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Spawn Compendium #1
Spawn, Compendium 1
With Spawn, legendary writer and artist Todd McFarlane unleashed his iconic antihero on the world, and launched the most successful independent comic book in history.
A government agent, Al Simmons was killed by his own men. Resurrected from the depths of hell, he returns to Earth as the warrior Spawn, guarding the forgotten alleys of New York City. As he seeks answers about his past, Spawn grapples with the dark forces that returned him to Earth, battling enemies and discovering unlikely allies. As he learns to harness his extraordinary new powers, he begins to grasp the full extent of what brought him back - and what he left behind.
Spawn: Compendium 1 presents the stories and artwork that helped create the Spawn legacy - for the first time in glorious black and white. Features Todd McFarlane's legendary hyper-detailed art and stories, as well as colloborations with industry giants Greg Capullo (Batman), Alan Moore (Watchmen), Dave Sim, (Cerebus), Marc Silvestri (Uncanny X-Men, Cyberforce), Frank Miller (Sin City), and Grant Morrison (Batman). Collects Spawn issues #1-50.
A government agent, Al Simmons was killed by his own men. Resurrected from the depths of hell, he returns to Earth as the warrior Spawn, guarding the forgotten alleys of New York City. As he seeks answers about his past, Spawn grapples with the dark forces that returned him to Earth, battling enemies and discovering unlikely allies. As he learns to harness his extraordinary new powers, he begins to grasp the full extent of what brought him back - and what he left behind.
Spawn: Compendium 1 presents the stories and artwork that helped create the Spawn legacy - for the first time in glorious black and white. Features Todd McFarlane's legendary hyper-detailed art and stories, as well as colloborations with industry giants Greg Capullo (Batman), Alan Moore (Watchmen), Dave Sim, (Cerebus), Marc Silvestri (Uncanny X-Men, Cyberforce), Frank Miller (Sin City), and Grant Morrison (Batman). Collects Spawn issues #1-50.
1136 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1996
236 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Todd McFarlane
1,277books430followersTodd 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 22, 2024
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 1
- Spawn #10
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 2
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 3
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 4
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 5
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 6
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 7
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 8
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 1
- Spawn #10
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 2
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 3
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 4
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 5
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 6
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 7
- Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 8
September 1, 2022
Nunca se había visto ningún "héroe" como el Spawn de Todd McFarlane. Al Simmons era un agente del gobierno a quien asesinaron sus propios compañeros. Tras resucitar en lo más profundo del infierno, regresa a la Tierra convertido en Spawn, un guerrero que protege a los marginados que viven en los callejones de Nueva York.
Mientras recorre un mundo retorcido en busca de su fracturado pasado, debe lidiar con las fuerzas siniestras que lo han devuelto a la Tierra, enfrentarse con sus enemigos y forjar insólitas y no queridas alianzas.
Deberá aprender a controlar las diversas, excelentes y extraordinarias habilidades que ahora posee, empieza a comprender el alcance del poder que lo ha traído de vuelta.
También lo que ha dejado atrás..
El complejo mundo de los superheroes cambió. Para mi personalmente han pasado a ser un poco "blandos" de narices. Censurados. Ya no se permiten ciertas cosas de otras eras y sellos del cómic.
En lo poco que he leído últimamente ya que siempre tiro a relecturas, me faltan esos toques, esos giros, guiones, sangre, sexo y crudeza, esas historias y tratos a los personajes y sus personalidades. Jugar con ciertos aspectos.
Esa "realidad".
Héroes y villanos siempre bailando al filo de los extremos, la realidad humana en mundos con súperpoderes, diversas mitologías, seres desconocidos y realidades alternativas.
Parece que tienen que tratarlos como si estuvieran detrás de un cristal, limpitos y en una exposición para niños. No todo. Pero para mi hubo tiempo mejores. Aún quedan, sí.
Spawn un "héroe" que no es justicia o bondad. No hay amores y todo sale del color de rosas. Spawn es un "no hay censura, ni filtros". Es violento y tiene momentos que se acerca hacia los extremos que hay entre héroe o villano.
Realista en sus batallas, no caricias entre ellos como si fuera gatitos en el colo. Realista en el mundo que plasma.
Spawn es arte, Spawn es inimitable y Spawn es de lo mejor que nos dio el mundo de los cómics.
Por no hablar del dibujo y arte que tiene eso ya es para contemplar y que no se te caiga la baba en sus páginas. Impresionante. Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, Dwayne Turner y muchos más. Es impactante y muy gráfico, cada página es una verdadera pasada y obra de arte. Es por lo que más destaca Spawn. Mirar durante horas.
De los más longevos. +300 y subiendo.
Junto a "Sandman" que ocupa el primer puesto en mi top, "Spawn" es el segundo, seguido muy de cerca por "Lucifer" y "From Hell". Mi top.
Es una mezcla de caballero oscuro de Miller, de Ghost Rider de Howard Mackie con un dibujo que quita el aliento. La moral, sentimientos, humanidad. Todo entra en juego.
Ha envejecido muy bien. Incluso las primeras historias, aunque el guión falta pulirlo.
Leguizamo haciendo de Violator siempre me dio miedo de crío. El tomo del asesino de niños de Billy Kinkaid, es aún hoy una brutal historia de este cómic de los noventa que conmocionó el mundo del cómic.
Oscuro, visceral e intenso. Spawn, la puta obra de arte salida de los fuegos del infierno y es increíble. Un pozo en el que sumergirse.
El personaje de Spawn es interesante, tiene sus conflictos morales y su lado humano lo hacen muy creíble y, a pesar de su ética cuestionable, es un personaje con el que empatizas.
