Writer: Erica Schultz
Line work: Zé Carlos
Colours: Jay David Ramos (pages 1-20), FCO Plascencia (pages 21-24) and Marcello Iozolli (pages 25-32).
Letters: Erica Schultz
Image Comics, April 2024.
I’ll tell you right off the bat, I love the Spawn universe. It started with the film adaptation back in my 20s, and then with the comics about 10 years ago. Incredibly for this modern age, Spawn is actually still being published monthly and has over 350 issues under its belt. I read the first couple of hundred issues, and a few spin-offs, until my ADHD got the better of me, and I haven’t read any Spawn related titles since. But then I heard that Erica Schultz was writing a new spin-off, and it’s no secret that Erica is one of my favourite writers and I’ve pretty much read everything she has written. According to Spawn’s creator, Todd McFarlane, this ongoing series is one of ten new titles that will be released in 2024 as an expansion to the Spawn universe, which he is calling “The New U.” Exciting times!
Along came NCBD, so I popped down to Midtown Comics on my lunchbreak and took Rat City #1 back to the office wrapped in a paper bag like I was smuggling dirty magazines through security. I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I flicked through and saw artist Zé Carlos’ flashy and dynamite art and the colours popping from the page. After seeing his designs for the protagonist, I was thinking to myself that this book could’ve been called Cyberpunk Spawn. And Jay David Ramos’, FCO Plascencia’s, and Marcello Iozolli’s colours blend in seamlessly, and honestly, I didn’t actually realise there were three different colourists until I set about writing this review.
So what about the story?
Rat City #1 is set where the original Spawn all began – the titular Rat City and is linked to the events of Spawn issues 300-301 (which I now want to read!) Here’s the blurb from Image for those who haven’t read it:
“Peter Cairn is an ex-soldier, an amputee, and a Hellspawn in a post-war future. But Peter’s not dead like Al. Peter got his Spawn powers from the nanites in his prosthetic legs—nanites that were affected when Al Simmons initiated his necroplasmic detonation in the present. Al had no clue that the effects would ripple across not just space, and but time as well.”
I really enjoyed this first issue, which is basically Peter’s origin story, and without giving away any spoilers, it definitely heats up at the end and left me excited for the next issue. And not only does Erica know how to write a very good story, and a fun one at that, she obviously knows her Spawn lore, and her script captures the tone and mood of the Spawn universe that I have grown to love. As expected with Erica, the dialogue was natural and smooth and unlike what happens in a lot of other stories, the military-type dialogue actually sounds authentic.
I found the protagonist genuinely compelling, and I was rooting for him the entire time. Erica has also weaved meaningful themes into the story, such as those linked to the healthcare industry, and not to mention military mistreatment. I’m 100% invested and now that the origin story is done and dusted you know things are going to ramp up considerably. It’s a Spawn book after all! I’m particularly interested to find out how, unlike the Al Simmons, Peter inherited his powers without actually dying. I definitely recommend Rat City and I can’t wait to see where Erica, Carlos and the team take us next.
