SPAWN #361, by Image Comics on 2/12/25, forces Nyx to step in, disrupting her grand plans, to bring Spawn back to life and restore the King of the Dead to his rightful place on Earth.
Credits:
- Writer: Todd McFarlane
- Artist: Brett Booth, Adelso Corona
- Colorist: Robert Nugent
- Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
- Cover Artist: Björn Barends
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: February 12, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 28
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of SPAWN #361:
Recap:
When we last left Spawn in Spawn #360, the hero decided to ignore Nyx’s wishes to stay away from undoing the Dead Zone that enveloped the Earth. Spawn knew Nyx needed him for her plans, so he took a gamble on fighting against monsters and allowing himself to be killed. Nyx was forced to bring Spawn back to life with far-reaching consequences for the planet.
Plot Analysis:
In Spawn #361, we see the fallout from Spawn’s risky, self-sacrificing plan. Nyx doesn’t take the news of Spawn’s death well. Speaking through an animated corpse, Nyx’s unleashes her full power on Spawn’s dead body to resurrect him, unsealing the Dead Zone surrounding Earth. We learn through her narration that she worked with Bludd to make the global Dead Zone possible.
Nyx shows fury at Spawn’s disobedience. She has a grand plan in motion to take over Heaven and depose God, a plan that relies on Spawn receiving his powers again at a precise moment. Spawn’s death forces Nyx’s hand and disrupts her timeline. She flings Spawn around like a rag doll as a demonstration of her displeasure.
Spawn, now re-powered, asserts control over the corpse to remind Nyx that she is in charge of Hell but no Earth. The issue ends with a trio of powered individuals showing up to start the cycle of violence all over again.
First Impressions:
Spawn #361 delivers on one big idea and delivers on it well. Todd McFarlane undoes the powerlessness of Spawn in a massive display of power that resets the status quo and peels back the blind spot of Nyx’s intentions. Spawn #361 isn’t a dense issue, but it achieves what it sets out to do.
Artwork and Presentation:
What can anyone with a taste for glorious say about Brett Booth’s art other than it looks amazing? Few artists can capture the 90s aesthetic that made Spawn popular while toning down the penchant for exaggeration to give you something that looks nostalgically cool and modern at the same time. McFarlane would do well to hold onto Booth as long as possible.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
It’s over. The long, pregnant pause of wondering what’s going on with Nyx and the de-powering of the world is finally over. The undoing feels somewhat satisfying, and again, the art looks amazing.
The Negatives:
The timing of Spawn #361 is way off. Undoing the Dead Zone means all the Spawn-related characters should feel the effects moving forward. Unfortunately, the characters have already experienced their powers returning, so it feels like the main Spawn title is a couple of months behind its spinoffs, which is no bueno.
Final Thoughts:
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SPAWN #361 executes one big, status quo-shifting idea and does it well. Todd McFarlane ends the last year of waiting by finally unveiling why Nyx cut off everyone’s powers, and Brett Booth’s artwork looks immaculate. That said, releasing this issue out of order with the rest of the Spawnverse titles feels like a misstep.
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