Statue Forum 





Go Back   Statue Forum > News and Updates > Statue Reviews

View Poll Results: Who do you think would win in a showdown?
The Hellspawn! He's so powerful he is the leader of Hell's armies. 4 57.14%
The Ghost Rider! He made deal with Hell's ruler and got incredible powers in return. 3 42.86%
Daimon Hellstrom! He is the son of Satan... 'nuff said! 0 0%
Hellcat! After her experiences in Hell Patsy can really kick a$$. 0 0%
Voters: 7. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 06-10-2017, 03:43 PM   #1
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
To Hell And Back...- The Curse of the Spawn statue by McFarlane Toys

Each lost soul will be a hell unto itself, the boundless fire raging in its very vitals.
- James Joyce

Hi guys,

I have been a Spawn fan ever since I started collecting action figures as a kid and discovered the beautiful and exciting action figures which were designed and released by McFarlane Toys.
I can still remember the excitement every time I had saved enough pocket money and was able to buy another action figure.
That excitement and anticipatory pleasure never left me anymore and combined with the love for comics and the characters in it, it planted the seeds for the fan and collector that I am today.
Or perhaps I never really grew up and am, all these years later, essentially the still the same kid I once was. Who knows?

Whatever the cause of my life as a collector, I can honestly say that the statue I will review this time got me all excited again just like in the good old times.
I have always liked the story of Spawn and the Hellspawn since it appeals to the centuries old and Biblical stories about Heaven and Hell, the fight between light and darkness, between good and evil.
Hellspawn control the powers of Hell, they have led the armies of darkness and they are expected to make the ruler of Hell come out on top on that long-awaited day in Armageddon when the final battle will be fought between Heaven and Hell.
They are powerful as heck and could easily be the scariest thing you would ever see but at the same time McFarlane's stories show us that goodness and hope can still survive in the agonizing depths of Hell, and can still be a source of strength for someone as fiercely bound by the chains of Hell as a Hellspawn.

l have been intrigued and fascinated by this statue ever since I saw it for the first time since it is so much of so many things.
On one hand, it is a truly impressive display of the frightening and devastating power of a Hellspawn but on the other hand, it is also simply a work of art.
This statue will look good and draw your attention to it wherever you choose to display it and I would not be surprised at all if the statue would turn out to be a keeper for you just like it is for me.

You can find my comments and thoughts below and I hope you will find the review informative and entertaining.
But this review is not only about my views but also about the way you feel about this statue. If you like please feel free therefore to let me know what you think of this statue and why you like or dislike it.
I am looking forward to your feedback so please do not be shy to let me know why you feel this statue is awesome or instead a bit of a disappointment.

Since a picture says more than a thousand words I have already posted some pictures below.
I hope you will like them and hopefully, they will help to tell the story of why I like this statue so much.

Have fun and enjoy!

=========================================

My Verdict

Hell's darkness is the very absence of God's living, illuminating light.
- Steve Yates

Statue number: 174 / 275 (Each statue is sequentially numbered and carries Todd McFarlane's signature)
Statue dimensions: The statue is approximately 13.5” tall (including base).
The Hellspawn alone is 12” tall, and the base is 13.75” wide and 8.5” deep.
Statue weight: Each statue is sequentially numbered and weighs approximately 12.5 pounds.
Manufacturer: McFarlane Toys
Release date: 2013
Note: Due to the huge worldwide demand, McFarlane Toys released several versions of this statue for the US and Canada, Australia and the UK and Europe.
Each territory will have its own unique color variant: for the US and Canada it's black; for Australia and New-Zealand it's green whereas for the UK & Europe it's blue.
(the color is visible on some of the rocks on the base as well as the colored line visible on the perimeter of the base))



Sculpt: 9.0 – Excellent
There are many great sculpts and action figures of Spawn out there and each and every one of them has something about them which makes them special.
It can be the character choice, the pose, the level of detail or size or simply the rarity of the statue or action figure which gives you so much excitement and joy
when unpacking or displaying your newest addition for the very first time.
The action figures of Spawn together with the vintage Star Wars action figures from Kenner ignited the love for this great hobby in me when I was a kid and without them
I would not be the collector and fan that I am nowadays.
This statue of Spawn took me right back to that enormous joy and pleasure I always felt as a kid after I managed to buy yet another great action figure.
This statue really was a very enjoyable trip down memory lane in that respect.
Why that is, you ask? Well, it’s because this statue has so many good things going for it. Looking at the sculpt there is very little to criticize IMHO.
The sculpt is impressive and the level of details is astounding: the fine detail on Spawn’s skin/musculature is beautifully sculpted just like the incredibly intricate detail on Spawn’s bone armor.
The bone spikes on Spawn’s thighs and arms look dangerous and lethal, the bone armor shoulder pads look mind-boggling and insane and the sculpted skull on Spawn’s tummy is in a way
the icing on the cake. For me, the skull is all about the danger a Hellspawn represents and the unbelievable chaos, destruction, and death it can bring into this world or the next.