Este pedazo compendio llega hasta el número 50, conteniendo un momento que me encanta.
Una obra maestra bien escrita, como se hacían las historias y los diálogos, no sólo dibujo increíble tras dibujo pero más vacío que un puto agujero negro.
Algunos me faltan "chicha" y otros aspectos.
Les falta alma. Spawn y otros clásicos pasando por Vertigo, Alan Moore y demás esos si están deliciosamente desarrollados.
Spawn gusta, o no gusta. No hay término medio.
No debe perdérselos nadie que se interese en los cómics. Eso sí eran cómics. Que época.
Ay, Vertigo, se te echa de menos, joder..✍️
Mientras recorre un mundo retorcido en busca de su fracturado pasado, debe lidiar con las fuerzas siniestras que lo han devuelto a la Tierra, enfrentarse con sus enemigos y forjar insólitas y no queridas alianzas.
Deberá aprender a controlar las diversas, excelentes y extraordinarias habilidades que ahora posee, empieza a comprender el alcance del poder que lo ha traído de vuelta.
También lo que ha dejado atrás..
El complejo mundo de los superheroes cambió. Para mi personalmente han pasado a ser un poco "blandos" de narices. Censurados. Ya no se permiten ciertas cosas de otras eras y sellos del cómic.
En lo poco que he leído últimamente ya que siempre tiro a relecturas, me faltan esos toques, esos giros, guiones, sangre, sexo y crudeza, esas historias y tratos a los personajes y sus personalidades. Jugar con ciertos aspectos.
Esa "realidad".
Héroes y villanos siempre bailando al filo de los extremos, la realidad humana en mundos con súperpoderes, diversas mitologías, seres desconocidos y realidades alternativas.
Parece que tienen que tratarlos como si estuvieran detrás de un cristal, limpitos y en una exposición para niños. No todo. Pero para mi hubo tiempo mejores. Aún quedan, sí.
Spawn un "héroe" que no es justicia o bondad. No hay amores y todo sale del color de rosas. Spawn es un "no hay censura, ni filtros". Es violento y tiene momentos que se acerca hacia los extremos que hay entre héroe o villano.
Realista en sus batallas, no caricias entre ellos como si fuera gatitos en el colo. Realista en el mundo que plasma.
Spawn es arte, Spawn es inimitable y Spawn es de lo mejor que nos dio el mundo de los cómics.
Por no hablar del dibujo y arte que tiene eso ya es para contemplar y que no se te caiga la baba en sus páginas. Impresionante. Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, Dwayne Turner y muchos más. Es impactante y muy gráfico, cada página es una verdadera pasada y obra de arte. Es por lo que más destaca Spawn. Mirar durante horas.
De los más longevos. +300 y subiendo.
Junto a "Sandman" que ocupa el primer puesto en mi top, "Spawn" es el segundo, seguido muy de cerca por "Lucifer" y "From Hell". Mi top.
Es una mezcla de caballero oscuro de Miller, de Ghost Rider de Howard Mackie con un dibujo que quita el aliento. La moral, sentimientos, humanidad. Todo entra en juego.
Ha envejecido muy bien. Incluso las primeras historias, aunque el guión falta pulirlo.
Leguizamo haciendo de Violator siempre me dio miedo de crío. El tomo del asesino de niños de Billy Kinkaid, es aún hoy una brutal historia de este cómic de los noventa que conmocionó el mundo del cómic.
Oscuro, visceral e intenso. Spawn, la puta obra de arte salida de los fuegos del infierno y es increíble. Un pozo en el que sumergirse.
El personaje de Spawn es interesante, tiene sus conflictos morales y su lado humano lo hacen muy creíble y, a pesar de su ética cuestionable, es un personaje con el que empatizas.
Este pedazo compendio llega hasta el número 50, conteniendo un momento que me encanta.
Una obra maestra bien escrita, como se hacían las historias y los diálogos, no sólo dibujo increíble tras dibujo pero más vacío que un puto agujero negro.
Algunos me faltan "chicha" y otros aspectos.
Les falta alma. Spawn y otros clásicos pasando por Vertigo, Alan Moore y demás esos si están deliciosamente desarrollados.
Spawn gusta, o no gusta. No hay término medio.
No debe perdérselos nadie que se interese en los cómics. Eso sí eran cómics. Que época.
Ay, Vertigo, se te echa de menos, joder..✍️
April 11, 2022
I am going to be honest, I don’t and have never cared about Spawn at all. I saw the HBO show once (it was fine) and he was a fun DLC character in Mortal Kombat with some cool fatalities, but that’s about all I knew about him. If this wasn’t 75% off at my LCS and didn’t have any Greg Capullo art, I probably wouldn’t have got it, and I kind of wish I didn’t. Spawn is absolute fucking trash, with Capullo’s art being the only saving grace for this utterly terrible comic. And when the guest writers (Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman) wrote stories.
I could sit here and type away at a summary, but who actually fucking cares? Not me. This was just 50 issues of Spawn wanting to kill the guy whose banging his ex-wife, but then he can’t because Spawn would then cease being a comic. It’s just dumb, and I’m fucking floored people still buy this shit to this day. Maybe it gets better? I will never know though.
Goodbye forever Spawn, it was not fun! I am confident the decision to never touch one of these books again shall be a good one.
I could sit here and type away at a summary, but who actually fucking cares? Not me. This was just 50 issues of Spawn wanting to kill the guy whose banging his ex-wife, but then he can’t because Spawn would then cease being a comic. It’s just dumb, and I’m fucking floored people still buy this shit to this day. Maybe it gets better? I will never know though.
