Spawn, crafted by Todd McFarlane, might be regarded as the most iconic independent character in history. He was Image Comics’ first solo hero and has endured for over three decades. Although his popularity has dwindled somewhat, Spawn remains a lucrative franchise with numerous spin-offs, making McFarlane quite affluent and even enabling him to establish his own toy company. In recent years, Spawn comics have proven to be financially successful, with 2025 witnessing a surge in Spawn titles.
In Medieval Spawn #1, we revisit one of the earliest Spawn variants, which first appeared in issue #9, for an adventure that follows the familiar theme of swords and sorcery.
Initially, let me clarify that this comic isn’t problematic at all; on the contrary, it’s an engaging read. Despite the following comments that may seem critical, I still find it enjoyable. The narrative is robust, featuring compelling action sequences, intriguing hooks to maintain reader interest, and subtle foreshadowing.
In this story, John, the Medieval Spawn, and his troop encounter a boy from a neighboring village who warns them of a disaster caused by a knight’s visit the previous night. They return to investigate, finding an abandoned village with signs that appear to be gore or magical transformation, although the artwork is somewhat unclear on this point.
There are monsters to battle, an evil knight worshiping a dark deity, and a confrontation between the knights. John emerges victorious and adopts the young boy, Richard, as his squire. However, in the captions, it’s hinted that he should have killed him instead.
In essence, while this tale adheres to common narrative elements typically found in stories similar to Spawn, it seems to be lacking the distinct, captivating essence that defines Spawn’s unique storyline. Although the protagonist bears a striking resemblance and sports speech bubbles characteristic of Spawn, the overall atmosphere falls short. The writer, Rory McConville, has nailed most aspects of the issue, but it fails to stand out as something exceptional. In fact, one could imagine this narrative unfolding with any group of medieval characters. Despite being well-constructed and hinting at potential developments, such as the arrival of the dark god Abraxis, if things don’t significantly evolve, this story appears to be just another standard tale. It may be enjoyable like empty calories – tasty but offering little nutritional value.
As a dedicated comics aficionado, Marco Itri’s artwork evokes a sense of deja vu for those who have been immersed in the Image comics universe for years. This isn’t due to Itri’s individual body of work within this time span, but rather the commonplace style of superhero art that permeated the C and D-list Image titles from the early to mid ’90s. You know the ones I mean – the books that fell outside the realm of Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, or Marc Silvestri’s direct involvement, yet were still published under their imprints. The art in these stories isn’t terrible, but it’s not groundbreaking either. It’s solid and serviceable, but lacks the exceptional elements that make a piece truly stand out. Of course, there’s nothing here that’s downright awful, just nothing particularly memorable.
In summary, I find that this first issue of Medieval Spawn is quite typical and neither groundbreaking nor exceptionally poor. Frankly, there isn’t much to say about the book itself. When I started reading it, I was expecting something akin to the old Curse of the Spawn series, which featured various Spawn characters embarking on bizarre adventures that encompassed genres such as sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes, and crime comics. However, what sets those stories apart is their ability to maintain the distinctive qualities of Spawn, making them memorable. Unfortunately, this first issue doesn’t capture that essence.
Despite the fact that much potential remains unexploited, this book is far from ordinary. For instance, who is Abraxis? Does he share a connection with Malebolgia? Why does John regret not slaying Richard? Could this novel possibly redefine the future of Medieval Spawn, as his initial appearance has been invalidated due to legal disputes? These questions and more are intriguing enough to draw readers back for the next issue. So, no, there’s nothing particularly unique about this book. It seems to stray from the traditional Spawn comic style. However, it weaves an engaging plot with compelling hooks. You won’t feel as though your time was misspent reading it, and you’ll be eager to find out what happens next.
Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Published by Image Comics
Released on April 23, 2025
Written by Rory McConville
Art by Marco Itri
Colors by Ulises Arreola
Letters by Andworld Design
Medieval Spawn #1 is on sale now.
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2025-04-23 15:10