Sophomore Blues
Take all of the insane, ugly evil that is The Joker and Green Goblin, add a dash of Loki and you have The Violator. He could be Danny DeVito. He could sound an awful lot like Gilbert Gottfried. He will be Spawn's worst nightmare. Or so he claims, while monologuing. That's how the second issue of Spawn opens. With The Violator basically saying, "Get a load 'a' me!"
Spawn's interior monologue continues as he tries to make sense of his condition.
Five pages in, and there is something that resembles action. The "Heart Surgeon" in action.
But, enough action, let's get back to Spawn emoting. Followed by a little Sam and Twitch detecting. Another heart removal. Some more Spawn. A flashback.
Maybe The "Heart Surgeon" speaks for the reader when he says, "This is getting boring."
The Violator finds Spawn in an alley. Through some exposition, The Violator clues Spawn in on who he has become. A couple of panels sets up a gag, and just when things look like something will happen; it will happen next issue.
There is no denying that Todd McFarlane is a talented artist. This second issue is full of pontificating and navel-gazing. There is some action. Diabolical action. But what's the point? You have to be a diehard McFarlane fan to truly appreciate Spawn. It is more a Gothic, supernatural super-hero comic. Spawn wants to address the big questions. Unfortunately, there are no quick, easy answers.
The Good
Todd McFarlane fans are already onboard the Spawn bandwagon. His work on Batman, ("Adjectiveless") Spider-Man, Infinity, Inc. have built a following and fan-base that is the foundation for Spawn.
The Bad
Due to dissatisfaction with The Big Two, McFarlane is one of a number of creators that has struck out to do all the heavy lifting on his own. Spawn is a decent effort. It ain't Shakespeare. But then no comic book is. It is good when it tries to be epic. It is no fault to "fall reaching".
The Skinny
Spawn is an enjoyable read. Unfortunately, the single issues do not stand so well on their own apart from the issues around them. A comic can tell a great story arc, but it still should tell a good story on it's own. One of the main questions left unanswered at the end of the second issue is, why is The Violator doing what he's doing? Two stars for fumbling on the home team's one yard line.
