Spike: After the Fall
Issue: #1
Writer: Brian Lynch
Artist: Franco Urru
32 pp. IDW Publishing. $3.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
I count myself a fan of the dearly departed "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" television show; more specifically, I enjoyed the first few seasons much more than the last few. The quality of the show dropped over time, becoming too angst-ridden for my taste in the end. Probably my favorite season of the show was the second one in which Spike (and Drusilla) were "the big bad". I've always been partial to Spike as a bad guy; the character was delicious in his evilness. Once the character was transformed into having more of a "good guy" role in the show, I found my enjoyment of Spike tempered. It was a shame since Spike made evil so cool!
While "the big bad" Spike doesn't reappear in the first issue of After the Fall, I still found the comic immensely enjoyable. While not overwhelming, it will satisfy fans of the Buffyverse.
Spike and Illyria are hiding out in an abandoned amusement park with a large group of human refugees. People have been flocking to Spike since the fall for protection from the demons running around Los Angeles (how is this different than usual). Spike and his followers must constantly move from week to week to avoid being noticed by malevolent forces. Despite all these precautions, a mysterious party is still watching the group. So when Spike finds himself in trouble with a very large nemesis, the unprotected group is set upon in his absence.
Brian Lynch has done a great job with the scripting chores here, particularly in nailing the characterization of Spike. All the posturing attitude and sly comments that you'd expect from Spike are here, as well as him being able to back it up with some butt-kicking goodness. The setup of the series is well-done; we get a quick immersion into the setting, which leads in nicely to the cliffhanger ending.
The artwork by Franco Urru features a really heavy looking inking to the scenes, which gives them a dark, gritty and hard-edged feel. It works for this series, since the emphasis on the art is more towards a dark realism than a cartoony look (as you would expect considering the source material). Urru accomplishes capturing the look of the television series, which I'm sure was the objective.
Overall, the first issue of After the Fall is an entertaining read that will appeal to both fans and non-fans alike. A promising start to the series.
Final Grade: 74 out of 100
0 comments:
Post a Comment