Illyria's True Form: A Retrospect on the Character and the Series

Illyria's True Form: A Retrospect on the Character and the Series

by Patrick Shand

I’m gonna come right out and say it. Illyria changed—er, well, maybe evolved is a better word—more than any other character while Angel was on television. Granted, Cordelia and Wesley are usually the examples folks bring up of long-term character development in the show, but I’d argue that Illyria’s development was even more dramatic… which is especially impressive, seeing as she was only appeared in eight episodes.

The same holds true for the comics; the only difference is, while her character growth was exponential, so was the number of books that she appeared in. Other than the big brand name characters like Angel and Spike, Illyria appeared in more IDW comics than any other character.

Prior to the fall of LA, she went on a couple of adventures that occurred during the final season of Angel. Most notably, Joss Whedon allowed writer Peter David to cross her over into his Fallen Angel universe, where she embarked on a quest to tap back into her original power. It’s a crossover that I can’t believe we were lucky enough to get; the dark dark dark (and snarky) world of Bete Noir clashing with the… well, dark dark dark (and snarky) world of Angel? Incredible. As it’s set during the TV show, there isn’t much development for Illyria, but we do get some wonderful flashbacks that serve to explain Illyria’s connection to plants. This was further paid off when Illyria got her own series, but we’ll get to that later.

Illyria big comic book development began with Brian Lynch's Spike: After the Fall. When Los Angeles was sent to hell, things got all crazy. With the sun and the moon out at the same time, vampires felt equal parts euphoria and oh-no-I’m-about-to-burst-into-flames; werewolves were able to get in touch with their beastly side while they were in human form; and, most extraordinarily, Spike got his own prequel. Illyria co-starred with him, and while the plot focused on Spike’s war against a hellishly cruel pixie named Non, the threat of Hell’s impact on Illyria bubbled under the surface. The demonic environment was tapping into her old power, forcing her to timeslip, overflow with emotion, and revert to her delicate Fred persona at the worst of times. What changed Illyria the most, however, was that Spike became her protector. She valued that and sought to keep his interests only on her; going as far as to kiss him to assert her ownership, embracing the sexuality of Fred to get what she wanted. The series also showed Illyria trying and failing to understand the position of a leader. Spike wanted to stop Non and defend the humans he was protecting. Illyria, trying to live up to the same standard, ended up killing Spike’s human friend Jeremy, thinking that “his absence will only strengthen (their) flock.” Illyria’s emotional imbalance boiled over during Angel: After the Fall, also penned by Brian Lynch, when she pulled a Dark Willow and sought to end all of existence to stop the suffering. It took a potent psychic dose of Wesley and Spike’s memories of Fred to bring Illyria down and stop her rampage.

Those memories served as a catalyst for the development that followed. She co-starred with Gunn in the road trip/action comic Angel: Only Human. Both of them, in order to deal with their own inner demons, fight literal demons. With Fred’s memories fresh in her head, Illyria is trying to find a balance between her demonic self and her undeniably human side. Wesley helped her on the way toward understanding that, and Spike took care of her when she needed it… but she took the biggest leap forward when she went out on her own.

ILLYRIA: HAUNTED

Like Spike before her, Illyria’s story was just too big to be contained in the on-going Angel book. Long time Angel and Star Trek writer Scott Tipton teamed up with Mariah Huehner and Elena Casagrande (the former the writer/editor and the latter the artist of the on-going Angel book) to tell the best Illyria story ever told. While there are appearances from both Angel and Spike, Illyria is largely on her own in this four issue miniseries. After a conversation* and a bit of an adventure with Spike, Illyria discovers where she needs to go to get the answers to the questions that have been defining who she is since the Fall -- the Deeper Well.

