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Spawn Origins Collection #1
Spawn Origins, Volume 1
Featuring the stories and artwork (by Todd McFarlane himself!) that laid the groundwork for the most successful independent comic book ever published. Spawn Origins Volume 1 includes the introduction of not only Spawn, but also a number of other memorable and menacing characters, including Malebolgia and the Violator.
Collects Spawn#1-6.
Collects Spawn#1-6.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2009
485 people are currently reading
1233 people want to read
About the author
Todd McFarlane
1,833 books441 followersTodd McFarlane is a Canadian comic book artist, writer, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of the epic occult fantasy series Spawn.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, McFarlane became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise. In 1992, he helped form Image Comics, pulling the occult anti-hero character Spawn from his high school portfolio and updating him for the 1990s. Spawn was one of America's most popular heroes in the 1990's and encouraged a trend in creator-owned comic book properties.
In recent years, McFarlane has illustrated comic books less often, focusing on entrepreneurial efforts, such as McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment, a film and animation studio.
In September, 2006, it was announced that McFarlane will be the Art Director of the newly formed 38 Studios, formerly Green Monster Games, founded by Curt Schilling.
McFarlane used to be co-owner of National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers but sold his shares to Daryl Katz. He's also a high-profile collector of history-making baseballs.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, McFarlane became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise. In 1992, he helped form Image Comics, pulling the occult anti-hero character Spawn from his high school portfolio and updating him for the 1990s. Spawn was one of America's most popular heroes in the 1990's and encouraged a trend in creator-owned comic book properties.
In recent years, McFarlane has illustrated comic books less often, focusing on entrepreneurial efforts, such as McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment, a film and animation studio.
In September, 2006, it was announced that McFarlane will be the Art Director of the newly formed 38 Studios, formerly Green Monster Games, founded by Curt Schilling.
McFarlane used to be co-owner of National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers but sold his shares to Daryl Katz. He's also a high-profile collector of history-making baseballs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 289 reviews
August 13, 2025
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Can't quite engross, it's too verbose, too slow to kick in gear, but grandiose and bellicose, it's art that stands out here.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-3 ◦ Issues #4-6
Notes: Can't quite engross, it's too verbose, too slow to kick in gear, but grandiose and bellicose, it's art that stands out here.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-3 ◦ Issues #4-6
November 5, 2023
I had no intention of ever reading a Spawn comic, but Sam thought it would be a great idea for a buddy read. And here we are.
Thanks, Sam.
The fun banner is courtesy of Jayson, who doesn't get enough credit for whipping these up for us on demand.
This wasn't bad for a comic written by Todd McFarlane in 1992.
I, like the above-mentioned Sam, had read his much-lauded Spider-Man: Torment and wasn't at all impressed.
However, unlike Sam, it never occurred to me to drag the rest of my friends down a dark alley in a bad part of town. I think we can all agree that this is why out of the two of us, Sam will be the one who comes back to life with a mangled face, amnesia, and chains shooting off of him like some kind of Great Value Dickens character.
I think we can also all agree that for someone who has never partaken of a Spawn comic, Origins is the place to start. So that's what I did.
No regrets!
For those of you who don't know, Spawn is a man named Al Simmons who has died (looks like murderrrr) and is now back from the grave with new powers and a spiffy suit. He owes his aliveness to a deal with the devil that he only vaguely remembers. In fact, he only vaguely remembers anything from his previous life, including the woman he loves who inspired him to sell his soul in the first place.
Enter Spawn's journey of self-discovery.
So while Al is living with the hobos and crying into his can of beans, there's a skinny demon that reminded me of a Gremlin after a midnight snack, going around ripping the hearts out of mob bosses and their underlings. I'm still not sure why a demon would think killing criminals is the way to earn brownie points with the ruler of Hell, but that's a mystery for another day.
And in case you're wondering if this is truly a 90s comic, yes, there are talking heads.
There is also a cyborg mercenary with a snazzy name thrown in for good measure.
I'm sad to report that I did not see any pouches on Spawn's costume. But you can't have it all, folks.
In all seriousness, I can actually see how this became such a long-running comic. Once you scrape away some of the things that date the comic, the plot is pretty darn good. The art is excellent, the characters are pretty compelling, and the villains are menacing.
There was a lot more to this than I thought there would be and I'm kind of interested to see where it goes.
I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I'm going to keep reading Spawn.
July 18, 2019
Sometimes, when I go on vacation, my old comics packed upstairs in the dusty webbed attic of my summerhouse on the mountains call me begging to be read again... this year it's McFarlane's Spawn turn.
This mix of Miller's Dark Knight (the representation of tv journalism, the cape and some drawings), Howard Mackie's smash-hit Ghost Rider (The Pact with the Devil, the chains, the hellish powers), same drawn by McFarlane' Spider-Man (look at the mask and some prospectives) and everything crossing the author's mind (Detectives Sam and Twitch are a cocktail of Oliver-Hardy- and Batman's Bullock-Alfred) is just as not as good as I used to remember (the movie is far worst, thrust me), but artworks aged much well, the Danny De Vito/Joker-Violator always made me laugh a lot, the Billy Kinkaid children murderer issue is a brutal politically incorrect sick-fest and this 90s comic-book shocked american comic-dom being first good quality creator-owned one after years of authors/artists' slavery from major editors.
And reading Spawn again was like meeting again a long time lost friend, so four stars are totally deserved for me.
December 24, 2017
I'm 28. Now, you're reading this, saying "who gives a shit"...Well...I say this because I didn't really grow up with Spawn in a way. I did, because my father ran a comic book shop till I was 9. So Spawn came out 1992, I was 3. I knew Spawn by 5. Then more popular once the character got a movie. Of course, at 8 or 9 years old I thought the spawn movie was fucking "AWESOME" but then I got older and watched it again and knew that was just a dream. Not real. FAKE!
So anyway, Spawn Origins is like a time capsule. We can jump into the 90's once more with words like "Rad" being thrown around. I loved seeing the art of the 90's. What's that? It's very big muscular guys, lots of chains, and demons looking like uglier versions of the things from men in black who wouldn't shut the fuck up.
Spawn Volume 1 gives us the world of Spawn in a few short stories. A couple of them connect, but you can see it's more of a weekly episode type feel. Spawn meets his arch nemesis, also meets a child molester/murderer, we meet Twitch the detective pal, and a few more characters.
