As we drove home from the Lego Fan Fest in Worcester, I noticed we were close to That’s Entertainment. I asked the boys if they wanted to stop. They sure did. And this is about a trip That’s E (December 2024). Well, mostly. I picked up a couple of other books to fill in recent runs. I also left far too much on the shelves. Post Christmas budgeting and all. But, I haven’t posted in almost a week and I want to keep my momentum going. Enjoy my thoughts on these two books.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation 1 and 2
Writer: Tom Waltz, Artist: Vincenzo Frederici
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: This series features Raph’s journey in the fallout after issue 150. As to be expected, he hops on his motorcycle and just goes. However, something from his past detours him to Area 51. As usual, he’s faced with the possibility that he bit off more than he can chew in his life away from the turtles. They also check in with Casey Jones in another story.
A few months ago I wrote about a third TMNT comic after the reboot. While I couldn’t find it at the time, I found it during a trip to That’s E (December 2024). I’m glad that I did. I read recently that someone thinks the turtles can challenge some of the big boys for readers. I agree that, so far, they’ve done a good job with the new books. My verdict: Good.
Violator 1 – 4 (of 6)
Writer: Marc Andreyko, Artist: Various.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The true (?) story of the Violator’s origins from the birth in hell through various historical tragedies on earth.
Overall, a fun take on the character that I normally don’t give a second chance in the main title. I like the unreliable narrator angle and that it ties into actual events in history. I hope we get more titles like this in the new year. My verdict: Good
The Verdict
Two decent comics that I’m glad I chose. I wasn’t expecting much from Violator, but it pleasantly surprised me. And, TMNT seems to be taking a page from Uncle Todd’s book. They expanded the “universe” so to speak, but they’re taking it piece by piece.
Still a bit behind schedule. At least I’m updating from the current month again finally. And, realistically, only about two days behind schedule. I wanted to post the Gaming is a Gift article on Thursday and Spawniverse December 2024 on Friday. Not bad considering how busy the weekend was.
I still haven’t found the proper motivation to record the next episode of Noob’s Book Club. But, similar to the page, once I do, I’ll get back on the new schedule that I put together for myself. If nothing else happens, today should be the day that I record. Be on the lookout for that. Then, all that needs to be scheduled is social media channels. Those are always my weakest, so don’t hold your breath there.
Gunslinger 37
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Monolith threatens and questions someone looking for Gunslinger. Finally, his interrogee gives up the information and promises to take him there. Meanwhile Wynn, in custody, answers some questions of his own. There’s another flashback to Javi’s sister. During a prisoner transfer, Monolith destroys the bus and a few prisoners looking for Javier. When he finds him, he disappears. Now, both the US government and Javier’s father have hit squads out looking for him.
Overall, not much happens in this issue. I mean, at the end Monolith and Gunslinger get together. But, there’s not a ton of action like there’s been in the last few issues. I suppose I should be grateful that Uncle Todd gave us a breather this time. It just feels like a bit of a let down is all. Plus, this looks like a set up for moving chess pieces over the next few issues in anticipation of a big showdown. So, I’ll reserve ultimate judgement until then. My verdict: Decent.
King Spawn 39
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: While Spawn watches over Sam and Twitch as they investigate a crime in the alley, he gets attacked. They fight and the attacker gets the upper hand. They throw Spawn in the back of the van to take him to their leader. When one pulls back the mask, it reveals the face of his partner. Spawn, having switched places with the man, attacks and nullifies the threat. He then escapes from the back of the van, ready to confront Bludd and his minions wherever they strike.
This one had plenty of fighting and action. Spawn finally worked his way through the ranks and infiltrated Bludd’s troops to attack them from within. He’s still not at the top, but he’s getting closer with every issue. I like this version of Spawn because it reminds me of the very beginning of the book when he fought in the shadows to try to find the answers to his death and rebirth. My verdict; Good.
The Scorched 35
Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Steven Segovia
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Marc deals with the fallout of getting separated from Medieval Spawn. Redeemer and Overtkill help him with some prejudice. Meanwhile, Jessica fights her way out of the Wynn’s clutches. She makes it back to headquarters. The issue closes with The Viscerator revealing itself and its mission to take out Medieval before he can reunite with Marc.
