Moment #1: Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

So this is it. The end of the countdown. IDW's Angel has been such a great ride, and it's been awesome revisiting my favorite comic book of all time and picking out moments for this list. Truth of it is, there are far too many great scenes for a list like this to be even somewhat functional. Every writer and artist and editor brought something different to the table, making Angel a challenging, fun, tragic, and compelling read. I'll miss it more than I can possibly express in a blog entry, and it's been lovely writing about this comic on this site for years. I was happy to play a part in the experience for some of you, and I hope that my tale inAngel: Yearbook goes over as well as this site has. Seeing the comments pour in has been since I've announced that this site will close soon has been remarkable, and I'm humbled and grateful that folks seem to care... a lot.

So thank you.

Moment Number One

Angel: After the Fall #16

Going Back/The Happy End

Not only is this the strongest moment of the entire Angel run, it might also be the most controversial. I've seen some people--granted, I don't think these folks were fans of the run to begin with, but their loss right?--cite the end of #16 as a reason why nothing that happened inAfter the Fall matters. They're wrong. The "reboot" (though, it's not that, per se) has more of an impact on the characters and the larger Buffyverse than anything that happened while the characters were actually in Hell.

Short version: After Gunn killed Connor, Wesley and Angel come to the same conclusion at the same time. Wolfram & Hart need Angel for their prophecy, and they have already said that if anything happens to Angel that they can just pull a healthier him out of a different time. Upon hearing that, Angel bids Wesley farewell ("Thank you, rogue demon hunter") with a callback to when Wesley first joined his crew, and goes after Gunn. It initially reads as if Angel is simply trying to get revenge on Gunn for killing his son, but as they fight, Angel tells Gunn that it's his chance... Gunn's turn to rise up and become the hero that he's been trying and failing to be since he was turned into a vampire. Gunn swings his flaming sword and cuts Angel's head off. What follows is the most brilliant sequence of pages that I've ever read in a comic book.

Spike, overcome with raw emotion, rushes toward Angel's dead body, echoing what the reader is thinking: "What the hell is that? What the hell is that?" Wesley explains the situation to Spike and tells him to keep an eye on Illyria... and that he will too. And then, as the scene fades to white, Wolfram & Hart dials back to the last moment in reality that Angel was alive... the alley. We finally see the alley fight play out, but this time, our heroes remember everything. Illyria remembers the horror she inflicted and went through, and takes it out on the army. Angel, now a vampire again, now knowing that his son is out there alive somewhere, fights. Spike fights. The dragon, free from the bonds of Wolfram & Hart's control, makes short work of the evil army... leaving an opportunity from Angel to right the biggest wrong he'd committed: failing to save Gunn.

Angel quickly stakes the vampire who would sire Gunn and then bends down to his friend. Gunn is dying. He's lost an eye, he's beaten, and he remembers killing people for months in Hell. He remembers killing Angel... and he remembers killing Connor. He begs Angel to let him die, but when the vampire with a soul looks down on him, he says, "Sorry Charles. It's not that easy."

As Angel takes Gunn to the hospital, we see that Wolfram & Hart has closed up shop. They've left LA. Angel has won--for now.

When Angel arrives and the doctors take Gunn off of his hands, Connor comes. But... well, let's get to that in a moment. I kind of want to end on that note.

Thing about the dialback. It means that Gwen, the dragon, Groosalugg, Connor, Angel, and maaaany others aren't dead. It means that Gunn isn't a vampire. It means that whatever happened in Hell didn't really happen... but it also means that it did. Everyone experienced it. Everyone remembers it. Everyone who committed atrocities, everyone who lost someone, everyone who clung to each other and grew closer because of their hellish surroundings... their entire lives are changed. The public knows about monsters. The public knows about Angel and recognizes him as their hero.

And the dialback changed more than just the minds of the people involved. Wolfram & Hart's use of ancient magic brought back some of the old ways for a short while, such as limbs dusting and all that fun stuff, and it also opened a door for a certain baddie named James to step through... but that's later.

For now, the crew was left to deal with the psychological trauma. But Angel... well, he kind of had a bit of a silver lining. Connor walked up to him in the hospital and, upon seeing his son, Angel is overcome with emotion. As tears flow down his face, he hugs his son.

Connor says, "It's okay, Dad. It's okay. In fact, it's kind of a happy ending, isn't it?"

Angel replies, "I'm not sure. ...I've never had one before."

And that's all. That's all. Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

Angel: Yearbook comes out tomorrow. See you then.

...5, 4, 3, 2...

Moment Number Five

Angel: After the Fall #12

Shanshu is Not So Much with the Yay

In a devastating turn of events (I mean, when you're stuck in a Hell dimension most turns of events are devastating, granted), it is revealed that the Shanshu Prophecy--the light at the end of the tunnel for Angel, the promise that, after playing a pivotal role in the apocalypse, he would be granted humanity for his rewards--isn't as good as it sounds on paper. Wolfram & Hart wants Angel to know that the only reason they've been keeping him alive is because he eventually will Shanshu... but the role he'll play in the apocalypse is for the side of evil.

Oh, and Wesley is the one who is made to deliver the bad news to Angel. Talk about twisting the dagger. In a move almost as daring as making Angel human, Brian Lynch and Joss Whedon flipped the entirety of Angel's arc from the end of Season One until now on its head, giving Angel new reason to say "Screw destiny" and fight for himself.

Honorable Mention: Illyria Crosses Over (Fallen Angel: Rebirth #1).

