Back in 2021, Todd McFarlane blew the world of Spawn wide open with a one-shot issue titled Spawn’s Universe #1. With it, the main Spawn title was no longer the only book on the stands set in Al Simmon’s dark and brooding universe.
Instead, a whole line of series sprouted forth. And with it came Spawn’s Universe.
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What is Spawn’s Universe?
Spawn’s Universe is the name of Todd McFarlane’s line of multiple ongoing series set in, well, Spawn’s Universe. It includes a variety of titles in addition to the original series, the longest running independent comic of all time.
The goal, according to McFarlane, was for there to be a book for everyone. By taking the multitude of characters that have been introduced over the years and giving them their own titles, Spawn is able to tell stories in genres beyond just the action-horror that it has operated in for so long.
It begins with the one-shot Spawn’s Universe #1 and then expands into a starting lineup of four ongoing series: Spawn, King Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn and The Scorched.
By the time Spawn #350 rolls around, and a new ruler takes the throne of Hell, Spawn’s Universe expands even more with its “New U” of titles.
Which comic series are part of Spawn’s Universe?
Since 2021, there have been four ongoing series set in Spawn’s Universe.
Spawn
The main title, and a record-breaking one at that. Spawn follows Al Simmons, an ex-marine who dies and is sent to Hell, only to be sent back with a symbiote and a burning desire for vengeance.
Much has happened over the 30 years of Spawn history, with countless twists and turns throughout its 350 issues. Since Spawn #300 though, Simmons and his allies have been dealing with the fallout of closing the “Dead Zones” – the spaces where the veil of time and space is thin, and where the forces of Heaven and Hell bleed through onto Earth. In his haste to close them, Spawn’s actions have led to a variety of unintended consequences, including pulling other Spawns from various points in the timeline into the present.
As the conflict for the throne of Hell heats up, Spawn and his friends deal with the plethora of angelic and demonic forces that are trapped on Earth. Classic characters like Jim Downing, Nyx and more appear, as everyone makes their play for the throne!
King Spawn
Described as the Detective Comics to Spawn’s Batman, King Spawn is the sister title to the main, ongoing series. Written by Sean Lewis with art by Javier Fernandez (at least for the first 30 or so issues), this series shifts focus from the Sinn and Clown plotlines and instead hones in on reintroducing classic elements of the Spawn mythos for the new audience.
Lewis and Fernandez do this in a clever way. They couch Spawn’s adventures in an easily accessible conflict with a murder cult, and later the mysterious Exodus Foundation, and gradually use that plotline as a vehicle to fold in characters that longtime Spawn readers will instantly recognise. It’s almost like a greatest hits tour for those who’ve been around, but for those fresh to the franchise it’s an incredibly new-reader friendly way of pulling characters like Billy Kincaid and Jason Wynn into the wider narrative – especially given the extensive history they have.
The core storyline consists, up until King Spawn #30, of Al Simmons reckoning with a looming prophecy that states he will assume the throne of Hell. Naturally, he takes issue with this, but things quickly become complicated. It’s dark, gritty and deeply atmospheric, with some of the best action-horror art available, courtesy of master of the double page spread, Javier Fernandez.
Gunslinger Spawn
If Spawn is an action-horror, then Gunslinger Spawn is an action-comedy – and a delightful surprise in the Spawn’s Universe lineup.
Gunslinger Spawn first appeared in Spawn #119 back in 2002 (albeit with a non-speaking cameo). His first real appearance was Spawn #178 (2008). Since then, McFarlane has noted how keen he’s been to give him his own title, and now here it is.
Gunslinger Spawn follows Javi, a gunslinger from the Wild West whose been dropped in the present due to Al’s assault on the Dead Zones. The central narrative is one of revenge, as Javi seeks to find justice for his sister’s murder, hunting down the descendants of those who savaged her back in the 1800s. Along the way he recruits aid with a smattering of human companions, from whom a lot of the situational comedy also arises.
Of all the titles, this is the least impacted by the events of Spawn #350, as it continues to be an episodic tale of bullets, blades and blood that sees the Gunslinger doing everything he can to set the world to rights.
If you feel the hankering to start from the beginning with Spawn, but find the 350 issues too imposing, this series is a great alternative. It really feels like McFarlane took 30 years of lessons learnt in the writing of the main Spawn series, and distilled those down into a second run at a similar, but distinct, character.
The Scorched
The Scorched is the first series within Spawn’s Universe to fulfil a classic superhero book archetype – the team book. Billed as the Avengers equivalent for Spawn, this series follows Jessica Priest, the She-Spawn, as she assembles a team of fellow Spawns to repel their enemies – both from above and below.
