Spawn #190 Review

Despite my LCS messing up once more on Spawn, I was able to get the last copy they had at the other place downtown so I figured that I already posted Week’s End and that it might be nice just to get out one comic review on Sunday.

Spawn #190

Written: Todd McFarlane and Brian Holguin

Art: Whilce Portacio

Opening Comments: Last issue really gripped me and made me love Endgame as it was totally worth the wait and build up of Jim getting to go out as Spawn and Clown explaining some of his master plan to a potential ally. It was great and I loved it, this issue though, while great, wasn’t quite a Must Have as it unraveled some secrets and covered up more.

Story Comments: The opening here is very slow and boring, we see the Reporter kid interviewing people panel by panel recollecting about the Hospital Incident which by now should be well past us, definitely a bad way to open the issue. Basically we find out all the sick patients of the hospital are now miraculously cured, which cuts to seeing an angel looking around the city, no doubt for our Spawn.

We then see Jim and Sara go over his identity, any lead they could find, and it goes nowhere which of course pisses Jim off like it would anyone. He gets rough and hurts Sara, just a little by grabbing her, and is upset so he soon leaves. A funny moment is that the jacket Sara gives him has a lot of money and a cell phone, just a good moment and shows she cares for Jim and thinks ahead. Though from the looks of it she won’t show up for a while, as Sara calls Jim and warns him not to come around her place as there where some detectives looking for him, which again, was a good scene.

We also see Sam and Twitch talking, which was a niece scene and all but really it’s just them going over the scene last issue where Spawn killed a bunch of gangsters. The dialogue ran on a bit too much for me and that got annoying real fast. Luckily it’s only 2 pages though.

Jim soon goes to a Diner to get some food in him where he meets, of all the people in the world, Wanda. Wanda of course is the ex-wife of our original Spawn, Al Simmons but she somehow recognizes Jim. At first I was as confused as Jim, but we finally find out how Jim is connected to Spawn as Spawn, way back in issue #3, turned into a white blonde guy to visit Wanda and that was apparently Jim. An interesting twist though…I certainly can’t deny it’s an odd one. Of all the ways this could have gone I at least like how this sort of makes sense that Spawn would somehow be connected to this man, Jim Downing, though not all has been revealed.

Wanda easily figures that Jim is connected to Spawn and tells him to go to the alleys. Jim is lead soon by a homeless man to the old garbage throne of Spawn. Once he sits down, the Symbiote comes out and Jim gets looking real badass. The new design of Spawn is coming along nicely as we see the skull this time and what looks to be a forming pattern on his chest.

Though the new Spawn can only enjoy his rest for all of 3 panels before an Angel arrives, oddly enough calling him one of God’s Elite. Seeing as Spawn has always been a Hellspawn, my mind is thoroughly puzzled. It was a great cliff-hanger leaving me both satisfied and excited for more next time. Though overall the pacing of this issue was just okay, a little off and the dialogue did run on a bit but still another great issue.

Art Comments: Whilce Portacio is an incredible artist, though his art has a few weird moments during the dialogue scenes he never messes up how a face should look along with the dialogue of the scene and the large image of the new Spawn on his throne was absolutely wicked. He continues to excel as the series artist and I love it.

Final Comments: While not as great as last month’s issue Endgame part 6 continued things along very nicely, revealed more of Jim’s identity and left off with a great cliff hanger that leaves me more then eager to check out more next time. A great issue and it has instilled more confidence in me about this new direction.

Writing: 4 out of 5

Art: 5 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

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