Spawn

[michaeljsmith]

Godslayer #7 is out an in stores.... and has been read. If you don't want to know then please don't keep reading. Below is a copy of the ACTUAL cover that varies from the original solicitations.....



SPOILERS

Praelyx, the Goddess of Hunting and Revenge, is pissed because her brother is dead and she is blaming the Godslayer. None of the other Gods want to pursue the Godslayer but she is hell bent to find him and kill him. So begins her journy to get help from some exiled witches and the Dark God, her uncle......we leave her as she is trying to gain assistance to hunt down the Godslayer.

While all of this is going on our main man Bairn and sidekick/comedian Dromo are floating around aimlessly in a cloud of mist as Bairn misses his poor Neva who ran off the last issue. They are attacked by some creatures that have been hiding in the waters around their boat. All of the sudden the duo is dropped in the middle of the ocean into a giant castle where they find themselves in a place outside of time and reality and they meet Hath-Ur. Hath-Ur has brought the two to this place to tell Bairn more about his past and why he is the Godslayer. The most amazing thing we find out is that Dromo is actually a God, WTF - where did that come from.

This story is so amazing and it is hard to believe this whole series is going to wrap up in just one more issue.... there feels like 20 more issues of content and I have saddened to think we get one.

For those of you that never read the book please check out issue #1 free on-line at the following link.

http://www.spawn.com/comics/spawngod...001_cover.html

I am so going to miss this book - Phillip Tan's pencils are incredible and you will not fine another book out there close to this from a content standpoint. I for one hope that we get to see Godslayer again sometime in the NEAR future....Bairn you will be missed

[stingerman]

I just finished Spawn #175. Friggin' wicked. Love the Ol' Job!

[michaeljsmith]

I just finished Spawn #175. Friggin' wicked. Love the Ol' Job!

I loved the story and the art - but it is even more amazing that they worked it into continuity for Al Simmons. This is one of the best "art" I have ever seen in a book. For those that missed the Gunslinger Spawn - what were you thinking?

[Mr. Sam]

I'm not really part of the comic community and so was surprised when Spawn wasn't really discussed in the Image section. I always thought he was their biggest draw. I've been in and out of Spawn. I have the first ten issues and then a bunch of randomly placed issues after that. I last read number 150, I take it I've missed a lot since?

[michaeljsmith]

Spawn is typically the best selling comic for Image each month, but nowhere near the glory days of years gone past. Issue #1 sold like 1.5 million issues while #174 sold about 22,000 copies. It is not really a cool thing to admit that you like Spawn these days, and most people judge the book based on reading it 10 years ago. The book is better written now than ever before. The next issue, #176, is on sale this week and it starts a new 2 issue story arc.....I would encourage you to pick it up and give it a try.

[Mr. Sam]

Spawn is typically the best selling comic for Image each month, but nowhere near the glory days of years gone past. Issue #1 sold like 1.5 million issues while #174 sold about 22,000 copies. It is not really a cool thing to admit that you like Spawn these days, and most people judge the book based on reading it 10 years ago. The book is better written now than ever before. The next issue, #176, is on sale this week and it starts a new 2 issue story arc.....I would encourage you to pick it up and give it a try.

Next time I'm in a comic store I'll do just that. The art direction that was established in 150 seems to have disappeared by, what is it now? Just over a year on? It looks pretty gorgeous but I've been wrong before, apparently.

[Greg Anderson]

Next time I'm in a comic store I'll do just that. The art direction that was established in 150 seems to have disappeared by, what is it now? Just over a year on? It looks pretty gorgeous but I've been wrong before, apparently.

Philip Tan's art was amazing. I surely miss his stuff. Now he's gone off of Godslayer. :( The art now I really like though.

[michaeljsmith]

Next time I'm in a comic store I'll do just that. The art direction that was established in 150 seems to have disappeared by, what is it now? Just over a year on? It looks pretty gorgeous but I've been wrong before, apparently.

If the art continues like it looks for the previews of 176 then it is going to be top notch throughout.... it is freaking amazing. I was not big on the Tales from the Crypt look lately - but it is getting back to being some of the best in any book you will see. Grab #174 & #175 - Gunslinger Spawn was the best painted book you will ever find.

