However, for the sake of brevity, I'll give you only the details necessary for this particular quartet of issues I'm going to cover this month, Angel #5-8. In Angel, the titular vampire was once one of the most deranged, bloodthirsty monsters to walk the face of the Earth. However, he failed to follow the horror movie rule of "don't fuck with gypsies" and ended up being cursed with a soul...something the vampires of the Buffyverse (generally), do not have. Thus, he was doomed to remember every evil deed he had ever committed...and be weighed down under that guilt, suffering for all of eternity.
At least until 1999, when he left Buffy's supporting cast to go to LA. Getting together with a wise-cracking half-demon and Cordelia from the aforementioned parent series, Angel opened up a detective agency with the single goal of helping the helpless. Over five seasons, we were both introduced to and came to love a wonderful cast of characters, all of whom grew and develop during the series' tenure in a way that rivaled Buffy's, if not surpassed it's parent show.
Which brings us to where spoilers come in. So, with the final warning given, we begin.
The current run of Angel sees the vampire with a soul traveling back through time in order to undo wrongs he has committed, as well as being a part in a much bigger goal. I do admit, I had actually had to drop Angel and Faith during its run, though that was due to budgetary reasons rather than quality. Despite not being one of the big two, Dark Horse does tend to put out good material, at least from what I've seen.
Also, this is marketed as "Angel Season 11", so it speaks to how much the fans have wanted it and for how long it's been running.
"Time and Tide, Part One" starts off with Angel and Fred (who has miraculously returned from the dead and is now running around with Elder God Illyria as he co-pilot) appearing on an old galleon named the Galane, going to England after a stopover in Australia. However, Angel tells Fred that the ship never makes it, thanks to invention by pirates. He believes something is smuggled aboard, but cannot elaborate more before Darla appears and they are forced to hide.
Darla seems to notice something amiss, but begins to work her charms on an elderly deckhand. Fred points out that, with Darla here, Angelus - Angel's sadistic alter-ego - can't be far behind. And, as it turns out, the deckhand in question may also have the item that Angel and Fred are looking for - a jeweled beetle.
Angel actually manages to get a hold of the man while Darla and Angelus bicker, saving his life and changing time in the process. They tail him back to his room, and after Fred breaks in with some skills she picked up in their detective days, they break in and find...a live beetle in a box. Finding some strange writing on it, Angel decides that he needs to question the deckhand more thoroughly, leaving Fred to guard the box and promising that she'll hardly know he's gone...
...which proves very, very true when Darla comes along and demands to know what's in the box.
...and Angelus proves to not be far behind her...
This comic has some good art that is admittedly somewhat cartoon-y, but isn't so much so as to be unbearable or making the reader unable to take it seriously. The only weird disconnect I get is that the covers capture the likenesses of the actors and actresses from the show (in this case, David Boreanaz and Julie Benz) beautifully, while the actual comic itself...doesn't. At all. That being said, I really enjoy the cover by Scott Fischer where Darla's dress is stylized to be the sail of the ship. It's just a very neat visual.
And the comic presents a promising atmosphere ripe with terror. Two of the most infamous, deadliest vampires in the history of the Buffyverse on a ship with no real chance of easy escape or rescue, as well as knowing that the events in question are only counting down to their being attacked by pirates. Plus, a mystery concerning the beetle, which is implied to be much, much more than it seems to be. It is definitely a strong start to the story.
Next week, we head into Issue #6 with an awesome cover that promises us a match that...we've admittedly seen before but is no less cool, and is admittedly the reason why I chose this storyline.
"Angel vs. Angelus!"
Angel is currently published by Dark Horse Comics.
For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.
No comments:
Post a Comment