Ever since Layman took over the writing duties, I like this one the best again. Sure, Uncle Todd’s on additional script and you can see his influence. But, Layman’s humor shines through. He also gave all of the characters in the book a purpose, something that was missing early on when I started reading. Even though a team book, it focused very heavily on Jessica. Not so anymore. My verdict: Great.
Spawn 358 and 359
Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Brett Booth
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Spawn and Lyra fight together to get closer to Bludd for the final showdown. It’s shown that Bludd may be allowing them to live, for now, as he uses them to eliminate his enemies. Then, when they finish, he will kill them. Meanwhile, they get news that things cannot remain the way they are. They might need to return to the curse to prevent the decay that’s happening. Lyra refuses, but Spawn thinks there might be another way.
Uncle Todd gave up total control of this one and I think it’s for the better. I’ve always loved his art and his writing has some appeal. But, too often, he suffers from the same malady as Kirkman. He needs people to tell him no. Pull back from things. Let them breathe. And, now that he’s done that, his books are the ones that I look forward to the most. This one, in particular, since the big 350 has been a lot of fun. My verdict: Good.
The Verdict (Spawniverse December 2024)
Overall, Spawniverse December 2024 does not disappoint. I enjoyed every book this month and look forward to where they take us next. Uncle Todd absolutely made the right decision in giving up control of some of the books to allow other voices to build his story and world. Because, right now, those are my favorite of the books.
If I wondered about their ability to support multiple titles in the TMNT universe, then you know I had questions about Uncle Todd’s plan to release 4 more titles in the Extended Spawniverse. When he first launched the main Spawn titles like Gunslinger, The Scorched, and King Spawn, they suffered from awful editing and severely inconsistent quality overall. Even so, anytime I see the Spawn logo on something, I come running to purchase that thing. So, in an attempt to keep the page active and relevant, I review two issues for Rat City December 2024.
Rat City 7 and 8
Writer: Erica Schulz, Artist: Ze Carlos
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: They’re still world building in this title. It makes sense since they are only 8 issues in. Issue 7 starts with an encounter between Peter and the denizens of Hell. He spends the rest of the issue dealing with that and how his change is affecting Quinlan, who offers to try to make some armor and supplies from the tech they have lying around. Issue 8 spends all of its time setting up a show down between Peter and one of the baddies. During the story, they establish that Peter doesn’t exactly have control of his suit.
While I thought the first couple of issues moved too slowly, I no longer think that. Both of these issues went quick and entertained me. The writer and artist both hit their strides over the last few issues and now I might like this book as much as The Scorched. We have to see if the quality continues. For now, I’m sold. My verdict: Good.
The Verdict
I’m impressed so far with the title and Rat City December 2024 pleasantly surprised me. If all of the other books are able to take this slow approach to world building and story telling, then I have nothing to worry about. Also, I just took a look again at the names on the titles, and I definitely have nothing to worry about.
After another gut punch last night, I figured nothing to do but get back on the horse and ride again. Plus, I needed an escape from everything. So, here comes Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024. I only received the main TMNT title and everything but Rat City and the main Spawn title. Nevertheless, that gives me 4 comics to review. Perfect number to keep things rolling and get back into the habit of writing on the page.
In spite of everything, I kept this page going. To let it go at this point feels wrong. Hell, just a couple of months ago, I got some responses about the podcast and then abruptly stopped recording that. Also, got a few hits on the Instagram. I can make this what I want, but I need to commit to making it happen. Let’s get back to it.
Gunslinger 36
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Someone tries to negotiate with the White House to get Javi’s charges overturned. At first, they say no, until someone realizes just what an important bargaining chip he is. The story shifts to Javi in the hospital and it, turns out, he’s a miracle of healing, too. After knocking out a cop who tries to give him crap for shooting the other cops, he goes back to rest. The rest of the issue deals with the various people who are hunting Javi and ends with Monolith finding one of the others and casually threatening him.
The book is building to something big and I’m here for it, but he buildup is starting to feel a bit too long and familiar. I hope that Javi stops playing dead soon and starts kicking ass again. As always, Barberi’s art remains probably the most true to the original Uncle Todd version. My verdict: Good.