Moment Number Four

Angel: After the Fall #15

Connor's Dead

Not much to say about this one. It's the most devastating death in all of the comics. It showed Angel at the end of his fight, Angel with nothing left, Angel after the worst has come true. Gunn killed Connor. When I read the issue, I instantly thought of the moment in Not Fade Away when Connor tells Angel that Wolfram & Hart is going to destroy him. Angel replied, "As long as you're okay, they can't." This moment took the series in a direction of true tragedy, which made the eventual eucatastrophe of an ending all the more happy.

This is what I wrote when the issue first came out: "His son, Connor, dies in his arms. After being stabbed by Gunn with the very flaming sword Angel fought with in the battle with the LA Lords. I wouldn't even mention this in the review, but the simple fact is that the death and the way it's handled is one of the reasons why the issue is so good. It's insanely risky, but the pay off is enormous. Because when Connor is stabbed, it feels like everything goes quiet. As Angel says, the "World has just ended." Seeing Angel holding a dying Connor is one of the saddest things I've ever seen, and the final, hopeful words that Connor gives his father will leave Angel with the will he needs to fight. And to win. Major kudos to Brian Lynch, Chris Ryall, Joss Whedon, and the entire IDW team for going there. You made me cry like a little baby, and I'm grateful."

Honorable Mention: Everybody Dies (Angel: After the Fall). I mean, c'mon. Gwen, the Dragon, Groosalugg, Connor, debatably Illyria, Wesley (again), Spike (briefly), Gunn (vamped, but still). It was a death fest. Luckily for the on-going series, a lot of these folks were saved from death, but the repercussions still affect the Buffyverse to this day.

Moment Number Three

Angel #33

James is a Baddie

James was a hard character to like. Thanks to him, we saw a very out-of-character Cordelia in Aftermath, the problematic introduction of angels into the Buffyverse, and a whole lot of mythology that didn't really vibe with the established universe that these characters live in. Say what you will about Willingham's run, but revealing James as a villain completely wiped that slate clean. Nothing he'd done in Aftermath counted for anything. He's a friggin' god being kinda... thing... Well, he's damn powerful, and it's been established now that he had lied to Angel the entire time. He wasn't an angel. Everything he'd done and said was a ruse. He turned from a strangely stuffy, humorless, angelic version of Groosalugg into the creepiest villain in all of Angel. Harvesting demons? Incest? Getting Anne pregnant with his weirdo spawn? Put nothing past this guy.

Also, he ripped Angel's hands and feet off just a few moments after his true intentions were revealed. Gotta love a guy who's quick to act.

Honorable Mention: Dedication to Wes and Fred (Angel: After the Fall #17).

Moment Number Two

Illyria: Haunted #2

Spike and Illyria's Conversation

This moment from Scott Tipton and Mariah Huehner's ILLYRIA series makes it here for a few reasons. One, it's the closest the comic has come to feeling like the show--it hits the voices, the tone, and everything else right on the head. After the Fall was up there in quality, for sure, but the story was so epic that it felt more like Angel the Movie. This feels like the show. I was waiting for the credits to start when I heard these character speaking--and yes, not read, heard. This conversation is full of pay off, character development, pathos... everything you'd want from these characters after they'd gone through so much together. Spike talks about his sacrifice for Buffy, which is something fans had been wait for since Angel hit the funny books, and Illyria talks about a tragically beautifully dream she'd been having about Fred and Wesley. It was moving, smart, funny in parts, and everything an Angel comic should be.

...8, 7, 6...

Four days until the big goodbye to Angel from IDW Publishing. Get the tissues (and battle axe) ready!

Moment Number Eight

Spike Asylum #1

Spike Goes to Mosaic

There is definitely a Joss quote that says what I'd like to say about the opening scenes of Spike Asylum #1 (Brian Lynch and Franco Urru's first Buffyverse issue ever) way better than I'm about to, but I suck pretty hard at finding quotage. More than Buffy Season Eight, more than Fray, more than Angel: The Curse (though I enjoyed all of those beginnings), Asylum showed that a comic about a Buffyverse character could be as alive as a televised episode about a Buffyverse character. Spike's personality was big--he moved with violent grace, he jumped off of the page, and when you read his dialogue it was like James Marsters had recorded a voiceover of the damn thing. He does that, doesn't he? Dresden Files? Anyway, I know it's not so much a moment as a jump in quality, but it set the standard for not only IDW but every Buffyverse comic to come. And, I must say, the rest of the Angel run from Scott Tipton, Mariah Huehner, David Tischman, and Brian himself has done a great job of not dropping this incredibly slippery ball.

Honorable Mention: Lorne Exits Stage Right (Angel: Music of the Spheres). The passing of Andy Hallett hit the Buffyverse hard. He was a lovely and talented person, and IDW did the classy thing of retiring the character he played. Giving him a hero's exit, this John Byrne one-shot ended on a bittersweet yet heartwarming note. When Angel wonders aloud, "He's... one with the universe now. But I'd like to think he can still hear us. And that he knows how much he's missed," the reader can read Lorne's response: "Oh, I can hear you Angelcakes. And it's music to my ears." The book ends with a wonderful text tribute from Mark Lutz, who played Groosalugg and was a personal friend of Andy's.

Moment Number Seven

The End(s)

Angel: After the Fall #17 & Angel #44

It was impossible for me to split these two for a couple of reasons. One, they're both giving a new and somewhat definitive end to Angel as a series and two, the latter pays direct tribute to the former.

The first one has Angel, after visiting a comatose Gunn in the hospital and forgiving him (nicely echoing Angel's way less forgiving trip to visit Wesley in the hospital in Season Three--really shows how much Angel developed in After the Fall), walk down the streets of LA, this time toward the light. He reiterates his mission statement of redemption, acknowledges that he's done bad and is destined to do worse, but promises that--for now--he's here to help. Perfect closure.

