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Violator (collected editions) #1
Violator (1994)
ALAN MOORE’S VIOLATOR IS HERE! The long-awaited reprinting of the 1994 three-issue mini-series is now in trade paperback!
Violator's siblings, Vacillator, Vindicator, Vandalizer, and Vaporizer, along with ruthless mobsters, hire assassin Admonisher to kill Violator. Stripped of his powers, Violator must defend himself against attacks from his brothers and Admonisher. In a twist of fate, an unexpected team-up with none other than SPAWN to help Violator along the way.
Collects Violator Issues #1 – 3
Violator's siblings, Vacillator, Vindicator, Vandalizer, and Vaporizer, along with ruthless mobsters, hire assassin Admonisher to kill Violator. Stripped of his powers, Violator must defend himself against attacks from his brothers and Admonisher. In a twist of fate, an unexpected team-up with none other than SPAWN to help Violator along the way.
Collects Violator Issues #1 – 3
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Alan Moore
1,632 books22.4k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 22, 2019
Don't expect to read another Watchmen or V for Vendetta, but this Alan Moore's spin-off about Spawn's nemesis Violator, a light, fast paced, well drawn, gory and filled with dark humour, is a great tribute to villains and other black hearted characters who enrich comics making so fun reading them.
Maybe he's not as famous as Green Goblin, Joker, Thanos or Lex Luthor, but the crazy killer clown with Danny De Vito's features is litterally an hell of a character that in the end of this volume you are probably going to root for him besides having a lot of laughs.
Because Moore started his career as a humoristic comic book artist, and you can see how much fun he had writing this mini-series, not just a bump in the road of his author of graphic novels curriculum, but a real underrated little known black humour gem.
Such a shame the Magus of Northampton announced his retirement a few days ago, but this isn't first time he's done that so let's hope it's not going to be the last one.
May 4, 2019
This is pure commedy gold with Alan Moore taking the piss out of the grim dark Spawn series. Gag after gag, it is amazingly enjoyable to read.
December 28, 2018
Violator is Alan Moore doing his thing on Todd McFarlane's Spawn.
The entire story really is about Spawn's old nemesis-the Violator. Somehow he has lost his demonic powers and is human now. The mob is trying to kill him and his brothers from Hell are trying the same thing. This was not an awful comic. There are some rather clever moments of dialogue in here, with Moore that should be no surprise, and the artwork is good with a style very similar to McFarlane's style.
So why 2 stars? It's kind of a mess..the story. The first irritating thing is when Violator, tossed underwater with feet encased in cement, uses what looks like a snub nosed .357 to destroy his cement cast. Ummmm..while guns can fire underwater, the force of the bullet is significantly reduced (if my aged brain still recalls-such a bullet would travel about 8-10 ft before losing lethality)-which means no way is he shooting off the cement cast. Um for the record-if your feet were encased in a cement block and you fired a .357 at it you'd still have a hell of a time getting all of it off, since it's not like cement just falls apart (like cinderblock struck by 7.62 rounds) but rather a bit might come off..and a revolver like that has 6 shots..bah you get what I am saying. Pfffft. Not happening. Also uhh kids do NOT fire hollow-points at targets less than a foot away from your body..since uhhh the round will deform and likely turn into a tiny grenade almost.
The rest of it-if Violator IS human now..he sure as Hell, no pun intended, can take an obscene amount of damage. I am also not sure as to the logic or intellect driving Spawn's help in the matter. I'm not buying Spawn giving Violator the power.
That being said there are some subtlely clever things- like the character of the "Admonisher". He made me laugh. Again its the typical over the top Spawn style violence and plot. Thus, Moore's subtle humor sometimes gets lost among the clutter of events. But look hard and you'll see it ("Real men don't wear flesh!").
On the whole a mediocre installment in the Spawn series.
The entire story really is about Spawn's old nemesis-the Violator. Somehow he has lost his demonic powers and is human now. The mob is trying to kill him and his brothers from Hell are trying the same thing. This was not an awful comic. There are some rather clever moments of dialogue in here, with Moore that should be no surprise, and the artwork is good with a style very similar to McFarlane's style.
So why 2 stars? It's kind of a mess..the story. The first irritating thing is when Violator, tossed underwater with feet encased in cement, uses what looks like a snub nosed .357 to destroy his cement cast. Ummmm..while guns can fire underwater, the force of the bullet is significantly reduced (if my aged brain still recalls-such a bullet would travel about 8-10 ft before losing lethality)-which means no way is he shooting off the cement cast. Um for the record-if your feet were encased in a cement block and you fired a .357 at it you'd still have a hell of a time getting all of it off, since it's not like cement just falls apart (like cinderblock struck by 7.62 rounds) but rather a bit might come off..and a revolver like that has 6 shots..bah you get what I am saying. Pfffft. Not happening. Also uhh kids do NOT fire hollow-points at targets less than a foot away from your body..since uhhh the round will deform and likely turn into a tiny grenade almost.