Goodbye forever Spawn, it was not fun! I am confident the decision to never touch one of these books again shall be a good one.
March 6, 2023
Wow wow wow wow! This is a tough one to sum up. While as punchy as you’d think, there’s surprising depth as we follow Al Simmons, a man who deals with demons on so many levels. Love and love lost, betrayal, suffering, the nature of humanity and existence. This is a pretty deep read! And the illustrations—out of this world.
November 13, 2024
Slow to start but the set dressing is being applied, the traps and counter ambushes are being prepared. Art and seeing it in color is quite well done.
March 27, 2021
Created by Todd McFarlane, the character first appeared in Spawn #1 (May 1992). And is about a military man Al Simmons who has been betrayed and killed and in a deal with a Devil (Not the big cheese) is lured into a deal where he can return to the world and see his wife. Of course one should not trust devils so the result is a rather different than the man would expect. Returned to earth not looking like anything he ever looked like, a warmed up corpse under his outfit which is a creature too who lives in combination with Al in true symbiosis . Al has no memories of his previous life and even if they return to him they make little sense. He finally finds out that his best friend Terry has married with his widow and they have a child, Wanda the woman he returned for.
The Spawn is initially being egged on by a psychotic clown who is actually a Demon from Hell who strongly dislikes the Spawn in principle. The early magazines really give us some excellent new characters three of them created by Neil Gaiman namely Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn. These actually became the reason for a big legal dispute between McFarlane and Gaiman and only after the dispute had been solved became available for renewed printing in this full colour paperback that delivers the first 50 comics of this series.
Spawn is and interesting story told and owned by its creator Todd MacFarlane who has made a whole industry based upon the characters from his comic. And of course there have been a lot of prequels and spin offs that deliver some really great and dark stories if you fancy them. Overall it is about the story of the war between heaven and hell and Spawns position in it, he even meets God and she is female in this guise which made me laugh the first time.
I fell in love with McFarlanes art when I read Marvels Spiderman which he did do for some time and became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise, on which he was the artist to draw the first full appearances of the character Venom.
So when in 1992 he launched his own character Spawn I was there and picked up the first one translated in Dutch. Due to contractual reasons Issue 10 (featuring Dave Sim's Cerebus) was not ever permitted to being reprinted even not in other countries. So this marked my first foray in a comic shop to see if I could find this elusive number 10 issue (Which I did and payed the price). So Spawn brought me to a comic shop and I have kept returning for some years.
Spawns dark, violent & graphic art does suit the story and is miles away from he rather clean world of Marvel/DC even if they have drifted that direction for some time. I still love these first 50 episodes after all this time and simply do hope we get a volume 2 of even 3, 4, 5, 6 and even seven.
This 1100 plus book was a fun and easy read even if the stories are sometimes less that a party but they certainly add to the charm that is Spawn. This is certainly not a book for deeply religious people as it does have a rather different outlook on religions and it fans.
The Spawn is initially being egged on by a psychotic clown who is actually a Demon from Hell who strongly dislikes the Spawn in principle. The early magazines really give us some excellent new characters three of them created by Neil Gaiman namely Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn. These actually became the reason for a big legal dispute between McFarlane and Gaiman and only after the dispute had been solved became available for renewed printing in this full colour paperback that delivers the first 50 comics of this series.
Spawn is and interesting story told and owned by its creator Todd MacFarlane who has made a whole industry based upon the characters from his comic. And of course there have been a lot of prequels and spin offs that deliver some really great and dark stories if you fancy them. Overall it is about the story of the war between heaven and hell and Spawns position in it, he even meets God and she is female in this guise which made me laugh the first time.
I fell in love with McFarlanes art when I read Marvels Spiderman which he did do for some time and became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise, on which he was the artist to draw the first full appearances of the character Venom.
So when in 1992 he launched his own character Spawn I was there and picked up the first one translated in Dutch. Due to contractual reasons Issue 10 (featuring Dave Sim's Cerebus) was not ever permitted to being reprinted even not in other countries. So this marked my first foray in a comic shop to see if I could find this elusive number 10 issue (Which I did and payed the price). So Spawn brought me to a comic shop and I have kept returning for some years.
Spawns dark, violent & graphic art does suit the story and is miles away from he rather clean world of Marvel/DC even if they have drifted that direction for some time. I still love these first 50 episodes after all this time and simply do hope we get a volume 2 of even 3, 4, 5, 6 and even seven.
This 1100 plus book was a fun and easy read even if the stories are sometimes less that a party but they certainly add to the charm that is Spawn. This is certainly not a book for deeply religious people as it does have a rather different outlook on religions and it fans.
October 17, 2015
I wonder if I'm related to Todd McFarlane through the Scottish clan.
Anyways, awesome but ridiculously thick book. Also black and white which was cool in it's own way but not nearly as great as colors. The artwork is super detailed. The story well developed and the characters awesome. I came at this after already having seen the movie and HBO series. In the comics, Spawn is much much better. The animated series made him kinda mopey and the movie is hard to get past the old special effects and other problems. I will say the weakness of the comics has been Violator. He's not nearly as cool as he was in either of the adaptations. I think in those they just saw a better way to write him, he was more of a central antagonist but in this he's one of many. He definitely contributes to the horror aspect. One cool thing I hadn't noticed before is that he really hits the diversity and social justice buttons here. The main character is black and is a champion defender of the homeless and is homeless himself. Other groups could be addressed more, but he does well by them I think. Spawn as a character is just awesome. I love the theme of him being caught between Heaven and Hell, neither of which are 'good' and among a corrupt world of people. Spawn is probably the most badass character out there and my favorite superhero.