And yet (thankfully) the series continued. Angel had more fights to fight, more demons to slay, and more friends to lose. It all came to a head in the final issue of IDW's on-going Angel title when he teamed up with his son to take down the villainous James (AKA Myr, whaddup). With the baddie scrunched, Angel walks into Wolfram & Hart, gives them the business, and then leaves, ready to go hang out with his son. He walks down the street, toward the light, in a direct reference to the final page of After the Fall. This time, however, as Angel walks, we see the faces of the people he's loved and lost looking at us, the readers. Wesley, Fred, Lorne, Cordelia, Doyle... a fitting, sad, happy, hopeful end.

Moment Number Six

Angel: After the Fall #4

Gunn Takes a Picture

This may not jump out as a big moment. It's quick, it's human, and a lot of other stuff was going on. However, this moment convinced me that Gunn was the best villain in the history of Angel because of how damn human he still was. In the final scenes of the fourth chapter of After the Fall, Gunn and his buddies infiltrate Wolfram & Hart in order to plant some explosive. Gunn also ransacks the place, saying that he's looking for supplies... but the only thing he takes is an old picture of him and his buddies. Angel, Fred, Wesley, baby Connor, Cordy, and Gunn... back when everything was happy and there was no betrayal and no Hell and no abandonment.

Oh, also, Gunn blows Wolfram & Hart to pieces right after that.

Honorable Mention: Eddie Hope makes an entrance (Angel #28). The first few issues of Willingham's run started the slow boil of what would become the James arc that would stretch through the end of the series. The first few issues were rather talky, which made Bill William's action packed back-ups starring the devil-on-a-mission Eddie Hope something fans looked forward to at the end of each book. The best Eddie Hope tale might be the first one; a simple assassination in a bar in which Eddie States his purpose... getting rid of those who committed atrocities in Hell. Simple, bad-ass, dark.

Thanks to Jay Valen Perez!

The Beginning of the End

Alright, we're in the home stretch. IDW's ANGEL is winding down and so is this site. Over the next week, I'm going to sort of honor both of these long-running series and countdown to the finale--ANGEL: YEARBOOK--the same way I counted down to the first issue of After the Fall... with a countdown.

Here are the TOP TEN MOMENTS OF IDW's ANGEL

MOMENT NUMBER TEN

Angel: After the Fall #3

Angel's a Human

This was the moment in After the Fall when Brian Lynch knocked everything off the table and showed that he was playing a whole new game. It was risky, it was scary, and it was the biggest damn reveal in a Buffyverse story--ever.

Yeah, bigger than that one.

In fact, I remember writing this: "The issue ends with what is pretty much the biggest revelation/cliffhanger/thing in the history of not only Angel, but the entire Buffyverse. Holy crap."

The moment informed everything that happened in the following fourteen issues and made the timeshift back to non-Hell in #16 a real loss for Angel. Angel truly had what he'd always wanted, but it was the worst time for it--his dream come true was being used as a punishment against him, a means to stop him from helping his friends and his city. Gotta love when Angel gets poetic.

Honorable Mention: Gunn and Illyria Hit the Road (Angel #23- Become What You Are). Both of these characters did pretty terrible things in After the Fall, so it was amazing to catch up with them in this issue to see where their heads were. Brian Lynch handled the delicate situation in a sad, epic, funny, and hopeful way.

MOMENT NUMBER NINE

Angel #38- Cat's In the Cradle

Rooftop

What are you talking about, this moment didn't make me teary. You're a liar and a bully and FINE you're right.

In a moment that echoes another one of my favorite IDW scenes, Angel and Connor share a quiet moment and a hug on the roof of the Hyperion. Angel knows that he has to leave in order for Connor to grow, and Connor recognizes this too. It's the most open moment of affection we've ever seen between the two and, after all the horror they've suffered... it's very, very earned.

Honorable Mention: The Feeling After Reading After the Fall #1. Now, this isn't really a moment... it's a whole issue worth of moments--no, more than that, it's what I felt after reading the thing. It's hard to explain, but I knew that we were at the start of something special. I had no idea that Angel would eventually be on-going, no idea that Brian would tell the first story as well as he did, and no idea how important this book would become for me. But I felt something. This is how I tried to describe it. Can't believe that years have passed so quickly.

Angel - The Main Title

Angel – The Main Title: A Retrospect on IDW’s Vampire with a Soul

by Patrick Shand

It’s no secret that this site has been more of an IDW’s Angel site than anything else. I’ve be accused of being biased, and here’s the thing—I guess I am. I’m biased because on November 21^st 2007 I fell in love. That’s the day that the first issue of Angel: After the Fall, the series that would eventually becoming known as the Angel on-going (or, as folks on the message boards call it, the main title), hit shelves. Brian Lynch’s tale of a vampire with a soul turned human, a city sent to hell, and a group of people learning what being champions means was so true to the TV series that I couldn’t help but obsess about the series. That book is essentially the reason that I’ve stuck with this blog as long as I have. Reading Brian’s seventeen issue arc planted the seed that would grow into a full blown love of comic books. But that’s just me. What Brian (and many other writers) have done with this series is larger than just me. So here’s my attempt at looking back.

