#38 - SPAWN : THE CLAN- POETIC JUSTICE

Spawn#30 The Clan: Poetic Justice
Art and Story by Todd McFarlane 
Additional Art by Greg Capullo 


Review by Hector Ramirez

Welcome back Clashers to another action packed edition of the Comic Book Clash. This week, we’re taking things back to April of ’95. In honor of Black History Month, we’re taking a look at Spawn #30; a true testament to karma and poetic justice. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

After his fight with the Anti-Spawn, Al gets stuck down south. On his trek back to New York, he comes across an African-American gentleman, Brad Armstrong; who’s just had his lawn set ablaze by the KKK. Being a black man himself, Spawn decides to go after the culprits himself. Upon confronting the clansmen, Al takes a bullet to the head and is lynched. Brad finds him lynched and gets into an altercation with two clansmen but is saved by Al, who they believed to be dead. Brad, who was knocked out when his attackers were dispatched, takes the matter to court but the case is thrown out. Unknown to Brad, the judge was the clansmen’s leader. One by one, Spawn goes after the clan leaving the leader for last, waiting until the rest of the clan was nearby; Al turned him into a black man so that his own clan would lynch him. He then gives Brad files that prove the clan’s guilt, and thusly justice is served.

The irony behind the judge’s death was poetic justice at its finest. This was little more than a filler story but as far as filler stories go, it was pretty good it had a message to it and went to some pretty far lengths to get that message across. The story itself was kind of weak it had nothing to do with any other storylines in the series. Truth is besides spreading the message, and the side story with Sam and Twitch, there was little point in printing this issue. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, the art was great the usual McFarlane style the message was gotten across in a big way and part of the plot moved forward. All in all the series could have probably survived without the issue but I’m glad Todd wrote it. That being said I give this book a Red Robin. Spawn books rarely disappoint this issue being no exception. Until next time friends, keep clashing.