Episode 67: "Cautionary Tales" - Spawn #102-#104

This week, we've got a trio of stories that aim to refocus the main Spawn title after the events of the #100 milestone. Who and what is Spawn after the death of Malebolgia? What does he stand for? What is his place in the world? Is his humanity just a distant memory? This definitely feels like a retread of similar stories - namely, the "Spawn Across America" arc some 70 issues ago - but with Holguin on board, the stories do have a bit of a different feel. As always, George and Pierce will get into it and along the way, they'll discuss Holguin's exploration of hopelessness in the world of Spawn, fetid fascinations with fascism in fiction and outside of it as well as where The Town Called Malice finds itself post-Urizen. This week's recommendations are to check out the comics of Scott Bustillo and Rodney Rodis' Bustillo Publishing. Their books are rooted in the world of Tokusatsu. With a spotlight on Kaiju, alien heroes, and demi-gods, their stories blend mythology and science fiction into high-octane adventures. We would also love for you to check out Aquaman: Yo-Ho-Hold Onto Your Hook by Josh Trujillo with artists Niky Lelapi, Andrew Drilon, and Bradley Clayton. It launches in July on DC Universe Infinite. Lastly, we'd like to highlight Chris Gethard's Laughing Together, a new initiative from Wellness Together that aims to expand and innovate the mental health movement through increasing awareness, advocacy, and access via student-based workshops and professional development programs. You can find out more here. Thanks to Freesound for being a great resource for our intro atmosphere and sound effects. Thanks to Blake Whitlow for the always useful Spawn Reading Order. Thank YOU for listening!