Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 1 Paperback – Bargain Price, January 29, 2009

This contains Chapters 1-5 of the canonical continuation of Angel. I read them for the first time when I got this book, all in one sitting, and I was deeply disappointed. I didn't feel an emotional connection to the characters, couldn't quite "grasp" what was going on with them, thought events were rushed and characters' actions didn't make sense. Where was all that plot and character development time I'm used to in the TV series, not to mention the nuanced expressions and gestures that I didn't even realize were guiding my interpretation of the dialogue? All this and I do read comics.But the book was so beautiful that I kept flipping through it, reading the author's notes, thinking about it. And I started re-reading more slowly, and I realized that the sparse writing was a benefit. You can't watch episodes of Angel over and over again without wasting a lot of time, but you can reread the comic in sections however long it takes you to catch the wit, to understand the action, and to develop empathy for the characters. And there's more to the After the Fall world than that.There are promising, intriguing new characters and plenty of space for those that didn't realize their full potential previously. The idea of camaraderie in fighting against evil is expanded as a few refuges for "good" in the middle of hell attract both demons and humans. Capable Connor shines, Wesley's in a gray area, one of our own is lost to evil again, and Angel's stubbornly holding onto why he fights after the last disastrous result.This comic's strengths are in the world it creates through large, gorgeous panels and a wide cast; the Buffyverse and Angelverse traditions of struggle, redemption, and interaction; and the requirement that the reader tap into his or her imagination. Because, after all, hasn't Angel's strength always been that it makes us think, feel, confront our own problems, and feel strong? After the Fall is in many places dark, hopeless, and painful, but you'll also get that warm, fuzzy feeling of family and the determination to fight your demons no matter how many dragons and super-powered friends you need to help you do it.

First of all, the story: Brian Lynch has done a better job writing Buffy/Angel-verse comics than just about anyone else, up to and including Joss Whedon himself. And with Joss co-plotting, well, the story is rock solid.Second, the art: Franco Urru drew maybe a touch less than half this book. He's somewhat unconventional (Some of the other art work, by Nick Runge and Stephen Mooney mostly, is more traditional comic style) but once you get used to his style, it's absolutely stunning.Then, the actual format: I own all 4 individual hardcover volumes of After The Fall, and love them. But this is so much more. The size of it really makes the artwork pop. The sewn binding is amazing.I have two complains, both fairly minor: I wish the bonus features from the original releases would have been retained (although adding another 100 or so pages to this might have made it far too unwieldy/expensive) and the lack of a ribbon book mark. Three of the four individual volumes (excepting the shortest, vol.2) had a ribbon book mark. Most comics of this size and basic giant-sized format have them, including the recent Dark Horse released Buffy Tales hardcover, and the DC absolute editions. Ultimately, it's a roughly 450 page, 17 issue collection, so, just practically, a ribbon book mark would be nice, as well as adding a small touch of extra class.But, like I said, both of those are minor. It's a great story, with great art, and in a breath-taking format.

As a devoted Buffy/Angel fanatic, I figured that after the launch of Buffy: Season Eight at Dark Horse that it wouldn't be long before Joss Whedon let loose some new adventures for Angel as well. Well, here we are with Angel: After the Fall from IDW, which is basically what season six could have been. Picking up shortly after the series ended, Los Angeles has pretty much been turned into Hell on earth, and we soon learn just what has happened to Angel and his crew. In this first storyarc, we learn the fates of Angel, Spike, Gunn, Ilyria, Connor, Lorne, and even wolf-girl Nina and lightning-girl Gwen. There are a number of absolutely delicious twists and turns that will catch you by surprise as well. Co-plotted by Whedon and veteran Angel and Spike comics writer Brian Lynch; Angel: After the Fall isn't as engrossing as Dark Horse's Buffy series, but it is an entertaining ride regardless, even if the story becomes a little incomprehensible during all the big action. Franco Urru provides some great artwork as well, and IDW has done a fine job assembling the storyarc in a very handsome hardcover edition. All in all, Angel: After the Fall is a great new direction for the heroic vamp, and is a more than worthwhile trip for fans of the series.