Spawn/WildC.A.T.S #1
January 1996
Thanks to a godlike creature called Chiming Fire who makes an amulet that would turn the world topsy-turvy, Wildstorm and Image got together for a four-issue crossover mini-series between Spawn and WildC.A.T.S titled 'Devil's Day' written by regular guest writer - Alan Moore and pencilled by Scott Clark.
WildC.A.T.S refer to a Covert Action Team of superheroes that worked for Wildstorm Publishing :). In the first issue, there is the mandatory misunderstandings between superheroes that resulted in fist-fights before the "oh-big-understanding" kind of reconciliation. In this instance, we have Maul vs Spawn.
This is incidentally Moore's fourth Spawn-related tale after Spawn #8, Violator mini-series and Spawn: Blood Feud.
Spawn/WildC.A.T.S #2
February 1996
Spawn and the WildC.A.T.S travelled to the future to stop a dastardly Spawn known as Ipissimus that is ruling future world. I have to admit I rather like the illustration of Spawn by Scott Clark. In one of the endcap section of Spawn comics, it was mentioned that 'Future Spawn', a collectible figure is to be the model of the bad Spawn in this mini-series...it is a blessing that Ipissimus got the role instead.
Chapel Vol 2 #6
February 1996
Continuing the team-up of Spawn and Chapel from Chapel II #5.
Glory & Angela #1: Angel in Hell
March 1996
Angela and the Hellspawn badge that she wored as a ear-ring appeared in two pages of this comic book. Ironically, the badge did not appeared on the cover and yes, the devil is trying his best to charm Angela.
Spawn/WildC.A.T.S #3
March 1996
The combined team finally found Ipissimus, the Spawn responsible for all the problems. Wonder if Ipissimus the Spawn would ever made it to figurehood stardom. Click here for larger image.
Spawn/WildC.A.T.S #4
April 1996
Al Simmons the Spawn fought Ipissimus the Spawn in what promise would be a delightful boxset...that is, if Alan Moore, Wildstorms, Image, McFarlane...etc would agree to its making. Click here for larger image.
Medieval Spawn/Witchblade #1
May 1996
Told you the legend of Medieval Spawn just wouldn't die. In May 1996, Garth Ennis penned this delightful crossover with Top Cow's Witchblade in a three-issue mini-series pencilled by Brendon Peterson among others. One of my favourite Spawn story yet. He is again nameless but altogether quite a different Medieval Spawn. A preview of this issue was mentioned in Ripclaw II #5 (April 1996). Click here for larger image.
Celestine
May 1996
Celestine #1 featured an interesting tapestry of spawn logo and when I thought that was about it as to the appearance of Spawn, along comes...
three spawns hidden in page 7. There are no huge boobs in this page, so you can concentrate on searching for our hellspawns without distraction - zoom in to the right of the page, you would see a gathering of three spawns.
Spawn #50
June 1996
The 50th Issue aka The Conclusion to the Shoelaced Face! - In this double-size issue of June 1996, Spawn finally lose his shoelace (the one on his face remember) when he drained his power to cure Terry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald in return did Spawn a favour by pulling that shoelace off his face. This unwashed shoelace would eventually end up with Cyan. Cyan and that shoelace turn my stomach and I got a pretty strong stomach! But fear not, I am sure Wanda give that shoelace a good scrub.
Medieval Spawn/Witchblade #2
June 1996
The Dragon #4
June 1996
The Dragon #4 reprints much of The Savage Dragon #3. See December 1992.
Medieval Spawn/Witchblade #3
July 1996
The final copy of this delightful mini-series. It would be a lovely day when Ennis did a spawn mini-series with his customary violence and sex addled theme.
Spawn #52
August 1996
The crossover issue with Savage Dragon (also see below issue). And yes, there is the obligatory fight scene between our violent superheroes.
Savage Dragon #30
August 1996
Savage Dragon turned up in Spawn #52 to receive a beating while in this issue of Savage Dragon #30, Spawn turned up to screw him! That's fair! Well at least in this issue, the meet-up between two superheroes does not result in a mindless brawl...hey, I think Larsen is actually the first writer in this collection guide not to engage his heroes in a senseless fight! Good for you, Mr Larsen.
Spawn Bible
August 1996
Illustrated by Greg Capullo and released in August 1996, Spawn Bible contains descriptions of the major characters in Spawn the monthly series. Written by Todd McFarlane, Beau Smith, Tom Orzechowski and Andrew Grossberg, we learned among other U.F.I that Cogliostro is also known as Count Alessandro di Cogliostro
and that Medieval Spawn does have a name - Sir John of York. Click here for larger image.
Spawn FAN Edition #1
August 1996
Released in August 1996, Spawn FAN Edition #1 is a miserly 8-page short story inserted into Overstreet's FAN #16. Written by Beau Smith and pencilled by Brad Gorby, it features the very FIRST Spawn story that was inspired by a Spawn collectible figure. The latter in question is Series 5's Viking Spawn released in July 1996. Larger images of Nordik here.
In this story, Malebolgia relates a tale of this very bad Spawn named Nordik the Norse Hellspawn. This Hellspawn is considered by Malebolgia as a benchmark to which other Spawns, in particular Al Simmons the Spawn who appeared in the opening page, are measured.
Shattered Image #1
August 1996
Spawn co-starred in this four-issue mini-series written by Kurt Busiek and Barbara Kesel and illustrated by Tony S. Daniel called Shattered Image in August 1996. The time space continuum problems faced by the superheroes in this mini-series is an allegory of the split between the Image founders. One earth splits into 6 sub-earths blah blah blah. Kurt Busiek is one of my favourite writer (the wonderful 'Astro City') but this mini-series is quite a drag. In the first issue, Spawn makes ONE grand appearance in ONE panel. Besides Spawn, Tony Twist and Clown also made cameo appearances.
