Spawn

Spawn Toys 1

Spawn 2, 3, 7-30

I didn’t read a lot of McFarlane’s Spider-Man when he was on it, so my interest in Spawn was only in a general “wow, this new Image thing is pretty exciting” kind of way.  Also, I was living in Hong Kong at the time, so getting the early issues was difficult.  Once I located the local comic shops, I dove right in. McFarlane’s unique style was certainly appealing, and the story was different enough that I stuck around for his entire run.  When Greg Capullo came along to spell him on pencils, McFarlane’s continued appearance in the art credits fooled no one. And while I’ve always been a Capullo fan, I quit the series a couple months after he showed up.  

Rereading it now, a couple of things stand out:

Tom Orzechowski, famed Uncanny X-Men letterer, is the unquestioned star of this title, outshining even McFarlane’s art.  My notes call out his lettering more times than anything else. He plays with colors, sizes, sound effects, and layouts like no one else.  Along with Todd Klein, he’s the undisputed letter master.

McFarlane really can draw.  I love his clean, detailed lines.

His design for Violator remains one of my favorite monster looks across all of comics.  The massive jaw, the spindly limbs - I love it all.

I had forgotten about the issue order fiasco - They were originally published in the following order: 1-18, 21-24, 19, 25, 20.  

I really like how Spawn lives with a bunch of homeless people in the back alleys of the city.  They’re a support network that I’ve never seen in comics before, an erstwhile family that brings a different perspective from other stories.  

Issue 29, which I’ve already remembered as the child abuse issue, remains as disturbing as ever.  A painful issue to read. I’m still not sure what McFarlane was going for with the ending. That Spawn is woefully bad at measuring his ability to affect change for the better?  That violence is the only solution to child abuse? I can’t tell.

Issue 30, the Klan issue, is slightly more satisfying, though again, Spawn’s Old Testament answer only provides the briefest moment of catharsis before things revert to the status quo.

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: No

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Nice to Fine across the run.  Spawn Toys 1 is Boring, and I’m cutting it.  

And that’s the end of Image Box 2!

Box Summary:

Time spent reading: 29 hours, 21 minutes

Issues read: 261
Issues cut: 32

Highlights (Good or better): Alex + Ada 1-15, Princeless 1-4, The Bridge, Saga 1-12

Project Summary:

Time spent reading: 13 days, 13 hours, 54 minutes

Issues read: 2652
Issues cut: 335