Anyways, awesome but ridiculously thick book. Also black and white which was cool in it's own way but not nearly as great as colors. The artwork is super detailed. The story well developed and the characters awesome. I came at this after already having seen the movie and HBO series. In the comics, Spawn is much much better. The animated series made him kinda mopey and the movie is hard to get past the old special effects and other problems. I will say the weakness of the comics has been Violator. He's not nearly as cool as he was in either of the adaptations. I think in those they just saw a better way to write him, he was more of a central antagonist but in this he's one of many. He definitely contributes to the horror aspect. One cool thing I hadn't noticed before is that he really hits the diversity and social justice buttons here. The main character is black and is a champion defender of the homeless and is homeless himself. Other groups could be addressed more, but he does well by them I think. Spawn as a character is just awesome. I love the theme of him being caught between Heaven and Hell, neither of which are 'good' and among a corrupt world of people. Spawn is probably the most badass character out there and my favorite superhero.
August 14, 2023
Ovako, nostalgija je čudo, ali ovo nije najbolje ostarilo. Priča se vuče brzinom puža, ima preeeeviše texta (kao kada bismo čitali tri epizode Teksa Vilera ODJEDNOM), stvari se ponavljaju... da nema par epizoda koje su pisali drugi ljudi, a ne Tod Mekferlen (koji je najvećim delom kompletan autor ovog stripa), ovo bi bio izgubljen slučaj. Ovako imamo zanimljive epizode Alana Mura, Nila Gejmena i Granta Morisona (koji kad na kraju poentira sa "Darkness is my home now" ja se opet naježim). Negde posle 30 i nekog broja, stvari se poprave, malo se radnja ubrza. Zanimljiv je sam koncept junaka, odnos raja i pakla, i muka u kojoj se Spawn našao. Scenario je, dakle, dva, dva i po, naateeegnuta trojka. Ali zato, crtež je ono zbog čega sam obožavao ovaj strip, a volim ga i dalje. Taj Mekferlenov nekakav prljavi superherojski stil mi je i dalje fenomenalan. Na to treba dodati sjajne tušere, i dalje aj-keči boju, i upisivanje texta koje je umetnost za sebe. A stvari postanu još i bolje kad Greg Kapulo i Toni Denijel preuzmu crtež negde na polovini kompendijuma (pre nego što su postali super-starovi na Betmenu, a posle rada na X-forsu). To sve mi je i dalje petica ko kuća, strip koji je star trideset i kusur godina a da ovako izgleda, majko mila, ajm in hevn. Dakle, kad se sve sabere i oduzme, ocena je neka jaka četvorka.
August 10, 2024
i have no clue why people write off Spawn as just 90s edgelord material. its angsty and verbose because its more gothic horror than it is superhero-ey. the art reflects this beautifully, and the writing is just as strong
you have a ex-cia operative who rejects the corruption of his government, gets killed for it and makes a faustian deal to return to earth. and who are the first people to accept him? a community of homeless men.
he goes from fighting for the imperialist to fighting for the disenfranchised
you have a black hero who turns the chains of his subjugation back on his oppressor in a search for liberation
you have a hero who literally battles the forces of both heaven and hell merely because he wanted to see his wife again.
and you have a loving ode to the medium of comic books and the creators who have long been mistreated by corporate bureaucracy.
spawn is my GOAT
you have a ex-cia operative who rejects the corruption of his government, gets killed for it and makes a faustian deal to return to earth. and who are the first people to accept him? a community of homeless men.
he goes from fighting for the imperialist to fighting for the disenfranchised
you have a black hero who turns the chains of his subjugation back on his oppressor in a search for liberation
you have a hero who literally battles the forces of both heaven and hell merely because he wanted to see his wife again.
and you have a loving ode to the medium of comic books and the creators who have long been mistreated by corporate bureaucracy.
spawn is my GOAT
January 28, 2023
1000+ pages of Spawn. That's a lot.
If you're here for the art (is anybody reading this book *not* here for the art?) you'll find some of the best superhero/horror crossover work ever put on a page. Todd McFarlane is a legend for a reason. The dynamic poses, detailed backgrounds, innovative panel layouts, and overwhelming sense of energy and motion bring his pages to life in a way few artists do. And it gets even better when Greg Capullo takes over the pencils � his trademark cartoony-yet-weighty figure drawings and facial expressions pair beautifully with McFarlane's hyperactively detailed inks.
The fill-in issues are a mixed bag. I enjoyed Marc Silvestri's special guest appearance as the penciler for issue 25, showing the characters we've gotten used to through a different, slicker lens. As for Tony Daniel's art... it's not without its high points, but he has a frustrating habit of drawing weirdly misshapen guys that look like piles of laundry. Alternating issues with Capullo doesn't do his work any favors in the comparison.
But what about the story? Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The first several issues are rough, writing-wise. McFarlane is clearly learning how to write as he goes, and the plotting and dialogue are often awkward and directionless, at least until you get to the first batch of guest writers. He kept at it, though, and by the mid-point of this volume the story is consistently engaging. It also helps that they stopped trying to shoehorn in crossovers with dumb-ass Rob Liefeld characters.
The most consistent theme is questioning power dynamics. All heirarchies (heaven, hell, the police, the military) are shown to be corrupt, self-serving, and to get in the way of even the good-intentioned actors operating within them. And Spawn, badass visual force though he is, invariably makes things worse whenever he defaults to violence as a means of problem-solving. The most heroic actions he takes all involve choosing to give up power to help someone else. This was not the direction I expected from a superhero comic, especially an extreme badass 90s superhero comic, and I was pleasantly surprised.
