Review: Angel: After the Fall

So what happened to Angel and his crew in that alley on the verge of the apocalypse? I, for one, was sad to find out that Angel the TV show would be no more. Thank the Powers That Be - now Joss Whedon is continuing the series in comic book form, just like he is with Buffy. Now we have Angel: After the Fall, published by IDW. Yes, I also think it's ridiculous that the Buffyverse is split between two publishers (IDW and Dark Horse).

Well, #1 is out and I didn't even realize it until I happened upon it at the local comic shop. Looks like I wasn't the only one to notice - they are already in the third printing! This comic is "presided over" by Joss Whedon (I'm assuming that means, let's put Joss' name on the cover), written by Brian Lynch and illustrated by Franco Urru. Lynch does have the voices pretty well down. When I read a Buffy or Angel comic I tend to picture the actors and their voices in my head. If those don't mesh it's not a pleasant read. The art is in a style I prefer - the colorful, detailed, almost attempting realism type. Yes, I know I fail at describing comic art properly.

As for the story, I think I find it difficult to judge based on my excitement over continuing the series. I just really want to know what happened! It did not disappoint, however, in bringing in a whole new perspective. No drawn-out rehashing of what took place before. No. We are in for a roller coaster ride, this one is going to be good!

Basically, we join the story after that famous alley scene, and it becomes a sort of where-are-they-now. The main plot (the apocalypse bad juju stuff) carries over from the series. But we have a few new twists involving some old friends.

Now, some may ask if this is good to pick up for someone who hasn't seen the TV show. The answer is, I don't know. I saw the TV show and I liked it. So, um, yeah. It might be pretty confusing though. Even my boyfriend who also watched Angel had to reread it when I explained that the ____ was ____. Ohhhh, that makes more sense.

Well, now that the writer's strike is going to last for at least another two years... maybe Whedon will be able to concentrate more on the Angel and Buffy comics. A silver lining maybe?

In all, this is a must-have comic for any fan of Angel. If not a fan, then you have serious problems and shouldn't confuse yourself with this.

Review: Mouse Guard Volume 1

Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152 is a treasure.

This book is published by Archaia Studios Press, which has a plethora of talented comic book writer/artists doing stuff outside the superhero vein. David Peterson does not disappoint either.

If I were pitching this as a movie I would say it's, "An American Tail meets Lord of the Rings." This is a story about mice in the year 1152. They have tiny little cities, and wear tiny little cloaks, and have tiny little swords. It's really all very cute, but is great because it's not cute in that Hello Kitty kind of way. The mice are all very serious and have real problems like predators who want to eat them.

But this story is about a threat from within their own ranks which is set to overthrow one of their cities. The main mice are part of the Mouse Guard, which guard the cities and towns from bad things. They also patrol the borders, chaperone "commonmice" and research wrongdoings. They are truly the adventurers of the mouse world. We follow mostly the three main mice, Saxon, Kenzie, & Lieam in this adventure.

The artwork in this book is phenomenal. This is a hardcover book (the paperback is due out spring 2008) and it would really make a great gift for anyone who likes LOTR type stories. Each panel is a work of art that you can study for details. The mice are very cute and stoic at the same time. There is also blood and stabbing and fighting (not in a Happy Tree Friends way, very minimal but effective).

Really I would recommend this book for men and women and boys and girls, and I look forward to the next one: Winter 1152.

Review: Those Left Behind (Serenity)

WRITER: JOSS WHEDON, BRETT MATHEWS
ARTIST: WILL CONRAD
COVER ARTIST: ADAM HUGHES

This is the TPB (trade paperback), Those Left Behind (Serenity)which takes place chronologically after Firefly the TV series and before Serenity the movie. All take place in the "Firefly" universe created by Joss Whedon of Buffy fame.

I wanted to like this more than I did. To me it felt more like a means to an end (the end being connecting the dots of what happened before the movie) than a well-thought out story on it's own merit.

Of course, Whedon and Mathews insert their humor into the writing, but not enough to make up for the lackluster story. There are no revelations here. It feels like a mediocre episode of Firefly.

