SPAWN #35 - September 1995

Set Up

Credits: Todd McFarlane (story), Greg Capullo (pencils) Todd McFarlane (inks), Tom Orzechowski (copy editor & letters), Steve Oliff, Quinn Supplee, & Olyoptics (colors)

Summary: Twitch returns to work, as Chief Banks is ordered by Jason Wynn to take down Spawn. Sam and Twitch learn Banks is interfering with their case and head for the alleys. Terry Fitzgerald is drawn deeper into Wynn’s circle, as Wynn uses his influence to help Terry’s family. Cagliostro prods Spawn into realizing that Wynn set up his murder. Before he can confront Wynn, the alleys are surrounded by policemen. Spawn intimidates Chief Banks into revealing that Wynn is behind the sting. When Spawn faces Wynn in his office, Terry enters with a group of armed guards.

Spawntinuity: Spawn is shocked to learn from Sam that Chief Banks has a connection to Billy Kincaid. Apparently, Spawn never even read the files he gave Sam earlier in the series.

I Love the ‘90s: Readers are advised to use Netscape when viewing the upcoming Spawn website.

Review: So, Spawn is just now realizing that Jason Wynn ordered his murder? And this is only after he’s tapped on the head by the mysterious Cagliostro? Considering that Spawn and Chapel both worked for Wynn, and many of his early flashbacks involved intense arguments with Wynn, and Spawn’s repeated insistence that Wynn is evil…you’ve got to figure this guy isn’t the World’s Greatest Detective. In the movie and animated series, Spawn knows essentially from the beginning that Wynn was behind his death, so it’s a little telling that McFarlane waited years before getting to this point. I believe the movie and television show also had Violator and Wynn forming an alliance, so I’m starting to wonder if McFarlane’s reading the scripts for the other media adaptations and incorporating ideas into the comic. I wouldn’t blame him for doing so, especially if it means the pace of the comic picks up. This is the first issue since #32 that actually advances any of the plotlines, and the cliffhanger even creates the impression that something is going to happen next issue.