(* That conversation, by the way, might be my favorite scene from all of the Angel comics. Illyria and Spike open up to each other in awkward, emotional, and brave ways that only those two characters can. Everything that was set up by Brian Lynch, Peter David, Scott Tipton, and Joss Whedon himself in these comics and the show is paid off and more by Tipton and Mariah in this scene. Speaking of her dreams, Illyria says:

ILLYRIA: There is one, it repeats. I can see them. Hear them. But from far away. Mundane things mattered so much to them And they shared a sense of… peace. Completion.

SPIKE: I know. You could feel it. I… I knew that feeling once. There’s nothing like it.

ILLYRIA: I… think it makes me jealous. Weak, just like every other human emotion.

SPIKE: You always get that wrong, blue. Love like that makes you stronger than anything. You can save the world with a love like that.

ILLYRIA: Oh?

SPIKE: Never mind. We’re talking about you.

ILLYRIA: In my dream, they are… what they could have been. What they should have been. Without me. Their future spreads out before me, unfolding. So short and simple and yet… it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.)

When Illyria arrives at the Deeper Well, she finds exactly what she didn’t know what she was looking for. After throwing a God-king sized tantrum at what she perceived to be the fruitlessness of the trip, a glowing blue gem catches her eye… and when she touches it, it transforms her. And that, to me, thematically echoes what Wesley said to her as he died in her arms. “It was good that you came.” It really isn't the where or the what of the transformation that matters. It's the why. It's the because. She's ready to find answers, to explore herself, to explore humanity; and the answer is there, waiting for her to reach out and grab it and become who she is supposed to be. And what she becomes… well, that’s sort of left up to the reader. I know what I think. I like what I think. But the text does somewhat leave it open to interpretation. Illyria says, “Such burning… I taste the other… Oh, it’s sweet, it’s… everything, always, forever… You and… him? I… we become. I have ended. I have begun.”

And with that, Illyria finds the one thing that she’s been trying to imitate since Wesley showed her what was acceptable and what was not. She has reason to fight; she feels the connection between humanity and herself. Between the Earth and herself. This new connection with the Earth—which is a brilliant bit of character development, as it seems to stem (HAR HAR HAR) both from her affinity for plants in the television series as well as the revelation of what plants mean to her in Fallen Angel: Reborn—helps her out quite a bit in the obligatory Big Bad battle that she faces in the final issue of the mini. She defeats this full powered Old One not with brute strength, but by embracing her connection with plants; with life.

At the end, after a brief and well-earned moment of connection with Spike, Illyria discovers that time and space has opened for her again. It ends with her and her new pet (a squidly beast named Pancakes) on a beach, about to do what she knows she needs to do. She says, “I am her ending. But she, and I, and him, and them… we matter. We lose, we love. And in doing so, we become.”

Powerful words, especially coming from Illyria. She has truly become a completely different character after the IDW comics, and looking at her entire arc is just phenomenal. What Brian did with her in After the Fall and the events of Illyria: Haunted particularly stand out. It was a great run, with an utterly outstanding ending.

The TPB of Scott Tipton, Mariah Huehner, and Elena Casagrande’s Illyria: Haunted comes out May 18th.

As Fun As You'd Expect

What Is It?: Fallen Angel: Reborn #3. (Written by Peter David; art by J. K. Woodward)

Timing: Directly following Fallen Angel: Reborn #2. The miniseries takes place in Angel: Season Five, between "Time Bomb" and "The Girl in Question."

Warning: The bigger spoilers will be written in black text. Simply highlight to read. As this is a review, there will be some minor "spoilers" sprinkled throughout the text that don't warrant being hidden. If you have not read the issue and don't want to know anything about the plot, don't read this. Spoilers for previous issues will obviously not be hidden.

REVIEW: If you caught the first two issues and liked them, you'll like this too. It's nothing really surprising, nothing super insightful, but it's a fun action-adventure starring two awesome female characters. Illyria and Liandra, the Fallen Angel, really play very well off of each other. Illyria's first person narration gives insight into Liandra due to Illyria's cold, almost scientific observations, and the snark that Liandra throws Illyria's way makes this pairing both funnier and more tense.