[Greg Anderson]

If the art continues like it looks for the previews of 176 then it is going to be top notch throughout.... it is freaking amazing. I was not big on the Tales from the Crypt look lately - but it is getting back to being some of the best in any book you will see. Grab #174 & #175 - Gunslinger Spawn was the best painted book you will ever find.

Oh yeah.

[michaeljsmith]

Love the dynamite in the mouth routine - that will never get old

[Greg Anderson]

Love the dynamite in the mouth routine - that will never get old

And the bastard deserved it to!!

Al should take a page from Ol' Job and plant a dynamite in Wynn's mouth. :p

[stingerman]

I'm not really part of the comic community and so was surprised when Spawn wasn't really discussed in the Image section. I always thought he was their biggest draw. I've been in and out of Spawn. I have the first ten issues and then a bunch of randomly placed issues after that. I last read number 150, I take it I've missed a lot since?

Sounds kinda like me. I was huge into Spawn (had a letter printed in issue 11) and dropped out of comics for a while. I picked up Spawn a little while ago and it seems I didnt miss that much. I am not sure but there was some big war between the Devil, God and Spawn with Spawn winning I think? Maybe the regs can clear it up more.

[Mr. Sam]

Sounds kinda like me. I was huge into Spawn (had a letter printed in issue 11) and dropped out of comics for a while. I picked up Spawn a little while ago and it seems I didnt miss that much. I am not sure but there was some big war between the Devil, God and Spawn with Spawn winning I think? Maybe the regs can clear it up more.

I know in issue 100, Spawn killed Malebolgia. Dunno if that's what you're referring to. If I find time to get out of the house, I'll pick up a few issues today.

[michaeljsmith]

Sounds kinda like me. I was huge into Spawn (had a letter printed in issue 11) and dropped out of comics for a while. I picked up Spawn a little while ago and it seems I didnt miss that much. I am not sure but there was some big war between the Devil, God and Spawn with Spawn winning I think? Maybe the regs can clear it up more.

Yes, Armageddon final came to fruition and it turned out that the God and the Devil really were just two brothers trying to fight for mom's attention... in the end Spawn won and closed Earth off from God and Satan - the only problem is there are cracks for good and evil to still come about. The book has actually moved along in the development of Al as a character more in the past 8 issues then it did in the prior 100 issues. For more on Armageddon below is a quick overview:

Armageddon
With the aid of the Greenworld, Spawn regains his lost memories, and something more. His costume metamorphoses again, seemingly becoming one with his necroplasmic body. Spawn is captured by Mammon and his demonic minions, and tortured horribly so that the secrets his body contains can be revealed. Spawn's discarded heart, torn from his chest in an earlier battle with The Disciple, Heaven's Warrior, transforms into a young boy named Chris. Chris, together with Sam and Twitch, rescue Spawn from Mammon's clutches and return him to Earth. Spawn learns that thousands of human souls are contained within his body, each one capable of being summoned in the form of a Hellspawn. As signs of the end of days wreak havoc across the world, Spawn must find a way to stave off Armageddon, and learn the true nature of Heaven, Hell, and the Earth.
Spawn learns that Wanda's recently born twin children (by way of Terry) are the ones responsible for Armageddon. The twins, who have been displaying destructive and sadistic tendencies for months now, attempt to murder their entire family, when Spawn arrives to stop them. Spawn is unable to destroy the twins, and the unexpected arrival of Zera, the Queen of the Seraphim, reveals the awful truth - Jake Fitzgerald is God, and Katie Fitzgerald is Satan.

It is revealed that both God and Satan were removed from their respective kingdoms and reincarnated as human children by the all-powerful being known as Mother. Mother is the creator of the universe and all its worlds, and God and Satan are two of her many children. She regards them as disappointments, being consumed with destructive hatred towards one another. Mother, who has aided Spawn in the past under the guises of Kali, the Keeper of the Greenworld, and the Man of Miracles, warns Spawn that he alone has the potential to rise above God and Satan, and preserve the human race. He also warns that Armageddon cannot be stopped - it is Earth's destiny.