Medieval Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn, Redeemer and more fill the ranks of this powerful and violent squad of killers, and it’s rare that they all see eye to eye. The adventures of the Scorched feel slightly less crucial to the overall story of Spawn’s Universe, but that allows for lots of character development that the main books don’t always have time to delve into. The Scorched also benefits from being able to play in margins, exploring some of the wilder elements of the universe.
Sean Lewis (King Spawn) begins as author of the series, but eventually hands over the reins to John Layman (Chew, Titans). The switch between writers is handled incredibly well, as Layman leans in to the opportunity to give artist Stephen Segovia some absolutely incredibly action to render month in, month out.
Is there a Reading Order for Spawn’s Universe?
From the moment each series starts, the four main Spawn titles happen vaguely concurrently. That means that if you’re reading digitally or through physical trade paperback, if you’re on #12 or volume 2 of a given series then the same issue/volume of the other series will be happening around the same time in the wider narrative.
There are exceptions to this. The first couple volumes of Gunslinger Spawn technically happen prior to the first issue of The Scorched, for example. Gunslinger’s opening issues cover a lot of ground, including his first meeting with Jessica Priest, the She-Spawn, and the budding relationship between them that establishes his willingness to join her team.
Additionally, everything starts to sync up as the main title approaches Spawn #350. For instance, before you read the final pre-#350 arc of Spawn that starts with #346, you’d do well to read up to Scorched #26 and Gunslinger Spawn #28. Furthermore, the final pre-Spawn #350 arc of King Spawn (#27-30) happens between the pages of Spawn #347-348.
So long as you’re reading things in generally the right order, though, there isn’t much cause for concern. The Spawn’s Universe books do touch on each other and do reference, from time to time, events from one title in another. However, the continuity isn’t overly tight. It’s rare that reading one thing in a title ahead of when you might otherwise discover it in another would do much to spoil events.
If you do value a comprehensive reading order though, the following list should take you through the post-Spawn’s Universe #1 titles in proper order:
- Spawn’s Universe #1
- Spawn #319-323 (collected in Spawn: Shadows)
- Gunslinger Spawn #1-6 (collected in Gunslinger Spawn, Vol. 1)
- King Spawn #1-6 (collected in King Spawn, Vol. 1)
- Gunslinger Spawn #6-10 (collected in Gunslinger Spawn, Vol. 2)
- The Scorched #1-6 (collected in The Scorched, Vol. 1)
- Spawn #324-330 (collected in Spawn: Bad Business)
- King Spawn #7-12 (collected in King Spawn, Vol. 2)
- Gunslinger Spawn #11-12 (collected in Gunslinger Spawn, Vol. 2)
- The Scorched #7-12 (collected in The Scorched, Vol. 2)
- Spawn #331-336
- Batman/Spawn
- Spawn: Unwanted Violence #1-2
- King Spawn #13-18 (collected in King Spawn, Vol. 3)
- Gunslinger Spawn #13-18 (collected in Gunslinger Spawn, Vol. 3)
- Spawn #337-343
- The Scorched #13-18 (collected in The Scorched, Vol. 3)
- King Spawn #17-24 (collected in King Spawn, Vol. 4)
- Gunslinger Spawn #19-24 (collected in Gunslinger Spawn, Vol. 4)
- The Scorched #19-24 (collected in The Scorched, Vol. 4)
- Spawn #344-347
- King Spawn #25-28 (collected in King Spawn, Vol. 5)
- Gunslinger Spawn #25-28 (collected in Gunslinger Spawn, Vol. 5)
- The Scorched #25-26 (collected in The Scorched, Vol. 5)
- King Spawn #29-30 (collected in King Spawn, Vol. 5)
- Spawn #348-350
What is the “New U”?
After Spawn #350, a new ruler sits on the throne of Hell. With that, everything changes.
The forces of Heaven and Hell both end up stranded on Earth once more, but this time they (and our Hellspawn protagonists) are stripped of nearly all their powers. What ensues is a status quo of cutthroat survival, as everyone is playing for keeps.
In the wake of these changes, McFarlane and co. take the opportunity to launch a “New U” of titles, building on the success of Spawn’s Universe so far.
The full list of “New U” titles can be found below:
- Sam & Twitch: Case Files
- Rat City
- Monolith
- Misery
- Violator Origins
- Spawn Kills Every Spawn
- Spawn: The Dark Ages
- Tales of the Gunslinger
- No Home Here
- Focus
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