New Releases by Brian Holguin

Al has made his way past the guardians of the alleys to save Major Forsburg. As Al attempts to set him free from his physical cage, he gets dragged into ForsburgÕs mental prison, where Al defends his former superior officer from the lost soldiers of countless wars. Forsburg, knowing that his pursuers will finally catch up to him, gives Al one final order. Al reluctantly obeys and sets Forsburg free.

Nyx persuades Al that he should try to right the many sinister deeds he has been responsible for, and starts by going back to the alleys to save Major Forsburg. Triumphantly, Jason Wynn and his new "co-worker" return to the CIA offices. Jason goes right to work, and asks for all the files on Al Simmons. At police headquarters, Twitch discovers that the man who had no shadow was also the man who's grave had been robbed, Al Simmons.

Just when he thought the possibility of a normal life was looming before him, Al and his truant shadow are reunited, thanks to the misguided Nyx. It becomes clear that Al''s "shadow" is actually Spawn, and the meddlesome Nyx soon realizes that, this time, she may be in way over her head. Meanwhile, Jason Wynn is hearing nothing but apologies and praise from those who had him locked away so long ago. They need his help and cooperation now, and Jason is prepared to take full advantage of the situation. Wynn and his new best friend have created a tenuous partnership, that you can be sure will eventually bring problems for Al.

While Al roams the city, enjoying the small things in life that he''s missed for so long, a Wiccan is trying to contact the man with no shadow. Meanwhile, there are plenty of others who are interested in finding Al, including the people for whom he used to work. In the deepest, most secure part of a government building resides a mostly insane man who may still have valuable information about Al.

Lacking both fingerprints and a shadow, a confused Al Simmons resorts to his natural instincts when he suddenly finds himself standing in the middle of a New York City street. As two policemen approach him, he violently lashes out at them, an act that lands him in a jail cell next to a violent killer that confesses his crimes to Al alone. As Al is taken from his cell to speak with a Public Defender, a shadow lurks in the darkness that surrounds the cell occupied by Al''s self-confessed, murderous neighbor; it''s Al''s missing shadow, which has taken on a life of its own as Spawn! And while Al may not know who or where he is, he does remember one thing: Wanda.

Cog reveals both his origin as Cain and the contents of the mysterious box. Did the box actually contain a piece of the Garden of Eden, or did it only contain the dream of a perfect world? While keeping his word that he would never serve a day in Hell, Cog grants Spawn the one thing he has always desired: To return to earth, not as the disfigured Hellspawn, but as Al Simmons. Suddenly, on a rainy, New York night, Al finds himself in the middle of the city, apparently as a normal human for the first time in many years. When dealing with Hell, however, things are not always exactly as they seem as a shadow-less Al will soon find out.

Old foes with new agendas are tormenting Spawn, drawing him down a road he may not be prepared to travel. Only SpawnÕs one-time mentor, Cog, now dying, can offer insight into the complex web being woven. Will revisiting the mistakes he made as a man relieve the pain that haunts Spawn in death? Or are some wounds too deep to ever heal?

Spawn envisions the lives of his predecessors, including his own past life as Al Simmons. Is what he''s seeing real or imagined? If real, how will the scene he observes at his own funeral affect what he has always supposed to be true? In his original agreement with Malebolgia, he acquiesed to becoming a Hellspawn in order to be reconciled with his beloved Wanda; but were his memories of his marriage accurate? As Spawn descends into Hell with Cog at his side, will he finally abandon all connections to his previous world and take his place on the throne that he inherited from Malebolgia?

Arising out of young Eddie's search for revenge on the Hellspawn, the Redeemer finds Spawn in the desert and intends to finally settle the score. As the battle between the two is taking place, the mysterious stranger visits Eddie's bedside in the hospital and reveals the truth to an unconscious Eddie that has always been impossible for him to admit: His father was an abusive, drunken brute. While the truth could kill Eddie, it has the Redeemer examining his own motives. After receiving a final crushing blow from the Redeemer, Spawn lays on the desert floor while two patiently waiting scorpions do what they have been sent to do: drag the Hellspawn down into the bowels of Hell.

Eddie and Andy were children with an abusive father. After listening to Spawn, Eddie took it upon himself to kill his father and end the abuse. (See Spawn #29.) Now, after serving many years in a juvenile home, Eddie is free and looking for the evil being that he feels encouraged him to commit murder. Meanwhile, Cog, who is dying, knows his time to teach Spawn is now extremely limited, but Spawn has his own plans for his own future, the future of mankind and the future of Hell. At the same time, Eddie, who found religion while incarcerated, goes on a shooting spree at the bus station where he is critically injured, as is his plan; however, not even death can dissuade him in his quest to kill Spawn. He is reborn. He is The Redeemer!