Spawn is entered into one last final test to prove if he is worthy to preserve the human race: the Disciple. Before his final test, the Mother told Spawn to trust Cyan because she is "wise beyond her years". She also reveals that the Disciple is actually the guard of the portal to the Garden of Eden, where Spawn must eat the Forbidden Fruit in order to save humanity. After Spawn blasts the Disciple into Eden and killed him, it is revealed that there are actually 11 more Disciples, who are based off the Twelve Apostles. Also, because Hellspawns are never meant to enter into the Garden of Eden, Spawn's life will fade away the longer he is in the garden. This is shown through a video game like counter, which Cyan sees through a laptop. With the help of Cyan and the souls within him, Spawn fights each of the Disciples, killing them off one by one as the counter continues to drop to zero until the final Disciple left is Judas, whom Spawn is about to kill. However, Cyan yells to Spawn to not kill him. Spawn, remembering what the Mother said about trusting Cyan, does not deal the final blow to Judas. Judas stabs Spawn through the heart and his counter reaches zero.
As Spawn lies slain, Mother appears and plucks a piece of fruit from the Tree of Life. She speaks with Judas, revealing that when she took the form of Jesus, Judas was his most beloved disciple, the only one who had the courage to betray him. Without his death, the life of Jesus would have had no greater meaning. Mother gives the power of the Forbidden Fruit to the lifeless Spawn, resurrecting him in a new form - his cloak and chains are gone, replaced with shining white wings. Mother explains that Cyan was right; Spawn needed to die in order to be resurrected and gain the power to rival God and Satan. Returning to Earth, Spawn finds New York totally destroyed by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The slain population of the Earth have become possessed by angels and demons, who are gathering for the final battle. As Spawn races to the place where Armageddon will be fought, he confronts Zera, the Queen of the Seraphim.
During this battle, Spawn shows Zera his true power as an equal to both God and Satan. Spawn defeats Zera and returns to the battle between Heaven and Hell with her head as a trophy. Spawn arrives at the battle as the last of Heaven's warriors are slain. He believes that he knows one of them. Searching the battle field, Spawn discovers that he knows one of the soldiers as Granny Blake. She realizes that she has been betrayed and misled by her faith in God. Spawn faces off against the Hellspawn of Satan's army, declaring that the Earth realm belongs to him. Calling him a traitor for breaking his oath, the Hellspawn from all the ages converge on their "brother." Spawn battles the Hellspawn, calling upon the earth to swallow them, returning them to Hell. Hearing of this, Satan sends all of his remaining warriors after Spawn. Fearing that Spawn will unbalance Armageddon, God does the same. These events are watched by Mammon and a cloaked figure, whom Mammon responds to as a subordinate. During their exchange it is implied that all is going according to their plan, and Mammon says that he should have never been doubted. As Heaven and Hell attack Spawn, he calls to himself all the power given to him by the Mother, and in a single display of power destroys the armies of Heaven and Hell, along with the rest of humanity.
Laughing, he dismisses his act as a way to halt the Armageddon itself, leaving God and Satan without soldiers to use in their battle. He then asks the Mother to restore his children to their former glory and powers, but refuses to fight them. They eventually incinerate Spawn, then proceed their endless battle... fighting by themselves, in a barren, scorched Earth.

[michaeljsmith]

I know in issue 100, Spawn killed Malebolgia. Dunno if that's what you're referring to. If I find time to get out of the house, I'll pick up a few issues today.

I would recommend the recent arc #174-#175 as totally insane writing and art but if you are really looking to jump back in and get an understanding you can either start with The New Flesh Collection in trade or if you want to see the end of the world pickup Armageddon.



Here's a list of trades for ones wanting to track them down.

* Spawn Volume 1 - contains issues 1-8, 11-12
* Spawn Volume 2 - contains issues 13-33
* Spawn Volume 3 - contains issues 34-54
* Spawn Volume 4 - contains issues 55-75
* Spawn Volume 5 - contains issues 76-96
* Spawn Volume 6 - contains issues 97-117

* Spawn: The Armageddon Collection Part 1 - contains issues 150-155
* Spawn: The Armageddon Collection Part 2 - contains issues 156-163
* Spawn: The Complete Armageddon Collection - contains issues 150-163
* Spawn: New Flesh Collection - contains issues 166-169