Review: Angel & Faith Volume 4: Death and Consequences

Just a note upfront – shortly after issue #18 was published, Robin Sachs, the actor who played Ethan Rayne, died of a heart attack. That made this story arc slightly awkward to read, especially since it involved his dead body being reanimated by a demon.

Postmortem awkwardness aside, this story arc returns to the resurrection storyline after the minor distraction that was Angel visiting his son’s wonderful childhood home. In Death and Consequences (written by Christos Gage, illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs), Angel sets out to finish collecting Giles’s soul in his enchanted nipple ring after discovering where the rest of his soul would be located.

Something that strikes me is that a lot of this arc is a retcon of things that happened as far back as Season Two of the series. In some places, it does slow the story down a bit in order to explain away how things happened before, but it does that for the sake of actually improving that old story and opening up possibilities. I was always bothered by the way that the show handled Eyghon all the way back in Season Two – for a demon that was supposedly so powerful and spent twenty years tracking down Giles and his cohorts, he sure went down easily. No, there wasn’t really a flaw in the logic that the demon in Angel managed to kick Eyghon out, but the idea that he was so much more powerful as to kill him felt wrong, so I was glad to see this retcon, especially with the story possibilities that it opened up.

Nadira is also a major character in this arc, and she’s one of the few good characters created specifically for the comics (interestingly, they’re almost all in this series), showing that they can actually make characters for the comics that people will like (unlike, say, Billy). When I first read this, I had almost forgotten that she learned about Angel working with Faith before the previous arc, and I didn’t really know how she was going to handle it. From the beginning, they made it obvious that she wasn’t exactly going to be forgiving towards Angel for what he’d done as Twilight (if it was him, or not, or whoever he was – it’s really confusing, and they lampshade that here), but I expected the conflict to bubble over at a later point inthe series, not this early. Even though it’s obvious given the context (especially the name of the series) that he wasn’t going to die this early, it still felt like she was actually going to kill him if he didn’t cooperate.

There’s also Spike, who comes into the series here for a short time. Throughout the entire run of Buffy and Angel, Spike’s banter and general disdain for Angel was great to watch, and it continues here. Until now, there’d never been any on-screen interaction between Spike, Angel, and Faith at the same time (this is technically on a page, not a screen, but my point is the same), and they all have a wonderful chemistry together. As I’ve said before for Christos Gage, I can hear the actors saying his dialogue for the characters, and Spike is no different. His introductory line to Angel is, well, perfect for Spike, and if you don’t read it in James Marsters’s voice, then something is wrong with you.

For the first time in this series, Rebekah Isaacs illustrated one of the issues that’s a multiple of five, and I’m glad she did. Even though they tend to be one-shot issues (#25 wasn’t, but the others were), the change in art was jarring and distracting more than anything else. For this one, we finally have continuity and the characters look like I’m used to them looking by now, which make a contribution to that issue, Spike and Faith. Now, a lot of people have big problems with this issue, and while I agree that it’s not one of the stronger ones in the series, I don’t think it really deserves that hatred. The story was a little thin for an issue and it’s obvious that they were waiting for the beginning of the next arc, but the characters sound like themselves and it has some really fun banter between them so, even though I’m not going to say it’s one of the better issues, I don’t think it’s the character derailment a lot of fans treat it as. Taking it apart and going into why would take a whole other article that I’m not going to write, so don’t bother holding your breath.

Best cover in the series.

On the subject of extra features, I think I want to see all of Rebekah Isaacs’s sketchbooks. This isn’t as robust as some extra features I’ve seen in other trades, but the thing I love is that it allows you to really get inside her head. She explains a lot about what she draws and why she made the decisions that she did, including showing older design sketches and telling us exactly why they didn’t work (for example, her first sketch of Eyghon looked too much like “guy in a suit”, so she made it more grotesque and demonic), which manages to take what would otherwise be just a series of pictures and manage to tell a story out of the making of the story. I love these extra features, but best of all, it ends on the variant cover for issue #20, which is easily my favorite cover in the series.