What I liked: I'm not going to lie. I fucking LOVE 90's art. I get it. It's over stylized but just like Rumble (Recent comic) or 90's Nightwing, I just freaking love it. It's over the top action and splash pages but it's so awesome to me. Spawn is a pretty cool main lead. Kind of a asshole, but also you can understand where he's coming from. His death is a mystery and remains interesting. The storyline of the child murderer was pretty good too and I liked that. Also the villain, Violator, is pretty fun.
What I didn't like: Some outdated words def feel old. Also some small errors here and there in dialog can be distracting. The exposition is also strong with this one where Todd tells more even though we can see it.
Overall though I won't lie. I had a lot of fun reading it. It's more of a 3.5 but I'ma bump it to a 4 just because it brought back so many memories plus it's 90's in one comic book. Can't hate that too much. Check it out!
So anyway, Spawn Origins is like a time capsule. We can jump into the 90's once more with words like "Rad" being thrown around. I loved seeing the art of the 90's. What's that? It's very big muscular guys, lots of chains, and demons looking like uglier versions of the things from men in black who wouldn't shut the fuck up.
Spawn Volume 1 gives us the world of Spawn in a few short stories. A couple of them connect, but you can see it's more of a weekly episode type feel. Spawn meets his arch nemesis, also meets a child molester/murderer, we meet Twitch the detective pal, and a few more characters.
What I liked: I'm not going to lie. I fucking LOVE 90's art. I get it. It's over stylized but just like Rumble (Recent comic) or 90's Nightwing, I just freaking love it. It's over the top action and splash pages but it's so awesome to me. Spawn is a pretty cool main lead. Kind of a asshole, but also you can understand where he's coming from. His death is a mystery and remains interesting. The storyline of the child murderer was pretty good too and I liked that. Also the villain, Violator, is pretty fun.
What I didn't like: Some outdated words def feel old. Also some small errors here and there in dialog can be distracting. The exposition is also strong with this one where Todd tells more even though we can see it.
Overall though I won't lie. I had a lot of fun reading it. It's more of a 3.5 but I'ma bump it to a 4 just because it brought back so many memories plus it's 90's in one comic book. Can't hate that too much. Check it out!
February 6, 2017
Taa 1999'da, Arkabahçe ilk bastığında okumuştum bu ciltte yer alan maceraları. O zamanlar rüya gibi bir şeydi bu kalitede bir çizgi romanı, hem de renkli olarak dilimizde okumak. Şimdi, aradan geçen bunca yıl sonra dijital renklendirmesi ve yeni çevirisiyle yeniden karşımızda eski dost, cehennem tohumu Spawn. Etkileyiciliğinden hiçbir şey kaybetmemiş. İlk defa okuyacak olanları kıskanıyorum...
May 5, 2018
I was a teenager in the 1990s, but for some reason I never read any Spawn comics. I knew of the character, but his books just never entered my orbit. Well, I finally read some Spawn comics...
They were awful.
So, without further delay, lets take a look at the problems here:
First of all, Todd McFarlane is obviously a huge Batman fan. Specifically, he must be a Dark Knight Returns fan because this reminded me a lot of that book. The biggest offense? All of the pages of news reporters talking on TV screens. It was a terrible device when Miller used it and it's terrible when McFarlane uses it. It is basically a way to info dump while looking clever at the same time. What it amounts to is lots and lots of expositional reading with no action on the page at all. A special mention also goes out to the villain that looks like a clown. There is homage and then there is just ripping something off.
This leads us to our next problem: the exposition. Sooooooooooo much exposition. 90% of the dialog in these issues are literally people talking to themselves as they discuss their plans, their inner feelings, etc. etc. etc. Instead of Spawn, this book should have been called schizophrenic because of all of the people that just stand around talking out lout to themselves at length. Added to this, McFarlane sometimes puts little snippets of text in that describe the action that is taking place in the panel. Isn't that what all of the pictures are for?
That, in turn, leads us to our next main issue: The writing is god-awful. Instead of arguing this point, let me just share some of it with you:
"Now there's darkness in my soul."
"This can't be. I'm a black man!"
"Go to hell."
"Believe me, Spawn, he already has."
This book is chock-full of '90s goth cringe, lines that barely make sense, and jokes that fall way flat. Along with the '90s dialog we get terrible old-school names like Violator and Overt-Kill. As I was reading this '90s lesson in EXTREME, all I could think was "All Spawn needs now is lots and lots of pouches". Guess what? At one point Spawn gets lots and lots of pouches.
Along with the terrible dialog, there is also the fact that none of the character's actions make any sense. For example, one villain rips Spawn's heart out. He is REALLY shocked that this doesn't kill Spawn. A few panels later, he says that it's his job to show Spawn the ropes. But wait, you just tried to kill him.....
Also, spawn has the power to look like a normal human. Instead of using this power, he steals a hat and coat and just puts that on over his Spawn costume so that he can "blend in".
In another scene, Spawn makes a guy stop harassing his secretary and tells him to start paying his child support. The demon that owns Spawn's soul is like "That's right, get evil!". So it's evil to make a guy pay his child support and stop sexually harassing someone?
So, if you can't tell, I really hated this book. I might, however, read more of this series later in hopes that it gets better somewhere. It is the longest running indie comic of all time, so there must be something good in there somewhere, right?
They were awful.
So, without further delay, lets take a look at the problems here:
First of all, Todd McFarlane is obviously a huge Batman fan. Specifically, he must be a Dark Knight Returns fan because this reminded me a lot of that book. The biggest offense? All of the pages of news reporters talking on TV screens. It was a terrible device when Miller used it and it's terrible when McFarlane uses it. It is basically a way to info dump while looking clever at the same time. What it amounts to is lots and lots of expositional reading with no action on the page at all. A special mention also goes out to the villain that looks like a clown. There is homage and then there is just ripping something off.
This leads us to our next problem: the exposition. Sooooooooooo much exposition. 90% of the dialog in these issues are literally people talking to themselves as they discuss their plans, their inner feelings, etc. etc. etc. Instead of Spawn, this book should have been called schizophrenic because of all of the people that just stand around talking out lout to themselves at length. Added to this, McFarlane sometimes puts little snippets of text in that describe the action that is taking place in the panel. Isn't that what all of the pictures are for?
