This year at the San Diego Comic-Cong Joss Whedon pleased his fans with news that we’ll get more from the world of Dr. Horrible and the crew of Serenity sometime in the future. But for now we’ll all have to cozy up and slumber back into Whedon’s first creation, the Buffyverse. Last year we saw Buffy season 8 in comic book form and Dark Horse regained the rights to Angel comic books from IDW. Now the two characters are back under one house, which means I’m sure you’ll see the characters jump from book to book just like the television shows. My mouth is watering already.
At the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 we saw Angel and Buffy get super powers just in time to stop the mystical force known as Twilight. But Angel, under the influence of Twilight, fought Buffy in another epic battle; one that ended with Angel killing Giles and Buffy ending all magic on Earth. Now it’s months later and Angel is finally ready to quit sulking and get back to helping the helpless. He’s crashing at Giles’s place, which is now owned by Faith. The two are digging through the Watcher’s files and continuing the work Giles was doing. But Angel has more in store than just saving people. He’s going to bring Giles back to life. Meanwhile Angel’s old mentor, Whistler, is out to change the world as well, but he doesn’t seem to have the same plan as Angel because he’s got a gang of blood thirsty vampires to help him.
The reappearance of Whistler was a great surprise, one that I can’t wait to see play out. In Buffy season 2 we saw that Whistler was the one who got Angel out of the gutter and out into the world to help Buffy. I’m not sure what his game is, but I can’t wait for him and Angel to reunite. I’m also looking forward to bringing some of the Angel cast back like Connor or Gunn. It’d be a good idea to read Angel: After the Fall before you read Angel & Faith, but not essential. The team-up of Angel and Faith is great. They both have a lot to atone for, and Angel feels that now more than ever. There is no finer Angel than a brooding one.
I’m not familiar with the writing of Christos Gage. Supposedly he has done a few miniseries comics for Marvel, and written a few episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. So far, with this first issue, he’s got my full attention. I just hope we get to see more characters thrown into the mix, ones that some of us haven’t thought about in years. Buffy season 9 comes out in two weeks to complete this duo of delightful comics. I know Joss is busy finishing The Avengers for next summer’s release but as long as he checks in with these two comics every once and a while I think I’ll be five by five.
