has the task of establishing itself, its team dynamic and fleshing out members that have yet to be fleshed out further. This goes back to my comment regarding the book not being new reader friendly as the book assumes your in the know on these characters but even then the majority of them we know at the basic level only and I think the book misses out on bringing in new readers that maybe interested in a team book and jump into the Universe this way. It wouldn't have been hard to have dedicated a single page in the first six issues to each member of the team from the perspective of Priest in terms of establishing the relationship to join the group, the character's goal, and abilities while injecting Priest's personality and then transition in the second half to doing something similar with the big bad of the first year in an unreliable narrator bit. As it stands, I should care more about this team but sadly I don't and if this is meant for me to care for some characters getting their own book down the line I just don't see that. 
> 
> We finally get to story and this is where the book is all over the place, not in a good way and the Universe rears its ugly head again. To it's credit, the Scorched's first year has a lot going on - Black Flag, Plague Spawn, Reaper, Soul Crusher and the orphans, The Buyer, Haunt, and the Sin Devourers - but the book moves too fast to develop any particular plot point as much as it should and misses opportunities for where fleshing out needed to happen. The book posits Black Flag in the same breath as Psalms and the Court but BF is given only two issues and thus feels unearned and cannot be taken as a similar threat of that level. Why does Redeemer want to find Reaper? Your guess is as good as mine as the book doesn't explore it. Sergei has an answer to some of the challenges the team and Al have been facing - throw him in to Limbo because Al said so to "prove himself." A traitor storyline comes as the book positions Soul Crusher, Haunt, and Medieval to be the ones to turn on Al specifically that really isn't taken to any point of believability so maybe its something for later but seems that may have been dropped if issue 13 is anything to go on. The Curse is revealed to be The Buyer, but wait didn't he die, brought back to life as an undead working for Al along with some other former villains and may have last been with Downing? None of that apparently has happened as Curse is back to being a human as his only past is up to when he fought Al way back when in the main book. Haunt comes in and knows Jessica but how? The book doesn't explore it. The original Plague Spawn appears seemingly to make a move of some kind only for nothing to happen with that as Natasha is taken over by Plague's quills into a faux Plague Spawn like the Russian general as the Plague part of Year One just ends. Medieval can summon a McFarlane dragon out of nowhere for a final battle against Curse and the Sin Devourers - but how come Medieval didn't summon that during the team's fight against the Sin Devourers so they don't get captured and what happened to said army of Sin Devourers when Medieval and Sergei easily took them and Curse down? In issue 13, The Freak is now part of the team but a) he's still got his undead look kinda looking Tales of the Crypt and b) wasn't he on a mission for Downing last we saw him in the main book and Downing's team is against Spawn's at least given what is going down in the main book right now? The recently released Unwanted Violence #1 puts that book sometime after 300 but before 301 as Spawn finds Freak which means after this mini-series, Freak went missing again and Spawn found him and Overtkill in 301? Guess we'll see how the mini goes. The surprising thing about this first year is that this book is written by Sean Lewis who also writes King Spawn. Where I feel Lewis is careful and deliberate with King Spawn, Scorched doesn't have that same level of care to it opting to go for a more chaotic approach that confuses more than engages that if you told me that Todd's "additional dialogue" is more than we think I wouldn't be surprised. 
> 
> Despite this bevy of issues, the book has its bright spots - the aforementioned time taken to flesh out Medieval and Sergei is well done and the simple novelty of all of these characters being together is fun in parts in a simple smashing toys together kind of way that as an action comic it works on a basic level but the book desperately needs an anchor and direction and stick with it. Get into the mind of Jessica for her thoughts on forming and leading the team, having doubts of leading a team filled with characters with far more experience than her, coming to her own with her powers, and actually treating her as the leader and not a substitute teacher because Al isn't on the clock, flesh out whatever relationship that there is supposed to be between Reaper and Redeemer that was missed in Year One, keep Gunslinger as the hot head and continue the relationship the writers seem keen on between him and Jessica, keep Spawn far away from the book unless absolutely necessary, do something with Haunt when is in the book, and when new team members come in have Jessica provide more of a reason to be on the team than say Freak's "he can be effective" weak reasoning seen in the most recent issue. The potential is there for this to be a great & fun book and between Gunslinger and Scorched I do look forward to this one to see what corner they touch on next, what team or team member will be on it, and hopefully, be fleshed out and hopefully Year Two can bring the direction and change that the end of Year One says the book needs.


Downing did fix curse but seems like he went on his own same with freak and let’s be real plague will be back in the other titles. Seems like freak is doing his own thing separate from downing same with curse guess they proved more independent compared to cy-gor and overtkill 

Plus Gunsligner according to Thomas in issue 16 letters in spawn grounds is still Jeremy wintions and his origin hasn’t been retconned just that it will be explained soon.

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