Ah Spawn, the comicbook that helped put comics back into the mainstream. The biggest reason for this? Well, not only is it ultra-violent and overly "mature", but this HBO animated series based upon said comic sure as Hell didn't hurt! This is a review on the first season, which was collected on one "handy dandy" videocassette, and was a bitchin' effort (take it from a true fanboy at heart)! It all starts when a couple of reporters are gunned down in an alley, when a guy in tights, chains, and one BIG mother of a cape descends and kicks the bad guys' collective asses! Then, the fat and dirty Clown (literally! he's actually a clown!) stops by, calling the guy in the cape, "Spawn" and starting the first in a long line of head games on the poor shmuck. Under that mask, Spawn is one ugly motherfucker! Well, I guess I'd look that bad too, had I been brought back from the dead after my body were burned and mangled beyond recognition! Anyway, that's what happened to Spawn, who used to be Al Simmons: former Special Ops commando, family man, and all around bad ass who fell victim to an inside conspiracy against him and was burned alive by his best friend 5 years ago. But, Al REALLY wanted to see his wife Wanda again, so he made a pact to work for Malebolgia (Satan)'s army if he got the chance to see her again (some guys will do anything for a piece heh heh). Too bad for Spawny-guy that Wanda is remarried (to Al's ex-best friend Terry no less!), has a little girl (which Al's lazy sperm could never provide), and even if she were available, he still looks like 10 miles of bad highway! Meanwhile, as Spawn is coming to realize what a shit hole he's dug himself into, Senator Macmillan is trying to cover up his son Billy Kincaid's extracurricular activities (child killer/ice cream man). How so? Well, in exchange for access to government hardware (the kind that go *BOOM*!), Jason Wynn (he's to Spawn what Lex Luthor is to Superman) will cover it up! Of course, in turn, Wynn has to hire mob fat ass Tony Twist to do HIS dirty work. Well, to cover up the shit in the alley, Twist sends some guys to rough up the local hobos, but Spawn defends his territory, killing three of them before the first guy's cigarette even hits the ground! Well, the corpse was a government assassin, what do you expect?! This whole thing gets a little too "X-Files" for me, as Wynn gets this whole plot to get the Senator into the presidential office, so Wynn may then control him for even greater gains as elsewhere Twist calls in this big bruiser cyborg named Overtkill (yes, there is a "t" in there) to punk Spawn's ass! But, before that, Spawn smacks the annoying Clown around for being such a dick head. Clown then becomes Violator, a big bad demon with a 5' mouth! Violator then proceeds to tear Spawn a new asshole to keep him in line (Clown/Violator works for Malebolgia... 'Bulge to his fellow Godlike demons). After all that, Spawn then has to deal with Overtkill, who also beats the goo outta Spawny-guy. But, Spawn, being the kinda undead SoB he is, breaks into a CIA hardware store, swipes shit load upon shit load of heavy artillery (stocking up for the rainy season), and hunts Overt down, dismantling him and leaving his remains in Twist's limo! Across town, some redheaded (do the curtains match the carpet?) is getting VERY interested in the stories developing around Spawn, because she apparently took out the last 2 Hellspawn and wants the new one too. On the home front, Wanda (a lawyer and concerned mother) builds up an obsession over finding out who is behind the recent child killings plaguing the city... oh, and Terry stumbles on Wynn's tampering with weapons shipments (though he doesn't know yet that it's Wynn's doing). Ah, another beautiful day in the alleys of NYC as a child killer/mad bomber/priest wacko that serves no purpose raises a whole bucket of Hell in hobotown. Wait, he DOES serve a purpose! He's actually Clown, testing Spawn somehow. Uhm... too much going on and not making enough sense! Okay, as this is going on, Billy Kincaid kidnaps Wanda and Terry's daughter Cyan (thanx to Clown's meddling). At this point, you think Kincaid's GOTTA be another demon! How else could a big fat slob take out 4 guys with machine guns, using only knives?! Finally though, Sam and Twitch (McFarlane's answer to Jake and the Fat Man), who have been researching EVERYTHING up to this point, chase Kincaid in his Ice Cream truck... which Spawn is riding. Spawn saves Cyan (because he loves Wanda), but lets Kincaid live (So Clown shoots Kincaid in the head). This act is Spawn's first step toward redemption and his choice to become a hero. It's all wrapped up with a touching ending, even for one such as I. Awwww, makes those nearly 3 hours all worth it (though this WAS a little too drawn out at times). :)

Also Known As: TODD MCFARLANE'S SPAWN; SPAWN

Sequels: SPAWN THE ANIMATED SERIES VOL. 2, SPAWN THE ANIMATED SERIES VOL. 3

If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: SPAWN or ANGEL COP: THE COLLECTION