Todd McFarlane's Spawn Wants The Absolute Batman Treatment

1 week ago 18

Published Jul 9, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.

The comic book industry truly has not been the same since the launch of Absolute Batman and the Absolute Universe. This unique, grittier reinvention of classic DC superheroes has created new fans and reinvigorated interest in veteran readers alike.

It is no wonder that other publishers have made attempts to cash in on this success story by introducing their own wild new takes on beloved properties, such as with Marvel's recent Ultimate Universe and upcoming Midnight line. Could Spawn be next?

Todd McFarlane Has Already Considered "Absolute Spawn"

In an interview with Popverse, Todd McFarlane was asked if his most iconic creation, Spawn, could one day receive a reboot in the style of DC's Absolute Batman, in which Scott Snyder strips Bruce Wayne of his wealth, among other bewildering amendments to his lore. As a matter of fact, an "Absolute Spawn" is very much a possibility.

The Image Comics co-founder reveals that he even has a name for this alternate take on the anti-hero, which would not actually be "Absolute Spawn," of course.

"Either Definite Spawn or Definitely Spawn. It's a little wink to 'Absolute.' Absolutely. Definitely. 'Oh yeah, I'm Absolutely Batman; I'm Definitely Spawn,' would be a fun sort of word balloon if they ever faced each other. But yeah, the answer is yes."

As for what the concept of Definite Spawn would be, the creator still has yet to map that one out. However, he assures that it would be something he would be interested in reading himself because, "If it's just doing it because you can do it, that's never been good enough for me."

McFarlane also goes on to voice his take on why the Absolute Universe and similar reinterpretations are as popular as they are. Coming at it from the perspective of a reader, he concludes that fans are always hungry for something that challenges their perception of their favorite characters.

"You actually give [comic readers] some cool content," the writer and artist says. "Which is where those other ideas come in, which to me is way better as a fan. I go, 'Oh man, I get a new take on Batman!' It's up to me to decide whether I like that new take or not."

A New Take On Spawn Comes Out In 2026

While it might be a while before fans get to see Definite Spawn, they will not have to wait too much longer to experience a new interpretation of the character. Spawn 77 is set to debut this fall.

The title of the upcoming miniseries refers to the year in which a teenage Todd McFarlane drew his original design for the anti-hero who would make him an icon in the industry. The plot of the 64-page premiere issue is currently undisclosed, but Image has released a sneak peek at artist Mark Spears' illustrations that depict Spawn in his signature photorealistic, retro style.

McFarlane has said that having the opportunity to go back to his original vision for his now beloved character and bring it to life nearly five decades later has been a "treat." Spawn 77 has also been a dream come true for Spears, who cites McFarlane as a personal hero.

Spawn is among the first characters to debut with the launch of Image Comics in 1992, and would go on to become one of the defining comic book characters of the 1990s. The anti-hero, a murdered government assassin revived on Earth as a hell spawn using his powers against the forces of evil, has been brought to life on the big screen, portrayed by Michael Jae White and (hopefully) by Jamie Foxx in Blumhouse's long-awaited reboot, and in a hit animated series starring Keith David.

Spawn 77 #1 hits the shelves in Sept. 2026.