Spawn #165 - Image

I didn't really want to do this book. I actually skipped it. By accident that is. I did #164 and #166, before I realized that I had missed it. But for completion sake, I went back and got it and read it. Luckily it was a self contained story, so I wasn't to confused. Spawn is one of my favorite characters, but I have to admit it's getting confusing as of late. But anyways, this book, is actually a story about a Spawn in Mandarin China. It's written by David Hine. Who's been writing the book lately. It's drawn by Ian Medina. And I gotta say the pencil work on this particular issue was actually pretty impressive. Nice, crisp and clean and a lot of attention to detail. It is about a young lad, 22 or so, that is born, supposedly, of a demon. He looks so bad that all who see him consider him a monster. He's given to the lord of the region, by a community that doesn't have enough food to pay it's stipend this one season. The lord is amused by it, and it unwittingly becomes the court jester. By not amusing with pranks and laughter. No the people in his court amuse themselves by torturing and humiliating him. Until one day he is shop fatally with an arrow. A guy shows up who says he is sent by his lord Malebolgia. He is heard saying, "I know your dreams Chenglei. I can make them real." He then dies. Later, don't know if it's the same year or different, a man in heavy armor comes to the court looking for work as a Warrior. He quickly takes out one of their best. And over the course of the evening ends up slaughtering the whole compound. The only person he didn't kill was the storyteller, whom had befriended him earlier. And the Governor, who actually died of a heart attack. I think. The Governor's body was hung in a cage, where Changlei's original rotting corpse had been displayed. But over the years it never decayed. There was no mark upon him. Also no predatory animal would come to feed on it. So it just hung there for the amusement of anyone who happened by. A cautionary tale, I suppose. But it was ok. My guess is that it was a breather between story-lines. But hey . . . whatever. It was decent, and nicely drawn. So I felt like I got my money's worth.