I usually like to give really long reviews that really get into why the issue was good, but the fact of the matter here is that there isn't much plot or character development to talk about. And that's not a bad thing in this case. The plot is simply that Illyria is trying to get her icons in order to become her full self once again. It's your essential epic quest. And we already know what happens to Illyria after this, so, as a rule, this book can't really do anything character-changing. And yet... it succeeds. Partially because it revels in the endless fun that is making Illyria fight creatures. Illyria fighting creatures never fails. What it also does, though, is tell the story through visuals. In a way, it excels at what ANGEL #25 failed at. It takes the story from point A to point B, but still manages to tell an almost entirely visual story. It has sight gags, cool kills, and a stunning setting.

This seems to happen once in every Fallen Angel: Reborn issue, but there is one line where Illyria speaks out of character. Peter David loves sarcasm--hence Liandra--but Illyria doesn't. Illyria just wouldn't say "Oh, wonderful-" when she's being attacked by a polar bear. But the rest of the issue, which is narrated by Illyria's inner monologue, is consistently in character, so give it up for Peter David!

Art: Very nice. As I mentioned before, the issue is very visual, so Peter David really leaves a lot of the storytelling to J. K. Woodward, who does a phenomenal job. Get this dude to do some more ANGEL books! I've got an interview with Mr. Woodward coming soon, so keep a look out.

Covers: The three covers all feature Illyria and Liandra in this snowy dimension. J. K. Woodward's main cover is consistent with his interior work, and my favorite cover of his we've seen so far in this miniseries. It features Illyria and Liandra staring at a lanky, looming monster covered in a sheet of ice. Woodward's other cover pays homage to MADAGASCAR, and it's a riot. Runge's cover is also exceptional, featuring our two heroines in more iconic comic book poses as snow falls on them. Me gusta.

Characters We Know: Illyria.

Rating: 8/10

God(dess?) vs. Angel

What Is It?: Fallen Angel: Reborn #2. (Written by Peter David; art by J. K. Woodward)

Timing: Directly following Fallen Angel: Reborn #1, which takes place between "Time Bomb" and "The Girl in Question."

REVIEW: The issue was good. Not as stunning as the first chapter, but still highly enjoyable. There is way more dialogue, and we also get a glimpse at some of the supporting characters of Fallen Angel, which I was really looking forward to.

First, as a Fallen Angel fan (this won't bother those who haven't read the previous volumes), I'm confused as to why Jubal is alive. He was the vessel for Moloch, and seemed to be burned to a crisp when Jude dispatched of the demon. I don't know the reasoning behind bringing the character back, and I trust that we'll find out why, but it seems like a strange decision, especially since he went from betraying his entire city to a monster last arc to trading insulting quips with Liandra in this issue. I would think she'd be trying to kill him instead of talking to him with only minor hostility. That, I don't get.

The plot really does develop a lot in this issue. Jude, the most interesting character in Fallen Angel (except, perhaps, for Asia Minor, who also appears in the issue), gets a lot of page time in this issue. Illyria compares him to Wesley, which is a great connection for fans of both the show and this comic. Illyria does a lot of that in the issue; she's new to Bete Noire, so her internal narration continues to make this highly readable for those unfamiliar to the series. She remains the main focus, and we even see a bit of the struggle in her head during this transitive state of her life. She's not totally removed from her God-self yet, but she's also promised Wesley to co-exist... subtly, Peter David hints that she has been influenced by Wesley and her time spent in LA.

But one thing about Illyria in this issue... she doesn't seem as organic as she did in the first installment. She seemed 100% in character for me in the first issue, but there are a few slight flubs in this one that got my mouth a-frownin' and my eyebrow a-raisin'. There's a line where Illyria says, "Let me... unh... guess... you displayed... free will..." Now, first let me clear it up. And yes, typed out like that, it does sound as if it was said during sex. But what strikes me about this is the "Let me guess." I just can't picture Illyria saying this. Too modern, too passive. And she also quotes her future self by saying that she "will make a trophy of her (the Fallen Angel's) spine." That is one of Illyria's most popular lines from the show. Was this repeated for the effect? I guess? But it just leaves me feeling strange. Illyria has way too many ways to describe violence in her twisted head than to double-dip.