If you're here for the art (is anybody reading this book *not* here for the art?) you'll find some of the best superhero/horror crossover work ever put on a page. Todd McFarlane is a legend for a reason. The dynamic poses, detailed backgrounds, innovative panel layouts, and overwhelming sense of energy and motion bring his pages to life in a way few artists do. And it gets even better when Greg Capullo takes over the pencils � his trademark cartoony-yet-weighty figure drawings and facial expressions pair beautifully with McFarlane's hyperactively detailed inks.
The fill-in issues are a mixed bag. I enjoyed Marc Silvestri's special guest appearance as the penciler for issue 25, showing the characters we've gotten used to through a different, slicker lens. As for Tony Daniel's art... it's not without its high points, but he has a frustrating habit of drawing weirdly misshapen guys that look like piles of laundry. Alternating issues with Capullo doesn't do his work any favors in the comparison.
But what about the story? Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The first several issues are rough, writing-wise. McFarlane is clearly learning how to write as he goes, and the plotting and dialogue are often awkward and directionless, at least until you get to the first batch of guest writers. He kept at it, though, and by the mid-point of this volume the story is consistently engaging. It also helps that they stopped trying to shoehorn in crossovers with dumb-ass Rob Liefeld characters.
The most consistent theme is questioning power dynamics. All heirarchies (heaven, hell, the police, the military) are shown to be corrupt, self-serving, and to get in the way of even the good-intentioned actors operating within them. And Spawn, badass visual force though he is, invariably makes things worse whenever he defaults to violence as a means of problem-solving. The most heroic actions he takes all involve choosing to give up power to help someone else. This was not the direction I expected from a superhero comic, especially an extreme badass 90s superhero comic, and I was pleasantly surprised.
June 6, 2021
A masterpiece. Period.
July 14, 2022
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
March 18, 2024
At first, after reading Matt Wagner's super ambitious, landmark Grendel series, I was planning on writing this off as general comic book fare. Super heroes, super villains, government conspiracies, lots of demons... But by the time I was halfway through with this omnibus I could see why it was so popular - iconic, even. It is standard superhero stuff. A bit darker than most. Spawn is for sure classified as an anti-hero - his heart is in the right place, but he is tortured and kinda insane, and the body count is high - even if they are mostly bad guys. Key word ';mostly.' But it is so much more well done than many (most) of its contemporaries. The art is phenomenal. A bit more crowded than I usually prefer, but that's McFarlane's style and I wouldn't ask him to change a thing. The storyline is engaging without becoming incomprehensible (a problem I've been having with comics of today - the 2o020s - someone try to follow all this alternate reality/ time-traveling that Dynamite has been doing with Vampirella; you have to subscribe to like a million diff comics to even begin trying to piece together what is going on, and even then it seems intentionally obtuse.) But Spawn is good old fashioned storytelling - with just enough twists to keep you turning the pages, but never losing you in interminable digressions. That plot is complex enough - I like comics that start off assuming you are at least reasonably intelligent - without going off the deep end. The New York of McFarlane's Spawn is populated by a host of eccentric characters, both good and evil - but, and I love me a shade of gray, many are somewhere in-between. Plus lots of gross demons and Big Baddies. Cy-Gor the cybernetic ape is a personal favorite. Also, I am becoming a fast fan of the police detectives turned private detectives Sam and Twitch, I am really hoping they continue to appear throughout this (long) series. I am planning on buying the next compendium.
And I'll tell you what else - this has now got me collecting the action figures. There's like a million of them and I can be a completist. This is going to become more expensive than the phase I went through in 2022 where I drank Kava extract every day for three months. Well, that's the way of the World: We all end up in the big Money Suck in the sky. Even Al Simmons. Let that be a lesson to us all.
And I'll tell you what else - this has now got me collecting the action figures. There's like a million of them and I can be a completist. This is going to become more expensive than the phase I went through in 2022 where I drank Kava extract every day for three months. Well, that's the way of the World: We all end up in the big Money Suck in the sky. Even Al Simmons. Let that be a lesson to us all.
October 8, 2022
The first 50 issues of Spawn were an incredible slog to get through. There is very little narrative momentum going on, just endless brooding and recapping. What’s even more frustrating is that stuff happens outside these issues in mini-series that are referenced constantly. So basically you get a part of the story even with this huge book.
The real problem is that spawn just isn’t a good comic. The art wavers drastically from great to terrible, often in the same issue. McFarlane loves his splash pages and cool poses but half asses conversations and normal people (or makes them grotesque for no reason). You just can’t care about much here when the rules seem to be made up as it goes and it’s an endless repeat of “you have to learn to control your powers Al, there’s more going on than you know.� Just bleh.
BUT this book is a great value in that you get 50 issues (minus their covers) in high gloss paper that looks spectacular in its colour. Just wish the comic wasn’t barf.
The real problem is that spawn just isn’t a good comic. The art wavers drastically from great to terrible, often in the same issue. McFarlane loves his splash pages and cool poses but half asses conversations and normal people (or makes them grotesque for no reason). You just can’t care about much here when the rules seem to be made up as it goes and it’s an endless repeat of “you have to learn to control your powers Al, there’s more going on than you know.� Just bleh.
BUT this book is a great value in that you get 50 issues (minus their covers) in high gloss paper that looks spectacular in its colour. Just wish the comic wasn’t barf.
June 28, 2013
When it came to comics I never really was a fan. Main thing figuratively speaking is having to search the globe for sold out issues. All that changed with the Compendium comics several issues in just a few thousand pages. Anyway I'm getting off topic the Spawn Compendium collects issues 1-50 of the comic. it features Spawn formerly known as Al Simmons who was a government agent killed in the line of duty. He was sent to hell and made a deal with an entity he considered the devil. He would lead the Hell army to heaven if he could only see his wife again. His wish was granted but we all know be careful what you wish for.....
