Spawn (1997-1999)

So this is supposed to be the OG Spawn comic-to-screen adaptation, since it’s created by McFarlane himself. It’s unlike any animated series I’ve seen before. Not because it’s 18+ in every sense, other have done that; I’m not sure how much before, but surely since, especially lately with ones like Invincible, where gore is done for sport. But Spawn is unique as being the most direct adaptation of a comic book: visual style, characters, narrative, topics and themes that I just didn’t think would be adapted to screen.

That said, it’s also a weird thing to watch, because it’s so much a comic book that it practically didn’t work so much as a film. For example, when a scene is so abruptly resolved like going from one comic panel to another. In a comic book that’s what I expect, but on film there’s something missing.

Anyways, as a Spawn fan, this was a must-see for me, and an important miss to make up for. But I won’t be coming back to it for a rewatch—I rather reread the comic books.