King Spawn 38
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Tyrone finds himself in quite the pickle, chained by his wrists and ankles with Simmons, Cy-Gor, and the Tinkerer standing before him. Al asks for some alone time and uses that to threaten Tyrone. With no powers, all of the agents of heaven and hell find themselves on the run. With Al, it’s the vampires and other creatures of the night. When some vamps think they get the jump on Al, Cy-Gor comes to his rescue and they realize that it’s gotten real.
So, the various factions work together to forge an alliance (uneasy as they often are between warring factions who use the “enemy of my enemy”) in order to take down Al. The issue ends with a standoff between Al and a ninja. On the final page, they pounce at one another.
More action in this one that Gunslinger right now. I appreciate that. Because the two stories mirror one another, I think that’s the reason for the familiarity and slight boredom with Gunslinger. The last page gives me hope that next one brings some beat em up for us. Cinar started last issue, I think, and his art isn’t quite at Barberi’s level, but it’s still very good. My verdict: Good, looking to be great maybe, next couple of issues.
Scorched 34
Writer: Layman, Artist: Stephen Segovia.
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Our girl Jessica is back and in disguise to meet Marc Rosen. They talk about her plan to infiltrate Wynn and the success of that plan. As they part, Jessica tells Rosen to relay a message to the team to watch out for retribution. Also, he needs to take better care of himself. Unfortunately, without Medieval, that’s going to be difficult.
Of course, during her trip back to the agency, she finds herself in a dark alley. And where there are dark alleys, there’s potential allies. Spawn “ambushes” her as a test and then they discuss her plans to help Rosen before getting out of the game. He says “that’s not how this works”. Before she can give a proper response, the alley reveals that enemies are around, too. Two thugs jump them. They dispatch of them quickly. Back at headquarters, Rosen looks at himself in a mirror before smashing his face in anger that Medieval is gone.
Layman’s voice is starting to come out in this title. I’m glad. I enjoy his writing and think the Spawniverse can only grow with new voices in it. Like, look at Gunslinger and King. They’re looking far too alike right now with Uncle Todd at the helm. Jessica, too, is on the run, but her story involves more intrigue and subversion. Plus, the band getting back together is going to feel so much sweeter after all this time. Segovia’s art and the colorful team members make this my favorite book in the Spawniverse. My verdict: Great.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3
Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Cliff Chiang
Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Somehow I missed the second issue telling the story of Michaelangelo. Hence this month’s Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024 title. Luckily, this one caught me up at the end. I’m glad this one came, though. My favorite, Leonardo, meditates along the banks of the Ganges river. Trying to find some level of completeness in his life, instead the Foot Clan finds him. He takes care of them easily and commandeers a helicopter.
Cut to Raph and Mikey also dealing with the Foot Clan. They bicker amongst themselves and they fight the enemy. Raph gets ready to peace out because that’s just what Raph does. Leonardo cuts him off and tells them both that Donatello is in deep and they need to go to his aid.
I will say this until it sinks in. Like Chris, I wondered how Jason Aaron might handle the TMNT. After the heart and affection of the previous writer, Sophie Campbell, I didn’t think I was ready for Aaron’s harsher version. But, he’s pulling it off so far. Dealing with the alienation of the turtles by starting them off cut off from one another is a nice touch and a chance to give them time to grow as a team again. The art in this issue makes me think of the old TMNT books and that’s a good thing. My verdict: Great.
The Verdict
While I missed a couple of titles from Spawniverse and TMNT November 2024, the ones that came impressed me. Yes, Gunslinger and King felt a little too much alike, but I can live with that because both books were unique in their own way. Hopefully some of the other books come next month or I can fill by heading down to That’s E over Thanksgiving break.
I wrote last week that I decided to break up my comic reviews over the month instead of trying to get them all done in one week. I reviewed DC and TMNT #1 the first week. Then, last week, I talked about the “main” titles in the Spawniverse. This week, in addition to Marvel comics, I want to talk about what I’m calling the Extended Spawniverse September 2024.
From the looks of it, Uncle Todd hired so much talent that he needed to come up with new titles to put them all on. Especially since he took over the reigns again on the main titles, they all picked up (or pitched because I’m not sure how the titles came into being) books that bear the “New *Spawn head* U” sticker on them. I, for one, welcome anything done by everyone that Uncle Todd brings on to work on his books.
