Honestly, spawn is my favorite comic of all time. To me there’s never a dull moment. The story, art, and villain designs are top notch. Spawn is a comic where it can both take its time and build up really interesting things and move really fast and be action packed. I love that it can do both of those.
As a lover of Spawn myself I recommend this for beginner reads - Spawn (1 -101) - Spawn: Armageddon (150 - 164) - Spawn Resurrection - King Spawn If you like those some side stories I recommend are - Sam & Twitch - Curse of Spawn - Gunslinger Spawn - Batman/Spawn - Spawn-Batman Yes the two at the end are two different comics. Also great video btw ^-^
A lot of people hate now but Todd is an icon and a legend. The Spawn comic definitely seemed a little aimless sometimes when Todd was writing and it certainly suffered from too much dialogue but I would still recommend it. Without a doubt he is one of the biggest independent icons. Probably only surpassed by the turtles. 3 or 4 video games plus several cameos in top tier fighter games. The animated show was excellent and won awards and I like the movie despite its flaws. I remember going to see it in theaters with my dad and cousins. It's all happy memories for me
@Nantp-Seiken he’s one of those industry breakers that is kind of a jerk, a few years ago there were talks of Image mistreating its workers. Not like harassment or anything, but I think like neglect and payment.
@patrickmulligan3101 No, I believe someone else is writing currently, and all throughout, it has had several different writers. I think Todd did the first 70 issues and then started trading it off with others
Been doing a read through of spawn. It is incredibly uneven. Some times it is an amazing horror action adventure. Some time it feels like an emo diary and is incredibly slow.
I believe Spawn as a legitimate R rated scary horror/detective movie would be amazing!!!! Spawn is in an extremely unique position and could take a horror film in a different direction. Awesome video!
If you want something memorable, Spawn isn't worth reading. The first 100 issues are a classic, but there's nothing mindblowing after all. - No memorable arcs. - Bad storytelling But! If you want something fun, edgy and amazingly well drawn, Spawn is your place. That's a simple choice.
I still don't get how or why y'all dislike the movie, I never see the issues or the problems in the movie, that how I discovered Spawn from that movie as kid & got me into the Spawn Universe. Spawn deserve more love & attention, he's so underrated character, after & every since he's a dlc character in MK11 he's back as the underrated character again which pisses me off like wtf.
I just finished Spawn compendium 2. That covers the first 100 issues of Spawn. Sure it's got the 90s trappings of big muscles, guns, over the top violence and concepts. At the heart of it, it's a tragic horror story that can cut deep and stir emotions inside... Spawn probably isn't for everyone, but it is for someone and I highly recommend giving it a try.
I always felt Spawn was not worth reading, but it was worth looking at (with art by Capullo and McFarlane). I am working my way through the Compendiums, so we shall see how they are after the point I reached in the 90s. Totally agree about McFarlane, great artist, bad writer.
I actually checked out the compendium volumes 1 & 4 from the library; i skipped to 4 cuz i wanted to read the Armageddon story i heard was good, and i ended up really loving it. Through volume 1, I read a few of the stories here and there, the Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore issues at the beginning were great, but mostly i skimmed around just looking at the art. I really like Greg Capullo. O i just remembered the KKK story and the one about the abused boys whose dad was a cop was really good stories too.
@@jbarb9987 I totally agree regarding volume 1 (I finished it, haven't started 2 yet, but own all 4 so far), the stories you said were the best it has to offer, and were really good. The rest . . . meh. I am looking forward to hitting volume 4 to read the storyline you mentioned.
I am currently on the Resurrection arc after having an on and off relationship with the Spawn series since the late 90s, then coming back and reading through the five compendiums released so far. I feel that the main series is more filler than a solid narrative. Todd likes to drag this series out just to break the records he wants to as a creator-owned franchise and it certainly shows, with so many slow burns that ultimately go nowhere and retcons galore. I'm still adamant about getting through the whole series, but I'm definitely taking my time.
As a character Spawn is one of my favorite characters ever written but in terms of comics the mainline series is either really good or really bad but it’s spinoffs are extremely good
I was a kid, the demographic, Spawn aimed for back in 92. The written history won't tell you Spawn wasn't consistent, sometimes two issues a month to catch up. But the real kicker was around issue 60-70s the comicbook wasn't available anymore. It disappeared from my news stands and comicbook stores. Anyway, issues 1-100 is about it for the story. It's all weird mini-sagas, spin-offs, what-ifs, retconns, etc between 102-290ish. I met Todd at the 301st issue meet&greet where I tried to pick up the story again, but I like the early style "pg-13 cheese" era. The uber blood,guts, horror stories later on get old and abysmally redundant. The OG era with early Capullo art...yeah man
His [Capullo] art is the only "canonical" Spawn art for me, helps me keep the story happenings in check. And also, with later issues, there were a bunch of characters that I had no clue who they were immediately b/c these new artists "put their spin" on it, and it never topped Capullo, then Todd, then Medina aaand that's it for me lol. Another badass aspect to 90' Image comics was their testing of different print papers and qualities of ink, while dc and marvel were still 8/10 times printed on "bible paper"
Spawn is good for just wanting to have fun with the craziness, not needing to overthink things, or be super serious sometimes that's good to have around
I remember both the HBO animated show and seeing the live action film as a kid. Even back then i knew the movie wasn't good and the CGI looked dated. But the casting for Spawn was perfect. Kinda wish they brought back that same actor for a better live action Spawn.
