Carlos Morales
Spawn: The Dark Ages will make its long-awaited return with a brand-new six-issue miniseries from acclaimed creator Liam Sharp (Wonder Woman, StarHenge) hitting shelves this October from Image Comics/Todd McFarlane Productions. The debut issue will feature four covers to mark the occasion, including two by Sharp himself, a blank sketch variant, and a striking 1:50 copy incentive variant by Ryan Brown.
Sharp—who serves as writer, inker, and colorist—delivers a sweeping tale of kings, gods, and the Devil’s Spawn set against the fractured backdrop of post-Roman Britain.
“Returning to Spawn: The Dark Ages after so long has been a wild and wonderful ride!” said Sharp. “I wanted to create something truly unique, that didn’t require any former knowledge of Spawn, or the dark ages in general. I also wanted to take it right back to the very start of that period, setting the story in post-Roman Britain in the 5th Century—a time steeped in folkloric traditions, when the old Pagan ways were fading, whilst the new, young Christian faith was taking a hold. But I also wanted to write a grand melodrama, with love, betrayals, and courtly intrigues in the vein of the Arthurian legends—for whom our King, Aurelianus, was a prototype, and the possible historical root of that legend. And I wanted to give it a quirkily literate bent, to try and gift it a unique sense of place and time…”
At the heart of the series is Erlking Ulegrave, the Devil’s Spawn and master of the Wild Hunt. As Saxons raid from the East, Picts loom in the North, and Hibernians strike from the West, newly crowned King Aurelianus Ambrosius must seek out the Erlking and forge a dangerous alliance to save his kingdom. But can the Christian King truly trust this ancient power—or will such a pact condemn him to eternal damnation?
Spawn creator and President at Image Comics, Todd McFarlane, added: “As a fan of dark gritty stories and of Liam Sharp’s storytelling, this combination has been something I’ve been looking forward to showing the fandom for quite some time. It was literally, decades ago when Liam first wowed me with his interpretation of the Dark Ages Spawn characters, now after far too long a time, Liam will once again show the readers how cool, dangerous, gritty and ugly the past can be. And how surviving it is not a given for the characters!”
- Cover A by Liam Sharp – Lunar Code: 0825IM0252
- Cover B Blank Sketch Variant – Lunar Code: 0825IM0253
- Cover C Virgin Variant by Liam Sharp – Lunar Code: 0825IM0254
- Cover D 1:50 Incentive Variant by Ryan Brown – Lunar Code: 0825IM0255
Spawn: The Dark Ages #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, October 8, with a Final Order Cutoff deadline for retailers of Monday, September 15:
