I Live Through Angel and Faith #1

Emo Angel is emo.

I’ve noticed, in the short history that this site has been live, that my posts have been DCnU centric. That’s a shame, because there’s certainly a wealth of other comic book business that is managing to make it out into the world, despite the sucking vacuum of the New 52. Did you know, for example, that a comic book store is launching in Toronto that is intended to be specifically for kids? This is exciting, because I often find myself standing in the middle of a comic store in downtown Toronto pissed that they won’t let me do keg stands because of all the teeming, unwashed masses of children that cling to my ankles like so many fleas. Now I can be surly in public in Toronto in peace.

What? Your comic store doesn’t let you do keg stands? You need a better comic store.

Did you know that Image Comics plans on releasing “Morning Glories” #12, “Screamland” #4 and “Spawn” #211 for sale September 7, 2011? Yes! New Spawn! The one thing in my life that is 1992, every day, all the time.

And, meanwhile, Dark Horse released Angel & Faith #1 last week. Part of the “Season 9” arc of the Buffyverse, “Angel & Faith”, written by Christos Gage with art from Rebekah Isaacs, finds Faith in possession of Rupert Giles’s mysterious journal of mystery. This is because Angel killed Giles at the end of Season 8. BUT! It’s not his fault, you see – he was under the influence of Twilight and, as we all know, Twilight ruins everything.

*AVAST! HERE BE SPOILERS!*
Angel and Faith have teamed up for this book because Faith is the only person willing to take Angel in, what with him offing everyone’s favorite childless father figure in the previous book. Brooding to the point of catatonia, but not so emo that he’s actively cutting himself or walking into the sunlight, Angel is pulled back into his role of “helping the helpless” after listening to Faith read to him from Giles’s mysterious journal of mystery – which actually turns out to be a big book of “Shit I Meant To Get Done”.Together they head out to kick some demonic ass, in a world that is supposed to be cut off from all magic. Except for the magical stuff that is left. And your mom. Confused yet? Me too. What’s your mom doing in the Buffyverse?

I give the launch of this book a thumb’s up! As a longtime Buffy fan (yeah, I own the “lost” pilot with Fat Willow, so what? Stop looking at me like that!), Gage does a successful job of keeping the voices of Angel, Faith and Giles (in flashback) as I remember them from the show. The Rebekah Isaacs‘s art is well balanced between dark/moody and vibrant (although credit there also goes to colorist Dan Jackson), most effectively in a sequence that touches back on the relationship between Giles and Jenny Calendar.

What can I say? I, personally, have difficulty managing stick figures that don’t look like mutant sprouted potatoes. But, I liked this art, so take that for what it’s worth.

Where will Season 9 take us? Well, at the very least, it seems as though Angel wants to bring back Giles from the dead. That should go well. But, I’m going to keep reading for now. Faith gets to hang out with Angel in a fabulous mansion on the outskirts of London; Buffy gets to be a waitress who has to listen to Dawn have sex with Xander because she can’t afford her own place and she is doomed to couch surf. And apparently can’t afford ear plugs. I’m all in!