I just finished Spawn animated series season one on HBO max and wtf this is amazing

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

At the suggestion of a friend, I tried out Spawn the animated series on HBO max knowing pretty much nothing about the character or anything. And wow this is a hell of a show.

At first I was like ehh...this is kinda try hard edgy but the animation is gorgeous and the voice acting is amazing (Keith David kills it as Spawn), but by episode 3 or 4 of the 6 episode arc the bigger picture was coming together and I realized how insanely good the show is. It isn't afraid to wear its politics, heart and morals on its sleeve in fear of alienating certain audiences, and it pulls no punches.

It takes the problems of society, dials them to 11 in comic book fashion, yet retains a strong, complex moral compass throughout. What a freaking show. I hope seasons 2 and 3 are just as good.

I don't even mind the corny intros from Todd McFarlane, they are kind of fun and I like the questions he poses despite the cheesiness.

Anyone else been sleeping on this one? Here are some gifs I found:

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Lightning Count · Feb 21, 2023

I need a Blu Ray release of this series, far too good to be marooned on 480p.

BWoog · Feb 21, 2023

Ehhh unfortunately the first season is a lot better than the following two. Two just goes nowhever, though the third and final is still worth a watch.

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

BWoog said:
Ehhh unfortunately the first season is a lot better than the following two. Two just goes nowhever, though the third and final is still worth a watch.

That's fair, the first season is still a quick watch and is jam packed with great animation, ideas, action and great characters (love the detectives especially, Wanda is also amazing).

I'll watch the other two with that in mind but even if it was just the first season it's worth watching imo. It has a strong conclusion.

Lightning Count said:
I need a Blu Ray release of this series, far too good to be marooned on 480p.

That would be sublime.

Zulith · Feb 21, 2023

I have no faith Todd can get a live action Spawn sequel moving that works well, he should stick with animation. He had a thing going with that Spawn series and a few music videos they worked on. He should have pushed harder into that, he could be dominating the western adult cartoon industry today. Todd's always been the kind of guy who has some cool ideas but can't always execute on them properly.

Juraash · Feb 21, 2023

Zulith said:
I have no faith Todd can get a live action Spawn sequel moving that works well, he should stick with animation. He had a thing going with that Spawn series and a few music videos they worked on. He should have pushed harder into that, he could be dominating the western adult cartoon industry today. Todd's always been the kind of guy who has some cool ideas but can't always execute on them properly.

The thing that drew me to Spawn in the first place was the art. The art always grabbed me over anything else on the shelves or on the wall of my local comic shop. It's a shame Todd is so hard up to do the character in live action (again) rather than do more animation.

AuthenticM · Feb 21, 2023

I liked the show, though never finished it. Pretty sure I've only seen the first season too, but it was such a long time ago.

It could use more fucking though.

Thrill_house · Feb 21, 2023

It really is! Fuck a movie, I want this first season remastered and to just keep going from there.

Dalek · Feb 21, 2023

Have you ever taken a ride on a demonic log flume? Do you ever see shadows in the dead of night and wonder what is true evil? Todd Macfarlane does. He created Spawn.

Carnby · Feb 21, 2023

It's a great show. It's a shame there isn't an ending.

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

Dalek said:
Have you ever taken a ride on a demonic log flume? Do you ever see shadows in the dead of night and wonder what is true evil? Todd Macfarlane does. He created Spawn.

Are you sure he created Spawn? I may need another reminder or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 reminders before I realize that Todd Macfarlane maybe created Spawn. Maybe. Idk.

Edit: I forget, who created Spawn again? Eh

Kensation · Feb 21, 2023

My dad accidentally bought me the uncut version of this when it first released on VHS. That was a trip for a 12 year old.

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

Kensation said:
My dad accidentally bought me the uncut version of this when it first released on VHS. That was a trip for a 12 year old.

Damn lol and he still let you watch it? Cool dad. Or did he not know?

Lynchian Anomaly · Feb 21, 2023

I taped this to VHS off bravo back in the day and that first season is just incredibly atmospheric stuff.

Kensation · Feb 21, 2023

Ex Lion Tamer said:
Damn lol and he still let you watch it? Cool dad. Or did he not know?

He didn't know. Cartoons were for kids in his mind.

Deleted member 11637 · Feb 21, 2023

I was obsessed with this show in high school, and I'm still disappointed in the drop-off of American adult animation since the 90s/early 00s.