That, in turn, leads us to our next main issue: The writing is god-awful. Instead of arguing this point, let me just share some of it with you:
"Now there's darkness in my soul."
"This can't be. I'm a black man!"
"Go to hell."
"Believe me, Spawn, he already has."
This book is chock-full of '90s goth cringe, lines that barely make sense, and jokes that fall way flat. Along with the '90s dialog we get terrible old-school names like Violator and Overt-Kill. As I was reading this '90s lesson in EXTREME, all I could think was "All Spawn needs now is lots and lots of pouches". Guess what? At one point Spawn gets lots and lots of pouches.
Along with the terrible dialog, there is also the fact that none of the character's actions make any sense. For example, one villain rips Spawn's heart out. He is REALLY shocked that this doesn't kill Spawn. A few panels later, he says that it's his job to show Spawn the ropes. But wait, you just tried to kill him.....
Also, spawn has the power to look like a normal human. Instead of using this power, he steals a hat and coat and just puts that on over his Spawn costume so that he can "blend in".
In another scene, Spawn makes a guy stop harassing his secretary and tells him to start paying his child support. The demon that owns Spawn's soul is like "That's right, get evil!". So it's evil to make a guy pay his child support and stop sexually harassing someone?
So, if you can't tell, I really hated this book. I might, however, read more of this series later in hopes that it gets better somewhere. It is the longest running indie comic of all time, so there must be something good in there somewhere, right?
July 17, 2016
Most superheroes are not entirely what you would call brutal. They want to change the world for the better and however grudgingly they go about being heroes with a minimal of bloodletting. At the two major corporate houses of DC and Marvel, with the exception of Punisher, Wolverine and the Batman there aren't many heroes who are inherently violent by nature. The nature of Frank Castle and Logan does not allow us to call them heroes and Batman always stops just an inch before beating his opponent to death. So what if there was a hero who never hesitated to kill and was someone who went beyond the textbook definitions of brutality ? Todd McFarlane's Spawn walks over that line and never hesitates before snubbing out a seemingly worthless low life (case in point is a brutal pedophile and child-killer). This comic collects the seminal origin story of this enigmatic and brilliant character of the Spawn.
The creation of image comics and the publication of Spawn was a watershed in the history of comics and yet the sensation could not be sustained for long. While Spawn did receive rave reviews for its initial issues, the interest slowly tapered off with the years. A CIA black ops operative - Al Simmons gets killed off by his own team mates following which his soul goes to hell. Once there, he strikes a Faustian bargain with a demon and lands back on earth hideously deformed, five years torn out of his life and packing a powder keg of supernatural powers. The first issue is an exploration of Spawn’s powers and how he manages to overcome some of his initial foes. The artwork is brilliant and bears a lot of similarities to the brooding and dark cityscape of Gotham. The antagonists are also ones who does not shy away from intense violence and there is a lot of blood and gristle splattered over the pages.
Spawn is a chapter to note in the annals of American comics history and going by the origin story and the artwork, this is quite a good one !
The creation of image comics and the publication of Spawn was a watershed in the history of comics and yet the sensation could not be sustained for long. While Spawn did receive rave reviews for its initial issues, the interest slowly tapered off with the years. A CIA black ops operative - Al Simmons gets killed off by his own team mates following which his soul goes to hell. Once there, he strikes a Faustian bargain with a demon and lands back on earth hideously deformed, five years torn out of his life and packing a powder keg of supernatural powers. The first issue is an exploration of Spawn’s powers and how he manages to overcome some of his initial foes. The artwork is brilliant and bears a lot of similarities to the brooding and dark cityscape of Gotham. The antagonists are also ones who does not shy away from intense violence and there is a lot of blood and gristle splattered over the pages.
Spawn is a chapter to note in the annals of American comics history and going by the origin story and the artwork, this is quite a good one !
July 31, 2009
The first six issues of Spawn are probably the worst written comic books I've ever read. The writing is so singularly bad that no matter how many millions of dollars Todd McFarlane has made in his career, I couldn't help wincing in embarrassment for him as I turned the pages. There's just something about this specific blend of adolescent and pretentious impulses combined with the knowledge that this was McFarlane's big gamble for creative freedom that puts the whole project into its own private sewer. I mean, at one point, Spawn actually tells the DEVIL to go to HELL. Did I say that happened once? It actually happens every few pages!
When I was a kid, my local comic shop had a deal where they'd give you a regular discount, if you signed up and gave them your contact information. I did this, they ordered a huge box of Spawn #1's and then they called me every night for weeks, telling me that the Spawn #1's were selling fast and I needed to get my copies right away. I'm happy to say that I didn't buy any, under the theory that anything they were trying so hard to sell me was unlikely to appreciate. I just checked eBay and plenty of copies of Spawn #1 are going for a few dollars right now. I think I made the right choice.
When I was a kid, my local comic shop had a deal where they'd give you a regular discount, if you signed up and gave them your contact information. I did this, they ordered a huge box of Spawn #1's and then they called me every night for weeks, telling me that the Spawn #1's were selling fast and I needed to get my copies right away. I'm happy to say that I didn't buy any, under the theory that anything they were trying so hard to sell me was unlikely to appreciate. I just checked eBay and plenty of copies of Spawn #1 are going for a few dollars right now. I think I made the right choice.
February 1, 2020
Better than i thought it was going to be
August 15, 2022
Albert died. But then he made a deal, so he could come back to earth.
Sounds like a good deal right? Well, maybe not. By doing this he was transformed into Spawn! With a really cool looking suit.
But, he looks a bit different then he used to. So everyone he once knew, doesn't even recognize him. Even his wife. Who has now moved on, and found a new husband. They even had a kid. I won't lie this was probably my favorite part. Seeing Albert wonder if coming back to life was worth it. I don't know, I just really like storylines like this.
And, of course he goes around protecting the city. I guess in this way he reminded me a lot of Moon knight. I could see Spawn saying something like, "I protect, the travelers of the night".
OH, and I forgot to mention the art. Honestly, even if your not interested in the story it's worth flipping through the book, just to see the art.
Alright, so overall I enjoyed it a lot. Recommend for Moon knight fans or anyone else.
