Hellspawn – The Complete Series

Hellspawn, the 16-issue series published between 2000 and 2003, plunges the character into the realm of horror in a beautiful national edition by New Order. 

Hellspawn – The Story and Context of the Hellspawn 

For those who are unfamiliar with the character, here's a brief summary of his origin:

Spawn is the alter ego of Al Simmons, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and one of the deadliest and most skilled soldiers of his time. Operating in the shadows, Simmons carried out missions that supposedly served national interests but in reality were often aligned with the dark ambitions of his superior, Jason Wynn—a man as influential as he is ruthless.

Over time, Simmons begins to question his actions and the system he serves, becoming a threat to Wynn. When his loyalty starts to waver and he becomes an unpredictable piece on the board, Wynn decides to eliminate him. During a mission, Simmons is betrayed by his allies and brutally murdered—burned alive.

This is the tragic beginning of his journey, but also just the prelude to the dark rebirth that would turn Al Simmons into the Hellspawn, the anti-hero who inhabits a world of vengeance, redemption, and supernatural forces.

After his death, Lieutenant Colonel Al Simmons' soul is confronted by the demon Malebolgia, ruler of the Eighth Circle of Hell. The demon offers him a tempting deal: in exchange for his soul and his loyalty as a soldier in Hell's army during Armageddon, Simmons would have the chance to see Wanda, his wife and the great love of his life, once more. Desperate, Al accepts without hesitation.

However, the deal is as cruel as his new master. Simmons returns to Earth five years after his death, trapped in a grotesquely disfigured body and covered in a living, sentient suit that feels more like a cursed extension of himself. Worse still, he discovers that Wanda has moved on: she is now married to his best friend, Terry Fitzgerald, and they have a daughter named Cyan.

Resurrected and alone, Simmons becomes Spawn, a soldier of Hell sent back to Earth to serve Malebolgia's plans. He finds himself as a key player in an impending war between Heaven and Hell—but something inside him begins to change. Tired of being manipulated by forces he sees as equally corrupt, Al decides to break the chains that bind him to this eternal conflict.

By rejecting the role forced upon him, Spawn creates a dangerous power vacuum. Malebolgia tries to reclaim control, leading to an epic showdown between creator and creation. When the dust finally settles, Simmons emerges victorious, taking the throne as the new King of Hell.

And it's exactly at this moment of transition—with the Hellspawn in a position of power he never wanted—that Hellspawn begins.

Hellspawn – Review 

One of the first things to note about Hellspawn is that the series can be divided into two distinct parts, although this separation wasn't initially intended. This division comes primarily from the two creative teams involved in the project, each led by a writer with a very different style.

Issues #1–6 were written by Brian Michael Bendis, who focuses more on world-building and introducing characters within this new Spawn status quo. Issues #7–16 were handled by Steve Niles, whose approach centers on developing the narrative and driving it to its conclusion.

This transition between writers creates an interesting dynamic, where Bendis lays the groundwork and sets the stage, while Niles expands on the concepts and takes the series to new heights.

But to better understand the nuances of each phase, let's break it down, shall we?

However, as atmospheric and tense as Bendis' stories may be, we never really see any narrative progression. Although he plants themes that will be worked on later—Hell's dissatisfaction with Spawn's refusal to play along, embodied by his old nemesis, the Clown/Violator; Spawn's role as a vigilante; and Heaven as a counterforce in the game—none of these elements seem to push the story forward. By the end of these first six issues, we're left with the feeling that nothing truly important has happened.

That's not to say the stories are bad. Quite the contrary. The initial arc—issues #1 to #3—involving the Clown exploiting vulnerable people and destroying their lives using their darkest secrets is very well executed, offering a perfect glimpse into the cynical and terrifying world surrounding Spawn.

However, the next stories in this sequence—where the character takes justice into his own hands against individuals ranging from an extremist religious leader to a sadistic couple—seem to merely repeat the Brian Holguin era, but without the same beauty of execution. In fact, part of what made Holguin's tenure on Spawn so enjoyable was its simplicity. In his stories, especially during the phase of random justice, the narrative followed a very clear formula: 

A) So-and-so is a villain who does terrible things;
B) The paths of So-and-so and the Hellspawn cross;
C) So-and-so suffers a horrible death, often thematically linked to the atrocities they committed.

And what artwork it is! I don't think there are enough words to praise Wood's art in this work. Through his brush, the Spawn universe gains a heavy, sinister atmosphere, where the filth of the alleys and the foulness of demons and corrupted souls reflect back at us, creating a world that is dark, claustrophobic, and devoid of hope—a perfect combination of artist and character.

However, there are some small caveats. While an excellent artist, Wood is a better illustrator than he is a sequential comic artist. When his art is translated into comic pages, we get a very rigid and sometimes confusing narrative—much like what happened in the Metal Gear Solid 2 comic adaptation, which also had the Australian artist as its main illustrator.

Still, what a visual spectacle he delivers!

Hellspawn #7–16 – Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith: 

And here we arrive at what I consider to be, by far, the best part of Hellspawn.

Taking over after Bendis's departure, Steve Niles writes the series from issue #7 until its conclusion, steering the narrative in a different direction from his predecessor. With the tone and universe already established, the story now focuses on the consequences of a power struggle in Hell. We witness the underworld's final attempt to turn Spawn into its new ruler, providing a narrative thread that had been sorely lacking. Moreover, Niles introduces a thematic core to Hellspawn, revolving around the concept of choice—specifically, the choices made by its characters.

This second phase of the series brings with it three main plot arcs: the central arc, which subtly begins in issue #8 when the Hellspawn intervenes to save a young woman from being attacked by her boyfriend, and culminates in Hellworld, where Simmons is once again tempted to take the vacant throne of Hell; the Cy-Gor arc, where Spawn must face loose ends from his past as an agent of Jason Wynn; and finally, the Mike Moran arc—all unified by the overarching theme of choice.