Monolith 1 (of 3)
Writer: Sean Lewis, Artist: Velerio Giangiordano.
Quick Synopsis: The year is 3030. The universe is dying. Spawns answer the call to save it and fail. This pits the rest of the universe against the Spawns. Monolith gets diverted while coming back to Earth and ends up in a prison colony. Omega Spawn, fittingly known as the destroyer of worlds, rules the prison. He bides his time waiting for Monolith. When the “final Spawn” shows, Omega tries to recruit him to his cause. Gaia interferes in the showdown, telling Monolith that he can be more. Even though I said that all of the talent here worked on other Uncle Todd projects, I don’t recognize the name of this artist. But, the art fits the character and the story. I look forward to more from this artist. My verdict: Good.
Rat City
Writer: Erica Schultz, Artist: Ze Carlos.
Quick Synopsis: I only read the first issues of these books for this review. Before next month, I plan to get caught up. That way, I can follow them as they grow. While Monolith (and another one called Misery that I just learned about) are limited series, the other two look like they have issues planned through the end of the year at least. Okay, now for the synopsis. It’s 80 years in the future during World War 3 and an elite fighting force introduces us to a few characters, including the main character. Through the story, he loses his legs and they are replaced with cybernetic ones. At the end of the issue, he can’t remove them and this has something to do with good old Al Simmons. Ze Ramos brings a cool futuristic touch to this one that Monolith missed in spite of taking place in 3030. But, that makes sense since that one takes place near the end of the universe. My verdict: Decent.
Sam and Twitch Case Files
Writer: Uncle Todd with Jon Goff, Artist: Szymon Kudranski.
Quick Synopsis: They introduced Sam and Twitch as supporting characters during the early days of the main title. They became popular and released a book starring the two. Like many Image books at the time, it suffered from delays and saw an inglorious end after only 26 issues. When they announced the new U, you knew they had to include these guys in the mix. Sure enough, here they come. Sam roughs up a goon while on a case. This gets him suspended. Twitch sets out to “make it right” and finds himself on suspension, too. But, another detective calls them in to get a set of “fresh eyes” on a case that looks to be very messy. Kudranksi’s art works perfect for this title. He brings a realness and a creepiness that will serve the story well. My verdict: Good.
The Verdict
While not explicitly from this month, the books that I read for the Extended Spawniverse September 2024 all introduce the titles well. Of the three, I think that Sam and Twitch will end up being my favorite. However, Misery looks to follow the same creepy horror vibe of one of my favorite Spawn stories. So, even though that one is only 4 issues, I think I’ll enjoy the heck out of that one.
I learned recently that they added some new titles to Uncle Todd’s Spawn Universe (Rat City and they brought back Sam and Twitch). I intend to cover those books later in the week or, more likely, over the weekend. For this article, I want to cover the main books as I see them in Spawniverse September 2024.
You may notice that it is the third week of the month and I only posted the DC Comics review. The reason for that is two fold. One, I started back to school (as evidenced by the new theme) and that took up far too much of my time. Two, I actually think I like the idea better of dedicating one week to each of the three publishers. It gives me more time to digest the issues and offer a better reading experience. I hope. Let me know.
Gunslinger 34
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi.
Quick Synopsis: This issue deals with the initial aftermath of the shitstorm between Javi and the police that built from the previous few issues since the “reset”. Gunslinger, himself, badly injured in the fracas, falls into a medicated induced sleep. The doctors say that his mind surely fractured due to the physical and mental stress. This manifests in a dream that relives part of his past. I feel like in different hands, this might have been handled with more subtlety. But, honestly, we don’t come to Spawn for that, so I’m okay with the outcome. Barberi’s art, as usual, compliments the story and brings the characters to life in a way that few others can. My verdict: Good
King Spawn 37
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar
Quick Synopsis: Speaking of a lack of subtlety, King Spawn brings together Al Simmons and Cy-Gor for all out war against Tyrone and his thugs. The two make quick and bloody work of all of them, barely breaking a sweat before making a get away with a hostage that they intend to use as a bargaining chip to get closer to his real target. I’m not familiar with this particular artist, but I like his work in this book. My verdict: Great.
Spawn 355
Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on additional script. Artist: Brett Booth.
