I agree that Huehner and Tischman did a reasonably good job at hinting at the complexities in the Spike/Angel relationship, and a way, way better job of writing Angel than the Buffy comic, where Angel isn't really a character at all.
Yeah, I have to admit my reaction to this issue may have been remarkably different if I hadn't read Buffy issue 38 prior to it. It's very hard not to compare the two. But from a purely narrative structural and character-centric level? Angel issue 38 is by far the better comic, and that's saying something - considering it's not a comic I'd highly rec or one I will most likely keep or ever read again. But it looks great in comparison to the utter mess than Buffy issue 38 was - purely from a plot/character/narrative structural level. Of course my tastes have changed, in my 20s when I was obsessed with insane narrative structures such as Alan Moore's Watchmen, Joyce's Ulysess, amongst others...I'd have loved it to pieces. Now? Insane narrative structures just give me a head-ache.(I blame work. ;-) )
In fact, the only thing of Willingham's they've kept is the thing about James and his sister (it was Willingham who debunked the 'James is an angel' thing.
I think I actually read the comic in which he did it - in the store. One of the few things Willingham did right. And possibly why they've kept it.
The actual story consists of tidying away two of Willingham's hanging plot threads, the false prophecies thing, which I am very glad indeed to see the back of, and the demon women. Mariah Huehner did apologise for the fact that those two plots weren't pursued, but the final arc she and Tischman are writing had no place for them
Explains why they were wrapped up as quickly as they were. Good thing too - since neither arc worked. The spike soul flu thing could have worked in the hands of a better writer - I'd love to see what some of the fanfic writers out there would have done with it. But here? Felt somewhat truncated. The other arc? Didn't make a lot of sense.
While both were in that issue, little time was spent on either - outside of may two pages...I got the feeling the writers were quickly pushing those plot lines out the door. Not that I blame them. Nice of them to apologize though. IDW, with the exception of the hired writers, tends to be fairly gracious for the most part. Hee. It's the opposite with Dark Horse - the writers are gracious, the editors are dicks.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-11-15 05:15 pm (UTC)Yeah, I have to admit my reaction to this issue may have been remarkably different if I hadn't read Buffy issue 38 prior to it. It's very hard not to compare the two. But from a purely narrative structural and character-centric level? Angel issue 38 is by far the better comic, and that's saying something - considering it's not a comic I'd highly rec or one I will most likely keep or ever read again. But it looks great in comparison to the utter mess than Buffy issue 38 was - purely from a plot/character/narrative structural level. Of course my tastes have changed,
in my 20s when I was obsessed with insane narrative structures such as Alan Moore's Watchmen, Joyce's Ulysess, amongst others...I'd have loved it to pieces. Now? Insane narrative structures just give me a head-ache.(I blame work. ;-) )
In fact, the only thing of Willingham's they've kept is the thing about James and his sister (it was Willingham who debunked the 'James is an angel' thing.
I think I actually read the comic in which he did it - in the store. One of the few things Willingham did right. And possibly why they've kept it.
The actual story consists of tidying away two of Willingham's hanging plot threads, the false prophecies thing, which I am very glad indeed to see the back of, and the demon women. Mariah Huehner did apologise for the fact that those two plots weren't pursued, but the final arc she and Tischman are writing had no place for them
Explains why they were wrapped up as quickly as they were. Good thing too - since neither arc worked. The spike soul flu thing could have worked in the hands of a better writer - I'd love to see what some of the fanfic writers out there would have done with it. But here? Felt somewhat truncated. The other arc? Didn't make a lot of sense.
While both were in that issue, little time was spent on either - outside of may two pages...I got the feeling the writers were quickly pushing those plot lines out the door. Not that I blame them. Nice of them to apologize though. IDW, with the exception of the hired writers, tends to be fairly gracious for the most part. Hee. It's the opposite with Dark Horse - the writers are gracious, the editors are dicks.