The rest of it-if Violator IS human now..he sure as Hell, no pun intended, can take an obscene amount of damage. I am also not sure as to the logic or intellect driving Spawn's help in the matter. I'm not buying Spawn giving Violator the power.
That being said there are some subtlely clever things- like the character of the "Admonisher". He made me laugh. Again its the typical over the top Spawn style violence and plot. Thus, Moore's subtle humor sometimes gets lost among the clutter of events. But look hard and you'll see it ("Real men don't wear flesh!").
On the whole a mediocre installment in the Spawn series.
September 26, 2025
they don't write comics like this anymore...
ultra violent...played for laughs...great art
ultra violent...played for laughs...great art
February 17, 2026
Before beginning this review, I should mention that I have been reading the Spawn universe out of order. I have not yet read the main Spawn title and instead started with the spin-offs. Because of this, there are clearly some important details and context that I am missing. That said, the spin-offs have provided enough background for me to follow this volume without feeling completely lost, which speaks to how well the broader universe is constructed.
Overall, I found this volume to be just okay. There was simply too much happening, both visually and narratively. I understand that the chaos is intentional and reflects Violator’s character and mental state, but at times it became overwhelming to the point of distraction. The pages often felt crowded with excessive imagery, dialogue, and action, making it difficult to fully absorb what was happening. Ironically, like Violator himself, I felt overwhelmed by the experience.
That said, the characters were one of the highlights. The Admonisher was absurd in the best possible way, and Violator’s siblings added a fun and bizarre dynamic to the story. The enemies were creative, with imaginative and engaging designs that made them visually memorable. The strongest moments in the book were the quieter scenes, particularly when Violator was alone or interacting with just one other character. These moments allowed the story and character to breathe and felt much more effective.
In the end, this volume works better as supplemental material rather than a standalone story. While it has creative characters and strong visual ideas, the excessive chaos in both the art and storytelling holds it back. I would recommend it to readers already invested in the main Spawn story, but not as an entry point.
Grade: C
Overall, I found this volume to be just okay. There was simply too much happening, both visually and narratively. I understand that the chaos is intentional and reflects Violator’s character and mental state, but at times it became overwhelming to the point of distraction. The pages often felt crowded with excessive imagery, dialogue, and action, making it difficult to fully absorb what was happening. Ironically, like Violator himself, I felt overwhelmed by the experience.
That said, the characters were one of the highlights. The Admonisher was absurd in the best possible way, and Violator’s siblings added a fun and bizarre dynamic to the story. The enemies were creative, with imaginative and engaging designs that made them visually memorable. The strongest moments in the book were the quieter scenes, particularly when Violator was alone or interacting with just one other character. These moments allowed the story and character to breathe and felt much more effective.
In the end, this volume works better as supplemental material rather than a standalone story. While it has creative characters and strong visual ideas, the excessive chaos in both the art and storytelling holds it back. I would recommend it to readers already invested in the main Spawn story, but not as an entry point.
Grade: C
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June 4, 2025Violator Vs Badrock is comfortably the worst thing I've ever read from Alan Moore, so I'd never bothered tracking this related project down. But it showed up on Libby, and some people I knew were saying recently that it's better, so I thought I might as well. And yes, OK, it is better, but only in the sense that if you're hellbent on reading absolutely everything Alan Moore has ever done then this should probably be on the list ahead of Vs Badrock. Just, you know, after the BJ And The Bear Annual and Astounding Weird Penises. Spinning off from Spawn, it's very much taking the piss out of nineties comics excesses; Spawn himself makes an incredibly brief appearance in which he gets a double-page splash before being taken for a fool and kicked into a heap of rubbish, and there's a Punisher-style killer with ridiculously big guns on Violator's tail, except he's called the Admonisher and gets lines like "Ha! Are you guys gonna get a good ticking off!!" Which...is a bit laboured, isn't it? And while one can't wholly blame Bart Sears and then Greg Capullo for the art, given they're working from Moore's thumbnails, the pages are still incredibly ugly. The closest I came to genuine amusement was that, among the alliterative demonic siblings bent on Violator's demise, the likes of Vandalizer and Vindicator* are joined by the indecisive Vacillator. Overall, though? It is possible to do pastiche nineties Image that works as comedy, not just a reproduction of the original's failings (Doom Force!), but this ain't it.
