Sorting Out the Canonicity of "Hellspawn"

[TheDeadite73]

Hey forum, this is my first time posting here.

I started reading Spawn in May 2018, and am still going to this day. I've been utilizing the Reading Order guide on these forums, and it's been a huge help sorting out side stories and filling in the gaps of the main series. But one series that has me hung up is the "Hellspawn" series from the early 2000s.

Initially, I just took this as an alternate-continuity storyline occurring after Issue 106, where Jason Wynn is institutionalized. However, Issue 207 of the main series features the return of Hel, Al's Hell-bride in the Hellspawn series. The note in the issue flat out says to see Hellspawn 12-16 for her story, and she mentions Al's betrayal of her in the final issue.

This is where the hang-up occurs. At the end of Hellspawn, Al regains the ability to revert to his human form. However, in the main series, this did not happen until Issue 120 when Cog gave him the ability to do so. It seems as though Hellspawn has been roped into the main continuity, but I'm not entirely sure where it would fit in as the ending is a complete contradiction. Would it be after Issue 106 and before 107 like the Reading Order says? Would it occur later than that but before 207 ? Or is it just non-canon and the writers made a mess-up?

Any help on this would be appreciated! I'd really like to figure out where this is supposed to go.

[MalebogiaSon]

I always thought of Hellspawn as on out of continuity storyline.....
But you are right 207 links it to the main series.....it definitely confused me as well....if any other members have answers about where it fits in and how I would love to hear them as well.

[KalebYoung]

According to the Toddfather himself, it is canon and part of the main series, saying the main series and Hellspawn would sync up.
I had this exact question and Todd McFarlane printed it in the back of Spawn #243.

Here's a link to his answer. https://imgur.com/gallery/6jYRMvb