Those issues aside, the book is solid. A fight between Illyria and Liandra (yup, it's as awesome as you'd expect) takes up a lot of page space, and the rest is devoted to Jude and Liandra "helping" Illyria find the icons she needs in order to restore her full power. Peter David shows a lot of restraint by letting out the details we need to know, when we need to know them. He keeps us guessing until the end with certain things (such as, why in the world would they help Illyria) and manages to stay true to his own characters while giving Illyria the page time a story like this calls for.

So the second issue was good. Hope the third picks it back up to very good/great again.

Art: Again, J. K. Woodward's new style needs to be given props. Between this issue and the previous one, it's the best of Woodward's work that I've seen, hands down. He gives the book a gothic, horror-ish look when they visit a cemetery, and also manages to nail the more epic moments like the fight between Illyria and Liandra. Major, major points for the great artwork. I do have one quibble, though, and I wasn't sure if I should put this in the writing or art sections, but there is a pretty major flub on Page 14. The first caption of the first panel on the page says "The rain has ceased, giving me a better view." Well, in the art... the rain hasn't ceased. Not on that panel, not on the next, and not for the entire rest of the issue. It's pouring out! It would definitely be a good idea to fix that for the TPB, because it's a strange moment that is easily amended.

Covers: J. K. Woodward's interiors again prove to be better than his cover images, which is definitely rare in comics. I definitely like his cover for this issue way better than his first cover, but in effort to recreate Illyria's odd posture, her face has been painted in a way that makes it seem as if her neck has been broken. Other than that detail, the cover is a very good one, showing Illyria and Liandra in action mode. Woodward also provides an incentive cover that features the same image of Illyria behind Liandra. They both seem ready to attack each other. I wasn't able to get my hands on this cover, so I can't talk much about it because all I have of it is a thumbnail, but from what I can see, I like it. Nick Runge also provides a cover for the book, and it's great. It's a close-up on Liandra's face, her eyes all electric-like, with Illyria, her face all shadowy-like, in front of her. Me gusta.

Characters We Know: Illyria.

Rating: 7/10

Illyria Crosses Over Into Peter David's Fallen Angel!

What Is It?: Fallen Angel: Reborn #1. This relaunch of Peter David's popular series, Fallen Angel (no relation to our ensouled vamp), features Illyria in a four part adventure. Approved by Joss Whedon, this is the first time a Buffyverse character is officially crossing over into a different comic. Well, unless you've read Monkey Man, of course.

Timing: Angel, Season Five. Between "Time Bomb" and "The Girl in Question."

REVIEW: I wanted to read Peter David's entire IDW run of "Fallen Angel" before I read this issue. I read and completely loved the omnibus, which contains the first twenty-one issues (AKA, the first four volumes), and then picked up the fifth volume, which I was lucky enough to get signed by Mr. David himself. Unfortunately, having just finished the fifth volume a week or so ago, it was too late for me to get my hands on that sixth trade paperback. So I'm not really sure how the Fallen Angel, a witty chick named Liandra, got from where she was in the fifth book to here, but the fun part is that we're seeing this through Illyria's eyes, so we don't have to know. It's entirely friendly to new fans (read as: Angel fans who have never checked out the FA series before this). In fact, the book is so Illyria centric that we don't see the eponymous Liandra until the final page, making this feel more like an Illyria spin-off than anything. But the mood, pacing, and darkness that give Fallen Angel its trademark umph is present in every page, so I wouldn't be surprised if the folks unfamiliar with Liandra will want to go back and see what happened to her in the six volumes prior to this.