Michael Jai? He wasn't bad. I can see a different actor elevating Spawn though. His story is tragic. But yeah the Live action has...uh...not aged well hahaha.
The animated series are soo friggin good...I just love the style of the animation with TONS of black used. I think those series still hold up to these days. I wish they`d make a new season but that`s highly unlikely. Back in the day HBO spent a shitload of dough for em - the first season only cost 6mils.
Id love to see a new TV show of Spawn. I tried watching the older show with my Dad and we were both on the verge of falling asleep by episode 3 or so. Its a shame that the comics aren't stellar but i find it interesting that Spawn is elevated when he is in something where he's not the main focus. You mentioned the crossover events but also in games like Soul Calibur 2 or Mortal Kombat 11 he's pretty striking in those.
The TV show is good overall, but at times slow as hell. Especially the 2nd season, which has a storyline that should've taken 2-3 episodes instead of 6. But, when the show picks up, it shines. Season 3 is pretty good and has a lot of payoff (not to everything though).
When I discovered Spawn back in the 90's (issue 13) it changed my life forever. It wasn't the character, it was the art. As a kid who took an interest in art, I had almost given up until the glorious day I picked up that issue. I can't stress enough how much I was influenced by McFarlane's art (along with Sam Kieth and the Maxx.) Yeah, Spawn is kinda meh. But to me, McFarlane's art was what did it for me.
I stopped reading around issue, 100 and I was shocked to find out that there was another 200 issues after. I tried going back and reading the comics and realize that I read most of these when I was a teenager so it seemed a lot better than it is now.
I actually bought the first volume of the Spawn Origins collection recently and I think that it's the only thing on my shelf that was purchased solely for the art lol. Hey have you ever thought of making a vid like this for Savage Dragon? Would love to hear what you'd have to say about that series.
literally the hbo cartoon is what carries this series for me. found this series through a flea market bin, got loads of the old macfarlane toys like violator, vindicator, spawn, medeival spawn, so many characters. and then I saw the show on youtube around like 2010 maybe? comics are okay but that show is beyond perfect
It’s really good IMO, they don’t vomit out chapters/issues like One Piece does. They actually more or less take their time, and he’s not trying for one goal for and never reaching it.
Purely aesthetically, I disagree. But when considering the time, how difficult it would've been to make a spawn costume, and how close they got without going all X-men and making spawn a completely new character, then yea it's probably one of, if not *the* greatest superhero costume jobs ever
Not to sound like a weeb but if you wanna read an edgy comic about a bad ass anti hero who fights demons and wants revenge with actual good writing on top of good art then go read Berserk
Let me see some phone book sized B&W books of old SPAWN stories showing off that crazy artwork for $20-$25 bucks. Or better yet some $50 hardcovers like the BESERK B&W manga. Something that would look classy on the shelves.
Well, for me Spawn could have been the most emotionally compelling antihero of all western comic books had Todd McFarlane take some writing advices. Just think about it: a mercenary who barely survived being burned alive and is now a slave to Hell, but Heaven wants him in their army also. Instead of fucking them both to follow his very own path, Spawn only knows how to feel sorry for himself and be a brute. The only issues I've liked are 16-18 and 29.
Hellspawn was so damn good! I was hooked by Ashley Wood's amazing art. I would give a leg or arm for an animated series in Wood's art with a creepy atmosphere to accompany the dark visuals of his art brought to life with animation
I've been reading GUn SLinger. It's pretty fun so far. but after #3-4 I think that there's a lot of new players that makes it a bit tricky to digest. I also picked up the first 12 issues of the TPBS of the SPawn series. looks pretty good. Lot more story than action for a superhero book
I read until Al's death near issue 200 a few years ago. I thought it was real cool and edgy. Now I realize that it peaked on issue #5. Introducing overtkill was a major blow to the tone that it never really got back up from.
Spawn seems like a cool concept and I may check it out if I can find the compendium at a cheap price. However, I will say, that Mcfarlane’s writing is just as bad as everyone says. I recently read his run on Spider-Man, and at first Todd tricked me with his amazing art into enjoying his run more than I would have if it was just a jobber marvel artist. I got about halfway through and it started to be a slog. He tries to be very edgy and it sort of comes across very juvenile. I really can’t say enough how much I love his art though. I wish we had more comics with him on the pencils accompanied by a great writer
Imo... YES I love the main series, Gunslinger Spawn, Scorched, and King Spawn are amazing. Started collecting Spawn dark ages and Curse of Spawn recently
I can’t really comment on the middle area cause I haven’t really read anything there. But currently? I’d take spawn, king spawn and gunslinger over pretty much anything being put out by marvel and dc.
Interesting. I'm digging King and Gunslinger is fun, but there's a ton of comics over at Marvel/DC I'd read over them both. But still, this is the best Spawn been in awhile.
@@UltimateChance Jeremy Adams is about the only competent writer at dc. Batman sucks. Detective sucks. Action and Superman are both hit and miss. Marvel has ultimate Spider-Man. Asm is awful, X-men awful, FF completely forgettable, hulk started out okay but had went south faster than anyone could have expected. My pull list is basically just image and ultimate spider at this point.
