Review: Spawn #323
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers] Publisher: Image Comics
Writers: Todd McFarlane, Rory McConville
Artists: Carlo Barberi, Thomas Nachlik, Bjorn Barends
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Colors:
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
Spawn #323 – Spawn, now alone, is free to pursue those that have made it their mission to hurt the people he cares about the most.
And if Heaven and Hell were not enough for him to battle…a new force, bigger even than those two, is growing. Will Spawn have to join forces with those he hates the most?
Plus, the return of another classic villain from Spawn’s past makes an unexpected appearance!
Positives
Carlo Barberi Thomas Nachlik, and Bjorn Barends pens are simply showing off! What great art for every Spawn fan out there! Sure…McFarlane and Capullo have the bar set high for anyone hitting the Spawn books. But the art and colors explode off the page in this issue.
Barberi has a unique style that is in the Spawn vein, so one is not detracted at all from the continuity that we have all grown to love in Spawn. Just needs more chains, and we have a winner!
Positives 2.0
Spawn #323 – One name among vampires…Rebirth… A vampire that arguably has some Spawn blood in his system. Give kudos to the costume alone that is complimentary to the Spawn vein…spikes here and chains there and a trenchcoat. Cut in some glowing eyes, fangs, and a Reed Richards haircut and you have one awesome vampire on the scene.
Rebirth’s explanations of distrust among his kind by Heaven and Hell are pretty poignant and give an interesting plea to Spawn as to why they should have an alliance. Vampire Spawn…..?
I really like that Heaven and Hell are sealed off and that has contributed to all creatures of the night locked in and wreaking havoc on earth. That makes for a lot of fodder for Spawn battles. Talk about alliances made in purgatory…who is Spawn to trust?
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…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. Spawn…Vampires… and Zombies. If you have never seen a Zombie eat a decapitated vampire….well, you will now!
Verdict
Spawn #323 – The artist switch is classic in this one. This is one monster show short of Frankenstein and The Mummy. However, McFarlane and company hit quite the homerun in this particular issue and give any monster fan the homages they want. The Walking Dead would be proud!
