Spawn: The Dark Ages Book Club - Compendium

[u/Brandon_Storm]

A warm winter greeting to you bastards and bastardettes.

We've done it again! Completed yet another run of Spawn!

With Spawn: The Dark Ages finally finished, I'd like to thank all those who participated, viewed the threads, shared your upvotes or just enjoyed reading along silently!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me copy/paste this from the last compendium:

Since way back in 2013 we've been reading 3 issues of Spawn a week, every week, without fail. Then we pop into these little ol' threads to discuss them. Well, that last part doesn't always ring true, but dammit, I post'em anyway!

Now, with Spawn: The Dark Ages finished, are we done? HELL NO! We're going to be doing this until we die! Keep a lookout today for yet another Edition of Spawn Book Club to creep up and usher you into the new year! The next edition being one I'm especially excited about...

But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!

For now, please use this thread to reflect back on past weeks of Spawn: The Dark Ages Book Club, as well as discuss the series in it's entirety. Give us your overall opinion on how good/bad it was, what you liked/hated, and let's all celebrate it's finality! You can find links to previous editions of the Book Club below, as well as a link right at the bottom to all the cbr files to help you refresh your memory.

See you on the other side.

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• Issues 1 | 2 | 3 - Oct. 25th, 2015 - Oct. 31st, 2015

• Issues 4 | 5 | 6 - Nov. 1st, 2015 - Nov. 7th, 2015

• Issues 7 | 8 | 9 - Nov. 8th, 2015 - Nov. 14th, 2015

• Issues 10 | 11 | 12 - Nov. 15th, 2015 - Nov. 21st, 2015

• Issues 13 | 14 | 15 - Nov. 22nd, 2015 - Nov. 28th, 2015

• Issues 16 | 17 | 18 - Nov. 29th, 2015 - Dec. 5th, 2015

• Issues 19 | 20 | 21 - Dec. 6th, 2015 - Dec. 12th, 2015

• Issues 22 | 23 | 24 - Dec. 13th, 2015 - Dec. 19th, 2015

• Issues 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 - Dec. 20th, 2015 - Dec. 26th, 2015

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Spawn .cbr

[u/Brandon_Storm]

I enjoyed this series overall. I thought with all the switches in art/writing, it became a bit disjointed though. Lots of stories that seemed like they had an expected finale to the series, that just kind of puttered out, and lead into a new story.

And what happened to DuBlanc? I mean, maybe I forget, but it seemed like he got beat up once, and then just kind of slinked off and we never heard from him again. Did I miss a page where he's killed or something? Or did he just get a spanking and went off alone with his humility?

I quite enjoyed the art in the beginning. Sure, it was technically hit or miss, but I liked it's clear style that was certainly separate to what we were used to for a Spawn title. The designs of all the characters were so fucking good. Loved the way Spawn looked, and DuBlanc.

I also really liked the next "sepia tone" art style that cropped up. Not a bad little story with the child soldiers and stuff either.

The art after that part was a little obnoxious, I thought. With the tiny-head, hands-the-size-of-his-body, it was just a bit much given what we had seen in previous issues.

But when they reigned it in for the last portion of the book, it came back into it's own.

The ending was a nice little wrap-up, but I didn't get the big climactic feeling that I was hoping for. I imagine it would've been disappointing had I been reading monthly, however. It didn't seem to be as big a deal since I read it all in a short period of time.

Anyway! That's what I thought.

[u/[deleted] → u/Brandon_Storm]

Showing up late here, but I just finished the last arc today.

Uggggh big-hands-tiny-head Spawn is worst Spawn. I'm glad that it only lasted from #15-#21 or so.

The stories were fine, but really only the last few issues stand out. The whole run could have been: Spawn comes back, saves the town from Du Blanc, Rhyll gets slaughtered, Spawn loses his powers, and then the wrap-up with the Phlebiac brothers.

What I mean is, some of the minor stories and characters just felt kind of shoe-horned in, and then just puttered out, and I was left wishing there had been more.

I did love the "main" story about Covenant, though. When he meets his replacement hanging from the tree and hears his backstory, that--to me--was a great way to have a minor character without forcing it.

I had a good time reading this, and I'll probably read it again, and it gave me a reason to pick up the hardcover collection.

[u/Brandon_Storm → u/[deleted]]

I agree, it certainly felt a bit shoe-horned. I think this series could've benefited from a few self-contained mini-series, instead of trying to put it all into the same 'story'.

The hardcover is phenomenal. That's how I read it as well. My main gripe with that is all the spelling errors though. Like... damn... you'd think they'd give it a once over before putting the book together... Just kind of takes you out of the moment.