Quick Synopsis: Downing comes to Spawn and others under the guise of taking them back to hell. Instead, he takes them to one of Spawn’s safe houses where they find a badly injured Reaper. After dealing with that, Downing explains that he pulled the old rope a dope because Nyx isn’t responding to communications and he thought that Spawn and the others might know why. The issue closes with Al making a deal with Lyra for a tentative partnership and Wynn checking in with Fixer and giving him a couple of partners in crime. Booth, like Barberi, brings the world of Spawn to life with his art. We truly are spoiled by living in a time when so much talent works on these books. My verdict: Great.
The Scorched 32
Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Steven Segovia.
Quick Synopsis: The Scorched team up to combat their former teammate, She Spawn. And they bring Overt-Kill with them. Even with that extra fire power, though, Haunt ends up going of the deep end and injuring her quite severely. The issue ends with them speaking over her in a hospital bed. Wynn makes the comment that they have nothing to worry about when it comes to control over her. Wait, what’s that I see? A wry smile from Jessica? Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. Segovia’s art brings a more cartoonish quality to the series. I like it in spite of that fact, but wish it had more of the realism of Booth or Barberi. My verdict: Great.
The Verdict (Spawniverse September 2024)
The main titles in the Spawniverse September 2024 continue the strong upward trend of the recent issues ever since they rebooted and shook up the creative teams. All four of the books are telling great stories in their own right. They also try to tell a cohesive story together, but as with many of these types of cross book stories, some things get lost in the shuffle. As long as you can deal with those inconsistencies, you’ll have fun reading these books.
The Road to Spawn 300 was littered with pot holes and detours. However, we are finally here. And, I have to say, it was worth the wait. Both Chris and I were obviously excited when we heard that Greg Capullo was going to be back for this issue. We both grew up with him as the main artist.
We were both subsequently disappointed because we had somehow convinced ourselves that he was going to be the artist for longer than just the one issue. When we learned that wasn’t going to be the case, I think I suggested that Uncle Todd should sell his McGwire baseball to hire Capullo back as artist.
At least we get him for the next issue, too. Also, he is doing variant covers for the next two. Maybe there is now an open invitation to to covers whenever he wants. As I said to Chris, hope abounds. Now, for my review of Spawn 300. It isn’t exactly like the DC 1000 issues from last year. He invited some other big names to join him. However, the issue followed continuity instead of shorter vignettes. Even so, I will review each story individually like I did with those books.
Chapter 1 (Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo)
The Spawn meter is back. What’s up with that? Oh well, like Chris said, Capullo’s art is going to ruin me for the return to the regular artist. Aside from McFarlane, Capullo’s art is the iconic style for Spawn. The story is just more creepy little girl kills her family nonsense, But, Violator shows up and there’s some gratuitous ultra violence at the end to remind us what Spawn’s all about.
Chapter 2 (Scott Snyder and Todd McFarlane)
I enjoyed the story from this chapter much more than the first one. It called back to a previous battle between the two antagonists and what happened when they “disappeared” from sight and into the shadows. This was probably my favorite story from the whole issue. Scott Snyder definitely shows that he’s a more seasoned writer than Uncle Todd in this one.
Chapter 3 (Todd McFarlane and Jason Shawn Alexander)
Another story that attempts to fill some of the gaps. This one is about the former Spawn enemies that he reanimated to fight on his side. As Chris texted, and I agree, the art style of Jason Shawn Alexander just doesn’t fit Spawn as much as we’d like. But, the story was decent and, unlike Chris, I’m going to keep collecting until the book isn’t produced anymore. In spite of being almost 30 years old under essentially the same creative control that whole time, it is still surprisingly fresh. I want to see where Uncle Todd takes us next.
Chapter 4 (Todd McFarlane and J. Scott Campbell)
The art of this chapter is great. J. Scott Campbell really nails the Spawn style. However, the story is lackluster. I just don’t give a crap about She-Spawn or her story. Alas, it looks like she is here to stay, at least for the next couple of issues, so I’ll have to get over that.
Chapter 5 (Todd McFarlane and Jerome Opena)
A teaser that does exactly that. No idea what it is or means, but I’m intrigued to learn more.
