Angel - After the fall #1
Dec. 16th, 2007 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roginSo, now I finally got around reading it , now what's there to say:
So, let's start with the outsides: First, IDW is using much better paper than Darkhorse. I'm not the person to treat comics like collectors items. I want to read them, so I'm very grateful, if they don't come apart all that easily.
The cover art by Tony Harris is also pretty shiny, with the upstanding hair and everything :)
Now the Artwork of Franko Urru. I fear, I can't say I'm to happy about it. I love the dynamics and how he does the monsters, but while I think, he did a pretty nice Spike on Asylum, most of the characters in "After the Fall" are not terribly recognizable. He gets Angel pretty well, but I could identify Wesley for example only by the context. Same goes for Nina, Connor and Gwen. And why did Nina wear so few clothes. For Gwen the comic-supergirl style fits nicely, but on Nina it seems a little off.
The Background was lacking in details at least for my taste. But then I rarely read US-comicbooks and they tend to invest much more in the background in franko-belgium-comics.
Ok, so much for the surface, now how about the plot: Ok, I guess the stuff they did here is quite controversial, because it practically creates a totally new setting with LA gone to hell. I love that. They just went and made it real huge, not trying to please everybody at the same time, but creating something new. And I also love, what they did to the characters. So Angel is back to saving people, riding a Dragon and haunted by Ghost-Wesley, who's W&H contract is still valid. I've read about Wesley, as a ghost in so many fanfics, that it hardly comes as a surprise, but that doesn't make me like the idea any less. May or may not be evil Wesley is brilliant and I hope they keep him around.
Then there is Vampire-Gunn. I like that idea too, especially since it poses a lot of questions. Who sired him? Was it one of the vamps he fought and he was already vamped by the end of S5? Or was it Spike or Angel to keep him from dying. If they had seen Wesley and had known, that if he died, he would be tied to W&H, making him a vamp might be the lesser of two evils. Very Interesting.
Connor and the superchicks...not so much. I never really got to like Nina, and Halfwolf-Nina really isn't helping. But we haven't seen much of them so far, might still turn out interesting.
All in all, it's a very good start and I can't wait for #2 to see, what became of Spike.
The cover art by Tony Harris is also pretty shiny, with the upstanding hair and everything :)
Now the Artwork of Franko Urru. I fear, I can't say I'm to happy about it. I love the dynamics and how he does the monsters, but while I think, he did a pretty nice Spike on Asylum, most of the characters in "After the Fall" are not terribly recognizable. He gets Angel pretty well, but I could identify Wesley for example only by the context. Same goes for Nina, Connor and Gwen. And why did Nina wear so few clothes. For Gwen the comic-supergirl style fits nicely, but on Nina it seems a little off.
The Background was lacking in details at least for my taste. But then I rarely read US-comicbooks and they tend to invest much more in the background in franko-belgium-comics.
Ok, so much for the surface, now how about the plot: Ok, I guess the stuff they did here is quite controversial, because it practically creates a totally new setting with LA gone to hell. I love that. They just went and made it real huge, not trying to please everybody at the same time, but creating something new. And I also love, what they did to the characters. So Angel is back to saving people, riding a Dragon and haunted by Ghost-Wesley, who's W&H contract is still valid. I've read about Wesley, as a ghost in so many fanfics, that it hardly comes as a surprise, but that doesn't make me like the idea any less. May or may not be evil Wesley is brilliant and I hope they keep him around.
Then there is Vampire-Gunn. I like that idea too, especially since it poses a lot of questions. Who sired him? Was it one of the vamps he fought and he was already vamped by the end of S5? Or was it Spike or Angel to keep him from dying. If they had seen Wesley and had known, that if he died, he would be tied to W&H, making him a vamp might be the lesser of two evils. Very Interesting.
Connor and the superchicks...not so much. I never really got to like Nina, and Halfwolf-Nina really isn't helping. But we haven't seen much of them so far, might still turn out interesting.
All in all, it's a very good start and I can't wait for #2 to see, what became of Spike.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-20 12:56 pm (UTC)It's interesting that you feel the backgrounds aren't very detailed. I had thought them very detailed compared to most American comics I've read and had put that down to the fact that Franco Urru was European and therefore his art was likely to appeal more to Europeans - but then I know nothing about Franco-Belgian comics (unless you count TinTin or Asterix). Can you possibly give me some examples?
no subject
Date: 2007-12-20 02:04 pm (UTC)Might be a time thing, since the US-Comics have to keep up a monthly rhythm. But then there are some americans, that do brilliantly detailed art, like Marc Buckingham (Fables http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1606).
Can you possibly give me some examples?
Ask a comic fan about her favorites *loves you*, so yes of course :). I tried to find some pictures, that give you a decent impression.
There would be "La fille sous la dunette" by Francois Burgeon, it's a bit of a classic and takes place on a ship. it's amazing, how much time the artist invested to draw all the ropes and ship parts http://rubinaetpierre.free.fr/images/bourgeonisa.jpg
I fear, I didn't manage to find a proper picture online but I could do some scans from my books, if you're interested.
"le troisième testament" by Dorison/Alice It's a bit Umberto Eco and and the panels are filled with churches and middle age cities.
http://blog.ndreams.org/blog/images/Posts07/3testament.jpg
And thanks for commenting btw, it's nice to have someone over from time to time :)
no subject
Date: 2007-12-20 03:31 pm (UTC)Have you seen that?
And I must look out for that Vertigo TPB. It looks interesting. It must date from the rather long recent period when my interest in the Buffyverse completely eclipsed my interest in comics.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-20 04:55 pm (UTC)Heh, comic books are pretty much all, that keeps my high school French alive. Fortunately some of the books are available in German or English.
Alan Moore's Promethea.
Have you seen that?
Oh Yes,I love most of Moore's stuff, and the artwork in Promethea is super beautiful! + I loved, how thoughtful he organizes the panels on a page and uses so many styles and symbols from so many historic periods.
And I must look out for that Vertigo TPB.
I'm a total dork for Fables. It's brilliantly plotted and the artwork is amazing (at least, when Buckingham is illustrating himself), also I've never seen a comic, that got me so invested in the characters. When it comes to fantasy men Fables' Bigby Wolf makes a close second to Spike for me :)
(squee, icon love!)
no subject
Date: 2007-12-21 08:01 pm (UTC)Thanks for pointing me towards something new to read.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-22 02:16 am (UTC)Cool! I so hope you enjoy it. You've got to let me know, how you liked it!