Image Comics Review: Spawn #295

by Carl Bryan
0 comment

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Todd McFarlane

Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander

Letters: Tom Orzechowski

 

Summary

“War is coming.It’s time for us to get prepared” – Spawn/Al Simmons

In order to draw out his wife’s killer, Al Simmons has revealed himself to be Spawn in issue #294.  The Violator materializes to Spawn with the intention to finally kill Al Simmons.  What culminated in a fight between these two age-old enemies, we find Spawn nailed to a wooden “X” in the middle of a desert.  No shadows and power apparently draining, the Violator in his Clown form ultimately does the formula thing all villains do and provides Al with a speech oon how he was the first to create the “Spawn” and he is going to take him out as he is not even in the top five of Spawn.  Meanwhile as America’s news outlets come to terms with anyone and everyone associated with Al Simmons has disappeared with no evidence of where, when, or how, intrepid reporter Marc  Rosen is paid a visit from Cogliostro  who has a copy of all of the missing military files on Lt. Colonel Al Simmons.  Meanwhile in the desert, the Violator has gone on too long and that has given Spawn a chance to reveal to him that while Hell killed him, it simply made him “undead’ and with that power, he can resurrect things besides himself.  The Violator is too confident, but Spawn comes down from his crucifixion and rips the head off the Violator.  Past creatures that Spawn has battled embrace the night and subsequently walk off with Spawn as he has resurrected them to be in his army

Positives

Welcome to the first review of Spawn on DC Comics News.  Arguably the king of independent comics, Todd McFarlane is marching us along to issue #300 where maybe we can finally get answers on Al Simmons and his trials and tribulations of being Spawn.  Obviously, Todd McFarlane has done wonderful work on Batman and Spiderman, but Spawn has been his character from issue #1 and he is bringing it to a fever pitch.  This issue is the equivalent of Doomsday arriving on Earth.  It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and that spark is the sound of the Violator’s skull being torn from his body.  What is more disturbing that a true creature from Hell having its head on a spike?  Well, you don’t want to mess with Al right now!  McFarlane’s art never disappoints in the cover aspect, but the torch has been aptly passed in the story to Jason Shawn Alexander.  He literally makes the transformations of Spawn’s mask seem alive in his drawings.  As our site is just now picking up with Image comics, the march towards issue #300 is going to be a perfect launching point for new Spawn fans.

 

Negatives

Spawn is a heavy comic.  Those without a stomach for violence and a deep religious commentary, tread carefully.  But if you are into originality, a good mystery, interesting characters, and a battle between good and evil in which you are not sure who is good and what is evil, Spawn is your book!

 

Verdict

For long time Spawn fans, you are going to get some answers in the coming issues.  Spawn #296 proves to be a jumping off point for a review of issues #1 to present, so for anyone interested in adding this story to your “most followed list”, you need to jump on now!

 

 

You may also like