I think Hulk is great, Moon Knight is great, Aliens is fun, Predator is fun, Avengers is solid, I'm enjoying Batman but uneven, Supes is fun, Birds of Prey is good, loves Green Lantern War Journal, main solid, Hellblazer is good, Superman/Batman is great, Batman Off World and Dark Age are both a surprise hit for me. So yeah I'd rate a lot of these way over gunslinger. But King Spawn is still solid.
@@UltimateChance I can’t speak on titles like aliens cause I don’t really read those kinds of books. But we clearly have differing opinions on “good” if you’re putting birds of prey and Batman in that category. Either way glad you enjoy them.
He always felt like a 13 year old who just watched his first gore video and found out about swear words and now thinks he is hard-core and badass THIS mother fucker is the mascot of the 90's and that's the only reason for his success if this man first appeared today same design and story structure it would bomb this is a hill I will absolutely die on
@UltimateChance my man Todd has coasted off of spawn and nothing else his entire career did a few other things sure but is only really KNOWN for spawn and he will never let you forget it "I made spawn" cool dude spawn hasn't been cool since 2003
I don't know about spin-offs, I'm never sure if they have enough support to stand alone. I was really hooked on the animated Spawn in the 90s, though the second season was rather slow, I was really into the character emotionally - some of that credit clearly must go to Kieth David's portrayal but surely a lot of it was Todd's writing too. The Show at least convinced me that the story was going somewhere, something big felt really imminent - a war between heaven and hell, and Spawn, with a child of prophecy on the way, determined to regain his humanity. That it stopped there was the biggest tease of my early life. I always assumed the comics covered this epic story, but I don't want to pay for all these issues if Al is going to keep spinning in whiney, violent circles, going nowhere, only to die and then comeback for more. Maybe I'm better off with Hellboy if I want a redemption story for the tool of Hell.
I really like the Character... but McFarlane has no idea about what to do with him. Hell is evil, Heaven is also Evil. He can't kill evil guys because he would be giving more souls to Hell. He would not fight for Heaven, because God ends up being evil too. He's no hero at all. He does not help anyone ... no point at all.
I remember reading the first 20 something issues like 15yrs ago. I wasnt impress at all. Veeeery hit & miss. Im sure I would have love it in the 90s cus when I was a kid I loved the movie 😂
@@markmangligot5855 it's funny cause they got much better mid 2000s than they were in 1995 but their sales back then were crazy due to things like spawn.
Spawn doesn't have the best reputation despite being a one of the few non Big Two superheroes to have out of niche territory. I think it's a victim of preconceived notions and biases. Two of the most prominent Spawn comic analysis vids on YT shit on it for not being a very good comic despite its popularity - The Geekvolution Spawn Year project (ambitious but narrow-minded in analysis) and Matt Drapers (I like his content overall) retrospective of the impact of the character. This "Spawn is kinda shitty" narrative has always bothered me. It seems people lump it into the "lolz X-Treme 90s comics woooooaaaahhhh!" fad (which in itself is exaggerated because tons of 90s comics are great) and they don't bother to give the book itself a proper chance. One of the biggest criticisms is that the comic "takes forever to go nowhere" and I'm like....? Sure, it's not a fast paced comic but it's never a dull one. It's populated with interesting and fun characters, great lore, and great art. Like any long running book it has it's lows, but it's always been rather consistent and engaging.
Todd McFarlane is Stan Lee but a great artist they weren't great writer but coming up with super hero with a great plot not writing but plot ideal there FUCKEN GOLD AT THAT LIKE PROF
1. Spawn is the most popular superhero outside Marvel and DC despite having not any big movie or TV show. 2.he has a highest sales for a superhero comic outside Marvel and DC(150 million sales) 3.he has only a few hundred issues compared to Superman who has thousands so he kinda made more money for an individual issue than the big heroes of Marvel and DC. That is impressive
McFarlane is an artist/businessman, NOT a writer. While a great concept and design, the story never went anywhere while he was writing it. Gnomic soliloquys broken by odd spurts of ultraviolence don't compensate for an essential stasis.
Actually a live action movie is in the making. Actually McFarlane has been saying this for years now but afaik they started casting recently. Let`s just hope the quality is not like the original move but rather at the level of the animated series.
@@UltimateChance spawn has to be one of the bestest Comics that you have to read, there are definitely worth reading in your while. Spawn head shows many interesting facts and emotions through the stories and lessons that he learns, it has many of that feeling that you could have relate to. Trust me my friend, it's worth it.
well, as for me, spawn comics are very interesting.Unlike a silly child's Miracle.I can't even stand the costumes of these heroes.Their costumes make me feel ashamed.Adults, some of them geniuses or something, and dressed like a clown.This shit, I'm not talking about most of the idiotic arcs about Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and others.It's such a shame, I don't even understand how people read it. If Spawn justifies the fact that his costume is associated with him, then the costume of Batman or others is just a laugh. Bruce Wayne, a genius and billionaire, walks around in a bat suit!!!Bitch!!It's such a laugh!!Sometimes I feel ashamed to look at him, and my mind says to me, "What are you doing?Are you really reading this?!!Only jerks with complexes of uselessness can read and love it."And I immediately stopped with this shit.It's just a shame.