Overall, another good story that I recommend, even if the last part is a little bit shaky. It’s worth the $17.99 cover price, though if you don’t care about the special features or don’t need the nice looking trade paperback, you can always buy the individual issues in physical or digital form, but I really think it’s worth it to get the trade.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) wishes this arc was called “Angel extracts a man’s soul from his enchanted nipple ring”. If you find what he says interesting, follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings for more, shorter thoughts.

Review: Angel & Faith #25

Oh wow, this is going to be difficult. I love this series, and it’s coming to an end. Angel & Faith #25 (written by Christos Gage, illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs), the final issue of the Angel & Faith miniseries and second last issue of Buffy Season Nine. I hate to see it happen because I love the series so much, but since it had to end, I’ll take the one they gave us over any other one I can think of.

There’s not much I can say about the plot, given that it’s the end of the series. There are events in this issue that are going to have a huge impact on Season Ten. There’s no restoring the previous status quo, which was never really a fear of mine but still a possibility. Many important things happened in this series, and they’ll all have an impact on the future. While I don’t want it to end, it is going to have an impact on the future, so while I believe that a good story should be able to stand on its own regardless of how it fits into any kind of continuity, the fact that everything will have a lasting impact can only be a positive for a series this good.

It also wraps up all the different character arcs running throughout the series. It manages to feel like a real ending and not just the point where they decided to stop before telling the next story. In the case of this miniseries, it really does work pretty well as a standalone – while the setup of the universe might require some prior knowledge, that manages to be filled in throughout, and the series as a whole stands up on its own well enough that I could tell anyone, even without knowing the Buffy universe, to read this series, and I trust that they’d be able to get it and get a good, satisfying story out of it.

The art continues to be great, but you knew that already. We’ve seen pretty much everything the book has to offer so far, but one thing that I want to bring up because I never did before was the effects that the magic leaking had on regular civilians. A decent part of this book is spent with people like that visible, and this is one of those areas where the shift to the comic medium has been a help to the series. While these kind of effects were pulled off in the show on a pretty regular basis (the vast majority of the demons were people in prosthetics and makeup), they tended to be either full transformation or just different enough to be unsettling. All of these designs look like just having fun with trying to make humans look fully human while still being quite different – I somehow doubt that the effects of a person having wings would’ve played out well on the show, for example.

At this point, I don’t know what else I’m able to say about this issue without just telling you I definitely recommend you buy it. Don’t expect a revisiting until the trades come out, though – need some real time to digest this series and everything that’s happened in it. Though I’m still getting over the fact that one of my favorite series is ending, it’s the right ending for this series. I’m unable to think of a better way for it to end, so even though I don’t want it to end, they pulled it off. Just go out there and pay $2.99 for it already. I’m already looking forward to when it comes out and I can read the entire series again beginning to end in one sitting. And if you’re obscenely late to the party, there are three trade paperbacks and all the other single issues that you should buy. You can read it even if you don’t know the Buffyverse, and if you like having the entire story all at once, now is the time.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is now going to spend his time waiting to figure out what exactly Christos Gage is writing in Season Ten, hoping that announcements come soon. If you find what he says interesting, follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings for more, shorter thoughts.

Review: Angel & Faith #24

Despite my disillusionment with most of the Buffy comics (check out my review of the most recent Buffy comic if you want more detail), Angel & Faith somehow manages to break through all of that. Whenever I get a new issue, I have a combination of nervousness and excitement over what I’m about to read. I’m not nervous because I’m afraid that the same thing will happen to this as happened to the Buffy comics, but because I’m legitimately invested in the characters and am afraid of that fact that I know some of them are going to be killed. When reading this, I really want them to prevent the end of the world because I want this universe to continue to exist. All of that is there to lead into Angel & Faith #24 (written by Christos Gage, illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs), where the end of the world seems imminent, and things are somehow getting even worse.