Ben Nakadai is reluctantly visiting Japan, the land of his ancestors. In the ruins of an ancient temple, he discovers a golden box; a box that was left for him to find. Back at his hotel, Ben opens the cask. Meanwhile, Spawn can suddenly feel an uneasiness in the air, as ghosts begin to roam the streets and countryside. It is for Spawn to bring peace to these restless souls. Mykoto planned for Ben to find and open the golden box, and with that done, Ben himself is relegated to the spirit world. But in opening Mykoto''s cask, Ben has also opened a door that will not soon be closed.

Ben Nakadai has never embraced the adventure of business travel. His current trip to Japan is no exception. On his first night in the land of his ancestors, he has a restless sleep and dreams a cryptic dream that haunts him the next morning. In the hotel bar, he meets the mysterious Mykoto, who informs Ben that Nakadai is a storied name in Japan. Mykoto embarks on a tale of Ben's samurai ancestors, but the story abruptly ends when Ben receives a phone call. While reflecting on Mykoto's story, a violent thunderstorm erupts and it may well be a harbinger of violence to come.

After apparently losing his son, Twitch Williams is on the verge of suicide, but Spawn will intervene before Twitch pulls the trigger. Out in Central Park, the Children of the Kingdom are gathering but have not taken into account Spawn_s allies. Nor have they considered the versatile Ab and Zab who, with the help of a magic marker, turn the Citadel into a pillar of death and a gateway to Hell for all the vampires. In the end, Max is saved, but is no longer a part of this world. And though it appears that Spawn has vanquished the Kingdom_s cult, he fails to realize, as a familiar face reminds us, that a gateway to Hell can also let things out.

As Sam & Twitch request that Central Park be closed down, the Night of the Cleansing is already underway; but there is no one to be cleansed! Much to Simon''s dismay, the entire city seems to be free from sin. Spawn has taken that burden upon himself. Elsewhere, Dawn is about to "save" Max when she meets an untimely end, courtesy of Ab and Zab. While Simon and his legion of vampires prepare to attack Spawn, Ab and Zab are in the Citadel of the Kingdom, busying themselves by building a doorway to Hell.

A group of vampires join Simon Pure in his battle against Spawn, but the Hellspawn has experience on his side and causes a tidal wave that engulfs Simon and his followers, all of whom drown. Simon survives, but cuts off his own hand to escape Spawn''s chains. Meanwhile, Twitch has an encounter with Max Jr. and Dawn, but it turns out to be only a dream... or was it? Spawn has a new plan to eliminate Simon and enlists the help of Ab and Zab, who have been reinstated as full demons, while Simon''s plan to eliminate those who are sinners continues apace.

As Sam and Twitch wait at the appointed hour, Spawn arrives with Ab and Zab in tow. They are carrying the head of Wolfram in a bag. The two detectives are more than a little startled when Wolfram, after some encouragement from Ab, begins to speak and tells them what he knows about Simon Pure and The Kingdom. While Max Jr. realizes he may be past the point of no return with Dawn and her friends, Spawn finds a warehouse that he suspects is Simon Pure's headquarters. The structure itself is indestructible, and though the young inhabitants are no match for Spawn, he comes face to face with a truly formidable enemy: Simon Pure himself.

Seven dead bodies are discovered hanging in front of the precinct house, nobody saw a thing and Sam and Twitch are the unlucky ones who get the case. Spawn, who is helping to locate TwitchÕs son, finds that even he needs help in discovering what sinister events are unfolding in his city. He assigns Ab and Zab to find out whatÕs going on. Dawn draws still-unsuspecting Max deeper into the cult known as The Kingdom, as elsewhere Spawn deals with other Kingdom followers who are about to take the law into their own hands.

Sam & Twitch summon Spawn in a vaguely familiar way, and ask for his help in finding Max Jr. Although Twitch has half the force out looking, Max Jr. is determined to not be found. Instead, he gets increasingly closer to his new friend, Dawn; however, Dawn is close to many others, and one particular friend is being initiated into the religious group, The Kingdom. Ab and Zab, meanwhile, are making money in the park from unsuspecting passers-by, preaching the gospel of Satan. And Simon Pure appears on a rooftop to let Spawn know he should not interfere in matters that are not his concern. While back at the station, Sam and Twitch are discussing the disappearance of Max Jr., but have their conversation interrupted when itÕs discovered that there are a number of dead bodies hanging in front of the precinct house.

Old enemies meet again as Jason Wynn completes a plan to bring Spawn out into the light. But this is a new Spawn; a Spawn with nothing left to lose and he pays a visit to the unsuspecting Wynn. Once, he would have simply killed Wynn, but Spawn realizes there are much more lasting ways to torture your enemy. Rather than use his powers to harm Wynn physically, he affects Wynn''s perception, driving him insane and forcing him to exist in a living Hell for the rest of his days. Meanwhile, the threat of being exposed to the world is no longer something to be avoided; in fact, Spawn welcomes it.

Overtkill returns and his mission is to bring back Spawn''s head. But Spawn has become even more powerful since their last meeting, and it is Overtkill who ends up decapitated. The separated head gives Spawn the information he seeks: the name of the man who has financed and sent Overtkill. Meanwhile, there''s a videotape of Spawn pulling victims of a plane crash from the water. The owner of the tape hopes to sell it to the highest bidder. Instead, he trades it for a bullet to the head.

