Comic Review: Spawn #306

Spawn #306

Image Comics

Writer: Todd McFarlane

Artist: Philip Tan

In issue 306, McFarlane throws us a pretty major curveball. The storyline that we’ve been following since issue 301 is put on pause while something new happens. It’s confusing but sets up what has the potential to be an exciting breath of fresh air in this series. Without giving too much away, this issue is completely out of the left field. In the last issue Spawn was suddenly wrapped up in a magical green ball and taken away in the middle of a conversation. We pick up with where that took him.

Almost all of the characters in this issue are new and in the middle of something big. We don’t get an explanation except for the comic’s afterward that directly tells us that we’re supposed to be lost. If this arc and the one they interrupted are ended well, I will applaud McFarlane for his work. Spawn stories, especially recently, aren’t known for variation and this story really shakes it up; I can’t remember a shift this major in a Spawn story.

The art is great as always, that’s an area Spawn has always excelled in. The series might not have taken off in the first place without McFarlane’s art style. This issue is drawn by Philip Tan and he sticks with a very sketchy style that fits this series perfectly. Say what you will about Spawn but you’ll never convince me that every issue doesn’t look really cool. And is there anything else you can ask of Spawn?

If you’re one of the many Spawn fans that love the character but don’t keep up any more, this might be a good spot to jump in. Everything that happens is completely new and, according to the afterward, meant to confuse you. If you’re returning then just know She-Spawn exists, you can go back and read issue 303 for a fuller explanation. Overall, this issue was pretty engaging. You’re thrown into the middle of things with the same amount of knowledge as Spawn, so it’s all new to both of you. Hopefully, the next issue will explain enough to make this issue work well in the series.