“The art of as not good” is just blasphemy get foot taste palette up cuz I can already tell you like furry artwork. NOT GOOD TUH, where’s your multi billion dollar comic book champ ? iight then, knock it off & do better.
Spawn comics are awesome! I hate these hater videos where they say the stories suck. Nahh that and the art is why they have such a following. If it’s to adult for you there’s always DC or marvel
That overreaching cape suckass obviously to save time and to skip further drawing...Most important in artistry is the vision for the character not just to be different and unique. OVERRATED INDEED...
OOOH-YEAH Fascinating because the stupid character looks like THE SPIDER-MAN X PUNISHER X DEADPOOL X DOCTOR STRANGE X SUPERMAN X BATMAN X VENOM...with poor dialogues left-right and center. AND I HATE THE EXCESSIVE TONER, LIKE THEY WILL PRINT AN ENTIRE PAGE ACROSS ANOTHER PAGE AND THEY PUT A HUGE EYE JUST TO STRETCH THE STORY...UUUGH!
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He also had video games too
Honestly, spawn is my favorite comic of all time. To me there’s never a dull moment. The story, art, and villain designs are top notch. Spawn is a comic where it can both take its time and build up really interesting things and move really fast and be action packed. I love that it can do both of those.
I'm glad you enjoy it as much as you do, that's awesome 😁
As a lover of Spawn myself I recommend this for beginner reads
- Spawn (1 -101)
- Spawn: Armageddon (150 - 164)
- Spawn Resurrection
- King Spawn
If you like those some side stories I recommend are
- Sam & Twitch
- Curse of Spawn
- Gunslinger Spawn
- Batman/Spawn
- Spawn-Batman
Yes the two at the end are two different comics.
Also great video btw ^-^
Awesome list. And thank ya!
@@UltimateChance Thank you and no problem. ^-^
The spawn animation series was a masterpiece
I still watch them on vhs
Seems so much more focused than the comics with a fairly grounded story. It’s left so unfinished and it’s a crime
just gotten into spawn at age 16, reading all the side stories and main run and im loving it.
Glad you're digging it!
A lot of people hate now but Todd is an icon and a legend. The Spawn comic definitely seemed a little aimless sometimes when Todd was writing and it certainly suffered from too much dialogue but I would still recommend it. Without a doubt he is one of the biggest independent icons. Probably only surpassed by the turtles. 3 or 4 video games plus several cameos in top tier fighter games. The animated show was excellent and won awards and I like the movie despite its flaws. I remember going to see it in theaters with my dad and cousins. It's all happy memories for me
Things like that are awesome, to remember things based on childhood, glad he meant something to ya!~
Todd is a champion
@Nantp-Seiken he’s one of those industry breakers that is kind of a jerk, a few years ago there were talks of Image mistreating its workers. Not like harassment or anything, but I think like neglect and payment.
Isn’t Todd still writing it lol
@patrickmulligan3101 No, I believe someone else is writing currently, and all throughout, it has had several different writers. I think Todd did the first 70 issues and then started trading it off with others
Been doing a read through of spawn. It is incredibly uneven. Some times it is an amazing horror action adventure. Some time it feels like an emo diary and is incredibly slow.
Lol emo diary. That's a good way to describe it.
@@UltimateChance wAnDAaAaaaa ......
I believe Spawn as a legitimate R rated scary horror/detective movie would be amazing!!!! Spawn is in an extremely unique position and could take a horror film in a different direction. Awesome video!
I agree 100%
I read they’re talking to the directors from Stranger Things to do the upcoming Spawn reboot
yep its worth reading im on issue 312 and its great
Finally someone actually liking the main comic book series
If you want something memorable, Spawn isn't worth reading. The first 100 issues are a classic, but there's nothing mindblowing after all.
- No memorable arcs.
- Bad storytelling
But! If you want something fun, edgy and amazingly well drawn, Spawn is your place. That's a simple choice.
Bingo! Agree! 😃
The figth against malebolgia, i remeber i liked that one a lot,
The. You need to read the side story then you semm you only read evrything till issue 100#
@@UltimateChance no not really
Satan Saga wars... rebirth... King Spawn and Gunslinger are all great
I still don't get how or why y'all dislike the movie, I never see the issues or the problems in the movie, that how I discovered Spawn from that movie as kid & got me into the Spawn Universe.
Spawn deserve more love & attention, he's so underrated character, after & every since he's a dlc character in MK11 he's back as the underrated character again which pisses me off like wtf.
The movie is really outdated and such, it's not the worst thing ever, but it had a lot of misses. I'm hoping the new movie is better.
I just finished Spawn compendium 2. That covers the first 100 issues of Spawn. Sure it's got the 90s trappings of big muscles, guns, over the top violence and concepts. At the heart of it, it's a tragic horror story that can cut deep and stir emotions inside...
Spawn probably isn't for everyone, but it is for someone and I highly recommend giving it a try.
I feel like spawn has no real development. In issue 5 he is lonely and sobbing for his Wanda. In issue 50 it's the same.
This is...true LOL
This is why I want the Todd McFarlane written and directed Spawn movie to happen. He'll create a movie worse than the first film
Why do you want a movie worse than previous one?
I always felt Spawn was not worth reading, but it was worth looking at (with art by Capullo and McFarlane). I am working my way through the Compendiums, so we shall see how they are after the point I reached in the 90s. Totally agree about McFarlane, great artist, bad writer.
