True Blood: fresh blood

You know what the world needs? Yet another comic book based on a TV show. Sorry if I sound less than enthused, but the launch of a new True Blood comic book series is only reminding me how far behind I am on reading and reviewing comics (for the record, very). It doesn't help that I'm not thrilled at what I've read so far about the new six-issue series. The idea of Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Tara, Jason, and Lafayette being trapped at Merlotte's by a vengeful spirit that feeds on shame... meh. Not that I'm not still anxiously waiting for the release and a chance to read it. And hopefully I'll be proven wrong. It definitely doesn't hurt that it's being written by Alan Ball, along with David Tischman and Mariah Huehner (David Messina is the artist). And a pullout gatefold poster in each issue is high on the promising side, as well.

True Blood issue 1 available in July 2010. From HBO and IDW. Pre-order here.

Speaking of Alan Ball, if you haven't already seen it, you might like this short video of him talking about the new series.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the season 3 premiere (I know where I'll be on June 13th.), HBO is keeping busy with the promos. Here's the latest poster (notice that the blood level is slightly lower than the water level? That's the office I want to work in!)

Click to enlarge

HBO is also releasing behind-the-scenes teasers for your viewing torment:

Tara teaser
Sam teaser

There's one out for Eric too, but since HBO invariably crashes my ancient computer, you're on your own for getting to that one.

[Edited to update links. I also looked for the Eric teaser, but couldn't find it. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Angel #26 "Boys and their Toys: Part 1"

Spoilers Ahead

It's been too long since I've had a chance to read any comics. Bad blogger--bad! But I have to say, after keeping busy with Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, it's good to take on something that approaches vampires from the other perspective, in this case Angel #26. Besides, I've missed my favourite fanged brooder. Well, I miss the whole Buffyverse in general, but you know what I mean.

I have to start by commenting on the cover art (by Stephen Mooney): Love it! I've seen some good covers in my day but this has to be the first simulated action-figure package . And really--how can you not love the Swivel Arm Battle-Grip Angel? Or that he comes with a blood packet, and that the dragon is sold separately (if you've been reading IDW's "After the Fall" Angel comics, that last part will make sense)? The cover of Issue #26 speaks directly to the geek in me, which is exactly the point, as I found out as soon as I turned the page.

I don't even know where to start with the win in this issue. The long anticipated (by me) return of Spike (and prominent role of Groo). The Hollywood take on LA going to Hell (with Spike as a chick). The sci-fi convention and requisite fanboys and girls. The group of demonic assassins in teddy bear costumes. The return of Janus-worshippers (although sadly not Ethan Rayne, RIP) and cursed costumes (as originally seen in Buffy Season 2, "Halloween"). Yeah, this issue left me giddy.

The basic story is that Angel heads to a sci-fi con to look for the flaming sword that formerly killed him and is now up for auction. Between the fans and assassins, there's a lot of interest in said sword, and Angel wants to know who ends up with it. Lucky him--he's got help in the form of Groo, Spike, and Jeremy (from Spike: After the Fall). Disguising themselves in the free costumes being handed out at the door, wackiness ensues when Janus is invoked and everyone turns into whatever they're wearing. Suddenly the place is awash in super heroes, ninjas, cuddly bears, and Angel himself. Want to guess which costume Spike was wearing when the spell hit? I always thought Spike was at his funniest when mocking Angel. It's not any less funny when it becomes self-mockery.

To say I can't wait to read the next issue is an understatement. Maybe the Buffyverse isn't so far away, after all.

Text Bite

Angel: Now he's going to move in and--
Giant Teddy Bear: Hugs are the key ingredient in a love casserole!
Angel: Um, he's going to move in and cuddle me within an inch of my life. This day just took the weirdest 180.

Angel Issue #26 "Boys and their Toys: Part 1"; art by Stephen Mooney and written by Brian Lynch. From IDW Publishing.

[Edited to update link. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Angel #25

Spoilers Ahead

Wow--when I reviewed Angel #24 way back in August, I had no idea it would take me this long to get to issue #25. Hope it was worth the wait...

