Spawn #305: Baptism of Fire

Say it isn’t so! Jason Shawn Alexander’s epic and truly redefining Spawn run has come to an end with issue #305. If you’ve followed my reviews here at Comic Watch, you know that I’ve considered Alexander’s art to be a truly remarkable accomplishment in his twenty-six issue run (#276-#305). His gritty and stylized approach with flairs of dark romanticism brought the character to new depths with imagery that will undoubtedly be long remembered among the best this series had to offer. While it’s certainly bittersweet to see him move onto new projects like Image’s Killadelphia, we are treated with one last gem with Spawn #305.

Before we dig into what Alexander’s art delivers in his last run, it’s important to note just how explosive the story really is. We are thrown right into a fight with Spawn and She-Spawn going against Angel Warriors in disguise and even the Medieval Spawn! The brutal fight that ensues is classic Spawn action-horror at it’s finest, with everything from guns to swords creating a beautiful blood in the snow showdown.

Amidst all the chaos, we also see the reveal of a badass new character as Eddie reveals himself to be the Reaper, carrying a giant scythe and all, and blasts the Angels into oblivion with his baptism of fire. This is a great moment to bring up the sheer magnificence of Alexander’s artwork, encapsulated by the epic splash page of the Reaper in all his glory. Peter Steigerwald’s colors bring the visual to life with vibrant greens and blues, helping to distinguish this character’s uniqueness through all the heavy shadows.

Spawn’s newfound understanding of the dangers of other Spawns and also their potentials helps to both bring this arc to a close while kicking off a dangerous new step forward for the series. The superhero/villain universe McFarlane is weaving post-issue #300 is starting to take shape in a very exciting way. We end with a panel showing a “liquid abyss” consuming Spawn to apparently teleport him away and I couldn’t help but think it to be a satisfying and fitting end to Alexander’s work on Spawn. An exit as wonderful as this, not in death but simply departing from the team, feels like a tip of the hat that closes out this journey on a high note.

Ultimately, Spawn #305 is a can’t-miss conclusion to not just a brutally exciting arc, but also a character-defining artistic approach from Jason Shawn Alexander. It’s fast paced and full of awesome new developments that will have fans thrilled for the next chapter in Spawn’s dramatic crusade against both Heaven and Hell.