If you luv a good bit of Antihero action you surely won't be disappointed. This compendium is for new fans and old fans of spawn.
If you luv a good bit of Antihero action you surely won't be disappointed. This compendium is for new fans and old fans of spawn.
June 9, 2023
A great introduction to the best anti-hero in comic book history.
Everything about it was near perfect, storyline, biblical references, real world references, the 90's art style, characters, clever use of colour and shadows, etc.
My only issue is that a lot of the later runs keep mentioning the 'Angela mini-series' but this doesn't include that so I'm left in the middle of action that I never began. The villain Cy-Gor is introduced and reintroduced every other issue at the end but his storyline doesn't go anywhere, he is just a reminder that he is out there somewhere. And I hate the ending, I hate that Al brought Terry back to life after admitting over and over that he was a traitor to his friendship and marriage; it was really out of character for spawn.
Everything about it was near perfect, storyline, biblical references, real world references, the 90's art style, characters, clever use of colour and shadows, etc.
My only issue is that a lot of the later runs keep mentioning the 'Angela mini-series' but this doesn't include that so I'm left in the middle of action that I never began. The villain Cy-Gor is introduced and reintroduced every other issue at the end but his storyline doesn't go anywhere, he is just a reminder that he is out there somewhere. And I hate the ending, I hate that Al brought Terry back to life after admitting over and over that he was a traitor to his friendship and marriage; it was really out of character for spawn.
May 21, 2024
Todd’s art is fantastic. Capullo’s fantastic. I’m so into Image comics and what the founders did in the 90’s and what they’ve done for the art form of comic books since then but I will say these 50 issues of Spawn were a bit of a chore. Issue 50 kinda made it all worth it though.
June 12, 2021
Loved it all! Excited for Compendium 2 to come out.
June 13, 2022
Where it all began for my favorite comic book character of all time. The one that I have a tattoo of. Fantastic story and spectacular art. It has some ebbs and flows story wise but overall the positives outweigh the negatives. Not every comic in a series that has been running as long as this one has is going to be a knockout. I look forward to starting compendium 2!
May 26, 2024
It's been a while since I last read Spawn, so there's a nostalgia in going through this again. The artwork is good, and great after Greg Capullo joins. The early Image comics politics lead to events taking place in other Image series or standalone mini-series, some easier to find than others. The story is enough to keep the pages turning, though it's a touch predictable.
September 12, 2024
I have a lot of thoughts regarding this compendium and the Spawn 50 issues it collects. TLDR: 2.5 stars, looks amazing but the story has a lot of problems!
First of all, the artwork does look stellar, nothing in 1993 looked this good. And there is no dip in quality regarding the artwork, whether it's Todd McFarlane or Greg Capullo who pencil the comic.
I often heard beforehand that Spawn looks cool, but the story is a mess. I tend to agree with this statement, as I've found the first ~20 issues to be an almost unreadable mess. Characters ramble a lot and you often have pages full of non-essential text (I'm looking at the three TV reporters which I've started to loathe). But I will admit that the writing does improve and there's a couple of issues here that are actually interesting, from a story perspective.
Onto the next problem: The pacing. Plot points are repeated over and over from one issue to the next with very little progress. Spawn whines about his wife almost every issue, yet nothing happens in this direction. Spawn antagonises the mastermind behind his killing, actually confronts him, the guy survives ans Spawn antagonises him again. There's more plot lines just like this in here and it's frustrating.
Another problem I have, is the mapping. They slapped the first 50 issues in here, but there are 3 miniseries referenced throughout the story, with one of them being almost essential to the story; but it's not here!
I think this comic was never meant to be read in big chunks, but can instead be picked up at almost every issue, hence the never ending repetitions in here.
And then the compendium itself. It's so flimsy that the book looks heavily used after just one read through. I have however already read multiple compendiums from DC Comics and they held up amazingly well compared to this edition.
So all in all, I really cannot recommend this, unless you are just into the artwork. Luckily I haven't bought all six compendiums, but stopped after Vol. 2, which I'll dive into next.
First of all, the artwork does look stellar, nothing in 1993 looked this good. And there is no dip in quality regarding the artwork, whether it's Todd McFarlane or Greg Capullo who pencil the comic.
I often heard beforehand that Spawn looks cool, but the story is a mess. I tend to agree with this statement, as I've found the first ~20 issues to be an almost unreadable mess. Characters ramble a lot and you often have pages full of non-essential text (I'm looking at the three TV reporters which I've started to loathe). But I will admit that the writing does improve and there's a couple of issues here that are actually interesting, from a story perspective.
Onto the next problem: The pacing. Plot points are repeated over and over from one issue to the next with very little progress. Spawn whines about his wife almost every issue, yet nothing happens in this direction. Spawn antagonises the mastermind behind his killing, actually confronts him, the guy survives ans Spawn antagonises him again. There's more plot lines just like this in here and it's frustrating.
Another problem I have, is the mapping. They slapped the first 50 issues in here, but there are 3 miniseries referenced throughout the story, with one of them being almost essential to the story; but it's not here!
I think this comic was never meant to be read in big chunks, but can instead be picked up at almost every issue, hence the never ending repetitions in here.
And then the compendium itself. It's so flimsy that the book looks heavily used after just one read through. I have however already read multiple compendiums from DC Comics and they held up amazingly well compared to this edition.
So all in all, I really cannot recommend this, unless you are just into the artwork. Luckily I haven't bought all six compendiums, but stopped after Vol. 2, which I'll dive into next.