*A demon here, a Canadian superhero at Marvel, a 40K tank and a Doctor Who gadget – why is that word so irresistible in geek stuff?
*A demon here, a Canadian superhero at Marvel, a 40K tank and a Doctor Who gadget – why is that word so irresistible in geek stuff?
August 1, 2025
Una miniserie che non e’ altro che un divertissement per Moore: c’e’ qualche gag carina come la testa di una vittima che rimanr incastrata nel braccio di Violator o il personaggio dell’Ammonitore, che altro non e’ che una parodia degli eroi ipertrofici e un po’ moralisti/reazionari di fine anni ‘80 inizi ‘90, ma la storia in sé non ha davvero niente da dire.
Anche di Spawn viene fatto un ritratto comico, visto che si fa raggirare come uno scemo da Violator, che lo convince a ridargli i poteri.
Spesso i disegni più ricchi di dettagli sono poco leggibili.
Anche di Spawn viene fatto un ritratto comico, visto che si fa raggirare come uno scemo da Violator, che lo convince a ridargli i poteri.
Spesso i disegni più ricchi di dettagli sono poco leggibili.
October 14, 2021
Английского сборника нет в природе, поэтому оставлю отзыв на то издание, которое нашёл.
Алан Мур оказался безумно креативным в "Спауне" и именно его "настроений" и подходов порой не хватает комиксу, когда тот так или иначе проседает. Violator — как раз тот самый спин-офф, который даёт читателю то, чем изначально Тодд заманивал читателя: триллер с демонюгами из ада. Немного странно, что Спаун оказался настолько наивным, но умом Спаунвёрс не понять. Было весело, и на том спасибо.
Алан Мур оказался безумно креативным в "Спауне" и именно его "настроений" и подходов порой не хватает комиксу, когда тот так или иначе проседает. Violator — как раз тот самый спин-офф, который даёт читателю то, чем изначально Тодд заманивал читателя: триллер с демонюгами из ада. Немного странно, что Спаун оказался настолько наивным, но умом Спаунвёрс не понять. Было весело, и на том спасибо.
June 13, 2025
I highly doubt Alan Moore is proud of this minor work of his, but truth to be told: this is a funny - in a gory way - and nasty piece of 90's comic book. Violator and his brothers are the protagonists of a "story" made of mayhem, senseless violence, and a bit of parody. Spawn is featured as a guest in a very brief sequence where he acts as a dork. As almost always with the Spawn Universe: I give it a 3-star rating because of nostalgia and my fetish for 90's comics, your mileage may really vary.
June 28, 2018
Una entretenida comedia oscura, en la cual Alan Moore no se muestra tímido en enunciar sus intereses y conocimientos temáticos alrededor del esoterismo, la magia e historia de su natal Northampton.
Los trazos de Bart Sears, Greg Capullo, junto a las tintas de Mark Pennington, siguen siendo un referente -casi-insuperable en las novelas gráficas contemporáneas.
Los trazos de Bart Sears, Greg Capullo, junto a las tintas de Mark Pennington, siguen siendo un referente -casi-insuperable en las novelas gráficas contemporáneas.
October 6, 2022
Alan Moore prende l'arcinemico di Spawn e lo mette al centro di una storia folle, scorretta e divertentissima.
I demoni più idioti e sanguinari che abbia mai visto, un energumeno con un arsenale di armi da fuoco che fa invidia a Punisher, uno Spawn tanto minaccioso quanto idiota, e il celebre Violator, grottesco e creativo nella sua follia.
Come non amare questo fumetto?
I demoni più idioti e sanguinari che abbia mai visto, un energumeno con un arsenale di armi da fuoco che fa invidia a Punisher, uno Spawn tanto minaccioso quanto idiota, e il celebre Violator, grottesco e creativo nella sua follia.
Come non amare questo fumetto?
May 27, 2025
This was… interesting.
Violator is a chaotic, over-the-top, and often absurd miniseries — and honestly, that’s both its charm and its biggest weakness. As a spin-off focused on one of the most grotesque and unhinged characters in the Spawn universe, it delivers exactly what you’d expect: gore, dark humor, demon fights, and a lot of yelling.
The art by Bart Sears is bold, exaggerated, and full of monstrous energy — which fits the tone of the story. Violator’s grotesque expressions and overblown anatomy match the character’s personality perfectly. It looks like a comic from the ‘90s in the best (and sometimes worst) ways.
Story-wise, though, it’s hit or miss. Alan Moore tries to inject some ironic distance and satire, and there are moments where that works — especially in the way Hell’s bureaucracy and demon politics are portrayed. But it also feels like the story doesn’t know exactly what it wants to be: horror? comedy? parody? It leans into all three but never fully sticks the landing.