Sounds like a good deal right? Well, maybe not. By doing this he was transformed into Spawn! With a really cool looking suit.
But, he looks a bit different then he used to. So everyone he once knew, doesn't even recognize him. Even his wife. Who has now moved on, and found a new husband. They even had a kid. I won't lie this was probably my favorite part. Seeing Albert wonder if coming back to life was worth it. I don't know, I just really like storylines like this.
And, of course he goes around protecting the city. I guess in this way he reminded me a lot of Moon knight. I could see Spawn saying something like, "I protect, the travelers of the night".
OH, and I forgot to mention the art. Honestly, even if your not interested in the story it's worth flipping through the book, just to see the art.
Alright, so overall I enjoyed it a lot. Recommend for Moon knight fans or anyone else.
September 1, 2014
A fun brooding, dark but surprisingly humorous. Now I'll tell you straight, Spawn is badass! The story tells of a man who is killed, but brought back as a agent of Hell. Spawn is pretty much immortal, and powerful as he feeds off negative energy. The story is well written, and is actually humorous, I was quite surprised when I read this, the whole premise is depressing, the atmosphere is gritty but yet I couldn't stop laughing at all the jokes in this book! As for his main Villain Violator, he is also badass but so funny! (Think of him as The Joker but for Spawn). I highly recommend this book, however after this volume that's when spawn comics go down hill :(
April 8, 2017
McFarlane isn't a bad writer, but I still don't enjoy his writing. Granted the draw of the book is the art, and even if you are aware the focus isn't on action but it's more of a dark, grim, horror, and dark humor type of book. Not much goes on as far as plot. We go through Spawn's confusion, thoughts, questions, thoughts, answers and that's it. Maybe if your into some dark stuff you'll want to check it out, otherwise I can't see any reason to recommend it.
March 25, 2019
Some very good art, but a drawn out and less than compelling story.
December 4, 2015
One of my buddies added this to our group Comixology.com account. It has been years since I read a Spawn book so I thought I'd throw this in the rotation. I read these issues as singles 20 something years ago when they came out and don't think I've read them since. I have watched all 3 seasons of the Spawn animated series from HBO repeatedly in that time though.
Todd McFarlane is the creator of the series and served as writer, artist and inker on this volume. Seeing Todd's art again makes me remember why I fell in love with it in the first place. He's in the top 10 best comic artists of all time. The majority of his art is highly detailed. He was one of the first artists on Spider-man that ever drew in all the webs on Spidey's suit and put a lot of details in the webbing. Just seeing that beautiful art in this book has taken me for a trip down memory lane. The art gets 5 stars and the art critics in my head that normally look like Siskel and Ebert, but now look like Siskel and Ebert dressed as Sam and Twitch, are giving two thumbs up.
McFarlane's writing, on the other hand, isn't quite so stellar. He did a good job with the plot and the entire concept for the comic was great, but some of the dialogue isn't that great and the neither is the story telling. It is easy to see why he turned over the writing reins to others after this volume. The stories of Billy Kincaid and Overt-Kill which each take place in a single issue in this book, were handled much better by the writers of the aforementioned HBO series. Those writers took the time to flesh out the story more and add more depth to it. McFarlane seemed to rush the story a good bit. His writing gets 3 stars.
The 5 star art score and the 3 star writing score give us a 4 star overall score for the book. As a whole, this book is better than I thought it would be. I didn't know how well it would stand the test of time. I thought maybe my memory of it was greater than the actual book was, but it held up well in comparison. This is still a great beginning to a tremendous character that helped launch one of the best comics companies around. Check this out if you're a Spawn fan. Hell, even if you've never read a Spawn comic, but have been curious about the character, check it out.
Todd McFarlane is the creator of the series and served as writer, artist and inker on this volume. Seeing Todd's art again makes me remember why I fell in love with it in the first place. He's in the top 10 best comic artists of all time. The majority of his art is highly detailed. He was one of the first artists on Spider-man that ever drew in all the webs on Spidey's suit and put a lot of details in the webbing. Just seeing that beautiful art in this book has taken me for a trip down memory lane. The art gets 5 stars and the art critics in my head that normally look like Siskel and Ebert, but now look like Siskel and Ebert dressed as Sam and Twitch, are giving two thumbs up.
McFarlane's writing, on the other hand, isn't quite so stellar. He did a good job with the plot and the entire concept for the comic was great, but some of the dialogue isn't that great and the neither is the story telling. It is easy to see why he turned over the writing reins to others after this volume. The stories of Billy Kincaid and Overt-Kill which each take place in a single issue in this book, were handled much better by the writers of the aforementioned HBO series. Those writers took the time to flesh out the story more and add more depth to it. McFarlane seemed to rush the story a good bit. His writing gets 3 stars.
The 5 star art score and the 3 star writing score give us a 4 star overall score for the book. As a whole, this book is better than I thought it would be. I didn't know how well it would stand the test of time. I thought maybe my memory of it was greater than the actual book was, but it held up well in comparison. This is still a great beginning to a tremendous character that helped launch one of the best comics companies around. Check this out if you're a Spawn fan. Hell, even if you've never read a Spawn comic, but have been curious about the character, check it out.
January 23, 2018
In the 90s, I didn't read Spawn. It was the 90s, so yeah, duh, I knew who Spawn was. He just wasn't my thing. Anyway, I thought I'd go back and give it read, see what I had been missing. Now I'm 6 issues in, and even though I already knew the general gist of who and what Spawn was from my teenage years. I find myself completely confused now. This book is so disjointed. Also, McFarlane's love of The Dark Knight Returns and Frank Miller in general really show through, a little too much. All of these downfalls are a bummer because Spawn is a really interesting character and there's so much potential there...just, dang, just because you know how to draw real good doesn't mean you can write. Hire somebody for pete's sake.
October 18, 2019
Obviously this is a must-read classic.
I recently read Road to 300 (297, 298 and 299) as well as 300 and 301. They were amazing, so I decided to go back in time and revisit Spawn.
At some point, I stopped reading this title. It got lame. This trade, however, is way before that point. This is when Spawn was brilliant.
Todd McFarlane’s art, style and voice are what make this special and iconic. This character is both relatable and bizarre. His villains are horrifying. Everything about this rules.
If you haven’t read this, you’re missing a vital semester in your comic education that you should immediately remedy.