The Verdict
I like what Uncle Todd did with Spawn 300. It is a “historic” issue in that it tied the longest running creator owned comic book. It is also a nice round number that comic book nerds love. Instead of choosing to tell small vignettes as Detective and Action did with their historic 1000 issues, he continued continuity while also setting up future stories.
Overall, the strength of the writing is what we’ve come to expect from Spawn all these years. It is disheartening to be going back to Jason Shawn Alexander’s art after seeing the other interpretations of the Spawn style. Again, I like JSA’s art and I actually really enjoyed it for the Dark Horror storyline. However, it just doesn’t look like the Spawn that I remember from my reckless youth. Oh well, put it in the “get over it” bucket with She-Spawn and enjoy the ride. Here’s to another 300!
After a successful Fallout from the end of School last month, we come to another celebration on the page. Deadpool and Wolverine releases at the end of the month. That gave me the bright idea to feature Deadpool and Marvel comics. Before we get to all of that, though, naturally, I need to write my comics reviews first. With the TMNT hiatus, that means this month is Spawniverse July 2024.
Gunslinger 32
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi. A few months ago, Uncle Todd promised new creative teams and new directions for the books. I won’t take direct credit for that, but I will say that I wrote numerous times that the books seemed to have lost their way. He alludes to this during one of the conversations in this issue. I won’t say that the book is all the way back. But, the intro scene with he and Linda made me laugh and I expect more out of the finale because that was far too easy. My verdict: Good
King Spawn 34 and 35
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander. When he said new creative teams, apparently that meant taking over writing duties instead of “additional plot”. At the very least, that brings some consistency to the stories. In this one, Al rescues Nana or Grannie or Auntie or whatever and finds her a vampire (the only supernaturals with powers right now) as a guard. However, this king doesn’t stay ascendent for long. Then, he runs into some trouble in the alley. A gang jumps him. Without his powers, they fuck him up pretty good. I want to see where this is going. Additionally, I know JSA’s art isn’t for everyone. It took a while to grow on me, but I like it. Especially for this title. Lends it an ethereal vibe that’s almost dreamline. My verdict: Good
The Scorched 30
Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on Additional Script, Artist: Stephen Segovia. I thought this one maintained the most consistency quality wise during the “lull”. I liked the characters and the stories the best out of all of the Spawniverse. Then, when Layman (one of my favorite comics writers) came on, I knew good things were on the horizon. Sure enough, it started to pay off here. The Scorched, even without Jessica (who spends more time dead or unconscious that most team leaders) cripple Winn’s agency by freeing Overt-Kill and allowing for the escape of Haunt and Redeemer. That all sets up quite a payoff next issue with Winn visiting Jessica and the team trying to get to the bottom of the cloning mystery. My verdict: Good, bordering on Great.
Spawn 354
Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on Additonal Script, Artist: Brett Booth. I think the main title suffered the most during the “lull”. Just an inconsistency in tone and story telling. You can blame that on the dilusion due to the new titles, but I disagree. I think they just focused too much on the heaven and hell angle and ignored the other parts of what makes the book fun. And, if you think about it, they removed al l of the powers from the characters, so that forces them to focus more on the “real world” and the boots on the ground, so to speak. Call me in a few months when I miss the supernatural part of the story. For now, though, I like what they’re doing. My verdict: Good.
The Verdict
They continue the upward trend with Spawniverse July 2024. Thankfully, because as I wrote, they changed teams on TMNT, so I won’t get another one of those for a month or so when it starts back up again. I like Jason Aaron and I trust him, but Chris makes a good point. They need to change the tone big time to fit his style.
Last month, we eschewed all other comics to celebrate the end of an era with TMNT #150. Well, the universe paid me back this month by sending only two comics from outside of the major publishers. Therefore, Spawniverse June 2024 may feel slightly underwhelming. From the looks of it, we’ll be back next month with more books. If I knew how to market better, I might say something like, “twice as many books!” which sounds impressive until you realize that two times two is four.