On the audio commentary, McFarlane was *so* sure Season 4 was gonna happen. :|

Jedi2016 · Feb 21, 2023

It's been quite a while since I've seen it, but I do remember the first season being way better than the other two.

Some amazing lines, though, and excellently delivered by Keith David.

"And who am I?"
"I don't know."
"That's right. You don't know. Let that little mystery keep you up at night."

Later: "I warned you, you fat piece of shit."

BWoog · Feb 21, 2023

Carnby said:
It's a great show. It's a shame there isn't an ending.

I kind of dug the ending. Obviously it was something of a cliffhanger in that they could have marched in a certain direction, but having Al say "I want my humanity back" was a nice conclusion to confim that he's searching for salvation.

BWoog · Feb 21, 2023

Jedi2016 said:
It's been quite a while since I've seen it, but I do remember the first season being way better than the other two.

Some amazing lines, though, and excellently delivered by Keith David.

"And who am I?"
"I don't know."
"That's right. You don't know. Let that little mystery keep you up at night."

Later: "I warned you, you fat piece of shit."

"I'll even help you out if you don't watch game shows. Ok? It goes like this: WHO IS...?"
"About to take your head off."

I ate this shit up as a kid. I remember sneaking down stairs to watch it at midnight.

Sho_Nuff82 · Feb 21, 2023

Jedi2016 said:
It's been quite a while since I've seen it, but I do remember the first season being way better than the other two.

Some amazing lines, though, and excellently delivered by Keith David.

"And who am I?"
"I don't know."
"That's right. You don't know. Let that little mystery keep you up at night."

Later: "I warned you, you fat piece of shit."

The first season starts as a nearly 1:1 adaptation of the comic, then S2 goes... other places and it's not as good. The Chapel bit was ace at least. A straight adaptation of Billy Kincaid's day in hell would've gone so hard imo.

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

Kensation said:
He didn't know. Cartoons were for kids in his mind.

Something similar happened to me with GTA Vice City. I got my mom to buy the game then I played it for hours every night in the basement and if anyone came down I would pause it or just drive around. Then she sees a news segment on a local channel about a game where you kill police and prostitutes and she realizes it's the game she bought me. She made me return the game to the store but when I got home I went on limewire and downloaded it on our pc in the basement and played it anyways. Good times

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

Sho_Nuff82 said:
The first season starts as a nearly 1:1 adaptation of the comic, then S2 goes... other places and it's not as good. The Chapel bit was ace at least. A straight adaptation of Billy Kincaid's day in hell would've gone so hard imo.

Ooh is that still a part of season 2 or 3 or am I missing out? That sounds like something I want to see.

Cinco · Feb 21, 2023

Kensation said:
My dad accidentally bought me the uncut version of this when it first released on VHS. That was a trip for a 12 year old.

I was 16/17 watching this with my little cousins who were around 10 or 11 at the time because they had HBO and we didn't. Violence and cussing was whatever - but we got to the AL IM SORRRRRRYYYYYYYYY scene and I had to tap those boys out lol

Sho_Nuff82 · Feb 21, 2023

Ex Lion Tamer said:
Ooh is that still a part of season 2 or 3 or am I missing out? That sounds like something I want to see.

Chapel is in, Kincaid is in the show but didn't get the trip through hell

plus transformation into a Hellspawn

that he gets in the comics.

Ex Lion Tamer · Feb 21, 2023

Sho_Nuff82 said:
Chapel is in, Kincaid is in the show but didn't get the trip through hell

plus transformation into a Hellspawn

that he gets in the comics.

Right yeah Kincaid was nasty in season 1 so I would want to see his trip through hell. Guess I'll have to look to the comics somehow. Are they available online at all?

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I just finished Spawn animated series season one on HBO max and wtf this is amazing

Ex Lion Tamer

Lightning Count

BWoog

Ex Lion Tamer

Zulith

Juraash

AuthenticM

Son Altesse Sérénissime

Thrill_house

Dalek

Carnby

Ex Lion Tamer

Kensation

The Enlightened "this guy are sick"

Ex Lion Tamer

Lynchian Anomaly

Kensation

The Enlightened "this guy are sick"

Deleted member 11637

Jedi2016

BWoog

BWoog

Sho_Nuff82

Ex Lion Tamer

Ex Lion Tamer

Cinco

Sho_Nuff82

Ex Lion Tamer