March 3, 2023
Like it happened with so many things in the 90s, we were taught that Spawn was cool. I wish someone had read the comics at least and gave me a word of warning. Well, that's not entirely true, I remember some chat in my local comic book store where some said that "well... not much happens in this book, to be honest". Now, after reading the first 50 issues of the series I can confirm that's an understatement: Nothing ever happens.
If it was only for the Spawn concept, I'd probably award it one more star or two. Edgy and even silly as it can be, I'm ok with the idea of Al Simmons coming back from the dead as a confused and renegade hellspawn, dealing with his new "life" and powers while the armies of hell follow his trail. Also, some groovy art by Greg Capullo.
But these 50 issues are just countless pages of Spawn brooding, first atop a church then at the end of an alley and as I said, not much happens here. But, lo! Things do happen. Where? In miniseries on Violator, Angela, etc... Are they included here? Nope. Ouch...
It doesn't help either having McF filling pages with dull walls of text, which perhaps wouldn't be a bad thing after all if he was a better writer but alas, he's not. I don't really want to pick on him but the best written stories are penned by names such as Moore, Gaiman, Miller, Morrison... and yet they can't save the series.
I really wanted to dig deeper into the real deal, the OG Spawn which made the likes of so many and was omnipresent in TV, movies, videogames and pretty much everything else but it turned out to be an utter disappointment. I've read that the series get a bit better after the first 100 issues (!), but I definitely got no rush in getting there anytime soon.
If it was only for the Spawn concept, I'd probably award it one more star or two. Edgy and even silly as it can be, I'm ok with the idea of Al Simmons coming back from the dead as a confused and renegade hellspawn, dealing with his new "life" and powers while the armies of hell follow his trail. Also, some groovy art by Greg Capullo.
But these 50 issues are just countless pages of Spawn brooding, first atop a church then at the end of an alley and as I said, not much happens here. But, lo! Things do happen. Where? In miniseries on Violator, Angela, etc... Are they included here? Nope. Ouch...
It doesn't help either having McF filling pages with dull walls of text, which perhaps wouldn't be a bad thing after all if he was a better writer but alas, he's not. I don't really want to pick on him but the best written stories are penned by names such as Moore, Gaiman, Miller, Morrison... and yet they can't save the series.
I really wanted to dig deeper into the real deal, the OG Spawn which made the likes of so many and was omnipresent in TV, movies, videogames and pretty much everything else but it turned out to be an utter disappointment. I've read that the series get a bit better after the first 100 issues (!), but I definitely got no rush in getting there anytime soon.
July 19, 2021
A government agent Al Simmons (an assassin) was killed by his own employer. His death was covered-up, he died as a “hero for his country�. After death he found himself somewhere in hell and made a deal with what he thought was the devil himself but actually just some ominous demon. Al wanted to see his wife Wanda again. And the demon granted him that wish...with demonic consequences of course. Al came back - as something else entirely. He had on this weird costume that seemed to be a part of him, sensing his emotions and reacting to them. Al finds out his face is distorted beyond recognition and he can see his wife but he can’t actually go to her..his appearance being just one of the reasons. Al will learn he’s become some kind of a beacon for trouble and all things dark, wicked and soulless. His journey as Hellspawn has just begun.
This was my first time reading Spawn and I quite enjoyed it. It started pretty light, humorous even, with funny and witty characters, Al’s first experiences as Spawn etc. But as the story developed it got much darker. Al’s persona seemed to change with all the mess and fucked up things going on around him and he was struggling to stay true to who he had been and still wanted to be. Al seemed to be in the middle of many things, whether he wanted to or not, there was always someone who wanted “a piece of him� or to prove something to someone with trying to win against the notorious hellspawn.
It’s a good story with solid and memorable characters, villains are merciless and sometimes surprising, “the good guys� have to adjust themselves to stay afloat and then there’s Spawn - the antihero. I’ve never read it in black and white and I honestly can’t imagine it not being in color. Colors seem to be such a big part of the whole atmosphere. Love the art also, the characters, the backgrounds, the little details.
I’ll be reading more of it in the future I’m sure.
This was my first time reading Spawn and I quite enjoyed it. It started pretty light, humorous even, with funny and witty characters, Al’s first experiences as Spawn etc. But as the story developed it got much darker. Al’s persona seemed to change with all the mess and fucked up things going on around him and he was struggling to stay true to who he had been and still wanted to be. Al seemed to be in the middle of many things, whether he wanted to or not, there was always someone who wanted “a piece of him� or to prove something to someone with trying to win against the notorious hellspawn.
It’s a good story with solid and memorable characters, villains are merciless and sometimes surprising, “the good guys� have to adjust themselves to stay afloat and then there’s Spawn - the antihero. I’ve never read it in black and white and I honestly can’t imagine it not being in color. Colors seem to be such a big part of the whole atmosphere. Love the art also, the characters, the backgrounds, the little details.
I’ll be reading more of it in the future I’m sure.
Currently reading
May 8, 2023Introduction
Since my tender childhood, I remember the Spawn dolls that I had on the shelves in my room. I watched the movie and started reading the comics, which I found in an antique store near my house, in my teens. I turn to history, now in my adult age.
Spawn Compendium #1
Chapter 1
I initially observe the quality of the strokes, which I like very much. Bright colors and cartoonish characters, exposing physical attributes such as muscles. A traditional American superhero comic.
I see the story targeting a teenage audience by playfully addressing themes like hell and demons. The premise of the return of death to reunite the beloved sounds good and creates foundations for the development of the characters.
