Bryan Edward Hill, writer
Gleb Melnikov, illustrator
Roman Titov, colors
Ed Dukeshire, letters
Recap
The issue begins after the events of Hellmouth, and Angel has escaped the clutches of Druscilla. However, a demon wants him. Detective Kate Lockley helps when it attacks. She learns that there’s more to Angel than meets the eye. She discovers, through the death of a boy named Andre, that deadly evil spirits are after people. She’s aided by Angel’s new team but put off by their youth and inexperience.
I was pulled in immediately by the danger presented by the antagonist, which is a demon from untold origins. And, how the demon manifests itself in its victims. For example, Kate is called to the hospital in response to an illness that befalls a young boy she knows named Andre. He lay in a hospital bed when he was burned to death in a green fiery smoke. The death of this innocent bystander creates questions and intrigue because of his connections to Kate. Why is it targeting Kate and not Angel? Who will be impacted and how far reaching is the demon’s grasp?
The art is straightforward, lacks details, but engaging due to its bold colors, deep lines, and stark contrasts. The dark figures planted over bright backdrops gives them a shadowy feeling. The expressive and emotive faces make up for the lack of detail in other areas. In addition, the panels flow from panel to panel, which helps support the flow of the story.
The characters that make up the misfit group of sidekicks, Angel’s new crew, are interesting because of what we don’t know about them. Gunn has knowledge of the streets and Winifred is called a mage, but beyond this we know very little. A couple of questions bubble up for the reader, can they get organized enough to help and will anyone take them seriously? Only time will tell.
This series is a nice entry in the Buffy world. Angel is an interesting vampire character and the enemy is lethal. It will be important for the backdrop to fill in both artistically and as a story narrative to keep readers interested.