The artwork really saved this book from being a complete failure. All the variant covers from the single issues are featured in between the stories, and they are really wonderful. Will Conrad's pencilling is right on, and Laura Martin is really my favorite colorist. I first got to know her work in Ruse; she does the best fabric I've seen in a comic book.

In all, I wouldn't miss this being a fan of Firefly/Serenity just to "complete" the story. But if I weren't I'd skip it.

Review: She-Hulk Volume 1: Single Green Female

COVER BY: ADI GRANOV
WRITER: DAN SLOTT
PENCILS: JUAN BOBILLO & SCOTT KOLINS

I have to say, this is the first time I've read a She-Hulk comic book (being a beginner - see blog description) and I'm impressed.

She-Hulk Vol. 1: Single Green Female is a compilation of Issues #1-6 of the latest She-Hulk incarnation. This storyline features the green goddess' alter ego, Jen Walters. Jen is a mousy lawyer that is nothing like the loud and boisterous She-Hulk. This is really the story of a woman dealing with the inconsistencies between her outer self and her real self.

That sounds very deep and depressing, but it's not. Dan Slott writes it tongue-in-cheek which makes me happy. There are a lot of references to other Marvel superheroes and supervillains which you may or may not understand if just starting out. But that will happen with any "universe" story.

I love Juan Bobillo's artwork (#1-4); it's very cartoon-y. His She-Hulk is nice and curvy, not just all scary muscles, yet very imposing at the same time. He has a nice way of adding humor to the pages too. Once you see his panels of Jen turning into She-Hulk I think you will be converted. I couldn't find any links to his artwork in this, but you can just go to the store and see!

Scott Kolins did the pencilling for #5 and 6. It's not that it's bad, it's just not my favorite. He has a more common style for She-Hulk. But in my opinion, it didn't match the writing as well.

I will be picking up the next volumes of She-Hulk which are already out. She-Hulk Volume 1 definitely lived up to my expectations and beyond.

Review: Metal Men #1 (of 8)

I just read this first issue of an eight issue series, Metal Men, from DC. This is a spinoff miniseries from an ongoing series, 52. It's nice to read these miniseries comics because:

• They are short and confined, so easy to swallow (with your eyes?). Also good for those of us with commitment issues.
• They usually feature new and upcoming writers and artists trying new things.
• The backstory isn't as important and you can jump right in.

This is the story of an inventor, and his "metal men" robot inventions (which include two metal "women"). These robots are really superheroes, and fight evil and all that. They also each have their own personalities similar to the metal they are made of (Lead is dense, Mercury is high-strung, etc).

While telling the story within the DC universe, Duncan Rouleau injects a sense of humor into this comic - in his writing and in his drawings. The art has a crisp and jaunty quality that lends itself to his amusing story of Metal Men.

This first issue has me interested, especially because of the art. I'm not sure if I'd continue if not for that. The story is a background for the next issues; it's pleasing, if not addicting. I would recommend picking this up if you are looking for a light superhero comic to read.

Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8

This is a great comic for the comic-book uninitiated. Joss Whedon (creator of the Buffy movie and TV series) is writing this comic book series for Dark Horse. It takes place chronologically after the last season of the television series - hence "season 8".

I think this is a great way to start reading comics because the back story is one that a lot of TV viewers are familiar with. And if you ever wondered what happened after the end of Sunnydale, here it is. Whedon doesn't disappoint with his irreverent and all out fun storytelling style. How can a guy be so good at writing such great female characters?

Each issue has two covers: the original and the variant. This is for the collectors, and the inside is the same in both versions. The artist of the first four issues, Georges Jeanty, has a modern, detailed style which pleases me. And Paul Lee pencils Issue 5 with an equally talented hand.

So far we are up to Issue #5, and (as we left off in the TV series) Buffy is leading a large group of Slayers that were given their powers in season 7. They are basically an army which Xander is helping to coordinate, thanks to his convenient army training from the Halloween episode.

All in all, this is a great transitional sort of series - if you can watch the TV show you can read the comic book. Order from Dark Horse or purchase from your local comic book shop. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I am.