SPAWN #357, by Image Comics on 10/2/24, sends Spawn and Lyra on a quest to stop a group of demons from artificially reinstating their powers. What they find is not what they expected.
Credits:
- Writer: Rory McConville
- Artist: Brett Booth, Adelso Corona
- Colorist: Robert Nugent
- Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
- Cover Artist: Marcial Toledano
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: October 2, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SPAWN #357:
First Impressions:
Rory McConville delivers another rock-solid issue with action, tons of foreshadowing, and escalating stakes. We knew it wouldn’t be long before someone or something got tired of living without power, so now we see that frustration turn into action, and Spawn #357 sets the pace in an entertaining comic.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Spawn in Spawn #356, writer Rory McConville gave readers a thorough backstory on Lyra as the hybrid offspring of an angelic father and demonic mother. Lyra’s parents were killed for their blasphemous relationship. Now, Lyra uses her emerging powers, immune from Nyx’s Dead Zone, to hunt the man who dealt the final blow against her father – Bludd. In the present, Lyra and Spawn are captured by Nero.
In Spawn #357, we begin with a prologue starring Jason Wynn as he looks over the latest failed medical experiment from his Agency researcher. We learn through their dialog that the scientist failed to use a de-powered demon to create a specific virus for Wynn’s plans, but Wynn has an idea to get a specimen with power.
Rory McConville uses the prologue to drop all manner of hints about plans in the works through Jason Wynn’s Agency. A virus distilled from powered beings is certain to be trouble, so this scene does a fine job of foreshadowing things to come.
We cut to Spawn and Lyra, who are imprisoned guests of Nero after they broke into Nero’s house. Nero thinks the intruders are here for a magical appearance change, but Spawn clarifies they’re looking for a cure for vampirism. Nero assures them no such cure exists and sends them on their way.
McConville may be pulling a bait-and-switch with Nero, but maybe not. Nero has no love for Bludd, and he has no reason to lie about a cure, so Nero’s pronouncement comes off as very convincing.
Later, Spawn receives a tip about a gathering of demons trying to artificially recreate their powers. He and Lyra follow the trail to a warehouse containing a few dead demons and not much else. The heroes begin to search the warehouse. Lyra soon finds a woman wearing handcuffs and locked in a storage room, but not everything is as it seems.
The issue ends with intense questioning, a bull in a China shop, and a target acquired.
Overall, Spawn #357 is a solid issue that brings Lyra in line with the main plot, escalates the stakes in a world where everyone is powerless, and keeps the story moving at an engaging pace.
Artwork and Presentation:
Brett Booth, Adelso Corona, and Robert Nugent turned out some of the best-looking books in Image’s catalog of titles. Booth is a master at capturing that quintessential McFarlane style for a comic with powerful designs, fluid flourishes, and hard-hitting action.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Since Spawn #350, Nyx has kept silent concerning her plans for Hell and why she encased the Earth in a Dead Zone. So far, there’s no hint as to what Nyx is up to, except for confirmation that even Greenworld is in the dark about her intentions.
Final Thoughts:
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SPAWN #357 is a rock-solid Spawn issue that gives substantial focus to Lyra as the multiple forces look to overcome the Dead Zone’s effects. McConville’s script gives readers plenty of action and plot movement at a brisk pace, and the art team’s visuals look amazing.
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