Spawn: Origins Vol. 1
Writer and Artist: Todd McFarlane
A prime example of how to tell a great origin story for a superhero! Spawn is a character that readers can sympathize with!
Ranking: 5 stars
One of the most important aspects when developing a backstory for a character is to have it establish their personality and goals. This is a necessity, because if the reader is not given a hook to attach them to the character, it will be difficult for them to become invested and continue reading. Knowing who these characters are and why they do what they do is important for developing them, and knowing their backstory is a great way to easily carry out said development. This is especially important for origin stories in superhero comics, as they need to convince readers to continue buying stories involving the character. It is important that the hero must be able to form a connection with readers, and allow them to immerse themselves into the hero’s endeavors and their universe. The first issues of Todd McFarlane’s famous series SPAWN succeed in this area, as the tragic origins of it’s titular character immediately allow readers to connect and sympathize with him. The character Spawn was created in 1992 by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, who was one of the artists to leave Marvel alongside Jim Lee, Marc Silverstri, and Rob Liefeld to form Image Comics. While most material to come out of Image during the early 90’s was critically panned for serious delays on issues and bad writing and artwork (most of which can be traced back to Liefeld), McFarlane’s work on Spawn was not only better received, but the character would also become one of the most popular anti-heroes of the 90’s, and still has a devoted fanbase. I think the reason for Spawn’s success was due to the originality of his concept (unlike the YOUNGBLOOD-style crap that dominated Image at the time), as well as his unique visual aesthetics (he’s like Ghost Rider meets Venom from Spider-Man). I will admit that before reading this first volume that recollects the original issues, I had little knowledge of Spawn’s character. While I was aware of his creator was McFarlane and that his origins were demonic in nature (as well as the fact that he had the face of a rotting corpse), I didn’t know much else outside the fact that he once shared a crossover with Batman written by Frank Miller. However, after learning more about the character’s origins and popularity from internet reviews, I decided to take a look into Spawn myself. After reading the first volume of SPAWN ORIGINS, I can easily say that this one of the most well-developed origins for a superhero that I have encountered for a while. The book opens in the alleyways of New York City, where a mysterious figure is silently brooding to himself. Suffering from amnesia, the only memories that the individual has to work off include him working for the government, being betrayed and murdered, brought back from the dead by a demon, and did so in order to reunite with a woman he has no memory of. However, he realizes that he was cheated in the process, as he was revived five years after his death, and is now wearing a costume and possesses supernatural powers and abilities. Acting off of instincts from when he was alive, the costumed individual begins to assault the criminal scum of the big apple and protect its innocents. With each experience, the man slowly regains more of his memories, eventually learning that he is Al Simmons, a former assassin for the U.S. government who was ordered to be silenced when he became aware of the corruption within the department he had worked for. Simmons’ soul was cast into Hell because of the innocents he had killed, but he made a deal with a demon known as the Malebolgia to be reunited with his wife, the woman from his memories. After realizing the full truth of who he is, as well as the repercussions of his deal with the Devil, a distraught Simmons is soon confronted by the Violator, a demon taking on the appearance of a clown with similar physical attributes to Danny Devito. The Violator, assigned to keep a leash on Simmons, informs him that he is now a being known as a Spawn (or Hellspawn), and that the Malebogia granted Simmons his power in order to complete a task that will ensure Hell’s dominance over humanity. Will Spawn be able to resist the wishes of the Malebolgia and retain what little humanity he has left, or will he indeed lead the charge in Hell’s war against Heaven? The most important aspect of any origin story is to not only establish the character’s powers and backstory, but to also provide the reader incentive to want to continue reason. Since most superhero comics are ongoing monthly series, readers must be given a reason to care about the characters that they are following if they are to continue buying the stories about them. The first six issues of Spawn heavily succeed in this regard, as his tragic origins immediately allow me to feel sympathy for him. While the idea of an individual selling their soul to a demonic entity has been around for ages (both in literature and with superheroes like the Ghost Rider), but McFarlane takes a unique spin with this trope that makes it feel fresh and innovative rather repetitive and contrived. In most stories involving a deal with the Devil, the person is immediately aware of the consequences of their actions, and ultimately of the road that they now walk down as a result. Spawn’s development is different in this regard, as when he makes his deal with the Malebolgia, not only is he resurrected five years after his death, but is also amnesiac, having no memory of who he was when he was still alive. As the story progresses, he gradually regains his memories through sudden bursts of mental imagery that occur randomly. Having Spawn gradually regain his memories rather than remembering everything at the beginning is more effective as it not only creates tension, but it also helps the readers easily invest in Spawn’s delimma. Each time he regains a portion of his memories, the reader is provided more information about who he is, what he did in his former life, ideas of what may have caused his current situation, and build up potential directions of what actions he will take in the future. The ambiguity and gradual buildup of Spawn’s characterization allows the reader to easily invest immerse themselves into the universe and its characters, causing them to want to continue reading to know what will later transpire. This approach to Spawn’s origins definitely allowed me to connect with and sympathize with his dilemma, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing where this development goes in later volumes. Another character that I felt was well handled in this volume was the secondary antagonist known as the Violator. The Violator is a demonic being that works for the Malebolgia, and has been tasked with monitoring Spawn’s actions on Earth. The Malebolgia's ultimate ambition is to have Spawn raise an army of evil souls by killing the criminals that threaten the innocent civilians in New York, and when the day Armageddon arrives, Spawn will lead the Malebolgia's army against God and the forces of Heaven. The Violator has been assigned to monitor Spawn, making sure that Spawn follows his master’s wishes. What immediately makes the Violator a memorable antagonist is that when he’s on Earth, he assumes the form of an overweight, Danny Devito-like individual wearing clown makeup when he’s in human form. While this could have been heavily distracting, it works in the favor of the Violator’s personality, as he often makes sarcastic and vulgar wisecracks, and constantly boasts about his own superiority as a demon. This provides great comic relief to the book’s dark and dramatic atmosphere,making him a fun and enjoyable. However, McFarlane is also able to expertly balance the Violator’s comedic personality with his role as an antagonist, as not only does his design as a demon look scary and intimidating, but he also provides conflict for Spawn when he begins murdering corrupt crime lords, ripping out their hearts in the process. The manner in which the Violator kills his victims is reflective in him being a demon, as well as the fact that he get’s sick enjoyment in tormenting others (similar to the Joker, though less psychotic…). All in all, McFarlane’s characterization of the Violator is memorable in both the villain’s comedic and sadistic personality, but is still able to be taken seriously as a legitimate threat. Balancing a comedic and serious side in a character is an incredibly difficult task for many writers to accomplish, but McFarlane definitely prevails with the Violator! Todd McFarlane’s work on Spawn is definitely deserving of the praise that its received. The titular character’s origin is perfectly set up and established, allowing readers to easily become attached to this character and invest in his dilemma, the premise innovates upon story elements already done to death and makes them feel fresh instead of contrived, and the villain is memorable for being humorous while being intimidating at the same time. The level of quality present in this volume completely took me by surprise as most of the comics in Image during the early 90’s were dominated by crappy writing and Liefeld-inspired artwork. Not only does Spawn manage to stand tall among the garbage of early Image Comics, but it also may be one of the most compelling and well-developed comics that I have recently encountered. All great origin stories are one’s that make the reader want to continue investing, and Spawn has definitely succeeded in that regard! “Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” -Heraclitus
