Review: Spawn #322 
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Todd McFarlane
Artists: Carlo Barberi, BJÖRN BARENDS
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Colors:
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
Spawn #322 – As Spawn confronts the vampire Paul Greene, an agent of Hell in his fight, Spawn lets loose torture that rivals anything that Paul could have done to his victims. It’s a turning point issue to where we really know the buttons that push Al Simmons to be King Spawn and where his moral thermometer truly lies.
Positives
Carlo Barberi ‘s pens are the highlight of the first chapter of this issue as both the colors and the pencils are as vivid as McFarlane’s work on this character. Capes abound and green eyes aglow as each page jumps out with more art than you can drink in terms of Spawn’s costume! it’s just the right “busyness” for this comic.
Colors splash and blood red flows as the art in this issue gives as sharp as image of Spawn and his spikes as we will ever see. Barberi has found a home in Spawn issues that equals that of McFarlane and Capullo’s pens. I love the style of his renderings and you will too! 
Positives 2.0
Spawn #322 – McFarlane deals with kidnapping and abuse issues with bare knuckles… torturing a torturer while the victim watches. Is it right? Moral compasses weigh in as Spawn has his own justice he deals out…especially those that wreck havoc on women and children.
McFarlane is tackling social issues of trafficking, child killings, and utmost evil in his writing lately. I was critical of his dialogue in my last review, but this issue was not campy at all. In fact, it was down right intriguing and a voice that Spawn needs to keep for some time.
And what is up with that 1974 power meter reading….?
Accolades for World Record Setting
Each issue of Spawn sets a new World Record for independent comics. That’s history every time you buy an issue! Speaking of Record Breaking…. October will bring Gunslinger Spawn #1.
Finally, there will be a new #1 team book, which will band five characters together to fight against forces too big for any of them to take on alone. That book is titled The Scorched. Spawn, Redeemer, Gunslinger, Medieval Spawn and She-Spawn begin the group’s adventures, but McFarlane promises a rotating cast of heroes over the coming months to keep the roster of heroes fresh.
Negatives
If blood is not your thing…this issue will make you queasy. It’s graphic and full throttle on torture. You can almost hear teh flesh tear off the vampire as he navigates through the torture that Al has set before him.
Verdict
Spawn #322 – McFarlane is handling some real Spawn baggage right now as he is in King Spawn. Children issues and abuse issues run rampant as the top issues in his social agenda. This voice for Spawn is pretty intense right now and with the emerging of Kincaid in King Spawn and all new levels of story telling surrounding this character….I hope all of this can be sustained. It’s a great time to be a Spawn fan!