I recently read Road to 300 (297, 298 and 299) as well as 300 and 301. They were amazing, so I decided to go back in time and revisit Spawn.
At some point, I stopped reading this title. It got lame. This trade, however, is way before that point. This is when Spawn was brilliant.
Todd McFarlane’s art, style and voice are what make this special and iconic. This character is both relatable and bizarre. His villains are horrifying. Everything about this rules.
If you haven’t read this, you’re missing a vital semester in your comic education that you should immediately remedy.
April 18, 2021
The beginning of Todd McFarlane's Spawn.
The strengths of this first volume are in the art and the imagination. Spawn is an iconic and innovative character design that looks amazing in action. And the backstory, of a not-really hero who traded his soul to return to a life that he can't remember is great.
The weakness is in the storytelling, particularly the first four issues, which lay the foundation for Spawn, his supporting cast, Violator, and Malebogia. It's just too drawn out with too much effort spent laying out that foundation and too little actually happening. Things do improve from there, especially in #5, where we see interaction between the cops, a criminal, and Spawn.
The strengths of this first volume are in the art and the imagination. Spawn is an iconic and innovative character design that looks amazing in action. And the backstory, of a not-really hero who traded his soul to return to a life that he can't remember is great.
The weakness is in the storytelling, particularly the first four issues, which lay the foundation for Spawn, his supporting cast, Violator, and Malebogia. It's just too drawn out with too much effort spent laying out that foundation and too little actually happening. Things do improve from there, especially in #5, where we see interaction between the cops, a criminal, and Spawn.
October 31, 2022
I was previously unaware of the sensation that was Spawn, an independent superhero comic by Todd McFarlane. I wanted to check out deeper parts of the Image catalog having loved The Walking Dead, Descender, Ascender, Saga, and many others of their series. This one had excellent graphics, but I had a hard time getting into yet another superhero universe. They already have the Invincible series, an alternative set of superheroes and I love that one. This one, well, I really did like it, but I hesitate to continue to invest in another volume. I'll see if I come back to it in a few months...
May 14, 2025
Antes de começar a resenha da obra, é importante destacar que eu não tive contato prévio com o personagem até a publicação desse encadernado pela Panini. Eu sabia apenas que era um personagem criado pelo Todd McFarlane e publicado pela Image Comics, que fora (e ainda é) um sucesso com os leitores. Dessa forma, eu não fui afetado pela nostalgia que comoveu alguns leitores brasileiros, eu fui ler o encadernado de cabeça aberta e sabendo que seria uma leitura de um personagem criado nos anos 90, logo, seria uma HQ com a linguagem da época.
Na trama, acompanhamos Al Simmons, que após 5 anos de sua morte, renasce como Spawn por conta de um pacto feito com um demônio. Ao despertar, entendemos que o acordo fora feito porque o Al queria encontrar sua esposa, pois estava com saudade dela, e por isso, vendeu sua alma. No entanto, mesmo renascendo com objetivo de encontrar sua esposa, o Spawn revive sem suas memorias, possuindo apenas flashs do seu passado.
Por conta desse dilema de busca pela esposa mesmo estando sem memória, somados ao roteiro raso do McFarlene, a obra se torna confusa e pouco inspiradora. Ao mesmo tempo que o Spawn tenta relembrar seu passado para encontrar dicas do paradeiro de sua esposa, ele tenta descobrir seus poderes (que em nenhum momento são apresentados ao leitor, você não sabe o real potencial do Spawn) e ainda reflete sobre combater o crime e salvar as pessoas. Por isso, o real objetivo do Spawn é bem confuso, sem saber para onde a trama irá levar. (Ou isso tudo é uma metáfora para representar o que o Spawn estava sentindo ao reviver e o McFarlene é um génio?)
Com o avançar da trama, descobrimos o paradeiro da Wanda Blake. Ela está casada, teve filho e está construindo diversos projetos voltados a causas sociais. Quando Al descobre isso, sua cabeça “explode”. Ele fica feliz por sua esposa, mas com o dilema: contar a ela que ele está vivo e estragar a vida dela ou guardar para si e ficar melancólico?
Assim, além de renascer sem memoria e tomar esse baque da sua esposa, o tom depressivo toma conta da trama, com o roteiro se utilizando de muitos monólogos, que ficam cansativos com o decorrer da história.
Ademais, os desenhos são estupendos, a cada Splash Page eu passava a entender o hype que a HQ teve com os adolescentes da época. E além disso, destaco a questão de o Spawn conviver com mendigos e a policia trata-los feito lixo. Me fez pensar bastante que algo tão atual fora retratado (mesmo de maneira simples) em um quadrinho dos anos 90.
Na trama, acompanhamos Al Simmons, que após 5 anos de sua morte, renasce como Spawn por conta de um pacto feito com um demônio. Ao despertar, entendemos que o acordo fora feito porque o Al queria encontrar sua esposa, pois estava com saudade dela, e por isso, vendeu sua alma. No entanto, mesmo renascendo com objetivo de encontrar sua esposa, o Spawn revive sem suas memorias, possuindo apenas flashs do seu passado.
Por conta desse dilema de busca pela esposa mesmo estando sem memória, somados ao roteiro raso do McFarlene, a obra se torna confusa e pouco inspiradora. Ao mesmo tempo que o Spawn tenta relembrar seu passado para encontrar dicas do paradeiro de sua esposa, ele tenta descobrir seus poderes (que em nenhum momento são apresentados ao leitor, você não sabe o real potencial do Spawn) e ainda reflete sobre combater o crime e salvar as pessoas. Por isso, o real objetivo do Spawn é bem confuso, sem saber para onde a trama irá levar. (Ou isso tudo é uma metáfora para representar o que o Spawn estava sentindo ao reviver e o McFarlene é um génio?)
Com o avançar da trama, descobrimos o paradeiro da Wanda Blake. Ela está casada, teve filho e está construindo diversos projetos voltados a causas sociais. Quando Al descobre isso, sua cabeça “explode”. Ele fica feliz por sua esposa, mas com o dilema: contar a ela que ele está vivo e estragar a vida dela ou guardar para si e ficar melancólico?
Assim, além de renascer sem memoria e tomar esse baque da sua esposa, o tom depressivo toma conta da trama, com o roteiro se utilizando de muitos monólogos, que ficam cansativos com o decorrer da história.
