When you think of Brian Michael Bendis, you probably don’t think of horror.
That’s absolutely true. You may never even think about crime noir anymore. Even though his great work on Jinx and Torso really led him to dance. Or perhaps Powers has shown he can transcend genres. These days, his superhero work may stick in your head more. Co-created by Miles Morales, Lili Williams, and Jessica Jones, the pages are filled with seemingly back-and-forth conversations.
He brings a storytelling style to comics influenced by writers like David Mamet and Aaron Sorkin, with a focus on dialogue and often interjected with seemingly trivial pop culture things to captivate readers. I did. And the attention Todd McFarlane got when he first offered Sam & Twitch and then something different. New horror title. At least for a while. Before he was selected as a Marvel superhero.
“What are you doing to these people?”
From Bendis, Steve Niles, Ashley Wood, Bill Sienkiewicz, Richard Starkings and Comiccraft’s Oscar Gongora, Hellspawn is dark and troubling for its first six issues. That’s a great way to say it, but I’m really worried. MacFarlane’s take on horror-adjacent superheroes, eschewing most superheroes and throwing him into more violent and disturbing stories that feel topical.
It’s strange how these stories still feel so timely. Not so much the opening “clown” diptych with a long-time antagonist who induces people to commit suicide. But in the latter, religious extremists use talk shows to incite hatred against anyone who is not white, heterosexual. Do you feel familiar? Admittedly, it should be noted that these issues use racial and homophobic slurs, making them a bit offensive. Add in his twisted obsession with the news media, and you’d swear Bendis was writing this today.
Ashley Wood’s artwork can be divisive. In some cases, it may even imply action. Sometimes things get blurry. It is something that we must pay attention to in order to truly appreciate it. A sort of expressionist and surrealist approach, with an emphasis on scratched figures and splatters of dark color. Works pretty well for weird horror.
There is a tendency for some of his dialogue to be redundant, requiring Richard Starkings and Oscar Gongora’s lettering to implement the design, and there is definitely a balance needed between Bendis and Wood. I like the style developed here. It blends some of the open mixed-case approach that Starkings and John Roshell took with Sam & Twitch with the more traditional style that Tom Orzechowski gave to the mothership Spawn title. A chat window is also available for some of the commentary provided by the driver.
“I told you to leave my world!”
The first six issues of Hellspawn, from Bendis, Niles, Wood, Sienkiewicz, Starkings, and Gongora, are filled with shadow and pain. Wood’s haunting, expressionistic artwork brings to life a series of horrifying stories that deal with suicide, racism, prejudice, torture, and more. Just thinking about the subject can be very effective in creating unpleasant emotions.
After Bendis’ departure, Wood continued as an artist until issue #10. Ben Templesmith then appeared as a regular artist, teaming with Niles until the series ended in issue #16. The series became a more subdued horror title in keeping with the broader Spawn. Tone, though still interesting. The new paperback edition of Hellspawn: The Complete Collection is scheduled to be released on March 18, 2025.
Classic Comic Encyclopedia: HELLSPAWN
hell spawn
Screenplay: Brian Michael Bendis & Steve Niles (Chapter 6)
Artist: Ashley Wood
Additional ink: Bill Sienkiewicz (Chapter 4)
Author: Richard Starkings & Comiccraft’s Oscar Gongora
Publisher: Image Comics
Release date: August 30, 2000 – March 14, 2001 (original version) | March 18, 2025 (upcoming new version)
Collectible in Hellspawn – The Complete Collection
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