The book starts with a flashback, showing Illyria in her full on, Old One demon state. Like Brian Lynch did in #16, Peter David is able to make Illyria seem utterly monstrous without losing audience sympathy. It's a cool scene for sure, but the thing that takes it to the next level is when Illyria sees a vision of a single blade of grass in the battlefield. The grass speaks to her and reaffirms her hope that she will one day be reborn... and while this works on a surface level, as a cool segue into the next scene with modern-Illyria sprawled out on some grass, it's really pretty amazing what Peter David did. In the fifth season of Angel, there were random moments played for comedy that featured Illyria showing odd interest in some house plants. In a single moment, Peter David turns those throw-away moments into a poignant, brilliant revelation that makes so much sense for the character, and adds a new level of emotion to those old scenes. That is good writing. You can always tell when the writer is a fan and understands the mechanics of the Buffyverse characters, and it's obvious that Mr. David does.

Like all the Fallen Angel comics, the storytelling method is ultra decompressed. The panels are big, the art tells the majority of the story, and a scene never feels too quick. The pacing definitely makes the issue feel shorter, but it also makes it feel like a fuller read. Within these twenty-two pages, the following happens: Illyria's flashback, Illyria ponders her sucky situation, Illyria gets in an elevator (yup, the same one from Angel: Season Two; another brilliant reference), Illyria enters Bete Noire and runs into someone from her past, and on the final page, the Fallen Angel confronts her. Where Buffy #26, for example, was a good issue but felt rushed in parts, this book takes the time to let each scene breathe, and it's a cool change in pace. There is action, but this issue is more about the psychological state of Illyria.

Oh, and the person she runs into? He's a character from Fallen Angel named Benny, who was actually the serpent from the Garden of Eden. Again, new readers don't need to know that, but the prior knowledge just makes that moment all the more awesome. Because Illyria would know Benny, wouldn't she?

I pretty much loved the issue. Peter David has proven that he can tell the hell out of an Angel tale, and his Fallen Angel comic is one of my favorite alongside the Buffyverse titles and Y: The Last Man. Seeing these two worlds crossover is fantastic, and I can't wait to see where Peter takes it.

Art: J. K. Woodward is a man of many styles. That's both of art and hair. But on the art tip, take a look at his work on Fallen Angel. He's been the main artist since the book moved to IDW and started off the series with a really cool, trippy painted style. For the second arc, all the way to the end of the series, he used a more traditional pencil style. I definitely preferred his first style, but about halfway through the series, the pencil style did start to grow on me a bit more (some of the stuff from the fifth volume is fantastic). But with this new series, his style is reborn once again, this time a mix of the paints and pencils. The detail is at an all time high, allowing him to craft horrific worlds like Illyria's kingdom and nail the important likeness details (in this case, Amy Acker's face). It's some of the most different, original art you've ever seen, which is pretty appropriate for this book.

Covers: Not really that fond of Woodward's cover for this issue. It's definitely not bad, but it just pales in comparison to his interior work as well as the rest of the covers he provides for the series. The image is Liandra being squeezed by Illyria's demon-form tentacles (yeah, she's the second Angel for this to happen to on an IDW cover within a year's time!), while Illyria's face can be seen in the background. The concept is definitely cool, but the two images just don't seem to gel properly. The best cover of the bunch comes from Franco Urru, who crafted a simple but dramatic cover by just having Liandra stand next to Illyria. The power seems to radiate off these women on Franco's cover, and, in my opinion, it's one of his best covers. And take a look at Franco's covers from After the Fall, because that is really saying a lot. The dude can make a badass cover. Finally, Nick Runge made a pretty awesome retailer incentive. I'm pretty bitter, because I was unable to get the comic, but from the online images I've seen, it's definitely cool. Liandra looks awesome on the cover, spreading her arms out as her cloak billows out behind her. Illyria is looking... well, annoyed in front of her.

NOTE: Again, the covers came back from the printer too dark. What's up with that?

Characters We Know: Illyria.

Rating: 8/10