Ademais, os desenhos são estupendos, a cada Splash Page eu passava a entender o hype que a HQ teve com os adolescentes da época. E além disso, destaco a questão de o Spawn conviver com mendigos e a policia trata-los feito lixo. Me fez pensar bastante que algo tão atual fora retratado (mesmo de maneira simples) em um quadrinho dos anos 90.
August 23, 2024
The 90s comic book industry is now perhaps known for its corny dialogues, overly muscular characters, extra grittiness and too many costume pouches. Spawn has it all, minus the pouches.
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March 4, 2017Eğer “Parliment Pazar Gecesi Sineması” adı sizin için bir şey ifade ediyorsa Spawn’ın hikâyesini de biliyorsunuzdur hiç kuşkusuz. Bir CIA ajanı olan Al Simmons gizli bir görev sırasında öldürülür ve Cehennem’i boylar. Ancak kendisi başarılı bir asker olduğu kadar tutkulu bir âşıktır da ve karısı Wanda’yı “ruhundan bile” daha çok sevmektedir. Kelimenin tam anlamıyla… Böylece sevgili eşini sadece bir kerecik daha görebilmek için Şeytan’la, daha doğrusu çizgi romandaki adıyla Malebolgia’yla bir anlaşma yaparak ruhunu satar. Lâkin unuttuğu bir şey vardır: Şeytan’a asla güven olmaz…
Anlaşma hilelidir. Simmons dünyaya dönmesine döner ama o bilmese bile aradan 5 koca yıl geçmiştir. Dahası hafızasını da yitirmiştir; kim olduğunu, ölümden neden döndüğünü hatırlamaz. Yüzü ve derisi de çalınmıştır; artık bir ucube, hatta yürüyen bir ceset gibi görünmektedir. Peki vücudunu saran bu tuhaf kostüm de neyin nesidir böyle? Ya süper kahramanları andıran doğaüstü güçlerine ne demeli?
İşte böyle bir vaziyette bir yandan yeni güçlerine alışmaya, diğer yandan da hafızasını geri kazanmaya çalışır Simmons, ya da yeni adıyla Spawn. Yani “cehennem tohumu.” İşin güzel tarafı nasıl ki kahramanımız hiçbir şey bilmiyorsa okur olarak biz de her şeyden bihaberiz ve Spawn yeni cevaplar aldıkça onunla birlikte bizler de yeni şeyler öğreniyor, hikâyenin içine daha çok çekiliyoruz. Önce kim olduğunu anımsıyor, sonra da evli olduğunu. Ardından ölümünün ardında yatan ihaneti… Karısını bulmaya çalışıyor, fakat kendisini ölümden ve Şeytan tarafından aldatılmaktan bile daha çok yaralayacak bir gerçekle karşılaşıyor. Bu da yetmezmiş gibi güçlerinin sınırsız olmadığını, Şeytan’ın hileli anlaşmasının pek çok katmanı olduğunu da keşfediyor.
Spawn’ın ilk altı sayısını içeren bu ilk ciltte anti-kahramanımızın insanı kendine bağlayan, gizemli öyküsünün yanı sıra Sam ile Twitch, Malebolgia ve Yıkıcı gibi ikonik karakterlerle de ilk defa tanışma fırsatı yakalıyoruz. İlk dört sayıda hikâye muazzam bir şekilde gelişip serpilirken beşinci sayıdan itibaren, seri çocuk katili Kincaid ile birlikte serinin yönü biraz değişiyor, bocalıyor. Cennet’le Cehennem arasındaki savaşın ortasında kalan, anlam arayışı içindeki Spawn’dan sokak serserileri arasında yaşayıp katillerle ve gangsterle silahlı çatışmalara giren Spawn’a geçiyoruz. Katliam (ya da eski ciltlerdeki orijinal adıyla Overt-Kill) isimli cyborg katille yaptığı mücadele herhâlde Spawn külliyatı boyunca okuduğum en sıkıcı macera… Ne ilginçtir ki bu bocalamadan McFarlane’ın çizimleri de nasibini alıyor ve o kendine has, artistik çizimlerinin yerini bir keşmekeş alıveriyor.
Ama korkmayın! Toplamda iki sayıdan oluşan (biri bu cildin sonunda, diğeri ikinci cildin başında) bu sıradan serüvenden sonra işlerin rengi bir hayli değişecek. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Frank Miller ve Neil Gaiman gibi usta yazarların katkılarıyla Spawn’ın hikâyesi tekrar rayına oturacak, hatta Dante’yi aratmayacak Cehennem tasvirleri okuyacağız hep birlikte. Eh, Sandman gibi bir efsanenin bile ilk sayıların ardından kısa bir bocalama dönemine girdiği düşünülürse yeni emeklemeye başlayan çizgi roman serilerinin geçmesi gereken kaçınılmaz bir yol olarak bakabiliriz belki bu duruma… Uzun lafın kısası, Katliam sizi sıksa bile sıkın dişinizi! İkinci cildi aldığınıza hiç pişman olmayacaksınız.
Sonuç olarak, 18 yıl önce nasıl hayatımıza etkileyici bir giriş yapmışsa bunca sene sonra yine aynı kaliteyle, hatta daha bile iyi olarak geri döndü Spawn. Kendisiyle ilk kez tanışacaklar kadar eski sayıları okuyup da koleksiyonlarını güçlendirmek isteyen ihtiyar kurtların da kaçırmaması gereken bir çalışma olmuş yeni cilt. Yine Arkabahçe kalitesiyle… Bu kez maceranın sonunu görmek dileğiyle!
- M. İhsan TATARİ
İncelemenin tamamı için: http://kayiprihtim.com/inceleme/spawn...
Anlaşma hilelidir. Simmons dünyaya dönmesine döner ama o bilmese bile aradan 5 koca yıl geçmiştir. Dahası hafızasını da yitirmiştir; kim olduğunu, ölümden neden döndüğünü hatırlamaz. Yüzü ve derisi de çalınmıştır; artık bir ucube, hatta yürüyen bir ceset gibi görünmektedir. Peki vücudunu saran bu tuhaf kostüm de neyin nesidir böyle? Ya süper kahramanları andıran doğaüstü güçlerine ne demeli?
