Spawn #250
In this comic book day and age a book hitting #250 is quite the milestone. With every “All New” #1 that’s on the shelves it’s nice to see some consistency with Spawn. What’s probably most surprising about Spawn hitting issue 250 isn’t the achievement, it’s the knowledge that yes, Spawn the comic is still a thing. The question now is; should you care?
Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat, and sorry if this is spoilerish, but Al Simmons is barely in this book. By barely, I mean a couple panels at the end. This book is Jim Downing’s, the current Spawn, story and not a very interesting one at that. So if you’re looking to see the glorious return of Al Simmons you’re going to want to hold off till Spawn Resurrection #1 gets released.
For #250 however we see Jim continue to face off against his symbiote costume. An epic battle ensues all the while New York is consumed by snakes and bugs. Sam and Twitch begin to notice that the mess of creatures is far from random, but seem to be forming a set of numbers. It’s up to Jim to face his literal demons and for Sam and Twitch to crack the code before time runs out.
Spawn #250 loses a lot of points for not being the jumping on point for new readers it should have been. A lot of us grew up reading Spawn and have lost touch with it in recent years. Anticipation was high for this book and unfortunately it just doesn’t deliver. The problem lies with Jim Downing. He’s a weak and vain character who lacks any appealing depth. To make matters worse, the knowledge of Al Simmons impending return makes Jim’s journey that less interesting. Tie that in with some over sentiment (9-11 really?) and Spawn #250 is just another in a long run of issues readers are going to want to overlook.
Kudranski’s art is a great fit for the Spawn series. His architectural mastery of the New York skyline is sight to behold. The only downside is that his characters often look cold and emotionless against his backdrops. Luckily he is blessed with Plascencia’s keen eye for colour as he manages to breathe life into the pages. This guy seriously knows how to colour a demonic battle.
Oneplus is that this oversized spectacle comes packed with some great alternative covers by some of the best artist in the industry. Try not to love Capullo’s ‘watch the throne’ cover, which brings me to an interesting side note; If you are interested in seeing what a colourist brings to the table, compare Capullo’s inks with the final Plascencia colours. Wow, just wow.
Like the previous post-Simmons issues, Spawn #250 is more miss than hit. Jim Downing is still a weak character caught in a gorgeous package. Let’s hope Spawn Resurrection coming next month can wash this taste out of our mouths.
Spawn #250
Writer: Todd McFarlane
Art: Szymon Kudranski & Jonboy (P.59)
Colours: FCO Plascencia
Letters: Tom Orzechowki
Editor: Todd McFarlane
Publisher: Image Comics
Purchase: https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/spawn-250
Let’s get something out of the way right off the bat, and sorry if this is spoilerish, but Al Simmons is barely in this book. By barely, I mean a couple panels at the end. This book is Jim Downing’s, the current Spawn, story and not a very interesting one at that. So if you’re looking to see the glorious return of Al Simmons you’re going to want to hold off till Spawn Resurrection #1 gets released.
For #250 however we see Jim continue to face off against his symbiote costume. An epic battle ensues all the while New York is consumed by snakes and bugs. Sam and Twitch begin to notice that the mess of creatures is far from random, but seem to be forming a set of numbers. It’s up to Jim to face his literal demons and for Sam and Twitch to crack the code before time runs out.
Spawn #250 loses a lot of points for not being the jumping on point for new readers it should have been. A lot of us grew up reading Spawn and have lost touch with it in recent years. Anticipation was high for this book and unfortunately it just doesn’t deliver. The problem lies with Jim Downing. He’s a weak and vain character who lacks any appealing depth. To make matters worse, the knowledge of Al Simmons impending return makes Jim’s journey that less interesting. Tie that in with some over sentiment (9-11 really?) and Spawn #250 is just another in a long run of issues readers are going to want to overlook.
Kudranski’s art is a great fit for the Spawn series. His architectural mastery of the New York skyline is sight to behold. The only downside is that his characters often look cold and emotionless against his backdrops. Luckily he is blessed with Plascencia’s keen eye for colour as he manages to breathe life into the pages. This guy seriously knows how to colour a demonic battle.
Oneplus is that this oversized spectacle comes packed with some great alternative covers by some of the best artist in the industry. Try not to love Capullo’s ‘watch the throne’ cover, which brings me to an interesting side note; If you are interested in seeing what a colourist brings to the table, compare Capullo’s inks with the final Plascencia colours. Wow, just wow.
Like the previous post-Simmons issues, Spawn #250 is more miss than hit. Jim Downing is still a weak character caught in a gorgeous package. Let’s hope Spawn Resurrection coming next month can wash this taste out of our mouths.
Spawn #250
Writer: Todd McFarlane
Art: Szymon Kudranski & Jonboy (P.59)
Colours: FCO Plascencia
Letters: Tom Orzechowki
Editor: Todd McFarlane
Publisher: Image Comics
Purchase: https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/spawn-250
A Look Inside