After the Fall was an epic in its own right, but it also set the stage for things to come in what would become the on-going Angel series. Gunn was in a bad state (both physically and mentally), Illyria was trying and failing to find herself, Spike was dealing with leadership issues, Connor was growing comfortable with his new role as a champion, and Angel… well, Angel was working hard at getting back to doing what he did best—fighting the good fight. The first arc in the new post-After the Fall world, novelist Kelley Armstrong took Angel in a radically different direction. With Illyria, Spike, and Gunn off trying to work their issues out, Angel spent the arc assembling a new team in a new location. The new cast consisted of Angel (kinda the obvious one), Connor, Gwen, Kate (who had about the quickest and strangest return of all time), a werejaguar named Dez, and an angel named James. The arc wasn’t very well received, but it did serve in setting up what would be a major arc in the later issues.

And like a true prodigal son, Brian Lynch returned. I remember sitting at the New York Comic-Con panel when it was announced that Brian would be coming back for a few issues on Angel AND writing an on-going Spike miniseries. It was pretty damn awesome, and he definitely delivered. His first issue back on the series centered on Gunn and Illyria—the two characters most damaged by the events of After the Fall—and bashed them together so they could work their intense issues out. The issue showed a return to both the quality and tone of AtF, as did the subsequent issues. Brian Lynch teamed up with Juliet Landau to pen a Drusilla two-parter (set during the events of AtF) that set up some stuff that would pay off later down the road in the Spike on-going. But all good things have to end, and Brian’s run on the main title ended with a two-parter that took Angel and Spike to Comic-Con with a story that was a brilliant callback to the “Halloween” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

And then, Willingham. The superstar writer of the multiple Eisner Award winning Fables took over Angel for what was supposed to be the long-run; Bill Williams wrote back-up issues starring newcomer Eddie Hope for the entirety of Willingham's run. While it took Willingham a while to get some of the voices down, the plot was clearly going somewhere epic. The fallout of Wolfram & Hart sending LA to hell was starting to show, some demon ladies dedicated themselves to Connor for mysterious reasons, Spike had a bit of a soul issue, and the “angel” James was revealed to be a demon God who was planning on using Earth as his own personal demon farm. Willingham’s sights were set on the long-term plot, and things were coming to a nice boil when writers Mariah Huehner (also the editor) and David Tischman came in to pen a touching end to the arc Willingham had set up. Angel, realizing that Connor was becoming a champion in his own right, decided to leave his son to run Angel Investigations. It was an end of sorts, with Illyria spinning off into her own miniseries and Spike leaving to head his own title. This left the main series to focus on the elephants in the room: things were rough between Connor and Gunn, James was still a giant threat, and Angel was in major need of some more screen time in his own title.

Mariah and David stuck around to finish off the on-going series. I did an interview with them at NYCC 2010 right before their The Wolf, the Ram, and the Heart arc kicked off, and man were they pumped. They were telling an story that, to me, sounded as epic in scope as After the Fall was, and they only had six issues to do it. And they had to live up to both the endings of Angel the Series and After the Fall. Big shoes to fill. Hell, big shoes to even look at from a distance. I was both excited and sad for the end, but the confidence and I-can’t-wait-for-you-to-read-this factor that Mariah and Tisch were giving off gave me faith.

Fast-forward half a year later (man, time flies) and here we are. The on-going Angel title is done. Some things are left unresolved, such as Gunn and Connor’s beef (at one point, Gunn believes it is his duty to kill Connor before he becomes the next James… though, while it’s not spelled out, one can assume that Connor’s defeating James and saving Anne might make the guy okay in Gunn’s book) but the majority of the series has been tied up in a big, bloody, epic, and at times inappropriately sexual package. Angel was pulled into a possible future to help Wolfram & Hart deal with what James has done to the planet, while Connor, Gunn, Laura Weathermill, Mr. P, and Anne are readying themselves for a similar battle in the present. Like all good time-travel stories, it’s a bit of a mindfuck when you think about how certain events transpired, but all in all it’s a fitting conclusion to Angel. Angel and Connor beat the bad guy together, Angel takes a stand against Wolfram & Hart, and—with a page that echoes the end of AtF while paying tribute to the friends Angel has lost over the years—our hero walks off into the proverbial (and, luckily for Angel, metaphorical) sunset.

So. Angel the on-going series. The main title. IDW’s Angel. Angel #1-44. It was a great, uneven, beautiful, epic, memorable, intense, and goddamn awesome run. I wish it could’ve gone to issue #100 and beyond… because I already miss it.

(In just a few days… “Spike Rests in Peace: A Retrospect.” This blog loves Brian Lynch. Similar to the Angel and Illyria articles, this blog will take a look at Brian Lynch's epic Spike on-going series, as well as everything he's done with Spike in the past.)

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.

Angel: Last Night

Hey all. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not dead. I just finished writing a novel, I'm in talks with a literary agent, I'm writing another novel, I'm directing an independent film (watch the trailer here, shooting wraps next month), and also I have a personal life and a day job... so the constant updates have been tough. I haven't gotten a chance to read some of the most recent comics, but I'll be catching up soon enough. Can't say I'll be able to post in-depth reviews of everything, but here's what I can promise. Every issue of Season Eight as well as every Brian Lynch penned comic will get a review in the ol' classic style.

But now.

Here's an original ANGEL webcomic I wrote a while back. Art by Pablo Praino, colors/letters by Ryan Marshall.

It takes place during ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL #16.

Here's the previously.

As a punishment for Angel's actions in the series finale, Wolfram & Hart has sent Los Angeles to Hell. Gunn has been turned into a vampire, Angel has been made into a human, Connor is dead, and it has been revealed that W&H is keeping Angel alive for nefarious purposes. He is destined to play a role for the bad in the apocalypse, and Wolfram & Hart has to keep him alive in order to do that. This comic takes place right after the climatic moment in AFTER THE FALL #16 when Angel realizes what he has to do. If he gets Gunn to kill him, he ends his timeline. Wolfram & Hart will have to send them back to the last moment Angel was alive in reality, back in the alley, back when Gunn was alive and Angel was a vampire.