İşte böyle bir vaziyette bir yandan yeni güçlerine alışmaya, diğer yandan da hafızasını geri kazanmaya çalışır Simmons, ya da yeni adıyla Spawn. Yani “cehennem tohumu.” İşin güzel tarafı nasıl ki kahramanımız hiçbir şey bilmiyorsa okur olarak biz de her şeyden bihaberiz ve Spawn yeni cevaplar aldıkça onunla birlikte bizler de yeni şeyler öğreniyor, hikâyenin içine daha çok çekiliyoruz. Önce kim olduğunu anımsıyor, sonra da evli olduğunu. Ardından ölümünün ardında yatan ihaneti… Karısını bulmaya çalışıyor, fakat kendisini ölümden ve Şeytan tarafından aldatılmaktan bile daha çok yaralayacak bir gerçekle karşılaşıyor. Bu da yetmezmiş gibi güçlerinin sınırsız olmadığını, Şeytan’ın hileli anlaşmasının pek çok katmanı olduğunu da keşfediyor.
Spawn’ın ilk altı sayısını içeren bu ilk ciltte anti-kahramanımızın insanı kendine bağlayan, gizemli öyküsünün yanı sıra Sam ile Twitch, Malebolgia ve Yıkıcı gibi ikonik karakterlerle de ilk defa tanışma fırsatı yakalıyoruz. İlk dört sayıda hikâye muazzam bir şekilde gelişip serpilirken beşinci sayıdan itibaren, seri çocuk katili Kincaid ile birlikte serinin yönü biraz değişiyor, bocalıyor. Cennet’le Cehennem arasındaki savaşın ortasında kalan, anlam arayışı içindeki Spawn’dan sokak serserileri arasında yaşayıp katillerle ve gangsterle silahlı çatışmalara giren Spawn’a geçiyoruz. Katliam (ya da eski ciltlerdeki orijinal adıyla Overt-Kill) isimli cyborg katille yaptığı mücadele herhâlde Spawn külliyatı boyunca okuduğum en sıkıcı macera… Ne ilginçtir ki bu bocalamadan McFarlane’ın çizimleri de nasibini alıyor ve o kendine has, artistik çizimlerinin yerini bir keşmekeş alıveriyor.
Ama korkmayın! Toplamda iki sayıdan oluşan (biri bu cildin sonunda, diğeri ikinci cildin başında) bu sıradan serüvenden sonra işlerin rengi bir hayli değişecek. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Frank Miller ve Neil Gaiman gibi usta yazarların katkılarıyla Spawn’ın hikâyesi tekrar rayına oturacak, hatta Dante’yi aratmayacak Cehennem tasvirleri okuyacağız hep birlikte. Eh, Sandman gibi bir efsanenin bile ilk sayıların ardından kısa bir bocalama dönemine girdiği düşünülürse yeni emeklemeye başlayan çizgi roman serilerinin geçmesi gereken kaçınılmaz bir yol olarak bakabiliriz belki bu duruma… Uzun lafın kısası, Katliam sizi sıksa bile sıkın dişinizi! İkinci cildi aldığınıza hiç pişman olmayacaksınız.
Sonuç olarak, 18 yıl önce nasıl hayatımıza etkileyici bir giriş yapmışsa bunca sene sonra yine aynı kaliteyle, hatta daha bile iyi olarak geri döndü Spawn. Kendisiyle ilk kez tanışacaklar kadar eski sayıları okuyup da koleksiyonlarını güçlendirmek isteyen ihtiyar kurtların da kaçırmaması gereken bir çalışma olmuş yeni cilt. Yine Arkabahçe kalitesiyle… Bu kez maceranın sonunu görmek dileğiyle!
- M. İhsan TATARİ
İncelemenin tamamı için: http://kayiprihtim.com/inceleme/spawn...
July 2, 2012
the story, although corny at times, is good and interesting. the artwork in this edition is excellent and in stunning glossy color!
August 12, 2022
So, I wouldn't argue with you if you didn't enjoy this. It oozes early 90s cheese. But I have an affection for this character and style, so I think it's fantastic.
There's gore and violence and ridiculous expositional dialogue, but the tone and story sync up with the overall aesthetic and it works. Spawn threatens the Devil, the Violator...violates, and there's goofy threats and dumb repartee between hero and villain. There's a bad guy named Overt-Kill.
It's all cornball. But man, it totally hit the spot for me.
There's gore and violence and ridiculous expositional dialogue, but the tone and story sync up with the overall aesthetic and it works. Spawn threatens the Devil, the Violator...violates, and there's goofy threats and dumb repartee between hero and villain. There's a bad guy named Overt-Kill.
It's all cornball. But man, it totally hit the spot for me.
September 12, 2023
spawn origins is, great way to start of a series that has come so far. with amazing art work by Todd McFarlane, and a pretty good story, and great characters. this is a book that you should buy.
(if you like comic books)
(if you like comic books)
February 9, 2019
Je to strašně moc 90s.. Nechápu že ta série pořád běží
May 16, 2018
It's not because of the movie. It's not because I grew up as kid during the 1990s. And it's not because I ever owned an action figure. It's because I needed to buy a water bottle and the comic-shop's card reader doesn't read any charge under $5. I bought Spawn, and sat down to draw for a while, leaving it in it's plastic wrap until a few days after the purchase.
Even though I knew nothing of the character and his world SPAWN is a character which has, much like the Crow, lived past the 90s and has established some kind of place in the pantheon of comics. Whether or not Spawn deserves that place is best left for the people who keep the records, but for my own part I'm torn. Spawn as a narrative, as an art, and as a character most certainly deserve the attention of any reader who consider themselves fans of comics. However this individual book is probably not worth their time. The collection feels terribly incomplete and not just because it ends on a cliff-hanger. This slim volume contains 6 issues of the comics and provides only a few extra materials for the fans of Spawn who probably already own the denser compendiums.
Should the reader read this book, sure. This was a nice introduction to the character and the foundation of his universe. But should the reader shop around for a more extensive collection, almost certainly. Spawn is a character with a great costume and a fascinating universe, which I why he deserves to be in a better collection. Find that collection and read it.