As a Spawn fan, it’s fun to see the Violator get the spotlight — he’s so repulsive it’s hard to look away. But after the first couple of issues, the novelty wears off, and it starts to feel like style over substance.
Worth a read if you’re into the Spawn universe or enjoy chaotic demon-centric stories — just don’t expect anything deep or particularly memorable.
Violator is a chaotic, over-the-top, and often absurd miniseries — and honestly, that’s both its charm and its biggest weakness. As a spin-off focused on one of the most grotesque and unhinged characters in the Spawn universe, it delivers exactly what you’d expect: gore, dark humor, demon fights, and a lot of yelling.
The art by Bart Sears is bold, exaggerated, and full of monstrous energy — which fits the tone of the story. Violator’s grotesque expressions and overblown anatomy match the character’s personality perfectly. It looks like a comic from the ‘90s in the best (and sometimes worst) ways.
Story-wise, though, it’s hit or miss. Alan Moore tries to inject some ironic distance and satire, and there are moments where that works — especially in the way Hell’s bureaucracy and demon politics are portrayed. But it also feels like the story doesn’t know exactly what it wants to be: horror? comedy? parody? It leans into all three but never fully sticks the landing.
As a Spawn fan, it’s fun to see the Violator get the spotlight — he’s so repulsive it’s hard to look away. But after the first couple of issues, the novelty wears off, and it starts to feel like style over substance.
Worth a read if you’re into the Spawn universe or enjoy chaotic demon-centric stories — just don’t expect anything deep or particularly memorable.
July 1, 2025
I was expecting this to be just another example of edgy 90s comic book storytelling, and it was, but it was also far funnier and more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I like it when Alan Moore is just having fun.
June 23, 2018
the only book I had from Alan Moore that I sold !!! fun but so void !!!
March 9, 2021
Una historia bastante floja de un personaje que podria ser muy interesante
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March 9, 2023Edición especial mexicana. No recuerdo si decía "Spawn Presenta".
June 22, 2024
Un spin-off que no ahondaba mucho en el personaje pero le sumaba contexto al mundo Spawn.
September 19, 2024
Una humorada negrísima y de dudoso gusto y por lo tanto recomendable.
October 8, 2024
Libro de historietas con código propio. Colección mexicana Spawn Presenta.
April 25, 2025
Ludicrous, gory, crass, ridiculous, and just fun. I can’t believe Alan Moore wrote this.
May 24, 2025
WTAF....did I just read? It was like some weird rich Moore fan had this done. It wasn't good, just some silly spin-off.
2.5⭐ROUNDED DOWN😅
2.5⭐ROUNDED DOWN😅
October 16, 2025
A weird story that felt kind of tossed off.
January 27, 2026
I expected a lot more from Alan Moore. The story is simply bad and the ending even worst, it feels like it was cut short.
August 25, 2026
It's a fun time, even if Alan Moore writing it does feel strange
April 28, 2013
Más que decente entretenimiento. Se lee bien como tomo autoconclusivo ya que no hace falta ser seguidor de Spawn para entender todo perfectamente. No se podía esperar que Moore no manejara a la perfección sus dotes de narrador para que esta miniserie sea minimamente aceptable; sin dejar de ser un trabajo hecho más por el dinero que por ambiciones expresivas. Mucha violencia y humor tontarrón, bien manejados pero sin ser memorables casi nunca. Por el otro lado, el dibujante Sears aprovecha bien la chance de laburar con un titán como el guionista inglés y pela unas composiciones barrocas y delirantes llenas de detalles, que llevan a detener la vista en las páginas y asombrarse.
April 14, 2025
So cool.
This book brought back so many memories. I was just a kid when I picked this book up. I was thrilled back then. 30 years later, it brought back the same excitement I felt back then. It's not the best story, but its fun and the character of Violator is such a loveable guy. He is like my bloody teddy bear from childhood. Thanks for the memories Image.
This book brought back so many memories. I was just a kid when I picked this book up. I was thrilled back then. 30 years later, it brought back the same excitement I felt back then. It's not the best story, but its fun and the character of Violator is such a loveable guy. He is like my bloody teddy bear from childhood. Thanks for the memories Image.
January 12, 2011
Lo leí hace demasiado como para emitir opinión, pero como no lo quiero dejar como to-read hasta releerlo, que ojalá sea pronto, lo dejo con las estándar tres estrellitas, ya que -según recuerdo- era un comic bastante entretenido pero no pasaba de eso.
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September 13, 2015Edición mexicana a cargo de Ediciones Vid.
May 2, 2022
Spin-off con el personaje de Spawn más carismático. En castellano se editó dos veces y aparentemente nada más.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews