Writer: Rory McConville
Artist: Brett Booth
Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
Cover Artist: Carlo Barberi, Francesco Tomaselli
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy
Release Date: April 17, 2024
Price: $2.99
Reviewer: Christopher Patterson
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Spawn #352 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Spawn #352 starts with a flashback to two months ago, when we see the night that Hell’s war ended. To put it nicely, there is chaos. It serves as the opening statement and possibly connects to a significant aspect of Spawn’s historical narrative. As it goes on, we see chaos and destruction in many places, with some amazing panels to illustrate this. However, as the story progresses, the focus swiftly shifts to a mysterious woman whom Spawn, at the end of the chapter, sets out to locate, as she could be helpful in saving Eddie. If you don’t know, Eddie is the reaper. You can tell that there is a lot going on, and not a lot of it connects so well. In other words, while this issue shows a lot of potential, it struggles to effectively connect everything and perform well. This is primarily due to the narrative’s shortcomings.
This all shows my key issue with this issue. A throughline. We see all of these things happening, but none of them work on their own and appear cluttered. If this issue focused solely on Spawn and the mysterious girl, it could’ve been interesting and compelling, but rather we get a few pages with her before she is gone and focus on other characters and plot points that are never quite as interesting. I would compare it to watching a lot of filler before getting to the good stuff. In retrospect, it was a waste to watch the filler, just as it is to watch here some of the other plots that lack any interest and serve very little. Generally, Spawn #352 is lackluster when it comes to its story and nothing of note. Instead of focusing on one element and working with it, this issue seems to focus more on cramming as many things as possible, with most of it falling flat and uninteresting.
ART
The art sparks with a level of detail and design that represents some of the best of what contemporary comics can offer. The coloring and designs of the characters in this comic truly stand out, with details even given to random background characters t-shirts. Even more, what makes this all the more impressionable is the shading and use of contrast, which explode this issue to new heights that the story doesn’t achieve.
For example, there is this wonderful panel that demonstrates my point well. There is this shot at the beginning where two characters are conversing until someone breaks into the window. That window shot is the panel I would like to focus on, as it is how it is designed and illustrated that is truly of note. We do not just see shading through how each of the shards of glass are flying through the eye, but there is a nice consideration for perspective here with how the glass is drawn. Even more, the design and life of this character explode upon the scene, giving their appearance much-needed energy. How I would describe this one image is if someone took a simple image and perfectly added rough personality, detail, and thought to it for it to become something else. This single panel is a good way to describe the artwork here. Without a doubt, the best artwork in a comic you are likely to see this year.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Spawn #352 showcases some of the best art currently available in the industry alongside a lackluster story. The story is generally quite dull, with not enough intrigue for it to leap off the page like the art. Simply put, the artwork here represents what all artists should keep in mind. There is true detail and personality on every page. If you’re looking to add another issue in the Spawn universe to your collection, this is it for the art alone.