Agreed. His art in Spider-Man is also amazing.
I actually checked out the compendium volumes 1 & 4 from the library; i skipped to 4 cuz i wanted to read the Armageddon story i heard was good, and i ended up really loving it. Through volume 1, I read a few of the stories here and there, the Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore issues at the beginning were great, but mostly i skimmed around just looking at the art. I really like Greg Capullo. O i just remembered the KKK story and the one about the abused boys whose dad was a cop was really good stories too.
@@jbarb9987 I totally agree regarding volume 1 (I finished it, haven't started 2 yet, but own all 4 so far), the stories you said were the best it has to offer, and were really good. The rest . . . meh. I am looking forward to hitting volume 4 to read the storyline you mentioned.
@TechHighCurran any updates?
@@George_Spartan117 Still haven't gotten there. I have been reading other stuff, and my life got . . . complicated.
Today's Spawn is much better than 90s Spawn in pretty much every way possible.
Agreed!
Really I bet, if it's got good writers. As a teen I loved Spawn but as an adult, as far as horror type comics go, I'm a bigger fan of Vertigo stuff.
I’d love you to review the spawn spin-offs of the past like Dark Ages; Hellspawn; Curse of Spawn etc etc
I might take some time to look into em!!! 😄
I am currently on the Resurrection arc after having an on and off relationship with the Spawn series since the late 90s, then coming back and reading through the five compendiums released so far. I feel that the main series is more filler than a solid narrative. Todd likes to drag this series out just to break the records he wants to as a creator-owned franchise and it certainly shows, with so many slow burns that ultimately go nowhere and retcons galore. I'm still adamant about getting through the whole series, but I'm definitely taking my time.
This is pretty much my exact thoughts. But props going through the entire series!
Honestly you could start at 300 or the Eric Larsen run in late 200s because the book is cool now post-350
@@blujay1524 yeah but since I'm already at 254 I might as well keep going.
As a character Spawn is one of my favorite characters ever written but in terms of comics the mainline series is either really good or really bad but it’s spinoffs are extremely good
I was a kid, the demographic, Spawn aimed for back in 92. The written history won't tell you Spawn wasn't consistent, sometimes two issues a month to catch up. But the real kicker was around issue 60-70s the comicbook wasn't available anymore. It disappeared from my news stands and comicbook stores. Anyway, issues 1-100 is about it for the story. It's all weird mini-sagas, spin-offs, what-ifs, retconns, etc between 102-290ish. I met Todd at the 301st issue meet&greet where I tried to pick up the story again, but I like the early style "pg-13 cheese" era. The uber blood,guts, horror stories later on get old and abysmally redundant. The OG era with early Capullo art...yeah man
Capullo art def was the best part of the entire thing for me haha
His [Capullo] art is the only "canonical" Spawn art for me, helps me keep the story happenings in check.
And also, with later issues, there were a bunch of characters that I had no clue who they were immediately b/c these new artists "put their spin" on it, and it never topped Capullo, then Todd, then Medina aaand that's it for me lol.
Another badass aspect to 90' Image comics was their testing of different print papers and qualities of ink, while dc and marvel were still 8/10 times printed on "bible paper"
I’m working on the entire series. I’m trying to do it in 18 months it’s about 1 volume a week, give or take. I’m blown away at how good spawn is.
Glad liking it!
Spawn is good for just wanting to have fun with the craziness, not needing to overthink things, or be super serious sometimes that's good to have around
I remember both the HBO animated show and seeing the live action film as a kid. Even back then i knew the movie wasn't good and the CGI looked dated.
But the casting for Spawn was perfect. Kinda wish they brought back that same actor for a better live action Spawn.
Michael Jai? He wasn't bad. I can see a different actor elevating Spawn though. His story is tragic.
But yeah the Live action has...uh...not aged well hahaha.
@@UltimateChance michael jai white is a good actor but I see what you mean too
The animated series are soo friggin good...I just love the style of the animation with TONS of black used. I think those series still hold up to these days. I wish they`d make a new season but that`s highly unlikely. Back in the day HBO spent a shitload of dough for em - the first season only cost 6mils.
Id love to see a new TV show of Spawn. I tried watching the older show with my Dad and we were both on the verge of falling asleep by episode 3 or so. Its a shame that the comics aren't stellar but i find it interesting that Spawn is elevated when he is in something where he's not the main focus. You mentioned the crossover events but also in games like Soul Calibur 2 or Mortal Kombat 11 he's pretty striking in those.
His fame and style is better than his stories so I feel thats why he stands out so much.
The TV show is good overall, but at times slow as hell. Especially the 2nd season, which has a storyline that should've taken 2-3 episodes instead of 6. But, when the show picks up, it shines. Season 3 is pretty good and has a lot of payoff (not to everything though).
The team behind the Invincible series need to get on this now
When I discovered Spawn back in the 90's (issue 13) it changed my life forever. It wasn't the character, it was the art. As a kid who took an interest in art, I had almost given up until the glorious day I picked up that issue. I can't stress enough how much I was influenced by McFarlane's art (along with Sam Kieth and the Maxx.) Yeah, Spawn is kinda meh. But to me, McFarlane's art was what did it for me.