This takes place between the moment of Angel's death and when W&H sends them all back to the alley. Click on the links to read.

Oh, and it features a surprise character that we haven't seen in, well...

CLICK THE LINKS!

PAGE ONE: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/pshand05/Angel_LastNight_page01.jpg

PAGE TWO: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/pshand05/Angel_LastNight_page02.jpg

PAGE THREE: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/pshand05/Angel_LastNight_page03.jpg

PAGE FOUR: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/pshand05/Angel_LastNight_page04.jpg

PAGE FIVE: http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/pshand05/Angel_LastNight_page05.jpg

An Angel: AtF Film?

Pissed about that upcoming Buffy film that is going to go against Joss's vision? Love Angel: After the Fall or the Buffyverse in general? Ever wondered if you'd see a live action version of all those memorable characters, from Angel to Gunn to Connor to Gwen, ever again?

Well, then you might want to check this out.

COMING NOVEMBER 2009.


Review for Buffy #28 on Wednesday!

Angel: After the Fall Hardcover Volume Four

What Is It?: A hardcover that collects the final five issues (thirteen through seventeen) of Angel: After the Fall.

The Content: What can I say about Angel: After the Fall that hasn't been said already by countless fans (myself included)? Brian Lynch crafted an epic, tragic, hilarious, and smart tale that was true to the characters and the story that had already been established. It referenced, ran with, and paid off plot threads that have been part of the mythology since the first season of the show. It kept the momentum of the series finale, "Not Fade Away," which I consider to be the best hour of television ever produced. It has become my favorite comic, and has set the standard for Angel tales to come, and some would even argue for Buffyverse comics to come. It's by far my favorite comic (and this, specifically, is my favorite volume of the series). I've also had a great personal experience with this comic, having met Brian Lynch and Comic-Con in NYC and getting an early look at the final issue of the series... a memorable experience to say the least. So here I am, having re-read this hardcover that collects the final five issues today, with no idea how to sum up my feelings about the series in a new way. This is probably the last time I'm ever going to review or speak at length about After the Fall, so I want to make this time mean something.

I'll start with the art. Stephen Mooney does the first two issues and Franco Urru does the last three, and their styles are so utterly different, but unlike the different artists used in Spike vs. Dracula, the different styles here don't clash. They're both crazy good in their own right, with Stephen getting the likenesses and the dark tone of the series across in his pencils, and Franco getting the fluid action and the raw emotion across in his. Both of them are fine artists, and I'm glad that they got a chance to work on this series. They did Joss Whedon's world and Brian Lynch's words justice.

And speaking of those words. Brian Lynch manages to bring his own quirky writing style to the world of Angel without it being intrusive. His style completely compliments these established characters, and he has come to know them so well over these seventeen issues that they wouldn't sound more in-character if we had the actors themselves reading the lines. His writing is at its most emotional here, giving us both the saddest of tragedy and the happiest eucatastrophe of an ending. Like any Buffyverse finale, there is triumph, there is loss, there are tears, and there are a whole shitload of epic fights. Brian Lynch has given added a beautiful chapter to Angel that sums up everything great about the series, gives it a great ending, and sets up everything that is to come. Since Spike: Asylum, the first comic I ever loved and the first time I realized this medium can be as exciting as television, Brian Lynch has become my favorite comic writer, and if you don't think he's one of the best in the business, well... I don't know, you're wrong. And you smell.

In short, I love this story. It's my favorite book, and it makes me laugh out loud, feel all tense, and cry like a little bitch every time I read it. I guess, to bring this all to an end... I just want to thank Franco Urru, Stephen Mooney, Nick Runge, David Messina, Chris Ryall, all the inkers and colorists and other artists who worked on the series, Joss Whedon, and especially Brian Lynch. You guys made this fandom and our little fanny lives brighter and I appreciate it a big damn lot. Thank you.

The Presentation: ...Crap. Feels kinda like an anti-climax to talk about the technical stuff after that send-off. I feel like the awkward guy who gives a really emotional goodbye at an airport or someplace and then realizes they're walking the same way as the person they said goodbye to Darn. But yeah, the book looks beautiful as always. IDW changed the color of the spine and inside to a blueish black in order to make it vibe with the Alex Garner cover. And damn am I glad they chose that cover. Angel getting dusted as he waves goodbye to the reader, his bones turning to ash in a burst of flames is just so perfect for the final volume of After the Fall. Also, we've got awesome chapter headings (though a bit spoilery if it's the first time you're reading it), the cloth bookmark, and pretty much all the physical perks from the first one. That sounds sexual. It's not. But the book DOES smell great.

Special Features: This is the only place where this book suffers in comparison to the other volumes. While it still has way more extras than most other TPBs or HCs, it doesn't have nearly as many as the other After the Fall collections. Here's what it has. All of the covers, including Stephen Mooney's Time&Space/SlayAlive cover that was missing from the last volume, three original drawings by Stephen Mooney (including the Angel/Gunn Christmas card), some page layouts and pencils by Stephen Mooney, and Brian Lynch's original Issue One proposal to Joss. It's a really interesting read, seeing what could have happened and how certain things did end up happening down the line. I think this book really did deserve an introduction, and I would have also liked to see commentary or just a few notes or insight into the final two issues, but that's just because I'm spoiled. The extras, as they are, are great.

Sigh. Again, thanks, and...

Rating: 10/10 Classic.

