DC and Marvel heroes make a surprise appearance in Spawn's Halloween-themed comics

Spawn #323 variant cover (Image credit: Björn Barends (Image Comics/Todd McFarlane Productions))

The Marvel/DC/Todd McFarlane team-up that started with the surprising Batman #118 variant cover homage to Todd McFarlane's Spider-Man #1 continues this week with a surprising Marvel/DC/Todd McFarlane crossover.

Rising cover artist Björn Barends has drawn Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America - or at least kids wearing knockoff Halloween costumes of the heroes - in not one but two Image Comics variant covers. October 20's King Spawn #3 and October 27's Spawn #323 will both have variant covers featuring the superhero-dressed kids trick-or-treating at both the former at the house of Billy Kincaid (aka the Ice Cream Man) and the other at the Violator's house.

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Spawn variant covers

"Since Halloween is such a nice holiday, I not only sent the kids to ring the doorbell at the clown's house, but also to Billy Kincaid's house to bring me some candy," Barends writes on Instagram.

It's particularly creepy to see kids at Kincaid's door, as in the Spawn comics he's not only a supervillain but also he specializes in kidnapping and killing children.

"Just in time for Halloween!" McFarlane tweets. "This cover is what nightmares are made of!"

Although these covers are evocative, it doesn't appear they are hints at a larger story in King Spawn or the main Spawn book. It appears to be a fun setting for a variant cover, throwing in these thinly-veiled versions of DC and Marvel heroes - something McFarlane's Spawn comics has done in the past.

King Spawn #3 goes on sale on October 20, with Spawn #323 following on October 27.

Speaking of costumes, here's our recommended best comic book Halloween costumes on a budget.

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)