In Review: ‘Angel & Faith’ #6
The covers: Steve Morris provides the regular cover which is a really nice representational image with both title characters on either side of a giant Giles nesting doll which has popped open releasing a young Giles. Holding the doll is a sinister hand. Reading the issue will reveal the cover’s secrets. Interior artist Rebekah Isaacs provides the variant cover (this is the one I bought) which showcases Faith and Angel bearing swords. It’s an actual scene from the comic and it gives you an idea as to what kinds of weapons each will employ within. I like that Faith is in full color, while vampire Angel is black and white: A nice way to portray the living and the dead. Overall grades: Regular A and Variant A+
The script: There’s a nice recap on the inside front cover that brings new readers up to speed. Christos Gage is listed as the Scripter rather than the writer, probably because the book’s Executive Producer is Joss Whedon, creator of ‘Buffy’ and ‘Serenity.’ Regardless of who did what, this is a great story! “Daddy Issues: Part One” begins with Angel in Highgate, London, smelling blood from an elderly housing complex. With an accompanying police officer investigating a pensioner who hasn’t called his daughter, the two stumble upon a man using a hacksaw to cut “the disease” out of old folks. It is a startling and graphic scene (don’t worry, it’s only Page 3, there are other surprises!). Angel easily subdues the looney, realizing that this man’s chaos might be the start of some other larger evil. The story then moves back to 1972, where a very young Rupert Giles undergoes his first field mission for the Watchers. I’ve never read or seen an early Giles tale and this was outstanding. It is an important piece of the villain’s story, but, moreso, it gives some depth and clues as to why Giles was the way he was on television: I say “was” because Giles was killed a year ago in the “Buffy: Season Eight” series from Dark Horse Comics. The best scene in this story was Page 11. Back in the present, Faith encounters her own strangeness and after conferring with Angel, and with Giles replacement Alasdair Coames, the two hazard a guess at where their foe is. An absolutely stunning and wonderful past foe appears, and whose current state with obviously cause untold trouble for our twosome. But wait! As fabulous as this reveal is, a parallel story occurs at the bottom of Pages 18 through 21. These four bottom panels are just as great as the villain’s identity. If you watched ‘Buffy’ or ‘Angel’ on television, these reveals will mean more to you than if you never saw them before. Though, because of the writing, you’ll know bad things are about to get worse. Overall grade: A+
The art: When reading a comic based on an entertainment property, the best work an artist can do is have the characters resemble the actors who portrayed the characters. Rebekah Isaacs is to be congratulated for doing such a good job. Angel looks like David Boreanaz, with the right length of hair–not that buzz cut on ‘Bones’, Faith looks like Eliza Dushku, and, even more impressive, young Giles looks like a young Anthony Stewart Head. Isaacs doesn’t only do likenesses, she lays out a page well, and knows when to ramp up the shocks, as evidenced by Page 3. I also liked how the creature of the book is designed as though it could have appeared on one of the shows. Yes, a mask and gloves would have done it, but there’s something “off” about it that screams Whedon. I’m also a fan of comics that have some panels exploding beyond their boundries, as Jack Kirby would do. There are several panels that do so, buy my favorite was when our heroes make their entrance into the final setting. It’s just cool, and so is every panel and every page of this book. Overall grade: A
The colors: Much of this book is set in the night or in dark, gloomy settings. Rather than go one-note dreary, Dan Jackson uses pastel blues, greens, and faded purple highlights on the first page to have the reader conclude that it’s evening, but no so dark as to lose Isaac’s lovely work. And when things go bright, such as the reds on Page 3, it’s a crimson shock you can’t dismiss. Empty backgrounds are colored brightly to increase the emotion of the art and story, while the best flashback panel, on Page 14, is a gorgeous rust. Everything works. Overall grade: A
The letters: Surprisingly, two different letterers worked on this issue: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt. I cannot tell where one ends and the other begins: It’s a seamless transition wherever it is. I love the 1950′s cursive used for the issue’s title–it comes off as sweetly sarcastic, and becomes painfully ironic by story’s end. There’s only two sound effects (okay, and a large scream) that goes beyone the normal dialogue and narration. I wish there had been more sound effects, but I can’t blame the letterers, as this may have been a writer or editor’s decison. Overall grade: A
The final line: I’m enjoying this book moreso than ‘Buffy: Season Nine’ because it doesn’t depend on the vast mythology of the Buffyverse. If you’ve never read this title before, you can start here smoothly. If you’re a fan of Angel or Faith, hold on to something, it’s going to get evil! The final grade: A
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