Even though I knew nothing of the character and his world SPAWN is a character which has, much like the Crow, lived past the 90s and has established some kind of place in the pantheon of comics. Whether or not Spawn deserves that place is best left for the people who keep the records, but for my own part I'm torn. Spawn as a narrative, as an art, and as a character most certainly deserve the attention of any reader who consider themselves fans of comics. However this individual book is probably not worth their time. The collection feels terribly incomplete and not just because it ends on a cliff-hanger. This slim volume contains 6 issues of the comics and provides only a few extra materials for the fans of Spawn who probably already own the denser compendiums.
Should the reader read this book, sure. This was a nice introduction to the character and the foundation of his universe. But should the reader shop around for a more extensive collection, almost certainly. Spawn is a character with a great costume and a fascinating universe, which I why he deserves to be in a better collection. Find that collection and read it.
May 29, 2018
I have been interested in Spawn for a while now, but I never had the opportunity to read it until yesterday. I liked the story very much and I find the characters to be really fascinating. The drawing is really great and fits the story very well, being at times light and beautiful where it's supposed to but also creepy and brutal where it ought to.
One of the only downs here is in my opinion the acting of the characters in certain situations, which seems sometimes just a little bit awkwardly written. There is for example a scene with Spawn and a hellish demon, who both seem more to bicker than to really be the badass characters they are supposed to be. But yet again, this problem only appears in very few places. Another weak story arc in my opinion was the conflict with a cyborg, who seemed to be just too dull and too much of a cliché to really fit in.
But apart from that, this book really was a treat to read and was full of interesting ideas and interesting characters. It even touches very serious matters like child abuse and incorporates it into the story, which gives it at times a very eerie feeling, but the drawings are never voyeuristic or inappropriate.
Especially the character of Spawn is really interesting, his moral conflicts and his human side make him very believable and despite his questionable ethics a likeable character.
I have to say though, the book ends with a very nasty cliffhanger which makes me really want to buy the second volume.
One of the only downs here is in my opinion the acting of the characters in certain situations, which seems sometimes just a little bit awkwardly written. There is for example a scene with Spawn and a hellish demon, who both seem more to bicker than to really be the badass characters they are supposed to be. But yet again, this problem only appears in very few places. Another weak story arc in my opinion was the conflict with a cyborg, who seemed to be just too dull and too much of a cliché to really fit in.
But apart from that, this book really was a treat to read and was full of interesting ideas and interesting characters. It even touches very serious matters like child abuse and incorporates it into the story, which gives it at times a very eerie feeling, but the drawings are never voyeuristic or inappropriate.
Especially the character of Spawn is really interesting, his moral conflicts and his human side make him very believable and despite his questionable ethics a likeable character.
I have to say though, the book ends with a very nasty cliffhanger which makes me really want to buy the second volume.
December 29, 2020
Wooo okay I'm gonna start this by saying I was fully prepared for what this was going to be like and I had my expectations set realistically. The art had a couple good parts but there were several pages or even just specific panels that stood out as clearly not being recolored. They looked like direct scans from a newsstand issue and it really took me out of it. The dialogue and words per page reach Bendis levels of just having an absolute clutter of paragraphs that I do not care about so that made it boring and less engaging. Spawn has like no personality but this is only the first few issues. My biggest turn off was the clear perspective that killing criminals is good and cool that were being put into this. For example the devil tells Spawn he has three options: 1 he fights for hell and is evil, 2 he kills criminals sending them to hell and building the devils army, and 3 he doesn't do anything and just lets the evil people be evil. The logical fourth option is that he fights criminals and just locks them up in jail so they can't do evil or be part of Satan's army, however this is never considered and Spawn continues killing people. The 5th issue even seems to critique the idea of rehabilitation as inherently flawed and just a way to let child murderers get out of jail sooner.
Although I'm sure I'm reading too much meaning behind this and Todd McFarlane just wanted to be cool and violent for the sake of edge.
Although I'm sure I'm reading too much meaning behind this and Todd McFarlane just wanted to be cool and violent for the sake of edge.
May 19, 2021
I should be rating this 1 star because it’s god awful but I have a weird sort of nostalgia for Spawn. My cousin was a month or two older than me and loved Spawn as a kid growing up. I remember it being weird and scary but it intrigued me.
Reading this with the amount of comic knowledge I have now... and an adult brain; Spawn fuckin’ sucks. I don’t understand how it has lasted as long as it has, it’s corny, it’s cliche and it’s not even trying to hide how much it likes to rip off Frank Miller. It seems to embrace doing that... which is weird because the market was saturated with these throwaway ‘gritty’ comics that were pointless imitations of the Dark Knight Returns. They were trying to be something they didn’t understand. Just like Spawn.
If anyone can explain to me why Spawn wasn’t axed in the first three issues I’d be happy to hear it.
In having said that, my nostalgic aura around the character remains. But it’s not a comic I really suggest to anyone. It harkens to a terrible time in comics that should never be relived but for whatever reason, it seems like we’re doomed to repeat it over and over again because the comic Industry doesn’t learn. It seems like the reason why a comic like this, one devoid of any substance, can last so long is because the comic industry is broken enough to allow it to happen.
Reading this with the amount of comic knowledge I have now... and an adult brain; Spawn fuckin’ sucks. I don’t understand how it has lasted as long as it has, it’s corny, it’s cliche and it’s not even trying to hide how much it likes to rip off Frank Miller. It seems to embrace doing that... which is weird because the market was saturated with these throwaway ‘gritty’ comics that were pointless imitations of the Dark Knight Returns. They were trying to be something they didn’t understand. Just like Spawn.
If anyone can explain to me why Spawn wasn’t axed in the first three issues I’d be happy to hear it.
In having said that, my nostalgic aura around the character remains. But it’s not a comic I really suggest to anyone. It harkens to a terrible time in comics that should never be relived but for whatever reason, it seems like we’re doomed to repeat it over and over again because the comic Industry doesn’t learn. It seems like the reason why a comic like this, one devoid of any substance, can last so long is because the comic industry is broken enough to allow it to happen.
August 2, 2019
I was around when Image first came out. Lots of flash and style. But I was never really a Spawn fan. I read a few issues but it did not catch on with me. Even after reading this collection (and I am partway thru Vol 2) I still am not a fan. Too far out for me? I guess. Still, you got to give Todd some credit, as Spawn is approaching 300 issues and has lasted almost 30 years. Just not for me. Now, the Wildcats maybe.
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