Questions, Part 4 (Spawn #4) ★★★☆☆

 

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Title: Questions, Part 4
Series: Spawn #4
Author: Todd McFarlane
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comic
Pages: 32
Words: 1K

Synopsis:

From Imagecomics.fandom.com

Violator and Spawn engage in a brutal showdown with both losing appendages. Violator is surprised Spawn is more powerful and claims he was supposed to be the stronger one. Malebolgia intervenes, explaining to them that they are both his minions in his battle against Heaven. Their goal is to cause man to do wrong, and Spawn will stop and kill them while doing so locking them on Malebolgia's side. He claims that heaven is strong but they won't be able to create the numbers he can.

Malebolgia restores Spawn's lost arm and shows pity on him. He then punishes Violator for his unscheduled killing spree because it has influenced crime lords to slow down their evil ways. he locks him in his clown form for a temporary time period.

At the Fitzgerald household, Wanda Blake wakes up with a nightmare that Al was reaching out to her for help but had changed somehow. Terry Fitzgerald lovingly supports her and feels she doesn't have to hide that she can't forget about Al.

My Thoughts:

So it turns out THIS was the final part of the Questions arc. Spawn and Violator begin fighting each other and Malebolgia intervenes and gives them the old “So boys, I bet you're wondering just what's going on” speech. Apparently if you claim enough souls you can defeat god himself. Spawn is a pawn to help Malebolgia get more souls. Not sure exactly how it's supposed to work, but hey Comic Logic. The little countdown thingy is a death counter. If Spawn reaches zero he dies again and goes into Malebolgia's big bag o' souls.

Obviously the theology here is made up as a two bit lady of the night but I tried to not roll my eyes too much. I just hope McFarlane can stay consistent in his story telling and not change/make up rules whenever it suits him.

I've been giving this the Ultra Violent tag for the Violator ripping peoples' hearts out but in this volume he and Spawn start tearing holes in each other and ripping arms off and McFarlane doesn't shy away from showing it. Gotta admit, there's no way I'd be letting any 14 year old I know read this.

Which leads into the artwork. I feel that the following is a good representation of McFarlane's work so far. It might be hard to tell, but you have the Violator's hand/arm holding Spawn's heart while Spawn regenerates the hole in his chest. It is brightly colored but not garish like what I experienced in Silver Sable and it's bloody as all get out. Most of the time McFarlane doesn't draw Spawn in such detail, preferring to keep him shadowed and much simpler so as to not have to draw so much. Overall I'm enjoying the art for the most part, with the caveat that yes, it is very violent.

★★★☆☆

• All of My “Spawn” Reviews