Spawnography

Todd McFarlane and Frank Miller are back at it again but this time the collaboration is unprecedented. Not only is Spawn teaming up with Batman but he's specifically teaming up with a Batman who fits into the continuity established by Miller in The Dark Knight Returns. But wait a minute, this plot feels a lot like that Harry Houdini arc... We'll get into it. On top of the Goddamn Batman, George and Pierce will also chat about the computer coloring of the era and its effects on this book as well as Dan Akroyd and the Ghostbusters, oddly enough.

What do Harry Houdini and Spawn have in common? Well, not much as it turns out. This fill-in story from letterer extraordinaire Tom Orzechowski and apparent Harry Houdini enthusiast Andrew Grossberg, the two characters are thrust together in a plot that involves some antiquated Cold War sensibilities, a magical realm that we'll never return to (in the pages of Spawn anyway) and an explanation for an event from Spawn/Batman that no one asked for. George and Pierce dig into some of this story's problems as well as the wacky publishing schedule that led to it being necessary.

Borne of Heaven's elemental fire, the Anti-Spawn makes his debut! Grant Morrison and Greg Capullo get to make their mark on the Spawn mythos while Todd is off prepping Batman/Spawn with Frank Miller. The result is an arc that delves into Morrison's own predilections for the metaphysical while grounding itself in the knockdown, drag-out Silver Age superhero stuff that the writer has always shown an affinity for. Meanwhile, Capullo continues coming into his own and the seeds of his later works are firmly planted here. Plus, George rambles on about about some magic stuff and Pierce is along for the ride.

Hey there Hellspawn! Clown is back to share his story of fighting Medieval Spawn in the past with a few random kids in an alleyway! You know, as one does. He ends up also explaining how he became the inspiration for fire breathing dragons in folklore? George and Pierce were pretty split on this arc but that doesn't mean they didn't find a ton to talk about. Plus they'll get into some personal lore, some related to the dedication in issue #15 and some unrelated to the arc altogether.

We know who killed Al! At least, for now. George and Pierce get right to the heart of the mystery that's been brewing since issue one. Is the Chapel reveal a good one? Was it a good one at the time? How come Todd had to change it? They'll touch on the strange history of Chapel as a character and whether intended or not, they'll dare to ask the question: is Chapel trans? And more importantly, who is the Don Juan of podcasts? All this and more in episode seven of Spawnography!

Nerds and creeps! How Spawn wishes they'd go away! Frank Miller stops by the Spawniverse to close out the CoCoSwiss. Spawn's alley is smack dab in the middle of a turf war between two gangs and our hero Al takes it upon himself to protect his fellow night people. We break down how successful this first Miller/McFarlane collaboration is and dig into some fun letters in The Spawning ground.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, wait...what is this? Some sort of crossover episode? The CoCoSwiss continues and Dave Sim brings his creation, Cerebus, over to the Spawniverse for a lesson in creator's rights. George and Pierce explore the dream world presented in Spawn #10 and try to parse exactly what Todd McFarlane and Dave Sim are saying about creator's rights, the industry as a whole and where they find themselves in it.

Angela! A woman who isn't Wanda or being menaced by a man! Things are moving in the Spawn Universe as the CoCoSwiss continues in issue #9. In this episode, George and Pierce break down Neil Gaiman's contribution to the Toddfather's empire, how Angela and Medieval Spawn represent the most worldbuilding that the book has seen to this point and the fallout of McFarlane's bad business decisions surrounding this issue.

You know him! You love him! He's the most sinister cyborg this side of Sicily! That's right, I'm talking about OVERTKILL! George and Pierce cover the introduction of Overtkill and his ensuing battle with Spawn in Spawn #6 and #7. They dig into Todd's legal troubles surrounding mob boss character Vito Gravano and feared NHL Enforcer Tony Twist, the inherent toyeticism of Spawn and the slow expansion of Al Simmons' world under Todd's pen.

In Heaven, everything is fine. Unfortunately for Billy Kincaid, that's not where he's headed. George and Pierce cover the haunting introduction of Billy Kincaid in Spawn #5 and the followup by Spawn's first non-Todd McFarlane writer, Alan Moore, in Spawn #8! The cosmology of Spawn starts to come more into focus as we learn about the nature of Spawn's powers and Hell itself. Plus we are introduced to the second of the five famous Phlebiac Brothers!