King Spawn arrives this August, making it the first new Spawn title in 28 years. The new series spins out of the best-selling Spawn’s Universe, and this historic first issue will feature an all-star roster of creators, including Spawn creator Todd McFarlane himself.
In 1991, McFarlane and other Marvel artists, including Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, and Erik Larsen left the company to start their own: Image Comics. McFarlane’s Spawn was one of the company’s initial offerings, debuting in 1992 to record-breaking sales and unprecedented media hype. The book has become Image’s longest-running title and currently holds the record for the longest-running independent title as well. The character has made the leap into other media as well, appearing in a feature film and the acclaimed Spawn animated series; a new feature film, to be directed by McFarlane, is in the works. Despite the character’s enduring popularity, Spawn has never had more than one title, and that is about to change—in a big way, with the debut of King Spawn 1 this August.
Image provided more details about the book in a press release. While no plot details were given, Image stated that a classic Spawn villain would return. The press release also provided variant covers and preview art, shared below. King Spawn #1 is just the beginning, however. Todd McFarlane stated that by year’s end, there would be a new Spawn-related title each week and that his goal was to give fans the most Spawn for the lowest price. He promised there would be new heroes and villains, as well as the return of established, fan-favorite characters. McFarlane has enlisted a host of top talent to help launch the title, including writer Sean Lewis, as well as Javier Fernandez, Brett Booth, Phillip Tan, and others. In addition, artists David Finch, Greg Capullo, and Sean Gordon Murphy will provide variant covers.
Spawn has endured shifting market trends as well as a refocusing of Image itself. Now, with the character’s 30th anniversary looming, McFarlane is expanding Spawn’s universe, and taking it in new directions. McFarlane and his collaborators will introduce new and exciting additions to the Spawn mythos but honor the past by mixing in classic characters as well. McFarlane has remained hands-on with his creation, and he is involved here as well.
It is an exciting time to be a Spawn fan, with not only a new film on the horizon but also huge expansions to the Spawn universe, for the first time in 28 years, starting with King Spawn, on sale in print and digital August 18.
Source: Image Comics