Spawn Origins, Volume 14

Spawn Origins Collection

by Todd McFarlane (Writer), Brian Holguin (Writer), Greg Capullo (Illustrator)

Relive the excitement of one of the bestselling independent comics of all time and grow your Spawn: Origins collection! In this volume, the ghost of slain child killer Billy Kincaid returns to taunt Spawn! Possessing human souls, Kincaid carries out his dirty work vicariously through innocents. Sam and Twitch find themselves knee deep in it when current police officers become victims to Kincaid's torment. Can they help Spawn save the people without killing all of them too!?

Collects Spawn #81-86

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Supernatural, Ebooks, Superheroes

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Todd McFarlane is a Canadian comic book artist, writer, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of the epic occult fantasy series Spawn.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, McFarlane became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise. In 1992, he helped form Image Comics, pulling the occult anti-hero character Spawn from his high school portfolio and updating him for the 1990s. Spawn was one of America's most popular heroes in the 1990's and encouraged a trend in creator-owned comic book properties.

In recent years, McFarlane has illustrated comic books less often, focusing on entrepreneurial efforts, such as McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment, a film and animation studio.

In September, 2006, it was announced that McFarlane will be the Art Director of the newly formed 38 Studios, formerly Green Monster Games, founded by Curt Schilling.

McFarlane used to be co-owner of National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers but sold his shares to Daryl Katz. He's also a high-profile collector of history-making baseballs.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: Personal plights, figurative fights, frightening mind control, grim, predatory, weighty stories, struggles with the soul.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #81-83 ◦ Issues #84-86

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a warm-up volume, Brian Holguin helping McFarlane with texts (imagine druid Panoramix helping architect Numerobis in Asterix and Cleopatra graphic novel/animated movie to get the picture) rised a lot the quality of the Spawn series, turning it more into an urban-horror themed one.



Loved the Billy Kincaid/Jason Wynn return storylines, a few scenes were really disturbing ones and the Al/Twitch bromance is an interesting evolution of the two characters.



No need to say it again, but Capullo's artworks are made of the stuff dreams, real creepy ones, are made of.



And Al's nightmare about little Cyan got by Kincaid just gave me chills.



'Nuff said.

[The Wintermute System · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this is getting interesting: the collateral damage issues has been toyed around with, but it seems to be coming to a head here, and I'm interested in seeing where it goes...

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still continues to be interesting although lost a bit of its touch at the start.. I mean, Billy is back, and although I liked him the first time around. The second time was meh and now it's just plain repetitive, so... and it wasn't that much of a good story either. Just plain ol'Billy boy collecting souls and trying to scare Spawn.

But towards the end next arc gets better and better. Already started the next volume and it looks a lot more promising!

[Alex Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Todd truly has no overarching vision for this comic lmao, every six issues or so it seems like he's settling into a new groove that the comic can tick along in more or less indefinitely, and then he immediately gets bored and throws the new status quo into the garbage. Genuinely funny.

[Timo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite nice arc here. Also, it closes the story neatly. Bringing Holguin to write Spawn was a right thing to do.
Looking forward of reading the net edition.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bringing in Brian Holguin as a co-writer has done some positive things for the series. Child killer Billy Kincaid is back and he's possessing people, forcing people to randomly murder others like the plot of the movie Fallen. I don't even care if they ripped the movie off. It was quite good. I really can't believe that I'm liking this series now. Greg Capullo continues to kill it on art.

There is a page where McFarlane makes fun of himself for spending $3 million on a Mark McGuire baseball. I found that to be hilarious.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Kincaid's soul has received the ability to possess living humans and harvest their souls upon death. Sam and Twitch suspect the truth based on a message written in blood in their office, but Spawn is certain of it. He needs to find a way to stop Billy's string of violence. Eventually Billy decides to go after Terry, Wanda, Cyan, granny Blake and Twitch's family. Spawn tricks Billy into fighting in the dead zone where neither of them has an advantage. Billy's most recent body is young and strong, so he overpowers Spawn. In the end Twitch kills the host body, a young police officer with a family. He regrets the choice, but at least his family is safe.

Spawn has a heart-to-heart with his Al Simmons identity. He realises he must leave behind his former self if he wants to proceed. Then he quits - he wants nothing of heaven or hell. We'll see how much that lasts.

[Michele Rice Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spawn - Always an excellent graphic novel.