New Spawn spinoff series harkens back to a storyline from the earliest days of the comic

Remember Sherlee Johnson? Well, Image Comics does, and the her appearance in the pages of Spawn will lead into a whole new series.

One, two, Sherlee’s coming for you

Just like in the early 90s, Spawn has been exploding in popularity over the last few years. It’s a resurgence that’s come complete with new action figures, but also new comics series’ from creator Todd McFarlane and other talents at publisher Image Comics.

And speaking of the “early 90s”, the latest spinoff title is going to take things back to that very time, for a character that fans likely remember well. The 1992 storyline was a big one, not to mention shocking. In Spawn #5, the supernatural hero took down a serial killer named Billy Kincaid who, among others, claimed a child named Sherlee Johnson as a victim. Thing is, it seems Sherlee isn’t interested in being dead.

Coming this May, The Curse of Sherlee Johnson #1 will hail from Daniel Henriques and Jonathan Glapion, pulling from that original story to bring young Sherlee back with some mysterious new abilities. One look at that face paint though, and long time fans can probably imagine that this return won’t be all sunshine and roses.

This double-length, emotionally charged, visually-striking premiere will mark Henriques’ writing debut and Glapion’s first ever interiors. It will be brought to life with the stunning colorwork of industry veteran FCO Plascencia and take readers into unknown corners of the Spawn Universe.

At the heart of this new saga is Sherlee Johnson, a seven-year-old whose death at the hands of the notorious serial killer Billy Kincaid rocked readers back in Spawn #5and set off a chain of unforeseen consequences. Now Sherlee is reborn—transformed and armed with mysterious powers—yet still struggles with the loss of her previous life. She must navigate a brutal, unforgiving world alongside the enigmatic Stranger, as she wrestles with lingering pain and the pressures of a newfound purpose and destiny.

Image Comics press release

Complete with variant cover from McFarlane, The Curse of Sherlee Johnson #1 is scheduled to hit stores on May 21st, with a special 48 page issue. That’s not all though, as those who missed out on the original tale (that the new series is based on) will be able to pick up a special reprint issue of Spawn #5. No word on when you can expect to see that one hit stands, but we imagine it’ll probably around the same time as the new title launches.