But the goodies do not end there. As impressive as Spawn’s bone armor or the level of detail on Spawn’s muscles are, the greatest achievement Mr. McFarlane managed to
achieve with the sculpt is that he masterfully captured the menacing and gruesome expression on Spawn’s face.
Spawn is bellowing out nightmarish laughter from the depths of Hell and his whole facial expression is that of a cursed soul ready to unleash the wrath of Hell on anyone or anything
that dares to stand in his way.
Spawn is a lethal weapon of mass destruction and he is about to rock the world on its foundations until all that is left is death and destruction.
There is a certain madness in Spawn’s expression, an internal and never-ending rage combined with a burning desire to unleash and kill. Get on the wrong side of Spawn
and you better start saying your prayers because there will not be any mercy, patience or understanding.
What you will find instead is total annihilation and a gruesome death which will not only wipe you off the face of the planet but also make you deeply regret the day you were born.
Spawn is radiating a horrible power and his fearsome appearance makes you realize this guy is Bad News with a capital B.
Todd McFarlane has captured the terrifying essence of who Spawn is and where he comes from, in this sculpt and that is a tremendous feat.
The end of the world has come and Spawn is the one sent to light the fuse and blow us all to damnation.

Paint & Mixed Media: 8.5 - Very impressive
After a first quick look at Spawn you might feel that the color scheme chosen is a bit monotonous and a bit deadening (no pun intended! ).
Spawn’s skin is as black as night and his bone armor is either gray or ivory white. Add to this the dark gray color of the rocks on Spawn’s base and there you go.
There is, however, more to the paint job that you would perhaps realize at first sight. First of all, I feel that the overall dark color scheme fits a creature which was meant to lead Hell’s armies.
Dark and gloomy, frightening and horrendous, that is what Spawn should look like and that is exactly the appearance the color scheme managed to achieve.
Besides the dark color of Spawn’s skin contrasts impressively with the ivory white/grayish color of his bone armor or the ghostly green color of Spawn’s eyes.
Color wise the paint job is dark but fitting, ominous and therefore just the way a Hellspawn should look like.
When it comes down to the application of the paint all I can say is that McFarlane Toys did a meticulous job.
Spawn looks fantastic and the details on his body and armor really catch your attention not only because of the great sculpture but also because of the tremendous paint job.
The paint job definitely helps to make this statue tell a story; a story of a demolition weapon from Hell which has come to Earth to close the book for humanity and make the Heavens
crumble on their foundations.
The paint job on the base really deserves some final words as well. In my imagination Spawn is standing on pumice stone which was originally heated by the flames of Hell and cooled off afterward.
The dark gray color of the ‘pumice stone’ looks great and it really adds to the overall impact of the statue.



Design: 8.5 – Very Impressive
I do not know how you feel about it but IMHO a statue can be beautifully sculpted and impressively painted and still fail to excite or inspire you completely if the design is not up to par.
The design is like the framework of a statue where the sculpt and paint job can build on.
McFarlane Toys have definitely realized that and you can tell they paid attention to the design since the design is solid and fitting for a creature as powerful as a Hellspawn.
Spawn is depicted in a powerful stance and with a bit of imagination, you can almost feel how powerful and terrifying it is. This is a creature from the depths of Hell sent to achieve a final
and devastating victory for the ruler of the underworld.
That fearsome power, might and dark determination are impressively captured in the design of the sculpt.
Spawn has a powerful, you can even say invincible, pose and his whole being radiates that he is bringing Death with him in its most brutal and horrible form.
Spawn’s pose sends one clear message to all of us: the Hellspawn has come to irrevocably claim this world one way or the other. All hope has gone now; since its arrival, we are past the point of no
return and doomed for the rest of eternity.
In my eyes Spawn’s stretched left arm symbolized with its half-closed fist symbolizes the terror I twill unleash upon Earth; the Hellspawn will take everything we hold dear, everything we love,
everything which we thought was safe and will crush it all right before our dying eyes.
This world is for the Hellspawn to take and it looks like Spawn is about to take what it was sent to get.
There are however more good things to say about the design.
The bone armor on Spawn looks absolutely fantastic and the level of detail included in its design is awe-inspiring.
No matter from which angle you look at Spawn, it looks powerful, strong and terrifying and that is really no insignificant achievement.