Introduced during Bendis's tenure, both the Cy-Gor and Moran stories are developed and concluded by Niles while allowing space for the main plot to mature until its climax. In the first arc, which spans four issues, we witness not only the return of the cybernetic gorilla, a classic Spawn adversary, but also of Terry Fitzgerald—Al Simmons' best friend and current husband to Wanda Blake, Al's ex-wife.

Slightly longer than it should be, this arc's biggest flaw is that it is purely functional. What do I mean by that? While it has its moments, it's clear throughout the reading that its primary purpose is to buy time for the Éden subplot—the young woman saved by Spawn and future mother of the demon Hela—to mature. It also wraps up Spawn's final ties to his human life, ending not only his connection with Cy-Gor but also definitively distancing him from Terry, leaving Spawn adrift with no human attachments.

As good as the idea is, the execution feels a bit abrupt, especially considering the weight of this kind of relationship for the character. Additionally, prior knowledge plays a significant role here, as new readers may not fully grasp the impact of this arc—this is, after all, Terry's first appearance in the series. Furthermore, a missed opportunity to delve deeper into his character prevents us from fully understanding his motivations or further exploring the central theme of this second half.

As for the Moran arc, well, this may be the biggest disappointment in Hellspawn. For those unfamiliar with the name, Mike Moran is the alter ego of the character Miracleman (also known as Marvelman), who was to be introduced into the Spawn universe through this series. However, because Todd McFarlane did not actually own the rights to the character, his inclusion had to be abruptly canceled due to legal issues. As a result, all of Niles' work building this subplot is summarily discarded by the end of issue #12. For more on this matter, I've linked a post from Spawn Brasil, the largest Spawn fan site in Brazil, below. 

But let's get back to the point. 

This editorial decision—though necessary—was a true gut punch from a narrative standpoint. A great deal of time is spent building up to a big reveal, with several clues and teases dropped throughout, only to lead to a dead end. All the mystery and suspense built around the character amount to nothing, marking this as perhaps the lowest point of Niles's run.

As for Hellworld, the final arc of the series, it is by far the best arc in Hellspawn. Foreshadowed since issue #8, the rising tension leading to Hela's appearance—through natural and artificial omens—is masterfully crafted, constantly reminding us that something terrible is on the horizon. And when it arrives, the series soars.

Attempting to persuade Spawn to accept his place in Hell, the demon presents a simulated reality in which Hell has won the great war, and Spawn sits on the throne as its rightful ruler, free to punish all sinners in his domain. This is also where Ben Templesmith's art truly shines, portraying Hell as an anarchic, bizarre, and horrifying place—burning, crowded with demons and the spirits of the damned—a perfect pairing of artist and theme.

As in the earlier arcs, the role of choice becomes pivotal in Hellworld. It is Spawn's decisions—whether to take the throne, punish the guilty, accept his role—that determine the world's fate. The consequences of these choices take center stage, especially through his conversations with Éden in Hell and with Wanda. Ultimately, this theme is what resonates at the story's conclusion: Spawn, by choosing to be the master of his own destiny and taking responsibility for his actions and their outcomes, finally achieves liberation from the infernal game in which he was entangled.

As strong as Hellworld is, it's not without flaws—particularly near the end, which feels a bit rushed. The conversation with Wanda, for instance, could have been much more meaningful given the weight of her character within the mythology. Likewise, the series' abrupt conclusion—due to cancellation—feels a bit hasty. Still, considering the circumstances, it provides a solid ending to the saga of the Hellspawn.

Thus, Niles delivers a much more cohesive and well-constructed arc, concluding the series on a high note.

Conclusion:

So, this is going to be a tough series to draw a final conclusion about.

Even with its narrative irregularities, Hellspawn is a good read. It will probably be better appreciated by fans of the character, since there are some elements in the story that require a certain level of prior knowledge to be fully understood (the series takes place between issues #100 and #107 of the main title). Not only that, but it also represents a natural evolution of the main Hellspawn storyline, only shifting its focus toward more horror-driven narratives—which greatly benefits it.

Although the beautiful work by the New Order team provides a solid entry point to the arc—offering a summary that covers all the key elements related to both the characters and the events—it's a different experience reading Hellspawn already aware of the developments in the main series. In fact, the arc's resolution relies heavily on previous storylines, including the fallout from Terry's separation and the final conversation with Wanda.

So, for Spawn fans, I definitely recommend this edition.

Now, if you're not already a fan of the character, is Hellspawn still worth your time?

Well, I'm honestly torn on that. As a fan, I'd love to see more people getting into the character, which might even encourage the publisher to release more of the Hellspawn saga here in Brazil. However, I must admit that a big part of what made this series enjoyable for me was precisely my familiarity with the character and his story. That context allowed me to fully embrace this plunge into horror.

For new readers, though, I don't think this is the best starting point. The narrative can be quite inconsistent, and when it comes to horror comics, we currently have some excellent options—many of them free from the burden of continuity—that deliver more cohesive storytelling.

But few are this hauntingly beautiful.

To wrap things up, I have to highlight the work done by New Order, which released a stunning collected edition. I got the hardcover version, which comes with a gorgeous dust jacket, and the overall design and print quality are top-notch. I know there's also a paperback version, but I haven't had a chance to see it, so I can't comment on that.

But as for the hardcover—it's a beautiful volume, absolutely worthy of a spot on the shelf of any Spawn fan.

Technical Information:

Title: Hellspawn – The Complete Series

Writers: Brian Michael Bendis, Steve Niles

Artists: Ashley Wood, Ben Templesmith

Year of Publication: 2022

Page Count: 432 pages