ThereÕs something about the Miller boys that goes beyond mischievous. No one in the town of Malice knew how far beyond it would go. Preston Miller, playing near a natural rock formation called The DevilÕs Right Hand and said to be haunted, sees a vision of evil that possesses his very being. Preston is anxious to share his new power with his twin brothers. When the boys abduct young Mikey Maloy on Halloween night, they cross a line that forces Spawn to get involved

While Wanda lies close to death, Spawn returns to the eighth level of Hell for a final showdown with a weakened Malebolgia. At the height of the conflict, Angela arrives to join in the battle. After mortally wounding Malebolgia and thinking him dead, Spawn and Angela prepare to escape; however, with his last breath, Malebolgia extracts Angela's lance and impales her with it. In a rage, Spawn decapitates Malebolgia with Angela's sword. Carrying Angela's lifeless body, Spawn delivers her to a host of angels who offer him forgiveness and redemption. He refuses this angelic pardon, but the angel who offers it can yet do one favor for Spawn: She appears in Wanda' hospital room and breathes new life into Wanda. Meanwhile, Spawn finally comes to terms with his place in the world.

Angela halts an army of angels from going to war on Earth''s behalf and then comes to the aid of Spawn in his battle against Urizen. Together, harnessing the elemental power of nature, they return Urizen to an Earth-bound prison. Meanwhile, Terry rushes Wanda to the hospital while Granny urges Cyan to protect the Òsad manÓ by using her mind. After their victory against Urizen, Spawn and Angela question the Earthbound demons Ab and Zab and finaly learn that it was malebolgia who set Urizen upon the Earth.

Spawn and Angela question the Earthbound demons, Ab and Zab, about their role in freeing Urizen upon the Earth. When they are unable to get information out of the demons, Spawn takes measures to temporarily contain Urizen while Angela halts an army of angels from going to war on EarthÕs behalf. Meanwhile, Terry and Wanda reconcile when WandaÕs doctor tells her that the babyÕs due date is much sooner than expected and therefore the conception was earlier than they thought. Cyan is haunted by a demon who knows she has a connection to Spawn.

Angela rescues Spawn from his impaled position and gives him the lowdown on their new mission even after she received orders on to act. Other angels debate the order, saying it is thier duty, their purpose to fight while others claim it is their job to follow orders. Spawn and Angela find Cog and try to pry ancient information out of him, but he is vague and uncooperative. Later, after Spawn and Angela leave Cog, they argue and even get into a bit of a tussle. Angela is surprised to learn that Spawn still hasnÕt figured out his earthly role. Meanwhile, Urizen is leading people to their deaths like a monstrous Pied Piper.

The demons'' mission to attract Spawn to the area is successful when he arrives to investigate the 13 burning corpses placed in a sacrificial circle as bait for the mighty Urizen. In the ensuing battle, Spawn is badly beaten by the powerful Urizen and left impaled upon a pole where he is soon reclaimed by the Earth. Meanwhile, Wanda awakens from a nightmare about her baby to find Terry missing from their bed. Later, as the demons hasten to engage in some earthly sins before they are returned, Angela catches them and asks for an explanation of their mission.

While Spawn and the ghost of Al Simmons confer in the cemetery, two demons inhabit the bodies of two car accident victims. They walk to the nearest diner where they carry out their earthly mission to kill 13 innocent people and then burn their bodies in a sacrificial circle. Spawn senses the evil vibes and goes to the burning hilltop to investigate. There, he is confronted by the ancient and powerful dark god, Urizen.

Spawn is warned by the ghost of Al Simmons to quit interfering in the lives of others. However, Spawn's sense of justice cannot be squelched when he happens upon a group of 13 aristocrats whose boredom has led them to play a deadly game. As part of a coven, they participate in a sacred pact to hunt, kill, and eat each other. The plan was to continue until only one was left and he would have feasted on the souls of the other 12 and therefore have their collective power. He would then be the escort to a terrible beast called a Urizen.

Mark continues his attempts to persuade Spawn to exchange lives with him, claiming he is dying and knows he''ll go to Hell and therefore, if he were a Spawn he could be a ruler there instead of a bottom-feeder. Spawn takes Mark on a tour of Hell, puts him through a ritualistic test that rids him of his terminal illness and begs him not to pursue Hell. When Mark still insists that he wants to be a ruler in Hell, he "accidentally" falls to his death with no arrangement as a HellSpawn.

ReneŽ, a young runaway, has her bravery and pain tolerance tested in exchange for a place to stay in an abandoned house. Later, Mark, the master of the house, drugs her and begins a sacrificial ceremony when Spawn intervenes. And even though Mark demonstrates a hypnotic power over others he comes in contact with, he wants Spawn's powers. Mark makes Spawn an offer to exchange powers and lives.