Spawn Origins, Volume 5

Spawn Origins Collection #5

by Greg Capullo (Writer/Illustrator), Greg Capullo (Illustrator), Kevin Conrad (Illustrator)

Featuring the stories and artwork (by Todd Mcfarlane himself) that laid the groundwork for the most successful independent comic book ever published. Spawn Origins Volume 5 includes early artwork by fan-favorite Spawn artist, Greg Capullo.

Collects Spawn #27-32.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Superheroes, Ebooks

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Starting solid, staple superhero strife, stylistically superb, still, sensitive social subjects suffer sledgehammer subtlety.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #27-29 ◦ Issues #30-32

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this now
This isn't what I planned
I lived and died and now
I just can't understand
With all the love I feel
I could never leave her
No matter what the cost
My souls the price to see her

Oh how I love you
The pain won't go away
Oh when I need you
You're always so far away
I cry for you
Leaving myself to blame
I died for you
I gave up everything

The pain was just to much
When I finally saw her
She's happy and in love
In love with my best friend
What makes it hurt so bad
Is that I love them both
And they will never know
For love I sold my soul

I died for you (1996) - Iced Earth



Spawn's series turns from cheesy to pitch black dark and Capullo's artworks get just better and better.



The Curse and the Anti-Spawn II Redeemer's storylines are just not best ones ever, but the reunion issue between Al and Wanda was so good that I could hear playing in my mind Iced Earth's song I died for you from their The Dark Saga 1996 album based on Spawn.



And issues #29 - #30 about a cop abusing his kids and the Hellspawn battling Ku Klux Klan racists, partially inspired by John Landis' episode Time Out from The Twilight Zone (1983) anthology movie, are just two more ☆☆☆☆☆ ones for me.



Remember to look for Neil Gaiman's Angela mini-series before reading issue #29, otherwise you are going to miss a big chunk of the story.

[The Wintermute System · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooooo...

This just lagged a little for me. I can see the story pushing forward, I can see connections being made, but there were heavy references to the Angela mini-series that weren't included here, and it didn't feel like it did as much as the other volumes. I still like this, but I wanted more from this particular volume. It's okay: I think any series that takes risks, and I feel like Spawn does, will end up leaving me loving some volumes more than others.

This isn't terrible, just a little more effort to get through this.

Onto Volume 6!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the feels in this one.

[Judah Radd · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a mixed bag.

The child beating issue (yes, that’s the best descriptor) was depressing and unpleasant. The KKK issue was unsatisfyingly resolved.

Then it all got cool. Redeemer, Angels... when Spawn is dealing with that kind of shit, he’s at his best.

So, despite some weak entries, this collection finished strong.

The art? Greg Capullo. Nothing else need be said. He’s a god.

I’m still in it to win it, but this is probably the worst tpb of the series so far.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this volume much more than volume 4. The supernatural stuff in the forefront/the street level investigations happening in the background to complement the big picture stuff is a much better balance of storylines. I'll have to read the Angela mini series since it overlapped with some of the issues here, so I'm looking forward to that. I like how Spawn tries to help but kind of keeps messing everything up, it's a good conflict for the character. The appearance of God was cool, I liked the end of the volume a lot. The violence was in overdrive, but that may have had something to do with the fact that there was a lot of "real life" type violence occurring. I'm not sure how to feel about the issue with the KKK-- it feels well-intentioned to see Spawn just fucking these monsters up, but I feel like there's something critical to be said about the depiction of a gratuitous, bloodthirsty, hyper-violence of this iconic black male superhero. Also, finding out that Al hit Wanda at one point during their marriage sucked. Overall, I enjoyed this volume, I'm kinda of bummed this is the last volume I've bought.

[Emre Yavuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Şu ana kadar okuduğum ciltler içinde en iyisiydi. Çok keyif aldım.

[Gav451 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art was as good as ever, the splash pages looked amazing and the high standard continues. These books are lovely to read.

