THE SCORCHED #33, by Image Comics on 9/11/24, lets readers know there’s a new Haunt in town, but this Haunt is not very nice, which spells trouble for Daniel Kilgore.
Credits:
- Writer: John Layman, Todd McFarlane
- Artist: Dudu Pansica, Júlio Ferreira
- Colorist: Dinei Ribeiro
- Letterer: AndWorld Design
- Cover Artist: Don Aguillo (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: September 11, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Page Count: 28
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of THE SCORCHED #33:
First Impressions:
It had to happen sooner or later. The circumstances that turned Daniel Kilgore into Haunt weren’t miraculously unique, so it stands to reason that someone turned into Haunt before Daniel, and someone will turn into Haunt again. If anyone can figure out the secret sauce, that’s an event in the making.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left the team in The Scorched #32, former Scorched members faced off against current Scorched members for the right to control Zab, believing the former demon has the power to reactivate some amount of supernatural power on Earth. The issue ended with Jessica Priest taking extreme damage at the hands of Haunt, which gave Jason Wynn the confidence that She-Spawn is on his side… or is she?
In The Scorched #33, the plot of the series takes a pause so writers John Layman and Todd McFarlane can introduce readers to an “Angel of Death” killer named Sophia Swain. Sophia became a nurse to help people, but when she saw too many criminals and ethically-void scumbags get treatment over innocent folks who needed it, she used her access to secretly poison patients who were guilty of violent and civil crimes.
During her last murder attempt, Sophia Swain’s target died but remained in the form of a ghost who entered Swain’s body and bonded with her soul (sound familiar). Longtime Spawn detectives Sam and Twitch arrived at the pivotal moment to see Swain turn into a Haunt and escape out a nearby window.
If Swain’s conversion into a Haunt sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Daniel Kilgore, the current Haunt, became the Venom-like hero by bonding with the ghost of his deceased brother. Here, Layman and McFarlane’s story means the process is repeatable.
Instead of fighting for a good cause or justice, Swain’s Haunt kills for the express purpose of killing. One night, Swain/Haunt encounters Spawn on the streets of NYC, leading to a titanic battle, a battle Spawn wins by destroying Swain/Haunt. That should be the end of the story, but we see The Agency cart Swain/Haunt away for scientific study.
The issue concludes with an autopsy years later, an undead thing being undead, and a hunter making plans for its prey.
Overall, The Scorched #33 puts the entire series on the back burner to explain how the Daniel Kilgore Haunt is the only Haunt. As origin stories go, Layman and McFarlane’s script makes sense, but the more intriguing aspect is the possibility that Huants could be mass-produced.
Artwork and Presentation:
Dudu Pansica and Júlio Ferreira deliver an excellent set of visuals, particularly because this issue has more blood and gore than your typical Spawn comic. Spawn isn’t shy about violence, but here, you’ve got dissections, eviscerations, and all kinds of scenes where the inside bits or on the outside. The issue doesn’t get too far into splatter gore territory, but it comes close, and it looks great.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
New-ish readers may wonder why Layman and McFarlane are choosing now to create a new Haunt. That’s not quite true. According to the timeline loosely referenced in this issue, Sophia Swain was a Haunt before Daniel Kilgore, and she met her end at the hands of Spawn soon after Spawn arrived in NYC. Those events aren’t at the beginning of this series, so consider this story an “Untold Tale.”
Final Thoughts:
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THE SCORCHED #33 recounts the origin of another older Haunt who has returned from the dead with a grudge to settle. Layman and McFarlane’s script lays out this new Haunt’s origin story with a rock-solid setup, and the uncharacteristically gory art looks great.
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