Todd McFarlane Productions have announced a brand new miniseries in the Spawn Universe, She-Spawn, written by Gail Simone (Uncanny X-Men, Birds of Prey), and illustrated by Ig Guara (Batman: Arkham Knight, Teen Titans). The mini-series will consist of five issues, with the first one releasing on May 6.
She-Spawn will focus on Jessica Priest, who has been a lead in Image Comics’ The Scorched comic series for close to 50 issues, which features Spawn, Gunslinger, Redeemer, Medieval Spawn, and She-Spawn. Priest has an assassin and superhero background, and the miniseries will draw from her history as a whole rather than from a standalone event – something that will help give a deeper view of her character, according to Todd McFarlane Productions.
In a press release sent to IGN, Todd McFarlane promised fans they won’t be disappointed and addressed Simone’s creative abilities with storytelling.
“Writer Gail Simone has been on my (and thousands of other folk’s) radar for quite some time. I’ve admired her taking many different heroes and characters into worlds that feel like I’ve met that personality before. So, to now have the chance to get her to bring that talent to the Spawn Universe was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. Her enthusiasm for her story of the Jessica Priest character along with her advocating for the artistic skills of the wonderful Ig Guara made this a creative team I am anxiously awaiting to see myself as a comic book fan.”
Simone shared how she got the opportunity for penning the series saying, “It’s a thrill to be chosen specifically by one of the iconic founders of Image to create in his playground. Apparently, he’d read a DC book I’d done and was impressed by the dialogue, which was incredibly gratifying. The next thing I know, I was having hour-long conversations with Todd McFarlane – not just about She-Spawn, but about his passion for storytelling and character. Each one felt like a masterclass. He asked a lot about my process, with genuine and heartfelt curiosity, and it was one of the nicest and most collaborative introductions I’ve ever had with a publisher. I’m proud to get to write part of the Spawn Universe, and grateful to Todd and his team for making this connection happen. I also want to give credit to Erica Schultz, writer of the Incredible Rat City Spawn series for helping me pave the path for She-Spawn.”
Going into specifics about She-Spawn as a character, Simone added, “I love her. I see her as one of the few supernatural badasses who drives a pick-up truck and has a family cabin in the woods. She goes up against a religious sect to save a child, making her a bad person fighting for something good, with stakes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Ig Guara did meticulous, gorgeous work, with typically beautiful classic Image coloring by Robert Nugent. It just looks stunning. It’s a story with no-seat belt and the engines on high – violent, a little kind, a little mean, about an exploration of the country and a character’s soul.”
She-Spawn issue #1 will be available to purchase in comic shops and digitally on May 6, with variant covers by Francesco Mattina and Brett Booth. The full cover options that will be available are below:
- She-Spawn #1 CVR A by Ig Guara
- She-Spawn #1 CVR B by Francesco Mattina
- She-Spawn #1 CVR C Blank Sketch
- She-Spawn #1 CVR D by Brett Booth
- She-Spawn #1 CVR E Virgin B&W Variant by Brett Booth
Jessie Wade is Associate Director of Editorial Programming at IGN. You can find her playing cozy games on her Switch or watching the latest fantasy and drama shows, as well as getting lost in way too many books and comics.