That's fair the art is great
I stopped reading around issue, 100 and I was shocked to find out that there was another 200 issues after. I tried going back and reading the comics and realize that I read most of these when I was a teenager so it seemed a lot better than it is now.
I actually bought the first volume of the Spawn Origins collection recently and I think that it's the only thing on my shelf that was purchased solely for the art lol.
Hey have you ever thought of making a vid like this for Savage Dragon? Would love to hear what you'd have to say about that series.
I actually haven't read aavage yet haha. But I did buy the first hardcover!
As an avid comic reader, im 45 and trust me, spawn is one of the best!
literally the hbo cartoon is what carries this series for me. found this series through a flea market bin, got loads of the old macfarlane toys like violator, vindicator, spawn, medeival spawn, so many characters. and then I saw the show on youtube around like 2010 maybe? comics are okay but that show is beyond perfect
King of Nothing sounds like a good name for a spawn comic
Hahaha I try
Spawn #300 and onward has been really good! And all the spin offs are dope
For sure it's gotten better since then!
I’m drawn more by art than writing in comics and I do really enjoy Greg Capullo’s work on the Spawn books. The writing always seemed to lag though
RAT CITY is another Spawn universe title that I believe is worth checking out I’ve enjoyed the futuristic vibe just scratches that’s itch lol
@@darksparkgaming1968 I'm not familiar with that one. I'll check it out!
@ it’s relatively new with 7 issues in
Spawn is my favorite Anti Hero! The Armageddon series was poetic!
It’s really good IMO, they don’t vomit out chapters/issues like One Piece does. They actually more or less take their time, and he’s not trying for one goal for and never reaching it.
Well to be fair one piece is a shonen and on a much stricter schedule.
@@UltimateChance Most Shonen are released once a month.
The spawn movie had the best costume of all comic movies....I'm not sorry
I dunno. Iron Man, winter Solider Cap, and Deadpool all high up there for me.
master yoda had the best costume of all time jedi knight. jk im trolling spawn is the best costume super hero
Purely aesthetically, I disagree. But when considering the time, how difficult it would've been to make a spawn costume, and how close they got without going all X-men and making spawn a completely new character, then yea it's probably one of, if not *the* greatest superhero costume jobs ever
Venom's symbiote can only be the second best symbiotic suit.
I agree. Also i loved john leguizamo's violator.
Not to sound like a weeb but if you wanna read an edgy comic about a bad ass anti hero who fights demons and wants revenge with actual good writing on top of good art then go read Berserk
Dope video! But what about Spawn Universe? Isnt that another spinoff that was introduced recently?
These are basically the spin offs in the spawn universe.
Let me see some phone book sized B&W books of old SPAWN stories showing off that crazy artwork for $20-$25 bucks. Or better yet some $50 hardcovers like the BESERK B&W manga. Something that would look classy on the shelves.
They did used to have the black and white version. Now they're all in color.
picked up a book of the origins collection books some days ago, i will closely listen to what you say
Hope you dig it!!!
Well, for me Spawn could have been the most emotionally compelling antihero of all western comic books had Todd McFarlane take some writing advices. Just think about it: a mercenary who barely survived being burned alive and is now a slave to Hell, but Heaven wants him in their army also. Instead of fucking them both to follow his very own path, Spawn only knows how to feel sorry for himself and be a brute. The only issues I've liked are 16-18 and 29.
Oh I agree it could have been amazing, sadly we get kind of a meh run most of the time.
He should have put the bad blood to
One side and hired Peter David.
Hellspawn was so damn good! I was hooked by Ashley Wood's amazing art. I would give a leg or arm for an animated series in Wood's art with a creepy atmosphere to accompany the dark visuals of his art brought to life with animation
Compendium 1-4 compendium 5 is coming this September!
He says "no attachment to DC or Marvel, but spawn reminds me of a dark knight rip-off
Spawn to me looks like a mix of Doctor Strange and Venom with Ghost Rider's origin.
I've been reading GUn SLinger. It's pretty fun so far. but after #3-4 I think that there's a lot of new players that makes it a bit tricky to digest.
I also picked up the first 12 issues of the TPBS of the SPawn series. looks pretty good. Lot more story than action for a superhero book
I read until Al's death near issue 200 a few years ago. I thought it was real cool and edgy. Now I realize that it peaked on issue #5. Introducing overtkill was a major blow to the tone that it never really got back up from.
Spawn seems like a cool concept and I may check it out if I can find the compendium at a cheap price. However, I will say, that Mcfarlane’s writing is just as bad as everyone says. I recently read his run on Spider-Man, and at first Todd tricked me with his amazing art into enjoying his run more than I would have if it was just a jobber marvel artist. I got about halfway through and it started to be a slog. He tries to be very edgy and it sort of comes across very juvenile.
I really can’t say enough how much I love his art though. I wish we had more comics with him on the pencils accompanied by a great writer
I have not read his spidy run yet but heard similar comments. But I do agree his art? 🔥
@@UltimateChance I think it’s for sure worth a read. I just don’t think it works well when you binge it. You start to notice his flaws much more
Uh oh...so my omnibus might be a bad idea 😅🤣
Clearly you've never read a Spawn comic book before
@@UltimateChance an omnibus would be great
I would like to see a new Spawn movie and one where it's great.
