Spawn #309: The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger Spawn has truly made his return in Spawn #309. With artwork from Lashley, the legacy character shines as the series continues to establish the growing Spawn Universe. After an exciting feature from Medieval Spawn, what better way to follow up than with the fan-favorite Gunslinger Spawn?

There’s no doubt that this issue featuring Gunslinger Spawn had plenty of fans excited. It was quickly announced to be going back for a second printing featuring a new cover and as someone who already owns the first printing, I have to say, I’ll likely be picking up the second as well. Spawn #309 is a particularly exciting book because of it’s ability to capture the best parts of the series and push it in a new direction. It’s fresh and unique, but it also plays right into what longtime fans seem to long for in the series, expanding on the lore without repeating the same narrative over and over.

McFarlane is definitely onto something remarkable with this initiative to flesh out the Spawn Universe. In this issue, we see Gunslinger Spawn taking on Cog while Al and his team continue to infiltrate the schemes of conspiring forces. She-Spawn falls more into the background than I would’ve liked, but in all honesty, this issue is all about Gunslinger Spawn and in that area, this issue does not disappoint. It’s dark, bloody and packed with twists and turns that will keep you hooked.

For a series on it’s 309th issue, it’s difficult to put into words how important it is to reinvigorate the story to keep things interesting. There is a fine line between rehashing once-popular ideas and evolving them into something new, but this creative team seems to have found a way to pull it off with relative ease. As Gunslinger Spawn unknowingly falls into a trap that he may or may not be all too well equipped to handle, Al and his team are finally putting the pieces together for what their next move should be. It’s cohesive storytelling, but more importantly, it’s exciting!

Lashley delivers some really strong artwork thanks in no small part to Steigerwald’s colors and Orzechowski’s iconic lettering. Gunslinger Spawn steals the show with more than a few spectacular panels, but with so much going on it’s more about how well the layouts work to bring out the best parts of the story. There is still a horror influence which I really appreciate, but there is also something different that we haven’t seen before. It sets this story apart from some of the other stories we have seen in the series especially from work like we saw from Jason Shawn Alexander. I’m not sure if this artwork is on that level yet, but it’s definitely a fun direction.

Spawn #309 is an issue that fans simply won’t want to miss out on. It’s going back for a second printing not because it is some important key issue with a first appearance, but because it’s damn good. Don’t let this one pass by, because the series is poised to deliver even more awesome action and expansive world building in Spawn #310!