Gunslinger #31
Writer: Uncle Todd, Artist: Carlo Barberi. A few issues ago, Uncle Todd and company blew up the Spawniverse. Not literally, that took place in issue 300 and 301. But, they took away all of the powers of any demon, angel, and hellspawn. And, since then, at least in Gunslinger, he took the opportunity to reintroduce the character. Kind of strange only 30 issues in, but when you commit to only soft reboots, you find yourself in strange situations sometimes. Javi tells the story of his sister to a woman and then finds himself at the mercy of a medicine man who gives him a piece of his mind. As always, Barberi’s work is impeccable. I, for one, am glad that Uncle Todd spawned (pun totally intended) many artists with his style. The book doesn’t feel the same without that Uncle Todd touch. My verdict: Good.
Spawn #353
Writer: Rory McConnville (with Uncle Todd on additional script, Artist: Brett Booth. This title, similarly, spent some time in this issue reviewing the after effects of the war on hell. It also brings to light a new character and implies that character might have a deeper connection to the overall story. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but I feel like we’ve seen this person before in some capacity. Brett Booth, too, gives the Spawn look with his own subtle touches. Both of these books are in good hands right now. My verdict: Good.
The Verdict
It surprised me that only two books from Spawniverse June 2024 came in the shipment. But, you take the good with the bad when it comes to these titles. Decent to good stories and, usually, great artwork. But, with that comes delays. Like I say, next month looks to be back to normal.
A few month ago, you might question the title of this series. And, honestly, you’d be right to do so. Before last month, the Spawniverse languished in mediocrity (at best) and I wondered how, or even if, Uncle Todd could pull it together. They just felt too crunched by all of the books. Honestly, it started to feel like the early days of Image with the missed deadlines and misprints. But, hopefully the upturn in quality from last month continues into April 2024 Independent comics.
Gunslinger Spawn 30
Plot/Script: Uncle Todd, Art: Carlo Barberi. in my opinion, Gunslinger suffered the most from the drop off in quality. Chris told me how much he liked the title, maybe even more than the main title. I listened to his advice and, honestly, it’s why I filled in the back issues of the other titles. Then, things started to slip and I started to lose faith. Last month brought back much of what made the title fun. Now, before I give away what I thought of this month’s issue, let me just say how much I love that cover. It brings back old school vibes in a good way. So does the story and art of this issue. A bit of a filler issue, but well done overall. My verdict: Great
King Spawn 32
Script/Plot: Uncle Todd, Art: Javi Fernandez. This book only registered with me because they revisited one of my favorite Spawn stories of the last decade, Dark Horror. So, it barely made that much of a difference to me when the quality started to decline. It always just felt like the main title’s little brother. But, I appreciate their commitment to making all of the titles better and I really enjoy the current story revolving around Al and reckoning with being mortal again. My verdict: Good.
Scorched 27
Script/Plot: John Layman with Uncle Todd on additional script, Art: Stephen Segovia. I questioned the change in tone from single hero titles to a team for this book. Eventually, it won me over and became my favorit book in the Spawniverse. Like the others, it lost some of that edge and, frankly, it bummed me out. But, with this new attempt at bringing the titles back to a higher standard, they hired John Layman to write this one. ‘Nuff said. My verdict: Good, but Layman’s still in the early phases. I expect this one to hit great sooner rather than later.
Spawn 351
Script/Plot: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on additional script, Art: Brett Booth. I stayed with this title in spite of the fact that I wanted nothing to do with the Heaven/Hell war storyline. Then, at some point, that shifted and I started to like the story a lot. They delivered with the big finish last issue and now start to rebuild in that aftermath. I like where they’re headed and give them the benefit of the doubt. My verdict: Good.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 149
Story: Sophie Campbell with Kevin Eastman on consulting, Art: Vincenzo Federici. I make no secret that this is my favorite book since starting to collect it during The Armageddon Game. I feared a drop off (also no secret) after that story wrapped. Granted, there was a lull, but they needed to take a few episodes off before ramping back up to the big 1-5-0. Rarely does a writer click on a title like this. But, Kevin Eastman clearly cares about his heroes in a half shell so much to put them in the capable hands of Sophie Campbell. I can’t wait to see what they have in store next. My verdict: Great
The Verdict
April 2024 independent comics continues the upward trend set last month. Granted, they fell quite a bit, so an upswing was imminent. But, I’m glad to see that Uncle Todd continues the “new direction” of his titles and they’re not just a one off. Sometimes, you just need to shake things up. Unless you’re TMNT. Don’t change a damn thing.
