Record-setting comic spawns spinoff 'universe' planned by Image Comics founder

The creator of one of the most successful creator-owned comics of all time plans to expand his universe in 2021. 

Todd McFarlane, creator and initial writer-artist of the “Spawn” character, is the writer of the one-shot “Spawn’s Universe,” on sale this week.

In the horror/adventure comic “Spawn,” the former military assassin Al Simmons returns to life as an undead “Spawn,” intended to do the bidding of Hell but at times becoming a reluctant superhero.  

The series, originally launched in 1992, reached issue #301 in 2019 and earned McFarlane the Guinness World Records title for the world’s longest-running creator-owned superhero comic book series.

Contained inside "Spawn's Universe #1" will be four different stories highlighting different Spawn characters from the past and present, and introducing new villains as well. 

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"Spawn's Universe #1" is a 52-page, one-shot issue that sets the stage for three new monthly spin-off Spawn titles: “King Spawn,” “Gunslinger Spawn,” and “The Scorched,” all planned for 2021.  

Image Comics’ President Todd McFarlane announced his plans to craft an interconnected comic book universe spinning out of his “Spawn” title at the 2021 ComicsPRO conference in February. 

“Marvel and DC Comics have shown us that a collective group of characters, together, in a shared universe can resonate globally,” McFarlane said. “I think it is time for David to attempt to join the same arena as the Goliaths of the world.”   

McFarlane was part of a consortium of artists who left Marvel Comics in the early 1990s after setting sales records there. They went on to form Image Comics, which has been both a home for the founders’ creations and for creator-owned properties by some of comics’ best-known names in the 29 years since.

McFarlane’s vision is to create new exciting superheroes and new major villains over the next year and beyond.

“I’ve waited almost 30 years to be able to get to this moment. To deliver on ideas, I hope they will grow from this initial seed called ‘Spawn's Universe’ #1 into a fully formed world populated with hundreds and hundreds of characters in the near future,” McFarlane said in a news release. “The stage will be set with this book, and soon I’ll be launching into new monthly titles for the first time since 1992. I can’t wait to show comic readers all the crazy ideas in my head as well as opening up the floodgate to so many talented creators that have said they’d like to join me on this journey.”

In 1992, the Spawn comic’s first issue was released and sold 1.7 million copies, a record still unsurpassed for a creator-owned comic book, according to Image Comics. The original “Spawn” comic-book series has sold more than 100 million copies in more than 120 countries.

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.