Stephen Mooney Interview

First Tipton, then Messina, and now we welcome ANGEL artist Stephen Mooney to Buffyverse Comic Reviews! Read on to see what this gracious, talented, and supremely Irish man had to say about his work in comics.

Buffyverse Comic Reviews: First of all, thanks for doing this. Let’s start off with the basics. How did you get into being a comic artist in the first place? Was it always your dream?

Stephen Mooney: You're more than welcome man, thanks for having me!
I got into comics in a roundabout way, through animation. I had always wanted to draw for a living, and comics were my weapon of choice as a teenager. In Ireland there's no dedicated college course on comicbooks, but there is a very reputable animation college in Dublin. So I figured that I could take that course and draw 8 hours a day 5 days a week, thus gaining a grounding in the same basic aspects of drawing required for comics, ie life-drawing, storytelling, layout etc.
I started freelancing straight out of college, for the first couple of years mostly as a storyboard artist for ad agencies, then two years in a Dublin based animation house called Boulder Media in the background dept, and then finally to full-time comics from there around five years ago.

BCR: How did you first get involved with IDW?

Mooney: After 2 years on an Irish book called Freakshow I emailed (then relatively new EIC of IDW) Chris Ryall after hearing that he'd hired a couple of Irish guys in the recent past. I figured I could play the Blarney card. Chris couldn't have been more responsive and pleasant(or better groomed), and he made me feel right at home straight away. There happened to be a CSI script on his desk looking for an artist at that very moment, and he figured I might be a good fit. After 5 years at this game I've come to realise that timing is 50%, and who you know is the other 50%. There are a lot've guys who're good enough to draw and write these books, opportunity plays such a massive part.

BCR: You’re well known for your work on ANGEL and THE MUMMY, but where can Mooney fans go if they want to see more of your stuff? Are there any other books you’ve been a part of?

Mooney: Well as I mention above, I started with IDW on a CSI series called 'Dying in The Gutters' in 2006, which was a fun whodunnit set firmly in the world of comics at the San Diego comic convention.

Before that I spent 2 years on an Irish book called Freakshow, which was basically Scooby Doo as re-imagined by Tim Burton, a lotta fun. I also drew a series for Fangoria Comics at one point called 'Strangeland: Sevin Sins', but only the first issue of that was released before the company went under. It was all completed though, and they keep threatening to release it in it's entirety as a graphic novel, so who knows.

The last two years has been pretty dominated by Angel work, with the Mummy series somewhere in between.

I've had a few short stories here and there in Irish and British anthology books also. Tough stuff to track down, even I don't have copies of everything.

BCR: You expressed interest in working on AFTER THE FALL ever since it was announced. You even drew up a few pages of the alley fight. How did it feel when you were called in to work on the pivotal arc of issues #12-14? How were you approached?

Mooney: How was I approached? It was more a case of when was I unleashed! I remember I got a mail from Chris, under the subject heading of ANGEL that consisted of one line that said 'We're ready for you'. That was to draw the Connor and Kate segments of First Night. To say I was thrilled would be somewhere beneath an understatement. I had been badgering Chris since I came onboard IDW to let me at the Angel books, but I didn't think I'd ever really get a shot since David Messina was doing such an amazing job there already. But Chris had let me know that sooner rather than later, big things would be happening in the Angelverse and more troops would be required. When I heard that Joss was working on a comicbook continuation to the show, that's when I drew those sample pages up to 'audition' for the job. I didn't know that the artist had already been chosen for the book(the amazing Franco Urru), and I'm kind've glad now that I didn't come on board until later as I don't think my abilities were quite sharpened enough at that point. So to start on issues 6+7 was perfect for me. Those stories seemed to get a pretty strong reaction, along with Nick's Wesley story, which I think was probably the main factor in us getting the nod from Chris and Brian to tackle those meatier arcs further on. For me, getting to draw the issue 12-14 arc was beyond perfect, as Cordelia is my favourite female Buffyverse character(followed closely by Anya and Fred, fact-fans), and this was a chance to really do her justice. I was a massive fan of her send-off in 'You're Welcome', so I was a little dubious about her return at first. But once the scripts started coming in from Brian those fears were allayed big-time.

BCR: What was it like to draw all those epic moments?

Mooney: SO cool. Real, character defining, in-continuity moments for some of my favourite characters? Yes please. Cordy coming back, Illyria unleashed, Connor finally growing up... I mean, I was and am such a fan of the show, and this is pivotal stuff, so yeah... I was a happy bunny.

BCR: The pages you worked on brought a lot of old characters back. How did it feel tackling likenesses of characters like Kate, who had never appeared in the comics before?

Mooney: It was grand really, likenesses don't really bother me(although I wouldn't mind working on a book soon WITHOUT any likenesses...). It was just such a thrill to be involved that all technical concerns like that became secondary. You just work it out. Cordy was the most fun, as she's such a looker. That said, I do love drawing Kate and was so happy that she has a little upcoming cameo with Angel in issue 26. She discovers where she'd left the key to her wardrobe.

BCR: Something you’ve said a few times is that NOT FADE AWAY is your favorite episode of television, period. Well, that’s something we have in common. How did it feel to work on an adaptation episode you love so much?

Mooney: Daunting! I mean, in all honesty, my initial reaction to the offer of working on it was 'really? um... hasn't that already been done, like, really quite well?'. As you mentioned, I do consider that episode as being pretty untouchable. But then I've always been a bit of a groper. So when I sat down and tried breaking down some of the scenes, I realised that maybe comics could bring a little something new to the tale. Little changes of angle and perspective here, and a totally different shot there could maybe bring out that tiny bit of nuance in a certain look, or emotive response. As to how successful the adaptation was is anybody's guess, but myself and (the fantastic) Scott Tipton were quite proud of the results, and felt that we at least managed to provide a slightly different take. There's an argument that such adaptations aren't all that necessary, why repeat something like that? But I think that maybe there is sufficient gold to be mined, and there's certainly fun in trying. At the end of the day the books are there for those interested in such new takes on old favourites, and can be ignored by those who don't feel the need.