Until now, this series has had a very steady pattern. Each arc was 4 issues, with a fifth issue being a one-shot story. I was expecting for this issue to wrap up this storyline and the next to start dealing with the fallout, which is also the way that Season Eight ended, but it doesn’t. Instead, this story arc is continuing into the next and final issue, allowing for more character development in places you might not expect. In fact, most of the focus is on characters whose names aren’t in the title, which goes a long way towards making me care about the world not ending.

Most of this issue involves the characters trying to track down and control the magic orb that started causing mayhem and destruction at the end of the last issue. It’s not a single-minded hunt for the orb, however. Instead, the characters take on tasks that are more fit to their skill sets, reminding me of how The Avengers handled having different characters of very different abilities. This makes much more sense than everyone trying to do the same thing and that’s even pointed out by a couple characters, who decide on their own to take a slightly different tactic to deal with this dilemma.

A big part of the character development is that I never would’ve expected how much I like Giles’s great aunts, but those two characters are great and even manage to steal the show in this issue. They’ve been used mostly as the comic relief so far, but they’ve been given some more serious development, which they’ve gotten quite a bit of in this arc. They’re probably the best of the characters who have been introduced in the comics so far (they were created for a spinoff that never happened, so I can’t say that they were created for the comic), which admittedly isn’t that stiff of a competition, but I actually like them and enjoy that they have some greater depth than just being vain comic relief.

Looking at the art in this issue, I finally have the chance to talk about Whistler’s true demon form, which debuted in the previous issue but I didn’t want to talk about for the sake of spoilers. It’s very much what you’d expect for a demonic form, but the face manages to look a lot like Whistler and still have the entire range of emotions that someone would need to show, which he really gets the chance to show throughout this issue. I know that it probably seems like such a little thing, but it adds so much when the Big Bad of the season is humanized. That bit of the art adds more than I can really get across with just words, so you’ll have to just trust me, or take a look at how much Rebekah Isaac’s art has relied on facial expressions in previous issues to do subtle but significant character work.

This probably sounds like I’m not quite excited about this issue as I have been about others in this last arc. That’s not because it’s not good, it just hasn’t had me quite as excited as the previous ones in this final arc. It’s still really good and I recommend it just like all the others in this series, so if you have any interest in this series and $2.99 you don’t absolutely need for something else, buy it. This is your last chance to jump in before the series ends.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is saddened by the fact that this series is ending soon, but does have the encouragement that the creative team will continue to work in this universe. If you find what he says interesting, follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings for more, shorter thoughts.

Review: Angel and Faith #23

It should be no surprise to anyone who reads my reviews that I loved Angel & Faith #23 (written by Christos Gage, illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs). That makes these reviews difficult to write, as it’s difficult to say why I find something to be so good without going into details and spoilers. Whenever I read an issue, I’m so drawn in that it takes multiple reads to really see it with a critical point of view. But I’m nothing if not willing to read until I see the flaws, so here goes.

This issue picks up right where the last left off, starting the apocalyptic battle against Whistler, Pearl, and Nash. While the previous issue was the calm before the storm, this one is pretty much constant action, so if you wanted to see more action in this series, this will deliver on that promise.

Gage promised that two characters would not survive the end of the series. The first of those deaths happens in this issue, though I won’t say who. This is where I have my biggest problem with this issue. It’s very abrupt and a little jarring, which is almost normal for this series. With that quick death, however, there are a lot of questions brought up that aren’t answered or even acknowledged. The lack of answers here does leave it feeling unsatisfying, but at least acknowledging what happened in a future issue would give some closure that’s lacking here. Those events are surrounded by a different character’s internal monologue, and while I understand why it’s here, it doesn’t quite have the impact I was hoping it would.

I was afraid that, with a battle this big and few characters being capable fighters, Faith and Angel would be the only ones in the spotlight in spite of all the battle planning in the previous issue. It doesn’t play out that way at all, and everyone plays a role in the battle without anything feeling forced. Their contributions don’t make it easy, and the situation only seems to get worse as the battle rages on. I’m not entirely sure where they’re taking things from this point. It doesn’t yet feel like they’ve written themselves into a corner, but the situation is pretty dire, and will be difficult to get out of. I trust this team to get it right, though, and not take a cheap or easy way out.

