Spawn

After being betrayed and murdered by his employer, a government assassin is resurrected as a Hell spawn and is forced to act as the reluctant leader of Hell's army.

Spawn (1997-1999) is an American adult animated supernatural action series created by Todd McFarlane for HBO. Betrayed and murdered by his employer, a former government assassin named Al Simmons is resurrected as a Hell spawn, and he is forced into the role of reluctant leader of Hell's army. Keith David voices Simmons in his armored form as Spawn, with Richard Dysart as the wily Nicholas Cogliostro and Dominique Jennings as Wanda Blake among the principal voices. Across three seasons of eighteen episodes, the show builds its stories around a hero who wants nothing more than to return to the living world and his wife, while infernal politics, demonic rivals and his own tortured conscience stand in the way. Each season moves along a continuing thread of vengeance and damnation, giving the grim narrative a serialized shape. The look and feel draw on the gothic, violent sensibility of 1990s comic book culture, with a brooding, cynical register and mature themes. Fans of Batman: The Animated Series, Hellblazer and Castlevania will find resonance in its dark, morally tangled mythology and its adult treatment of superhero conventions.

Audience reception is positive, with viewers appreciating the dark, adult-oriented take on the Spawn comic mythology and its mature animation.

• Batman: The Animated Seriesadult animated superhero tone, dark supernatural vigilantism
• Hellblazermature supernatural anti-hero mythology, demonic cosmology, moral ambiguity
• Castlevaniagritty adult animation with supernatural violence and dark gothic atmosphere

Created by

Todd McFarlane

Release Date

1997-05-16

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (313)

What is Spawn about?

A murdered government assassin returns from the grave as a hellish warrior and reluctantly leads Hell's army.

What is Spawn like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Spawn as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Spawn violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in Spawn as graphic.

What did critics think of Spawn?

Audience reception is positive, with viewers appreciating the dark, adult-oriented take on the Spawn comic mythology and its mature animation.

Which shows are like Spawn?

Shows with a similar feel include Batman: The Animated Series, Hellblazer, and Castlevania.

How long is Spawn?

Spawn: 3 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is Spawn still running?

No, Spawn has ended.

Where can I watch Spawn?

In United States, Spawn streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.