Angel: After the Fall Vol. 1
I never wanted a comic continuation of Angel. In fact, if I may quote myself from two years ago, “I’m sort of annoyed that there’s a comic. It’s a way better ending to have them not make it out alive.” When I finished Buffy, it made sense to keep going with the story. And I relished the way that the graphic novel format allowed the freedom from budgetary and special effects constraints. You didn’t have to worry about paying guest actors, but could still bring back all the recurring characters. You didn’t have to worry about the cost or even practicality of action scenes and could just go for it, throwing entire vats of batshit crazy at them all. And while I loved that aspect of Buffy season 8, it really bothered me with Angel: After the Fall.
My first issue was with Franco Urru’s art. I just plain didn’t like it. I don’t have a problem with the characters not looking exactly like the actors. But they still need to be evocative of the *characters* and the only ones that really seemed right were Spike and sometimes Ilyria. But for the others, I just didn’t see it. I had to be told that it was Connor. I had to be told that it was Wesley. And then I was all, “WTF? Isn’t he dead?” And his being a ghost isn’t explained whatsoever. And hey, that’s fine. I don’t need to have a creator connect the dots for me. But there’s a point where it seems like it’s just deliberate obtuseness and frankly, I think Brian Lynch may have crossed that line. But maybe it’s really Joss’s fault. His name is on the story, even if he didn’t write the script.
So what is the story? A mess. Apparently LA is literally Hell now, with each neighborhood controlled by a different demon lord. And each of our various main- and important recurring- characters is doing their own part to try to stop the enslaving of humanity. Angel is apparently under the thumb of ghost Wesley who is apparently working for Wolfram & Hart. Spike is apparently the pet of Ilyria and living the life of a vampire Hugh Hefner while secretly helping humans to escape to safety. Connor is working with Nina the werewolf girl and Gwen the electricity girl to save humans and has an underground railroad of sorts with Spike. Lorne is the shiny happy leader of the beautiful fairy enclave in Beverly Hills. And Gunn is back to leading a street gang of demon hunters. Oh and he’s a vampire. And Angel is human.
I guess the shock of the reveal that Angel is human is supposed to be poignant as he prepares to do battle with all the demon lords’ champions for the final control of all of LA? Right? And that’s why it’s so powerful that even though he doesn’t ask the old team for help, they all show up (even Groo!) and fight alongside him? Right? The notes in the back of the volume indicate that it was always Joss’ plan for Gunn to be vamped had the show continued. And I believe that. Because it’s just like fucking Joss Whedon to pull something like that. And the timing would have been perfect for him to meddle in season 6, what with Firefly being dead and Dollhouse not yet under production.
Ultimately, I’m not sure I care enough to continue reading. I happen to have the second volume checked out of the library so I might give it one more shot. The only reason I started was because of Angel and Spike appearing in the last volume of Buffy season 8. But wikipedia tells me there isn’t any canonical relation between the two graphic novel titles, and they’re not even the same publishers, so there’s no reason this series would necessarily link up with that storyline anyway. And yeah, I’m just not feelin’ it. I’d rather read a Spike title. Or start the Black London novels, since Jack Winter is totally Spike in my head.
My first issue was with Franco Urru’s art. I just plain didn’t like it. I don’t have a problem with the characters not looking exactly like the actors. But they still need to be evocative of the *characters* and the only ones that really seemed right were Spike and sometimes Ilyria. But for the others, I just didn’t see it. I had to be told that it was Connor. I had to be told that it was Wesley. And then I was all, “WTF? Isn’t he dead?” And his being a ghost isn’t explained whatsoever. And hey, that’s fine. I don’t need to have a creator connect the dots for me. But there’s a point where it seems like it’s just deliberate obtuseness and frankly, I think Brian Lynch may have crossed that line. But maybe it’s really Joss’s fault. His name is on the story, even if he didn’t write the script.
So what is the story? A mess. Apparently LA is literally Hell now, with each neighborhood controlled by a different demon lord. And each of our various main- and important recurring- characters is doing their own part to try to stop the enslaving of humanity. Angel is apparently under the thumb of ghost Wesley who is apparently working for Wolfram & Hart. Spike is apparently the pet of Ilyria and living the life of a vampire Hugh Hefner while secretly helping humans to escape to safety. Connor is working with Nina the werewolf girl and Gwen the electricity girl to save humans and has an underground railroad of sorts with Spike. Lorne is the shiny happy leader of the beautiful fairy enclave in Beverly Hills. And Gunn is back to leading a street gang of demon hunters. Oh and he’s a vampire. And Angel is human.
I guess the shock of the reveal that Angel is human is supposed to be poignant as he prepares to do battle with all the demon lords’ champions for the final control of all of LA? Right? And that’s why it’s so powerful that even though he doesn’t ask the old team for help, they all show up (even Groo!) and fight alongside him? Right? The notes in the back of the volume indicate that it was always Joss’ plan for Gunn to be vamped had the show continued. And I believe that. Because it’s just like fucking Joss Whedon to pull something like that. And the timing would have been perfect for him to meddle in season 6, what with Firefly being dead and Dollhouse not yet under production.
Ultimately, I’m not sure I care enough to continue reading. I happen to have the second volume checked out of the library so I might give it one more shot. The only reason I started was because of Angel and Spike appearing in the last volume of Buffy season 8. But wikipedia tells me there isn’t any canonical relation between the two graphic novel titles, and they’re not even the same publishers, so there’s no reason this series would necessarily link up with that storyline anyway. And yeah, I’m just not feelin’ it. I’d rather read a Spike title. Or start the Black London novels, since Jack Winter is totally Spike in my head.