Angel - After the fall #2

[rogin]

Squeeeeee! Squee squeededy, squeee sqeeamus sqee squeest.

Can I say it again? I love After the Fall!! It does all the things for me, that I hoped season 8 would do! I get the comics insanely late, so this goes online, when everybody is already discussing #3 *sigh*. Anyway, god, this was good stuff. I love how Lynch caught and modified the dynamics between the characters.
First there is Ghost-Wes, who is nice and all but of course can't ever be trusted. Can't  wait to see, where they will take him. Is there a way to free a contract bound ghost?
I liked the scenes between Angel and Connor a lot. Non crazy season five Connor was always my favorite and I like how he's dealing with the hell dimension. After all, he's a fish, thrown back into the pond.
Somehow they managed to make Gunn one of the most interesting characters, I never thought that was possible.  His speech to poor Beta George was sooo disturbing. He really makes a twisted vampire. Full of self-loathing, yet there is no doubt about him being totally evil. I wonder,  if he'll get some interaction with Spike. After all, Spike tried to be a good guy without a soul too. I'd figure he'd have to say a few things about it .
Which gets me to the next part of awesomeness. Spike in the red silk pyjamas, oh how I wish that had been filmed!!! The scenes between him and Angel are great of course and I'm very much looking forward to the story behind  this whole, prisoner  to prisoner with benefits  to lord speech.  Heh, it was soo funny, when he told the girl to throw  the cup angrily for him (was that the cup of perpetual nothing?), he really makes a very cute lord. How the hell did he come to live as Ilyria's pet? (....hm, I feel a strong urge for porny fanfiction arise). Well he always had a thing for strong women and contrary to his former girlfriends she seems to make it worth his while :). I'm still guessing that he won't let her dispose of the irritation that  is Angel.

For the arts...ok, ok Brian Lynch loves Franco Urru and it's ok. It could be far worse and his art is dynamic and he has some very good ideas (like red pyjamas...), still it could be far better too.
The cover art is very beautiful, though it made me long a bit for Jo Chen, because her covers are sooo perfect. Can we have a Jo Chen cover of Spike in the red pyjamas (ok...I'll admit a wee little obsession), please? *makes puppy dog eyes*

In Jo Chen related news, I just ordered her manga  (The other side of the mirror).  I wonder if her comic artwork is as stunning as her covers, from what I saw it looks a bit like Fuyumi Soryo's stuff (which would be a good thing for me).

Comments

[elisi]

Hee! 'Tis awsome, isn't it? Just wait until you get #3! Seriously. They just keep upping their game!

It does all the things for me, that I hoped season 8 would do!
Same here. Season 8 is beginning to pick up now, but I've lost interest in the characters, so I'm only in it for the story now.

His speech to poor Beta George was sooo disturbing. He really makes a twisted vampire.
I *know*! Amazing, isn't it? I love how pretty much every character is in their own personal hell, on top of being in 'Hell' hell.

Also I love Connor.

I'm very much looking forward to the story behind this whole, prisoner to prisoner with benefits to lord speech.
Apparently Brian has it all worked out, but we'll only get snippets. I think we should make a campaign to get him to write it - I'd buy it! :)

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Just wait until you get #3! Seriously. They just keep upping their game!
Oh, I want it so badly!! I'll be moving to germany in summer and I so hope that they have a proper comic store in my vicinity there so that I can put a stop to this torturous slow mail ordering.

Same here. Season 8 is beginning to pick up now, but I've lost interest in the characters, so I'm only in it for the story now.
Issues #9 and #10 came with After the Fall. I found them quite ok (and the art in #10 was super), but as you said, the character development is not as interesting as in AtF (excluding Faith, who was imho portrayed perfectly), but I'm still hoping, that they'll pick up soon.

I *know*! Amazing, isn't it? I love how pretty much every character is in their own personal hell, on top of being in 'Hell' hell.
Oh yes. They really did the worst to everyone. Gunn makes one of the best good-guy-turned-evil-villains ever. I wonder, what they are going to do to him. Kill him? Like pre-vamp Gunn would have wanted. Or try to create a third souled vampire?
Apparently Brian has it all worked out, but we'll only get snippets. I think we should make a campaign to get him to write it - I'd buy it! :)
Oh yes! I second that motion on the spot. I thought, there were those first night things coming? Isn't one of them about Spike? (I did not read very much about it, because I'm trying to avoid spoilers, even though my curiosity sometimes gets the better of me).

[shapinglight]

First Night seems to have grown in the telling. At first it was only going to be one issue, then two, now it's three. Originally, Brian said it was going to focus on characters who aren't in the main story that much. However, the latest spoilered art pages include a lot of Spike stuff, and since Brian has said that Spike is 'all over this book' (ie. the main story)maybe the game-plan has changed? Other featured First Night characters appear to be Connor, Wesley and Lorne.

Glad you liked 2 and like Elisi said, 3 will knock your socks off.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the details! First Night sounds very interesting, even if Spike doesn't get his own issue. I think, it's save to bet, that his story will be told :)

Glad you liked 2 and like Elisi said, 3 will knock your socks off.
I know, I know, but even the comic store in vienna, where I'm ordering my stuff doesn't have it yet. Stupid little mountain republic...

[zoesmith.livejournal.com]

Isn't After the Fall the best thing ever??? *squeeeeees with you*
I love the story! And I can't wait for you to read issue 3! Issue three is sooooo good!!

Somehow they managed to make Gunn one of the most interesting characters, I never thought that was possible.
OMG I know!! Gunn's storyline is the best. Closely followed by Angel's.

Yay for season 6!

*snuggles*

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Issue three is sooooo good!!
Everybody keeps saying that *head to desk*. I want it so badly.

Gunn's storyline is the best. Closely followed by Angel's.Oh
Oh yes! + Gunn has George, who is just a wonderful character. I really hope Gunn doesn't get to keep him too long or develops a taste for fish blood.

Yay for season 6!
Absolutely!

*kisses*

[dru-plus-spike.livejournal.com]

*Drools at your icon* Oh Spikey...
My roommate is trying very hard to get me into the Angel tv series, and I have to say I'm pretty resistant. I just was never into Angel, unless he was Angellus.
I'm into the Sedason 8 comics, I loved Faith's storyline. I just have to catch up with them, I've been too busy with work to go comic shopping.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

*Drools at your icon* Oh Spikey..
The very definition of handsome :)

I just was never into Angel, unless he was Angellus.
Yep, same here (I think it was, because Buffy tended to get too girly for my liking, when he was around). But then of course there is some Angelus on Angel and there is Spike in season 5 who would get me to watch pretty much everything. Not that it was necessary, I liked the Angel series, just never as much as Buffy. I think, what made me a fan of Angel (as a character) were some brilliant fan fiction stories by people who really love the character (like Friday (http://girlpire.livejournal.com/137712.html) for example)

With the comics though it's pretty much the other way round. I like Season 8 well enough and the Faith story arc was perfect *profound love for Brian K. Vaughan*, but After the Fall knocks my socks off (just learned that expression and love it). There are just so many dark, evil and cool developments happening at once!