Hell Spawn #15 and #16

Story: Steve Niles
Art: Ben Templesmith

Published by Image Comics
http://www.imagescomics.com / http://www.spawn.com

The man once known as Al Simmons, now the current warrior in the army of hell known as the Spawn sits on the throne of the underworld. His new fiancé at his side, Spawn confronts one of his first and most hated enemies and extracts his final revenge on him. That act of violence transforms the Spawn into something darker, a demonic force fit to rule from the throne of Hell.

Only a young woman named Eden and a double agent from heaven can free the Spawn from his curse as they reveal to him a dark secret. Despite the warnings of how his actions will affect his realm, the Spawn takes his chances and exacts

Hell Spawn is not the Spawn I remember reading all those many years ago in high school. This book is different from traditional comic fare and I have no doubt it is due to the creative team of Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, the force behind 30 Days of Night.

Steve Niles is able to weave and very intrusting narrative in a medium where most fans want to see the dialogue come from the characters themselves. His ability to tell the story clearly made me forget that issue #15 was the middle of the story. It had felt like I had picked the book up from the beginning and had been reading all along.

Steve's creepy scripts are accompanied by the art of Ben Templesmith. It's probably been said a hundred times before me but Ben's art can't help but be compared to Bill Sienkiewicz and Dave McKean. The art is a style that remains unique in comics today and forces the medium of comics into a more adult, more contemporary forefront. Ben's artwork is the style and stuff that will get people outside of comics to stop, take a look, and hopefully stick around for a while, infusing this medium with a little bit of new life, even if only for a short while.

Hell Spawn #15 and #16 are out on newsstands now. Check 'em out.

Reviewer: Ian Ascher

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Ian Ascher is a freelance Writer/Creator

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