The protagonist is presented as a military man reincarnated in the body of the monster Spawn. At the end, a possible antagonist, Violator, is introduced.
Chapter 2
Violator is an antagonist who has human form and demon form. He gains relevance by killing criminals and ripping out their hearts. Soon the police become aware. I like the detectives, who will be introduced. They have comic characteristics, a point that is emphasized throughout the story. The shape of the demons is funny and at the same time sinister, thin arms, big belly, humps and horns.
Since my tender childhood, I remember the Spawn dolls that I had on the shelves in my room. I watched the movie and started reading the comics, which I found in an antique store near my house, in my teens. I turn to history, now in my adult age.
Spawn Compendium #1
Chapter 1
I initially observe the quality of the strokes, which I like very much. Bright colors and cartoonish characters, exposing physical attributes such as muscles. A traditional American superhero comic.
I see the story targeting a teenage audience by playfully addressing themes like hell and demons. The premise of the return of death to reunite the beloved sounds good and creates foundations for the development of the characters.
The protagonist is presented as a military man reincarnated in the body of the monster Spawn. At the end, a possible antagonist, Violator, is introduced.
Chapter 2
Violator is an antagonist who has human form and demon form. He gains relevance by killing criminals and ripping out their hearts. Soon the police become aware. I like the detectives, who will be introduced. They have comic characteristics, a point that is emphasized throughout the story. The shape of the demons is funny and at the same time sinister, thin arms, big belly, humps and horns.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2021
There is no denying the innate abilities of Todd McFarlane, Tony Daniels, and Greg Capullo as artists, frankly their imagery is the main reason I’ve rated this as I as I have; but the overly wordy descriptions and writing from TM is a tremendous drag on this series which has a concept that can exist off of subtlety.
TM also goes out of his way to show what he really thinks of people not deserving of scorn; every overweight person is a glutton that farts all the time, every sex worker a burden on society, every homeless person an alcoholic. Todd may not realize he’s putting so much of his inner thoughts into this world but he leaves no stone unturned.
After 50 issues my main takeaway about Spawn the character himself is that he is a pure, uncut wife guy. He spends the first 25 issues complaining about how he misses her lmao
TM also goes out of his way to show what he really thinks of people not deserving of scorn; every overweight person is a glutton that farts all the time, every sex worker a burden on society, every homeless person an alcoholic. Todd may not realize he’s putting so much of his inner thoughts into this world but he leaves no stone unturned.
After 50 issues my main takeaway about Spawn the character himself is that he is a pure, uncut wife guy. He spends the first 25 issues complaining about how he misses her lmao
March 16, 2024
Spawn, Compendium 1 creado por Todd MacFarlane y Greg Capullo comprende los primeros 50 volúmenes que suman la cantidad de 1,136 páginas. Ahora, mi opinión... Pensé que me iba a gustar. Había escuchado sobre él y tenía altas las expectativas y siento que no las cumplió. Cerca del tomo 38/39 me empezó a atrapar más la historia, pues al principio la sentía confusa y algo atropellada. Con las ilustraciones también tengo opiniones divididas. Hay unas que se me hacen magníficas y otras que no me gustan nada, pero sobre todo, siento saturadas todas las páginas del cómic. Espero que en los siguientes volúmenes cambien las cosas.
August 4, 2024
Spawn era um dos meus filmes favoritos de quando piá, assisti diversas vezes. Li as 12 primeiras “issues� e� decepção. São todas basicamente iguais, não sei diferenciar uma da outra. História contada de forma confusa e inconsistente, isso que teve pouco desenrolar da história ainda. Dizem que a arte é o ponto forte e, realmente, a arte é boa, porém exagerada (?). Muitas cenas passei trabalho pra entender o que tava acontecendo, pelo menos 5 eu desisti.
Vi em alguns reviews que a coisa começa a ficar boa pela issue 100, o que pra mim é inviável.
Vi em alguns reviews que a coisa começa a ficar boa pela issue 100, o que pra mim é inviável.
August 7, 2024
As young people say these days: This is mid AF
Artwork is great but the story, at least issues written by McFarlane which is most, is pretty uninteresting. There is too much text which is weird complaint but writing isn't good enough to justify the word count. This is the first time I seen comicbook suffer from ''show don't tell'' syndrome. On the other hand I can't say writing is bad just, well as stated above mid. Setting is super interesting and things do get better later on so I will continue the series at some point.
Artwork is great but the story, at least issues written by McFarlane which is most, is pretty uninteresting. There is too much text which is weird complaint but writing isn't good enough to justify the word count. This is the first time I seen comicbook suffer from ''show don't tell'' syndrome. On the other hand I can't say writing is bad just, well as stated above mid. Setting is super interesting and things do get better later on so I will continue the series at some point.
Read
January 27, 2022I read the first eighteen issues in this compendium and decided that was enough for me. The art is terrific, the story (at its best) is pulpy, schlocky fun, but ultimately I just didn't find myself motivated to return to it. Definitely worth reading as an artifact of what it means to be a stereotype of 90s comics, and also fun if you want a bit more background into the current run of Spawn comics.
February 3, 2022
I understand the importance of spawn number one laying the groundwork for image. I think it’s cool that Todd has broken records with 300 issues. I liked some of the art. But the story dragged on, and was so repetitive, without much forward movement. Pretty boring overall. It was interesting to see where Tony Daniel and Greg Capullo really got a start. Todd can draw. Todd can make toys. Todd really can’t write.
Story gets 2 stars.
Art gets 3 stars.
Rounded up 2.5 to 3 on goodreads.
Story gets 2 stars.
Art gets 3 stars.
Rounded up 2.5 to 3 on goodreads.
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