In this review of Spawn‘77 #1, mafia enforcer left for dead Tommy Moretti dawns the persona of a hellspawn to haunt his former family and rescue his daughter.
SPAWN ‘77 #1
Written by: Todd McFarlane, Mark Spears
Art and Main Cover: Mark Spears
Variant Covers: Todd McFarlane, Mark Spears
Page Count: 64 pages
Release Date: September 9, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Spawn ‘77 #1 is out, featuring the original concept designed for the Spawn character. Instead of the iconic Al Simmons, this Spawn is a mafia enforcer named Tommy who was left for dead by his crew. He was pulled out of the river he was thrown into by a local priest, and resolved to take his father Sal Moretti’s mafia down. The priest came up with the idea for the Spawn persona, stating Sal is afraid of the old stories about the vengeful dead returning as hellspawn. Besides revenge, Tommy’s daughter is being held captive by the mafia, and he desires to save her.
As Tommy brutally kills many Morettis and sends a message to Sal, Sal reveals Tommy’s daughter is a hostage. One of his associates killed a rival’s niece, and the rival wants to kill Sal’s granddaughter as retribution. Sal calls for a notorious hitman named Mr. Black to take care of Spawn.
A being named The Venator watches the scenes of Spawn’s mission, then decides to go hunting for Tommy. She states that he’s “another hellspawn”, implying others with similar personas exist. The Venator arrives on Earth, changing her appearance to suit that of a human woman.
Throughout the issue, it is revealed that Tommy’s body is infected by shrapnel and has to pump adrenaline just to keep going. He doesn’t have much longer to live. The priest works on making him a new blue suit for stealth.
When returning to the church, Tommy walks into the body of the priest on display, taken down by a Moretti hitman. Leaving a message in his blood, it reads, “Meet at factory”.
Analysis
The parallel of Tommy’s betrayal by the mafia and Al Simmons’ betrayal by the government jumps out from the beginning. However, it’s done differently than the original published story. While Al was betrayed because he had a sense of morality, Tommy simply got caught in the crossfire and now has his back to the wall.
The art is controversial due to being 3D, but some of it elevates the story. It looks ultra-realistic at times to the point it’s transcendental. The realistic illustration style, many of which are done in the POV of Tommy’s enemies, reign in the fear that seeing a being like Spawn would bring. Spawn ‘77’s writing is solid but basic, so having the art do some heavy duty helps. The only issue with it is that it doesn’t help the action flow as well, since there’s a lot of stills.
Reading a realistic take on Spawn is certainly interesting, although it’s not without its supernatural dimensions. The Venator–who comes down to Earth from a palace in the stars with a lion–is clearly supernatural and it’ll be interesting to see how she reacts when she realizes Tommy isn’t a hellspawn, but just an ordinary man using a symbol.
Spawn ‘77’s dialogue is a plus. Immediately, it works well to establish emotion. Whether it’s the fear from Tommy’s daughter, Sal’s traitorous nature, or Tommy’s relationships with the priest and friend Lucky, there’s an instant emotional backbone. That’s what makes the priest’s death hit. Having just gotten done re-playing Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, I can also say the casual conversation for the mafia members flows well.
Final Thoughts
Spawn ‘77 #1 introduces the original concept of Spawn with a more realistic twist. With exciting stills and strong dialogue, it’s a worthy read.