StormWatch #38
August 1996
Part of a series collected under Force of Nature storyarc (#37 to #42) written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Tom Raney. StormWatch first appeared in March 1993, published by the aptly named WildStorm. It is a story about a group of superheroes sponsored by the United Nations. Stormwatch ended its run with #50 in July 1997. Spawn was a guest star, appearing at the Skywatch lounge in page 13.
Spawn #53
September 1996
Inside the pages of Spawn #53 are collectible figures just begging to be sculpted - "Al Simmons the Spawn vs Billy Kincaid the Spawn" in page 6! Check out images of Billy.
Spawn FAN Edition #2
September 1996
Oversteet would go on to insert two more Spawn FAN editions into their guide. Here is Spawn FAN Edition #2 inserted into Overstreet's FAN #17 of September 1996. In Part 2, Malebolgia the motivational speaker continued the story of how Nordik the Norse Hellspawn comes about - a Viking raider killed by McFallon the Dragon Master. In an interview, Beau Smith described McFallon as a "mysterious mountain man of the Alps..." The name sounded very un-Alpine though...
Curse of the Spawn #1
September 1996
The FIRST SPINOFF of Spawn. Many mistakenly identified this monthly series as that about a second Spawn character called Daniel Llanso (originally promoted as Daniel Lanzo). It is not, Llanso only featured in the initial four-story arc from #1 to #4.
Daniel Llanso the Hellspawn as the Post-Apocalyptic Spawn returned to Earth to witness a battle between earthlings and demons. The Anti-Pope, allying with the forces of evil, stands at the threshold of victory. He finally sided with the earthlings because of his sister Madrid and nephew. This is a rather weak story and I am glad it ended in four issues. (There are a lot of readers who love it of course but to each their own). I also discovered that it was never meant to last only four issues but was supposed to be four issues worth of background tale so that a longer series can proceed from it. It is quite a struggle attaching an inking of liking to any of the characters. The story by Alan McElroy (the same fantastic scriptwriter of HBO Spawn animated series) is wordy and tedious, too much research and cramming of materials, whilst the drawings by Clayton Crain is...to use a better word...messy. Meanwhile, Llanso gets to make his debut in collectible stardom under Series 8 in June 1997.
Notwithstanding the first four issues, the concept for Curse of the Spawn is great; it explores the stories of other Spawn caught with this curse but sadly the whole series expired by #29 in March 1999...Spawn #165 would fit in so nicely here. Incidentally for a series that is supposed to explore the mythos of other Spawns, I counted only a grand total of five other Spawns in this series.
Gen 13 #13B
September 1996
To commemorate the Number 13 issue in Gen 13, three separate issues were published: 13A, 13B and 13C. Spawn makes a cameo appearance among many other characters in this story of Grunge in #13B written by Brendan Choi, J. Scott Campbell and Jim Lee and illustrated by J. Scott Campbell.
Spawn FAN Edition #3
October 1996
It is so sad that the three issues of this FAN edition put together consist of only 24 pages, darn...I always enjoy stories of Spawn from the dark ages. Wish Beau Smith wrote this into a series instead. In this third and final issue released in October 1996, Malebolgia spoke of heaven's response to this spawn who is causing havoc on earth, albeit a very small part of Earth. And Heaven's response? An Angel Enforcer in First Nation's attire named Mercy.
Shattered Image #2
October 1996
Savant is gathering superheroes to prevent the splitting up but Spawn refuses to join them. As far as Spawn is concerned, is this splitting up of the world of any benefits to him, especially in his quest to reunite with Wanda.
Shattered Image #3
October 1996
In the third issue, he lurks around like a stalker wondering what should be his next course of action.
Spawn the Impaler #1
October 1996
I am too quick to proclaim that I like Spawn from the dark ages because this mini-series is definitely an exception. This three-issue story written and pencilled by Mike Grell is fine, being a precursor to another monthly series spinoff Spawn the Dark Ages and all that. But comics is such a wonderful visual medium and the art here is unattractive and distracting, especially the facial expression of the 'actors'. The saving grace to this mini-series is the appearance of another Spawn, Spawn the Impaler formerly Prince Vlad III, son of Vlad Dracul from Wallachia, Romania who was killed as he led his tiny army against the Muslim hordes from Turkey. See images of the Impaler here.
Spawn the Impaler #2
November 1996
And wouldn't you believe it, Spawn the Impaler has a shoe-laced stitched-up face ala Al Simmons! Can you blame his lady-love for screaming EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
DV8 #2
November 1996
DV8, acronym for 'the deviants' is a group of superheroes created by Wildstorm. Spawn appeared in a bar-fight in p14 and p15 in this issue written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Humberto Ramos.
Spawn the Impaler #3
December 1996
This story, promising as it is, is weakened by the illustrations. Are those water colour comic or photographic comic?
Shattered Image #4
December 1996
Spawn and the gang managed to ward off Entropy, the author of this crisis. This issue also contained Spawn on the cover and there are references to superheroes from other publishing houses.
Mars Attack Image #1
December 1996
Spawn co-starred in this four-issue mini-series re-creating the popular movie written by Keith Giffen and illustrated by Andy Smith and Bill Sienkiewicz in December 1996. The cliff-hanger ended with a spectacular "Next Issue: The Death of Spawn! Just Kidding..."!
Wizard Tribute Edition: Spawn
1996
An entire magazine dedicated to Spawn. A very interesting article 'Spawn's World' by Matthew Brady mentioned that the naive Medieval Spawn that fall so easily in the hands of Angela in Spawn #9 is the same Medieval Spawn who fought Violator and shared an adventure with Witchblade. Really!
This tribute in the process also created a new Spawn in Alfie Simmons the Li'l Spawnling.