Different strokes for different folks. That said, I did get offered more episode adaptations but turned them down, as I felt that I'd had my say and that other people could bring a fresher perspective.

BCR: If you could do the art for any other Angel adaptation, what episode would it be?

Mooney: See above. If they offered me the Five by Five/Sanctuary two-parter, well then I'd hafta think about it, as I adore Faith and those episodes in particular. Never say never!

BCR: Now, the essential trivia bits. Favorite character? Episode? Season?

Mooney: Favourite characters, in order of preference: Wesley, Angel, Cordy, Doyle, Lorne and Fred/Illyria.
Favourite episodes: Not Fade Away, A Hole in the World, You're Welcome, Darla, I Will Remember You, Hero... the list goes on, way too many.
Favourite Seasons: 5, then 3 for Wesley's arc. All the Darla material in 2 was pretty great. 4 would be my least favourite.

BCR: Out of all the books you’ve worked on, Angel or otherwise, which are you most proud of?

Mooney: Angel, for the fact that what I was getting to draw was so momentous and really meant something in the scheme of things. Also for meeting and getting to work with Brian Lynch. Then, on the other side of the coin, I was really proud of the Mummy book I did with a great writer named Josh Jabcuga. It was a hugely fun, swashbuckling tale in the Raiders of the Lost Ark mould, that was just diametrically opposed to the dark seriousness of Angel. I was dying to do a book like that that was pure action-adventure, and I thought it turned out really well. It had beautiful colouring by a painter friend of mine, Lisa Jackson, which I loved. She also coloured my segments of First Night, actually.

BCR: I know it’s still a few months until the issues come out, but hell… I’m excited. What can you tell me about the BOYS AND THEIR TOYS issues?

Mooney: Um, not much unfortunately, other than what's been described already in the solicitation. I will say that I'd been dying to work with Brian on a proper Angel/Spike tale, where they spend a lot of time in each other's company and have loads of those great back and forths that I love so much from the show. My favourite aspect of Brian's writing is his dialogue, and these scripts certainly didn't disappoint.

BCR: You came to NYCC this year, but I unfortunately missed you. Did you make it to SDCC this year, and did either of your experiences at the cons influence your work on BOYS AND THEIR TOYS?

Mooney: I've been to the San Diego con a few times, and the CSI series I drew was also set there, so I've had a lot of experience with these things! Didn't make it to Comic-con this year as I was in New York earlier and hafta limit my trips to the states to generally once a year. I'll probably be there next time though, I have to go to Brian's house and wee in his pool.

BCR: You’ve also been working with super scribe Brian Lynch on another project that has more in common with DOUBT than it does with ANGEL. How much can you tell us about ONE BAD MOTHER? How did the idea come up, and when did Brian approach you?

Mooney: The idea was mostly Brian's and he talked to me at length about it at the New York con. I LOVE the premise, it's right up my alley. What is the premise? I'm not sure I can say... I don't wanna step on Brian's toes, this book is his baby. I was delighted to be asked to collaborate and have drawn the first 7 pages of the first issue. We've yet to shop it around the publishers to see if anybody bites, but hopefully that'll happen sooner rather than later.
Brian Lynch is one ridiculously busy guy. He does the comics stuff purely for the love of it, he has a full-time job as a (successful!)screenwriter.

He's also an amazing lover.

I hear.

BCR: Any chance we’ll see any more of you on the main ANGEL title or any spin-offs? We need the Mooney fix!

Mooney: You know, I'm really not sure. I was thinking about it, and the annual which I'm working on now could very well be the last Angel book I draw. After nearly two years working mostly on Angel, is that enough? I don't know. I can tell you that I've written a pitch with Brian for a Wesley one-shot/mini, set during season five, which I think is really interesting and delves into stuff to do with his father and the watcher's council, and lots of struggling to come to terms with Fred's death and this new beast named Illyria. I just think there's so much more can be said with the Wesley character, and I'm loathe to let him go! So maybe we'll see that at some point, I don't know.
As for other Angel-related material, I hope so some day.

BCR: Lastly, can you talk a bit about the Eclectic Micks and another other projects you’re working on?

Mooney: Sure! The Ecclectic Micks is a collective of seven Irish comicbook artists that maintain a blog in which we each post a sketch/finished piece/brainfart on our given day of the week. I post every moondog monday, often with Angel-related material.

Being a comicbook artist is indeed a solitary game, and any avenue you can follow that will lead to actual social interaction is indeed a prize worth pursuing.

The lads are all sound, and we get on really well. A couple of them(Nick Roche - Transformers, Stephen Thompson - Star Trek) wallow with me in the IDW gene-pool too. We get tables together at cons and the like, and you'll probably find a bunch of us together at any given event. Tis fun.

We have our first sketchbook coming out soon, with all of the best stuff from the first year of the blog. Folks should come on over to http://eclecticmicks.blogspot.com/ and check us out.
I also have my own blog over at http://moondog-themoonblog.blogspot.com/ which heavily features Angel artwork. Come say hi!

Thanks Stephen! And what do you say, IDW? Make that Mooney/Lynch Wesley story happen!