The base is designed a lot less exuberant than the statue but somehow it works well. The base is simple yet in its simplicity, it adds to the overall impact of the statue since it does not attract
your attention away from the statue. Besides, in my imagination, the base adds tot he story the statue is telling since I like to think that Spawn is standing on molten lava fueled
by the fiery flames of Hell when the portal was opened to sent Spawn to Earth. Sometimes less really is more and in the case of the base that is certainly the case.
Last but not least some final words about the name plate which is part of the base (it cannot be removed)
In general, I am not a big fan of nameplates (for the simple reason that I already know which character I am looking at and do not need to be reminded) but with this statue
it does not bother me much.
In fact, it even adds some extra flavor to the base and I like the fact that Mr. McFarlane’s signature is visible on it.
It looks cool, it adds to the appeal and presence of the statue and that can be said about the entire design.
It’s solid, it’s righteous and it looks amazing; what more could anyone ask for?

Production & Build Quality: 8.0 – Impressive
Just like everything else, statues may not be designed to last for all eternity but with a little bit of TLC and common sense, I think you can come a long way.
The statue is solid and sturdy and if you take a lit bit of care when you move the statue around this statue or lift it up, it should not only easily reach a very respectable age
but most likely it will also be passed on from father to son or from mother to daughter.
The statue does not wobble and the statue fits nicely and securely into the base. I had no problem assembling the statue (the bone armor 'hooks' on Spawn's back above his
shoulders need to be attached separately) and neither the statue nor the base felt cheap or gave me the feeling that somewhere corners were cut production wise.
You really get value for money and you will not be disappointed with the sheer quality of this statue.
One warning though: please be a bit careful with the bone armor of Spawn. Don’t push or pull the statue by grabbing the bone armor spikes or the rocks on the base since these
might break or be damaged if you put too much force on it.
Treat the statue with respect and care though and it will give you a lifetime of viewing pleasure and pride of ownership.

Overall rating: 8.5 – Very impressive
There is nothing to fear but fear itself. That should be fear and a Hellspawn I think.
Spawn looks absolutely amazing and with a bit of fantasy, you can almost feel the dark energies which transformed Daniel into a Hellspawn and gave him his supernatural powers.
The days of Thunder have arrived and this Hellspawn is going to deliver that message with an iron fist in the hard and unforgiving way.
Mercy and hope have left us forever and are replaced by death and despair, doom and decimation.
The General of Hell’s armies has arrived and he means business!
This statue has an incredible presence and it has been a proud part of my collection ever since I bought and unboxed it.
It may sound strange but I kind of had the same pleasure and anticipation when I displayed this statue for the first time as when I bought and unpacked
the Spawn action figures so many years ago.
The statue relit a spark in me which I thought was gone forever after I grew up and stopped collecting action figures.
This statue has many things going for it but that is its biggest achievement in my book. Highly Recommended!


Background Information:

The greatest misconception about Hell is that it doesn't exist. Just as we believe scientists when they tell us there is such a thing as gravity,
so should we believe God when He tells us there is such a place as Hell.

- RONALD A. BEERS & V. GILBERT BEERS

Daniel Llanso was a child born to a working-class family living on the moon some 400 years in the future.
His family, including his mother, father, and sister Madrid, lived in a trailer dome on the moon’s dark side.
Once while watching his abusive father beat his sister and mother, Danny decided to put an end to their pain and he shot
and murdered his father at the tender age of 10.



Soon thereafter, Daniel was removed from his family and sent to a detention center.
When he was dragged away, he made a promise to his sister Madrid that he would never give up on himself.
Danny kept his promise, but he had difficulty fitting in with society.
By the time he was a teenager, Daniel had been in and out of juvenile detention centers and was a thief and a loner.
When a crater gang on the moon attacked him, he was once again forced to kill.
Daniel shattered the helmet of a punk named Reese who tried to jump him and cut his air hose.
After this, he would spend the rest of his life being housed in one prison after another.

Throughout his imprisonments, Daniel was repeatedly abused and beaten by the guards, staff and fellow prisoners.
A particularly violent stay was within the notoriously corrupt facility referred to as Agony Base on Deimos, one of the two moons of Mars.
It was in a prison on the other moon, Phobos, however, where Daniel found hope.
He was assigned to a beautiful public defender named Noon and they quickly fell in love.

The rest of Daniel’s life is sketchy at best. Noon was killed by persons and for reasons unknown, and Daniel at some point was either released
or escaped from prison. He headed for Earth aboard a stolen freighter, but upon entry into Earth’s atmosphere, Daniel discovered he had been betrayed
in some manner. His suit and ship were engulfed in fire and collided with Earth, and it is hinted that his death may have been the catalyst that began Armageddon.

The world at that time was not the same world as we know nowadays; instead, the world had changed into an apocalyptic world where
the demon Phlegethonyarre had his servant, Abaddon the Angel of the Bottomless Pit and their Undead Army of Nightmares (Necro-Soldiers, zombies powered by Hell's Darklight),
dominate and hunt all humans.
After death, Daniel was made into a hellspawn by Phlegethonyarre, Archon of the 12th level of Hell. He was reborn to an Earth ravaged by a war
between mankind and the armies of Hell. When first reborn, he saved his sister Madrid and her son Matthew from a demon named Desiccator, but Daniel was rejected by them.
Madrid did not recognize the creature he had become as her brother, though young Matthew felt a connection he could not explain..

