Todd McFarlane's Spawn

Four days later. Sometimes I wonder...

Anyway! My obsession with this fan-fucking-tastic animated series is still in overdrive!

My newest obsession! | From Google

To begin, let's start with my history with Spawn. I'm quite sure I either learned about it from the old pictures my mom showed me of my older cousin as a kid reading Spawn comics (he was/is (?) a big fan) or because of the 1997 movie. Either way, naturally, I became interested, but never pursued. Then somewhere along the line I saw the movie. I liked it, though I don't remember my reaction very well...aside from loving that cape, man! The caaaape!!

Fast-the-fuck-forward to this week. Whoa, man. Don't even ask what possessed me to suddenly search for the TV series or how I discovered it. It was just this past Monday and I don't remember, either. All I do remember is that I was begging for the cartoon to be as dark and gritty and, well, everything I've been dying for in a TV series that I haven't been able to find.

How ironic that I would find it in an old HBO series, considering everyone I know considers HBO to have really interesting stuff and I can't get into any of it. True Blood? Gag me. Please. I cannot take it seriously; you have no idea...

Right. So I was hooked on the first episode. What is it about this series that I love?

Pros

• A legitimate story

And a story that doesn't include crap called school, work or owning a damned restaurant. Better yet, apparently like the original comic itself, it gets right to the gist of the story, with the main character Al already in his undead state as a Hellspawn General...er...a general of the Army of Hell...or someother...As much as I love gradually getting into a story, it's a rare to treat to come upon one that jumps right in that ends up being good in my mind.

• Superb voice-acting

A definite 10/10 for voice acting in this series.  Not only do they have a boss of an actor (Keith David) voicing Spawn, but the voice acting is legitimate! When Spawn agonized, oh, my god, did I agonize along with him. I thought my forehead would permanently crease from all the times I furrowed it in my pity for this...erm...man. Everyone else did just as good, but you know I have to give the main man best props. Also...whoa. Violator's voice. Scary as shit when he was in his true form.

• Animation was dark, atmospheric

And they call this series low-budget. The only sign of its times or possibly of it being low-budget were the occasional (in my opinion) reuse of scenes. But I understand they did that in the old days, anyway. Some were well manipulated to flow with the progression of the episode, but some carried flaws. Didn't bother me in the slightest. And must I mention HIS CAPE?! Oh, sorry...his shroud. Oh. Ugh. Every scene with that bloody thing is my favorite. It moves so beautifully. The blending of shadows, the wonderful contrast of day and night...Good features for every character (unlike some anime I won't mention)...Oh, yeah...

• Not for kids!

Not by any stretch of the imagination! Also, c'mon, this is HBO. Sex? Yes. As usual, there was a moment there I was worried every episode was going to have sex or nudity in it...but don't worry. Later on it becomes much more tastefully done. Eh, but it didn't bother me, anyway. Voice acting was good with that, too~ :p Pfft. Nice gratuitous use of crude and strong language, too. Ahh...

Cons...

• ....Too. Damn. SHORT!

Seriously? This isn't too uncommon for good animated series, be they anime or otherwise. The short ones are usually really freaking good. Six episodes per seasons, and there were three. Three seasons...three sixes. 666, anyone~? And so, only eighteen freaking episodes, and just when I was ready to freaking cry at the last episode!

• IT. JUST. ENDS!

No conclusion to that nail-biting discovery?? What about Wynn?? And Spawn! Just when he got it! *Gag, growl, hiss* Over ten years later and there's still no conclusion!! 

Any other complaints? Nada~! 

I'm kinda in a rush (may touch up on this bas later), but seriously. Spawn has everything I've ever looked for in a TV series: dark, humorous (Spawn even has his moments; oh, and his one-liners!), tragic, dashes of ADULT romance (nothing pissed me off, which is a first in itself), and...deeeemons. Deeevils. Posssesssions...Wheeeee....It was somewhat lacking in the element of more dark cretins, but I have no complaints. It was short, but I'm so getting this bad boy on the best DVD set I can get my hands on!!

...

And this will be the third Western comic (along with The Crow and Batman, of course) I'm so adding to my library! Must get into Spawn...