Spawn's Universe #1

The oversized Spawn's Universe #1 creates a moment of change in the battle of Heaven versus Hell as Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn, and Cogliostro are captured by a new villain calling himself the Disruptor who has plans for the trio and is using leftover power from the Omega Spawn to wreak havoc across the world.

For someone who remembers the release of Spawn #1 but hasn't been a regular reader of the title for decades, Spawn's Universe #1 feels a bit unwieldy. It's large, boasts of importance, and even offer more Spawns (both in the main storyline and back-up stories). It also requires you to go back and read some recent Spawn comics to make sense of just what the hell is going on here (something 66 pages overflowing with narration should help alleviate).

Spawn's Universe #1 is big, brash, and loud. In other words, it's a Spawn comic. It also offers a turning point for a character who has been around since the beginning. No doubt loyal Spawn readers will get more out of it than I did.

[Image, $5.99]

• Title: Spawn's Universe #1
• Writer: Todd McFarlane
• Artists: Jim Cheung, Stephen Segovia, Marcio Takara