The writing took a step up in this volume I thought.The plot has been getting better and better and the direction of travel improving. This volume went beyond the internalised exposition and obvious plot flagging. There were a couple of stories in here that took a proper dark turn in particular where Spawn was making his way from the deep south back to New York. I will not discuss the plot but there was proper horror and empathy there.

Yes there was still some exposition but either I’m getting more used to it or it was less intrusive, the portrayal of God was interesting and while I guessed where the story might be heading longer term it was still nice to see a hint of it in the comic itself.

I bought all of these on a Charity site. It is a fantastic thing that the artist did this and I am enjoying reading them. They are worth the read and the amazing art in these books is always worth the price of entry.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The middle is so much better than previous volumes, but the last two issues get messy and dumb.

The start isn't bad. Bringing in "The Curse" which is a villain of sorts to try and hunt Spawn was both fun and turns to a brutal fight which Spawn takes care of him with viciousness I love to see. Wanda also comes into Spawn's life some more in a interesting way. The middle issues dealing with child abuse are really dark but well done. The issue with Racism is solid though a bit unsatisfying in the end. Guess that's life. The final two issues deal with the Redeemer and it's just okay...kind of got wonky and dumb.

A 3 out of 5.

[Arturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts with two issues dealing with The Curse, the 2nd one more with Wanda confronting Spawn. The next issue deals with child abuse and the next with racism. I wouldn't say just because they deal with real world problems or would say they were 2 great issues but the stories were definitely a step up in writing from previous volumes. We end with 2 issues of Spawn taking on a new host to the Anti-Spawn powers, but who is now called The Redeemer.
Overall I recommend it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This issue was very good. Don’t understand why they messed up the timeline between the battle with Angela after seeing Wanda for the first time. The battle happened before Wanda happened so I don’t get why they made that confusion. The story of Spawn with the boys abused by their father broke my heart. Yes Spawn threatened the father but that didn’t make things better, did it? I wonder if Spawn fighting the KKK in Alabama caused any controversies in the 90’s? Both were good ones. The most touching scene was when Spawn and Wanda first saw each other. Now she’s scared of him despite the facts that he saved her and her husband. Poor guy! :( Also, in the end, after the head angel says Spawn will be “the One” within time. The one what? Satan? (Savior might not be the one I don’t think). Hopefully the next issue will answer more questions.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS is the volume I’ve been waiting for! This is when Greg Capullo comes onto the book as the series’ tenured artist. Capullo’s work in Spawn is what inspired me to pursue art, and revisiting his work again, I am seeing and learning new things still! The best trait that I personally love about Capullo’s art is that he can make the characters act, so it is easy to feel the emotion coming off the page. From an artistic perspective, this volume was pure joy.

On the story side, we see Spawn coming back to New York after a brief sojourn from battling Angela (my one nitpick about reading these books is the timeline can be really wonky at times), and him going toe-to-toe in round two against Anti-Spawn/Redeemer. We also get to see how Spawn’s costume changes into the iconic Capullo look that was around for a very long time.

[Sacha Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a step up in momentum from the previous volumes. Finally feels like the story is heading toward something. The art was very strong in Vol. 5 and I liked the attempt at some deeper themes even if the messaging can sometimes be clumsy and convoluted. It's a reminder that Spawn is no hero and definitely doesn't know how to navigate nuanced issues with anything other than extreme violence and showings of power. I enjoyed that the world continues to expand and we get to see more of how Spawn interacts with his universe. It was a little annoying that they kept referencing issues from a mini-series outside of the Origins volumes, but whatever. Strong issue and I'm eager to see what's next. I hope the momentum keeps going.

[Lucas Lima · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this was the best volume so far!

It was nice to see some kind of Spawn's road trip through America, after his first battle in Heaven (that i didn't read in the Angela mini series). The two chapters about the abusive father and the KKK was really nice to read. Spawn's facing prejudice and hate throughout America was great. The art is still great, though i believe Capullo was trying to emulate Mcfarlane's pencil at some level. He was not the guy we see today.