A dream! I'm still in the TV camp for a horror vibe!
@@UltimateChance Ok
The spawn movie is good
Thank you for no spoilers. I love Spawn.
Imo... YES I love the main series, Gunslinger Spawn, Scorched, and King Spawn are amazing. Started collecting Spawn dark ages and Curse of Spawn recently
That's awesome! Glad digging em all!
Spawn is great but only if you turn your brain off
I’m am loving king Spawn and this current arc. I think it helps that he isn’t overrated like some heroes.
You only read 100 issues so can’t take you seriously when you say it’s not worth reading
That's insane to say "you read a hundred issues how do you know if it's good?" Lol. I also read closer to 150-200
I’ve still never seen anyone draw as good and make a comic as interesting
Than spawn?
I also dropped spawn in the mid of engame arc because of the art not really digging it, i also found the new spawn is lame.
The spin off line?
@@UltimateChance the main one,
I can’t really comment on the middle area cause I haven’t really read anything there. But currently? I’d take spawn, king spawn and gunslinger over pretty much anything being put out by marvel and dc.
Interesting. I'm digging King and Gunslinger is fun, but there's a ton of comics over at Marvel/DC I'd read over them both. But still, this is the best Spawn been in awhile.
@@UltimateChance Jeremy Adams is about the only competent writer at dc. Batman sucks. Detective sucks. Action and Superman are both hit and miss. Marvel has ultimate Spider-Man. Asm is awful, X-men awful, FF completely forgettable, hulk started out okay but had went south faster than anyone could have expected. My pull list is basically just image and ultimate spider at this point.
I think Hulk is great, Moon Knight is great, Aliens is fun, Predator is fun, Avengers is solid, I'm enjoying Batman but uneven, Supes is fun, Birds of Prey is good, loves Green Lantern War Journal, main solid, Hellblazer is good, Superman/Batman is great, Batman Off World and Dark Age are both a surprise hit for me.
So yeah I'd rate a lot of these way over gunslinger. But King Spawn is still solid.
@@UltimateChance I can’t speak on titles like aliens cause I don’t really read those kinds of books. But we clearly have differing opinions on “good” if you’re putting birds of prey and Batman in that category. Either way glad you enjoy them.
That is the best part about comics. So many to choose from, never a shortage for people wanting new things!
Spot is my number one favorite comic book character
I REALLY want a goddamn rated-M heavy metal composed action video game with soulslike elements, RPG elements, hack & slash, stealth & high mobility.
He always felt like a 13 year old who just watched his first gore video and found out about swear words and now thinks he is hard-core and badass THIS mother fucker is the mascot of the 90's and that's the only reason for his success if this man first appeared today same design and story structure it would bomb this is a hill I will absolutely die on
Def edgelord haha.
@UltimateChance my man Todd has coasted off of spawn and nothing else his entire career did a few other things sure but is only really KNOWN for spawn and he will never let you forget it "I made spawn" cool dude spawn hasn't been cool since 2003
I don't know about spin-offs, I'm never sure if they have enough support to stand alone.
I was really hooked on the animated Spawn in the 90s, though the second season was rather slow, I was really into the character emotionally - some of that credit clearly must go to Kieth David's portrayal but surely a lot of it was Todd's writing too. The Show at least convinced me that the story was going somewhere, something big felt really imminent - a war between heaven and hell, and Spawn, with a child of prophecy on the way, determined to regain his humanity. That it stopped there was the biggest tease of my early life. I always assumed the comics covered this epic story, but I don't want to pay for all these issues if Al is going to keep spinning in whiney, violent circles, going nowhere, only to die and then comeback for more.
Maybe I'm better off with Hellboy if I want a redemption story for the tool of Hell.
Hellboy is def better written.
My favorite comic book
Mcfarlane ran out of ideas by issue 6. It’s been rinse repeat of the few ideas scribbled down by Moore and Gaman for 350 issue.
Pretty much sadly.
Spawn is still one of my fav all time. They need to re continue the hbo series.... probably wont happen.
Nah they'll head live action route.
I actually like some of the spawn coins that weren’t wrote by Todd
I really like the Character... but McFarlane has no idea about what to do with him. Hell is evil, Heaven is also Evil. He can't kill evil guys because he would be giving more souls to Hell. He would not fight for Heaven, because God ends up being evil too. He's no hero at all. He does not help anyone ... no point at all.
McFarlane is a innovator but a plot writer he is not 🤣
@@UltimateChance indeed. He brooke the industry, but once his creation saw the light, he could not do anything with it.
I think Todd is an atheist.
"a comic being good is subjective."
You don't seem to hold the same view for movies.
Animated manga style would catch followers
spawn everything is worth it cause its the best action figure series of all time not only a great comic book.
Def a great action figure line.
I like King Spawn is better than the main series wish it was the main 😂 sometimes
King spawn Def a step above the main in terms of writing for sure.
Yeah it's worth reading
Is it tho? 🤔
@@UltimateChance yes it is I believe it's better than marvel and DC comics and the characters development of spawn is good but it's just my opinion
Fair enough!
@@stanwin3848 Yes definitely better than Marvel and DC. The reviews speak for themselves.
Agree.
SPAWN has always been squarely aimed at the lowest common denominator; that's why it still sells. Once you get past the cool art, it's complete tripe.