When we last saw Drusilla, she was in the process of escaping the confines of a pre-Fall LA insane asylum, on her way to unleashing her psychotic self on an unsuspecting city. Well, she never quite makes it outside the asylum. After indulging in a minor massacre, interspersed with memories of Angelus killing her family and turning her, Dru is suddenly overcome with visions of LA's imminent trip to hell. For some reason she decides to start drawing everything she's seeing, which is strange as that's hardly Drusilla's M.O. I'm also not really enjoying it as a plot device, but I think that's just me more than anything. It's actually pretty brilliant in a comics context. In a Drusilla context, however, I don't think it works (part of her immense charm is her speech).

Anyway, she apparently missed a couple of the doctors on her killing spree and they suddenly show up and start psychoanalyzing her through her drawings. Never mind about restraining her or--better still--keeping their distance from the woman who just slaughtered an entire hospital full of people; no, no--let's stop and look at the pretty drawings instead. She does warn them to run and save themselves, but of course they think it's all part of her delusions. Somehow she then has time to create an elaborate, full-colour drawing of a group of people glaring out at her. I recognize a few people in the group: her chaos demon ex, a doctor she killed in the last issue, the Anointed One, and--although it's hard to tell for sure--the nerdy vampire minion Dalton whom she handed over to The Judge in the Buffy episode "Surprise." I guess these are all supposed to be people she's wronged. The next thing we know she's vamping out and the entire group from her drawing is in the room--which seems to have attained warehouse-like proportions--with her.

The end is left ambiguous. Is Drusilla in her own hell? Has she somehow made it to to a more pleasant afterlife? Is it all just part of her insanity? Will we see her again? If there are answers to these questions, we're not about to find out anytime soon. There's also a repeated focus on a jewelled pendant in the flashback scenes--will it end up being important in future issues? Maybe, maybe not--but it didn't seem to go anywhere in this issue.

The artwork is nice in issue #25, particularly Franco Urru's cover; I can't get over how perfectly he's captured the essence of Drusilla. Inside, colour is used to full advantage, using limited palettes for the present and past, almost lurid colour for Dru's drawings, and light-filled tones for the ambiguous ending. Very nice indeed. There's some interesting framing, as well--you won't get bored looking at this issue, that's for sure.

There's also a few bonus pages of Juliet Landau photos where she's trying on different characters (the female Tyler Durden ones are great, but the ones of her as a blonde make me want to break out the black hair dye on her behalf). There are a couple of bonus pages of artwork too.

I have to say, though, that I found this issue fairly unsatisfying overall. Although the focus was Drusilla, there didn't seem to be enough of her. It also didn't resolve anything (like how did she end up in an insane asylum in the first place?) There are a lot of advantages to storytelling in comic format--namely the ability to have anything happen--but there are disadvantages as well. In a universe as elaborate as the Buffyverse, all too often we seem to be left with gaps and loose ends. To think you can capture all the storytelling ability of an episode of Buffy or Angel in one or two issues of a comic is ludicrous. I'm really hoping we have fewer one-offs and asides and more issues to do with the overall story arc. It's tiring to always be left with unanswered questions.

Text Bite

Drusilla: I wonder how long this will last?

Angel Issue #25; art by Franco Urru. Written by Juliet Landau and Brian Lynch. From IDW Publishing.

[Edited to update link. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Angel vs Frankenstein

Spoilers Ahead

Let me start off by saying I'm not a fan of the concept of this issue. Do fictional characters really need to meet up with every other character from the same genre? Okay, I liked Dracula in the Buffyverse, but that made sense and fit with the overall mythology. I could even see another Frankenstein-like monster (à la Daryl Epps in Some Assembly Required) but the Frankenstein? This isn't Scooby Doo, people. But apparently someone felt the need to pit one prominent brow against the other, leaving the rest of us to ponder the mashup that is Angel[us] vs. Frankenstein.

