Spawn of the Bat: a Crossover
As far back as I can remember Batman has been the dark brooding vigilante of justice. The nonsense no straight arrow of justice. He was the night. And then there is Todd McFarlane Spawn, this Shakespearian dark brooding character from hell, with tragedy that to rival Batman’s. So it just makes sense they would meet?
In the initial 1994 Spawn/Batman written by the legendary Frank Miller and drawn by the somewhat known Todd McFarlane. The iconic batman is drawn into the world of spawn. From the get-go this book starts with a classic misunderstanding and an eventual iconic team up to beat the villain of the story. Who is using hobos to make killer robots. The story is fun and iconic. Several tropes to the eventual end, even one that cemented the batman tie and made it cannon in the spawn series.
Now you think that would be it.
You got Miller as a writer and McFarlane as an artist. U can’t top that?? WELL…. Here comes DC with their version of the iconic meet up. Batman/Spawn: War Devil, was an total cash grab down to the over utilization of writers and artist. with a plot that is more centralized in mysticism you would think that spawn would thrive and would take the forefront. Well, DCs version of spawn while drawn by Klaus Janson, lacks in story of what the first crossover had. But as a cash grab this book worked
And as tides turn, and the world changes. we keep hearing rumors sweeping in and out that a 3rd book was coming. Including a rumor that it was The Clown and The Joker who where going to serve as the antagonist. but that never happen.
Now let’s fast forward almost 30 years.
People still cling to the notions of nostalgia and can’t get over the way that cross over ended. With a cash grab of epic proportions. But here we are wondering What this new iteration of batman/Spawn has to offer. Headed now by Todd McFarlane and drawn by spawn legend Greg Capullo we know we are in for a visually entertaining.
This version is being printed by DC and has serval and multiple covers.
That it makes me lean towards a cash grab. But I am hopeful that 30 years of experience and criticism has made McFarlane a more prominent writer and this will be the exclamation point that we deserved 30 years ago.