And mostly, i believe in this one, the story is finally developing. With Terry, Jason Wynn, the Terran building and all. Spawn is finally getting where i was expecting.

[Deepak Chaudhary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume started normal, then became really slow after the events of the Angela series, then ended with a bang with spawn almost dieing, then resurrecting to a new look and more assertive suite. The volume ended with a bang with Spawn doing something, rather than things just happening to him.

One story I did not like in this volume was the issue with the three kays; it just seemed like a cheap way for Todd to empathise that he had written a black character. The way the story ended was very cool, with Spawn showing yet another ability, but the issue took me out of the immersion by throwing racial commentary that had not been part of this comic so far.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

After fighting the Curse, Spawn goes off screen in the middle of this for the Angela series and is returned to the deep South. There are tales of child abuse and racism before Spawn returns to New York to face the Redeemer and some other stuff with the angels and Heaven. It's all fine. Greg Capullo continues his takeover of the art, mimicking McFarlane for the most part. None of it is great, neither is it that bad either.

[Xroldx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume contains two shilling chapters in the early Spawn years. I'm talking about the one with abused kids and the one wherein Spawn gets hanged by the KKK. Even now these stories are very graphic in their content and subject matter.

Cappullo is finally drawing everything which makes the artwork better as well.

[Tony Delgado (Comics) · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this volume, Mcfarlane talks about how bringing in Schenectady's own Greg Capullo freed him up to focus on the writing. Unfortunately, I see no evidence of the that. The art continues to be interesting and idiosyncratic, which is great. However, these issues are barely written beyond a sort of Junior High school "and then God punches the devil" sort of way.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things got so much more interesting here. Though, I can't deny that knowing how much happened in other miniseries did irk me a little. It would have been nice to have them included here. But, then this is Spawn Origins, not Angela or Violator.

Greg Capullo art is so good. He's always been great at making sure the proper emotions come through.

[James G. Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was done quite well. I like that it gives a real outlook on the future of what's going to happen rather than mostly street level stuff we've been seeing (not that I dislike all the time, but I like more of spawn than the side characters).

Anyway, it's a 4 for me. You might enjoy it more or less. As I always say read it yourself rather than taking mine (or others) opinions as your truth.

[Eric Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection! Tackling heavier themes, still extremely relevant today, including child abuse and racism... with brilliant, crisp, and striking artwork and detailed brutal severity... With a special appearance from God. Keep reading... 😈

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better volume. Includes The Curse, The Redeemer origin, an awful lot of crossover with an Angela mini series, the workings of Heaven in a glass tower in NYC, and some pretty great one shots where Spawn gets involved with an abuser and a klan lynching.

[Sarospice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The great thing about owning the characters and comic you write is you can do commentary on anything and not worry about shareholders. Well, I guess IMAGE could when this came out... Here, Spawn tackles child abuse and the klan... Before returning to a straight forward super hero comic.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that got dark.

[Timo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What dark and fun this was. Everything clicked so well in this one. From art to storytelling. Good fun.

[Marco Antonio di Forelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

La verdad, no entiendo por qué esta colección no incluye las miniseries relacionadas. Las historias se quedan bastante cojas sin ellas.

[Albert Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still don't understand how I missed reading these books for all these years. It so bloody good. I can't stop reading.

[Derek Moreland · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3 and a half, and *so much* of that is due to Greg Capullo's art.

[Martijn Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is nice (esspecially after reading Angela). Spawn tries to find his moral ground. God sees what he is doing and he finally talks to Wanda.

[Михаил · Rating 4 out of 5]

Пусть повествование комикса то и дело разрывается на куски, читать снова стало интересно. Осталось вытравить весь сайфай, да отсылки к другим комиксам убрать, и тогда заживём!