PICTURES:

a. Freakshow #1 cover

b. Freakshow #11 cover

c, d, e. Angel alley fight demo

f. Angel #26, page 1

g. One Bad Mother #1, page 2

h. One Bad Mother #1, page 5

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COMING SOON TO BUFFYVERSE COMIC REVIEWS:

REVIEW FOR Angel: After the Fall Volume Four

REVIEW FOR Angel: Smile Time HC

INTERVIEW with Fallen Angel artist J. K. Woodward

INTERVIEW with Angel: Only Human writer Scott Lobdell

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Pick up Mooney & Lynch's Angel #26 this October!

It's a mystery how I seem to be something less than myself.

What Is It?: Angel #23- Become What You Are (Written by Brian Lynch)

Timing: After Angel #17, before Angel #18.

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 covered.

REVIEW: The dream team of Brian Lynch, Franco Urru, and colorist Fabio Mantovani are back to deliver the story we've been waiting for. Check out how anticipatey I was, I even made a list. But now the wait is over. The issue has been released, I've read it, and I loved it. It was a unique mix of somber reflection, wonky humor, and good old fashioned scrappin' that made After the Fall so special.

Gunn takes center stage for this issue, as we get a look at what he's been up to. Before "Aftermath," Gunn was in a coma... but then we saw a quick flash of the dude in a car, driving with Illyria to an unknown destination. It was a weird thing, but Brian Lynch took advantage of the inconsistency and spun a really cleverly written story that examines the repercussions of Gunn's actions in Hell. As Angel said in #17, "a man isn't measured by the mistakes he's made. He's measured by what he does about them." This issue focuses on just that: What Gunn is doing (and preparing to do) about his mistakes.

The issue starts with a classic "How Did They Get To This Point." Joss did it with naked Mal in Firefly, and Brian does it with naked Gunn about to be killed by Illyria in this. The issue flashes back to Gunn in the hospital, and fills in the blanks, first with Gunn's recollection of all the people who came to visit him, from Gwen to Groo, from Angel to Betta George. This is all really sweet and sad stuff, especially George's olive branch and Gunn coming to terms with the fact that less and less people are going to be visiting. It's very real, very human. But it's not all tears and singin' the blues, because Groosalugg's reading of Green Eggs and Ham might replace his greeting in #4 as the funniest Groo line ever: "Ha! This scrawny one's sophisticated palate is proving most frustrating for his companion, but proving most entertaining to me!"

Then, the meat of the issue kicks off. Gunn has to deal with two ladies he wronged in Hell, and the first is the evil pixie Non, who was the Big Bad in Spike: After the Fall. Non's dialogue isn't as punchy or quirky before, but I did like the role she played. She was still pretty funny, but she was also really sad and pathetic. Maybe her new found lack of confidence (she's definitely feigning it when she boasts here, as she's been ripped down from a position of power) is the reason she's not speaking as cocky or slick as she used to. Either way, she could have been a simple plot device to wake Gunn up from his coma and get him to a brand new state, but instead, she played a vital role in the issue. More on her later.

Gunn and Illyria are a really interesting pairing, that's for sure. The whole opener of "Is Illyria Going to Kill Gunn" is settled with one of the funniest scenes in the book, which shows Illyria (SPOILER:) writing all the different ways she could have killed Gunn on a wall. The ways are hilarious, especially "drown in mud," but it's also just a smart way to handle things. As she gains more humanity, she's starting to behave like Fred, who, as we all know, was a notorious wall-writer when she was at her weakest. The two of them then have a conversation that shows how far they are removed from the norm at this point, how they can't be what they were, but have to find something new to move onto. Gunn has this darkness, Illyria is, in her own words, "infected with humanity." That they can help balance each other and, together, move towards something new is pretty beautiful.

And we also get a trip to Mosaic, which... let's just say it's a pretty damn well done mislead. I won't even spoiler box this, you guys will just have to read to see it. It's a pretty quick moment, but it's hilarious.

The issue ends how most of us expected. Gunn and Illyria in a car, driving off into the distance. But in true Buffyverse fashion, Brian Lynch crafts a metaphor out of Illyria driving. After Gunn says that she shouldn't drive, because she doesn't know how, she says, "We're surrounded by nothing but vast emptiness. That is an ideal situation to learn." I never thought we'd get such a tender, brilliantly written moment out of Gunn playing driving instructor to Illyria of all people, but I guess the Angel title just continues to surprise.

Hilarious, tragic, pensive, brilliant, and just what we needed to give this series a push in the right direction.

Art: Really, really good. I'm big on Franco, and I just love what he does with these characters. They're strong when they're supposed to look strong, graceful when they're supposed to look graceful, pathetic when they're supposed to look pathetic, and so on. He is the perfect compliment to Brian Lynch's writing, with his uncanny ability to pack the same emotion and humor into his art as Brian does with his writing. Urru has been impressing me since I first picked up a copy of Spike: Asylum #1, when I immediately said, "This is the guy."

Covers: This time, we've got covers from Franco Urru and Nick Runge. Runge is back to his old, and in my opinion, better style. He was doing a painted look for most of his Aftermath covers, but here he's back to his realistic looking pencils. He shows Gunn enveloped in a misty blue nothingness. It's simple, but effective. Overall, one of my favorite Runge covers. The Urru cover definitely isn't Franco's strongest. It's a cool image, of Non's shadow looming over a helpless, comatose Gunn... but some of it is just off. Gunn's face looks strange and his right hand is ginormous. Definitely not a bad cover, but not among the best of Franco's work.

Characters We Know: Gunn, Illyria, Groosalugg, Lorne, Gwen, Connor (flashback), Wesley (flashback), Angel (flashback), Betta George, Talking "Are You High?" T-Rex, Non, Anna (from Asylum).

Rating: 9/10