The art continues to be great, though I find it difficult to explain why yet again. The problems I have are the same as before: we’ve seen almost everything before, and the few new designs would be spoilery to talk about in any detail (in general, they’re not overly original, but there’s nothing wrong with them). The only thing I can say, and it’s not specific to this issue, is that I’m starting to see these designs as the characters more than the actors who portrayed them. I know it’s not very specific, but I think it says a lot.

I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but I give this issue a strong recommendation for the $2.99 cover price despite all the small flaws I kept pointing out. I’d even be willing to pay more for it, for any of the issues in the series, really. Once again, I’ll just ask that any Bufy fans who don’t follow this series check it out, as it really is worth it, and captures the feeling and tone of the show as well as any of the comics have.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is dutifully writing this instead of being out on the beach. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as he tends to not like beaches and sun much in the first place. If you find what he says interesting, follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings for more, shorter thoughts.

Review: Angel & Faith #22

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.

Review: Angel & Faith #21

Angel & Faith #21 (written by Christos Gage and illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs) is the first comic in the final arc of Season Nine of the Buffyverse comics. It’s also impossible for me to look at from a neutral point of view. I’m a huge fan of Joss Whedon and his work, and Faith is my favorite of all his characters in all his projects. As such, I’m a little biased in favor of this book. On the other hand, if they do something wrong, I will know, it will bother me, and I will make a point out of it. So far, this series has stuck out to me as the best of Buffy Season Nine, and this issue only reaffirms my stance on that.

The art, as usual for the series, is great. I have one small complaint though, which is that Giles’s aunt, Lavinia, looks a bit too much like Faith, which makes one scene a little confusing at first. That’s nothing new, however, and I’m glad that it’s basically my only complaint about the art. It stays in that great sweet spot where the characters resemble the actors but are just abstracted enough to be visually distinct and take on a life of their own. I’ve loved this style since I started reading this series – it is a little difficult to adjust if you haven’t been reading the comics up to this point, but it’s not too hard to get used to.

Many people, myself included, took issue with issue #20, feeling that the characterization was slightly off (I even saw someone on Twitter tell Christos Gage to never write Spike again), and I think that might have put people off from continuing with this series. If that was something that bothered you about the previous issue, don’t worry; all those problems are fixed in this issue. Everyone sounds like themselves again – every line sounded like something the characters may have said on the show. Gage hasn’t lost his grasp on the characters – if you never liked the way he wrote them, then you’re out of luck, but everyone who did will be happy that it’s back on track now.

There are a couple of story issues that I’ll talk about in the abstract here so I don’t spoil anyone.

There is a small crossover here between this series and Buffy, including one story point that may be a little confusing if you didn’t follow the previous arc (issues #16-20) of that series. Anyone familiar with the mythology of the show could probably figure out what is happening, but it’s not immediately obvious.

Since the end of Season Eight/start of Season Nine, they haven’t been completely clear what the loss of magic actually meant. Each series has allowed some magic, and this issue finally addresses that with as good an explanation as they’ll probably ever give. While the rules are still flexible and ambiguous, they give an explanation for why. This seems a little late to explain the consequences of the previous season’s climax, but I guess it’s better late than never. They do use the ambiguity of the situation to set up a large cliffhanger at the end of the issue, so be aware of that — it is both frustrating and leaves me desperately wanting to read the next issue.

Overall, if you have any familiarity with the Buffyverse, this comic is definitely worth the $2.99 cover price. If you’re unsure about jumping in this late in the series, go back to issue #1 and see what you think. If you’re reading the Buffy series but not this one (and the sales numbers show there are a lot of you), pick this up too — you have no reason not to.

Zac Kandell (known mostly on the internet as Mischlings) is a lowly newbie writer here. Follow him on Twitter at @Mischlings to read his thoughts in bite-sized pieces when he actually has any worth sharing.