No not really
I feel like the lowest common denominator doesn’t actually read comics though. Or read anything in general.
ay nice vid this is the only comic series i've ever read lol
Gotta read more!!!
The Spawn movie is fire yes super 90s but it’s a great movie and his suite is awesome in live action!!
I remember reading the first 20 something issues like 15yrs ago. I wasnt impress at all. Veeeery hit & miss. Im sure I would have love it in the 90s cus when I was a kid I loved the movie 😂
There was a time that Image comics almost made Marvel and DC a pushover.
@@markmangligot5855 it's funny cause they got much better mid 2000s than they were in 1995 but their sales back then were crazy due to things like spawn.
Yeah I do agree!
Spawn doesn't have the best reputation despite being a one of the few non Big Two superheroes to have out of niche territory. I think it's a victim of preconceived notions and biases. Two of the most prominent Spawn comic analysis vids on YT shit on it for not being a very good comic despite its popularity - The Geekvolution Spawn Year project (ambitious but narrow-minded in analysis) and Matt Drapers (I like his content overall) retrospective of the impact of the character.
This "Spawn is kinda shitty" narrative has always bothered me. It seems people lump it into the "lolz X-Treme 90s comics woooooaaaahhhh!" fad (which in itself is exaggerated because tons of 90s comics are great) and they don't bother to give the book itself a proper chance.
One of the biggest criticisms is that the comic "takes forever to go nowhere" and I'm like....? Sure, it's not a fast paced comic but it's never a dull one. It's populated with interesting and fun characters, great lore, and great art. Like any long running book it has it's lows, but it's always been rather consistent and engaging.
I mostly break it down Into Mcfarlen being a great innovator but not a very good plot or dialog creator haha.
Todd McFarlane is Stan Lee but a great artist they weren't great writer but coming up with super hero with a great plot not writing but plot ideal there FUCKEN GOLD AT THAT LIKE PROF
Yes spawn comic's r good to read the story it's dark and scarey
1. Spawn is the most popular superhero outside Marvel and DC despite having not any big movie or TV show.
2.he has a highest sales for a superhero comic outside Marvel and DC(150 million sales)
3.he has only a few hundred issues compared to Superman who has thousands so he kinda made more money for an individual issue than the big heroes of Marvel and DC.
That is impressive
Very impressive, though jarring that the quality doesn't match the sales he has done.
McFarlane is an artist/businessman, NOT a writer. While a great concept and design, the story never went anywhere while he was writing it. Gnomic soliloquys broken by odd spurts of ultraviolence don't compensate for an essential stasis.
Actually a live action movie is in the making. Actually McFarlane has been saying this for years now but afaik they started casting recently. Let`s just hope the quality is not like the original move but rather at the level of the animated series.
Art work is great. The story is sorta ok...The writeing is kinda lack luster...
Yup!
Hell yeah
No.
Yes
👍
Hmmmm
Spawn is worth reading, and he is a King, I promise you that.
Oh?
@@UltimateChance spawn has to be one of the bestest Comics that you have to read, there are definitely worth reading in your while. Spawn head shows many interesting facts and emotions through the stories and lessons that he learns, it has many of that feeling that you could have relate to. Trust me my friend, it's worth it.
Do you have a particular arc you'd suggest to people?
@@UltimateChance you mean the article? To be honest no. But it's something that became worth the time.
well, as for me, spawn comics are very interesting.Unlike a silly child's Miracle.I can't even stand the costumes of these heroes.Their costumes make me feel ashamed.Adults, some of them geniuses or something, and dressed like a clown.This shit, I'm not talking about most of the idiotic arcs about Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and others.It's such a shame, I don't even understand how people read it. If Spawn justifies the fact that his costume is associated with him, then the costume of Batman or others is just a laugh. Bruce Wayne, a genius and billionaire, walks around in a bat suit!!!Bitch!!It's such a laugh!!Sometimes I feel ashamed to look at him, and my mind says to me, "What are you doing?Are you really reading this?!!Only jerks with complexes of uselessness can read and love it."And I immediately stopped with this shit.It's just a shame.
What???
“The art of as not good” is just blasphemy get foot taste palette up cuz I can already tell you like furry artwork. NOT GOOD TUH, where’s your multi billion dollar comic book champ ? iight then, knock it off & do better.
@@Message1inthesame what are you talking about?
Spawn comics are awesome! I hate these hater videos where they say the stories suck. Nahh that and the art is why they have such a following. If it’s to adult for you there’s always DC or marvel
I mean I wouldn't say Spawn is all that "adult" lol. I'd say it's def made in mind of edgy teenager vibes. It's where it got the fanbase.
That overreaching cape suckass obviously to save time and to skip further drawing...Most important in artistry is the vision for the character not just to be different and unique. OVERRATED INDEED...
Chill bro
OOOH-YEAH Fascinating because the stupid character looks like THE SPIDER-MAN X PUNISHER X DEADPOOL X DOCTOR STRANGE X SUPERMAN X BATMAN X VENOM...with poor dialogues left-right and center.
AND I HATE THE EXCESSIVE TONER, LIKE THEY WILL PRINT AN ENTIRE PAGE ACROSS ANOTHER PAGE AND THEY PUT A HUGE EYE JUST TO STRETCH THE STORY...UUUGH!
Okkkay then
Stupid question