Confused by his rebirth and tormented by evil voices emanating from his armor, Daniel lashed out and slaughtered both the soldiers of man
as well as the undead forces of Hell. He controlled massive power – his suit was a killing machine equipped with spiked tendrils, and he had a finite amount
of Hell power at his disposal. Eventually, he was confronted by an archdemon named Abaddon and persuaded to help destroy the surviving humans left on Earth.
Daniel proceeded to lay waste to soldiers of mankind until he stood over a pleading mother and her children.
He was reminded of his own humanity and his promise to his sister Madrid. From this point on Daniel shunned Hell and fought to defeat its forces on Earth.

The forces of evil, now gathered within the Vatican City are led by the so-called "Anti-Pope".
The Anti-Pope summoned a demon named Bune to attack a human stronghold, while Abaddon tried in every way he could to pull Spawn over
to kill human soldiers and to become Hell's General.
Daniel resisted his pleas and threats every time remembering the promise he made the last time he saw his sister alive; to never give up on himself.
Abaddon then revealed to Spawn that the Anti-Pope had already sent Death to claim his sister Madrid and nephew Matthew.
After hearing this Daniel did his utmost to rescue his sister and nephew from an army of 'Navkies'(undead children) under the command of the demon Bune
and after a fierce and intense battle using his full powers eventually succeeded in doing so.

What happened next to Daniel is not completely clear. Just before the destruction of Nuvatican City, after the death of the Anti-Pope, the mysterious creature called Deurges
confronted Daniel. It has been hinted that Deurges may be the serpent spoken of in Revelations, or that he might also be the devil himself.
Whoever he is, just before the city exploded he whispered to Daniel “I give you, in His name, what you fear most! Salvation and forgiveness.”

Powers
The source of a Hellspawn’s power comes from necroplasm. It is the necroplasm which gives him his strength and durability. His strength is capable of lifting an entire building and throwing it with ease. Necroplasm was originally dubbed by humans as Psychoplasm, but later in translation has become the green goo we're all more familiar with.
Each Hellspawn is given 9:9:9:9 units of necroplasm and when that is gone they go straight back to Hell.

As a Hellspawn, Daniel possesed amongst others the following powers:

◾ Energy Projection
◾ Necroplasm Magic
◾ Necromancy
◾ Metamorphosis
◾ Superhuman Agility
◾ Superhuman Stamina
◾ Superhuman Strength
◾ Metamorphosis
◾ Telepathy
◾ Time Manipulation
◾ Transmutation (matter manipulation)
◾ Zoolingualism: Spawn can communicate with animals



Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:06 PM   #2
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

- Matthew 13:49-50











Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:10 PM   #3
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

That’s the greatest torture souls feel in Hell,
In Hell: that they must live, and cannot die.

- John Webster











Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:11 PM   #4
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

Redemption can be found in Hell itself if that's where you happen to be.
- Lin Jensen











Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:13 PM   #5
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

It is easy to go down to Hell; night and day the gates of Dark Death stand wide;
but to climb back up again, to retrace one's steps to the open air, their lies the problem, the difficult task.

- Virgil











Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:14 PM   #6
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

Then I saw that there was a way to Hell, even from the gates of Heaven.
- John Bunyan











Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:16 PM   #7
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

If Hell doesn't exist, then human freedom doesn't exist. If Hell doesn't exist, then neither does justice.
- Reverend Robert Findlay Thomas











Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2017, 05:17 PM   #8
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Curse of the Spawn

Hell doesn't have a before. Hell is stuck in time, repeating endlessly. Hell doesn't have a past. It just is.
- Jonathan Lethem













Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2017, 11:25 AM   #9
harley_4ever
I took an IQ test and the results were negative.
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 54
New to the forums but must say awesome review. Love, Love the statue. Hope one day I can get one.
harley_4ever is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2017, 05:12 PM   #10
Force of Nature
Marshal Law
 
Force of Nature's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Amsterdam, The
Posts: 5,853
Hi harley_4ever,
thank you for your kind words and for checking out this thread!
I have been a Spawn fan ever since I was a kid and as such I may not be objective anymore.
But that being said I am fairly sure that you will be deeply impressed with this statue once you have it at display at home. McFarlane Toys really delivered a great statue with this bad boy and I sincerely hope that you will be able to get this statue one day.
I am certain that you will never regret it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by harley_4ever View Post
New to the forums but must say awesome review. Love, Love the statue. Hope one day I can get one.
Rainer
Force of Nature is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:23 PM.



Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright StatueForum.com