I love the Angel & Faith series, but even by that standard, issue #22 (written by Christos Gage, illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs) floored me. I’m flabbergasted by this issue in the best way possible. I get the feeling that it’ll be polarizing, but put me firmly down on the side of loving it. Problem is, I can’t say why – everything past the first three pages (previously released as preview pages) is a huge spoiler, and you want to go into this blind. It’s hard to even explain why it’s so good without spoilers (there will be another article soon with spoilers), so I’m telling you here: if you have any interest, go and get it right now.
The last issue ended with the resurrection spell being interrupted by Whistler and crew attacking. This issue deals with the aftermath of the spell being interrupted… and it’s funny. They take it in an unexpected, humorous direction for what really is a very serious situation, but it’s not just a joke. They didn’t spend an entire season setting up a punchline, instead going for the mix of wit and situational humor familiar to fans of Buffy and Whedon’s work in general, something that the comics have been hit and miss with so far. To clarify without spoiling, the tone reminds me of “Tabula Rasa” from season 6, without feeling like a ripoff of that episode.
Onto other topics talking vaguely around spoilers, a character who’s been absent for a little while comes back into the story, and their presence greatly complicates the situation. It’s good to see this, as it has the potential to pay off something set up back in the first issue of the series. Even if you recognize that fact, this character’s effect on the story isn’t entirely clear quite yet. I’ve loved the writing in this series so far, but we haven’t yet seen it over the long term. We’re starting to see that even somewhat small and possibly forgotten story points and characters are going to pay off. It’s also great economy of writing – everything I’ve talked about in this paragraph came from two panels and no dialogue, letting just the visuals tell the story.
That economy in storytelling was not just specific to that scene. The pacing is basically perfect, managing to mix moving quickly with not rushing past things before they can sink in. I had to check to make sure that this was not more than the standard 22 pages (it’s not) because so many important moments happen that it felt longer than it was in the best way possible.
There’s no direct crossover with the Buffy series. I didn’t expect there to be (that rumor was debunked a while ago), but they do maintain continuity. The big events currently happening in the Buffy series have a subtle but tangible effect on the action in this issue, distracting and possibly costing the characters some time in a very serious situation. This type of crossover is one of my favorites, as it’s a bonus for those who follow everything but doesn’t detract from understanding if you don’t.
Rebekah Isaacs’s art continues to be good for all the reasons I’ve mentioned previously. Something in particular caught my attention in this issue: rooftops. Dialogue heavy scenes usually take place on rooftops because they allow for interesting visuals, and Isaacs always delivers on that point. There’s only one such scene here, but it sticks out as a rather long and character heavy scene. It could easily be just talking heads, but the view from the roof adds just enough detail to make every panel interesting while not distracting from the characters. She also provides a really good interpretation of someone else’s art, which I did not expect to see here and need to give credit to, even though it would be a spoiler to reveal what exactly it is.
Overall, I cannot recommend this issue enough. It’s definitely worth the $2.99 cover price. Even though it’s late in the arc, I think it’s actually accessible to people who aren’t big followers of the comics, and though you won’t get the full depth of the character work, it should still be accessible, so even if you’re not already following the series and this has piqued your interest, just buy and read it already.
Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is a staff writer for the Red Shirt Crew, and is at a loss for words. Follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings to find out when he gets them back.
Onto other topics talking vaguely around spoilers, a character who’s been absent for a little while comes back into the story, and their presence greatly complicates the situation. It’s good to see this, as it has the potential to pay off something set up back in the first issue of the series. Even if you recognize that fact, this character’s effect on the story isn’t entirely clear quite yet. I’ve loved the writing in this series so far, but we haven’t yet seen it over the long term. We’re starting to see that even somewhat small and possibly forgotten story points and characters are going to pay off. It’s also great economy of writing – everything I’ve talked about in this paragraph came from two panels and no dialogue, letting just the visuals tell the story.
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