KING SPAWN #36 – New Comic Review

KING SPAWN #36, by Image Comics on 7/24/24, gives Al Simmons a moment to rest, regroup, and gear up as he prepares to hit back against Bludd and his vampires.

Credits:

• Writer: Todd McFarlane
• Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander, Yildiray Cinar
• Colorist: Ivan Nunes
• Letterer: AndWorld Design
• Cover Artist: Keron Grant (cover A)
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Release Date: July 24, 2024
• Comic Rating: Teen+
• Cover Price: $2.99
• Page Count: 28
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

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Analysis of KING SPAWN #36:

First Impressions:

Payback’s a mother @%@&@. Todd McFarlane gives readers an anger-fueled issue that shows Spawn prepping to punch back at his attackers with a ferocity they won’t soon forget. The plot’s thinness and weak art are compensated for with strong character moments and dialog, so it’s a mixed bag but leans positive.

Plot Analysis:

In King Spawn #35, Spawn finally found his way to Grannie Blake, saved her, and left her with Cyan for safekeeping. Now that Grannie’s safe, his rage toward everyone involved in her kidnapping reaches a boiling point of revenge.

In King Spawn #36, we catch up with Jacob March, aka The Tinkerer, as he goes on a shopping spree all over town. He picks up all kinds of hardware equipment, OTC medications, and very strong alcohol. Why? Al Simmons, aka Spawn, hired Jacob to stitch up all his wounds from his rescue of Grannie Blake., and those cuts run deep.

Bringing Jacob back into the story is a nice cameo for longtime Spawn fans. His presence makes sense for Spawn’s current predicament, and the second part of Jacob’s contribution to this issue is a potential game-changer since the events of Spawn #350.

Elsewhere, Bludd calls in one of the powerless angels to vent his anger over their inability to capture and kill Spawn. The angel promises to make up for his team’s failure, but Bludd is in no mood for excuses and kills the angel.

Later, Al recovers from passing out due to the pain of Jacob’s stitching just in time for Jacob to show Spawn his latest invention – a heavily armored, cybernetically enhanced Spawn suit. Al knows he can’t take more damage, so Jacob gives him a leg up… in exchange for a large bag of money. Spawn gives the new suit a test run, but he knows it won’t be enough in a big fight, so he sets up a big plate of meat to enlist backup.

Later, Tyrone laments how many humans were lost in the attempt to trap and kill Spawn. He tells his men to assemble two teams to ensure Spawn doesn’t get away next time. Minutes later, the men clear out to follow Tyrone’s orders. Tyrone feels the cold steel of a pistol pressed against the back of his head. Spawn has come to kidnap Tyrone for payback and to make Tyrone’s father very angry. To ensure the kidnapping goes off without a hitch, Spawn brought muscle – Cy-Gor.

Overall, King Spawn #36 is a decent enough issue. If the goal was to push back against the vampires, now that their spiritually-powered competition is mortal, the mission is accomplished. Plus, Spawn’s new suite gives him a leg up we’re anxious to see put to good use.

Artwork and Presentation:

Jason Shawn Alexander and Yildiray Cinar have a solid eye for composition and cinematic camera angles. That said, the painterly inking style sometimes comes off as sloppy. If it wasn’t for Ivan Nunes’s coloring, the art would be subpar.

Art Samples:

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The Bigger Picture:

Series Continuity:

Now that Bludd is taking center stage as the target of Spawn’s revenge, this issue ties more closely to the main Spawn comic that puts Bludd at the heart of a four-way fight between Bludd, a new vigilante on the scene with angelic ties, and the Agency.

Final Thoughts:

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KING SPAWN #36 is a mixed bag with strong character moments and dialog, offset by a thin plot and weak art. We like the direction of the arc as Spawn goes on the offensive against the vampires for kidnapping Grannie Blake, so this series has potential if it can tweak the shortcomings.

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