That being said, the story is actually pretty good. Well-written (aside from a definite overuse of exclamation marks) and compelling, it left me wishing it wasn't just a one-shot. Angelus has a penchant for screwing over everyone he encounters, a "courtesy" he extends to Frankenstein's unnamed monster. Vowing vengeance against the vampire, the monster's best-laid plans go awry when Angelus proves to be more of a challenge than expected. The conclusion is satisfyingly punctuated with a question mark.

The artwork is also really well done, particularly the monster. Deviating from the classic green-skinned, bolted neck look, the monster is much more zombie-like in appearance--which is pretty much how you'd expect a reanimated corpse to look. It works. And unlike the average zombie, he also elicits a lot of empathy; I could easily read a comic devoted solely to this character. As someone not that into Frankenstein in any form, that's saying something.

Back to the artwork, the colouring is good, managing a lot of depth and mood with a limited palette. It's perfect for a Victorian monster tale. I also like the paper the comic is printed on: heavy and matte, it makes the comic feel more substantial. IDW has used this paper for a few other issues of Angel; they can feel free to use it more often.

Okay, so did Angel really need to share space with Frankenstein? Probably not, but I'm kind of glad he did. After so many recent disappointments with other comics/books/movies/TV shows, this one turned out to be an exceptionally pleasant surprise. Well done.

Fang Files

Appearance: Pale human until the vampire chooses to show their "true" face: bumpy, animalistic features; yellow eyes; prominent fangs. Staked vampires turn to dust.

Strengths: Super strength, super speed, no need to breathe, enhanced sense of smell, awesome martial arts skills.

Weaknesses: Sunlight, stakes.

Mythology: Need to be invited into a private home (but not public spaces like inns).

Text Bites

The Monster: (after Angelus pulls them both into the river) You fool! The current is carrying us toward the villagers!
Angelus: That frets me not at all! I don't have to breathe!


Angel vs Frankenstein one-shot. Art and story by John Byrne. From IDW.

[Edited to update link. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Angel Issue #24

Spoilers Ahead

She's baaaaaaaaaaaccckkkk...

I really loved the character of Drusilla when she was still on Buffy. She was eerie and crazy and had a fun accent and the best wardrobe. She lost something, I think, when she went to Angel. Her edge seemed to dull a bit as she ditched the Victorian wardrobe and became a modern girl in the big city™. It was hard to imagine the new Drusilla making out with a slime-dripping chaos demon on a park bench. I'm sure it didn't help that she no longer had Spike to play off of (those two really were the perfect couple).

But still, I had been wondering what happened to Dru, where she's been while Buffy went to Scotland and Angel went to Hell (again). Turns out she's been hanging out in an insane asylum in LA.

Angel #24 is part one of a two-issue special about what Drusilla has been up to lately. Starting off before the fall of LA, we discover that Dru has been brought to the asylum under mysterious circumstances. Discovered in an alley by the police, bloody and wounded, it's unclear whether Dru was attacked or is into some serious self-mutilation (possibly involving a sword and a stake). Meanwhile it seems that some people at the asylum know what she is and are keeping her there for a reason, while the rest believe she's a violent nutjob with boundary issues (really, they're all right).

One of the best things about Angel #24 is that it seems Drusilla has her edge back (this might have something to do with actress Juliet Landau's contribution to the script). The artwork is also beautiful--Dru moves like a marauding ballerina as she makes short work of anyone standing between her and the exit. In addition, the colouring is very well done--lots of soft greys and blues and greens--with just the right amount of red to convey the proper tone of the story and the essence of Dru. There's also a small gallery of photos of Landau at the back, if you're into that sort of thing.

The problem I had with this issue is that it's short. It seems to just be getting started when the little "to be continued" notice pops up on the page. There's also a ton of questions left in its wake--too many to be answered in any sort of satisfying way within the span of merely two issues (especially if part two is as short as part one). I really think a character like Drusilla needs more than two issues to properly update (or conclude) her story. Unless she becomes a regular again, which is an intriguing possibility. I guess we'll have to wait to find out. In the meantime, my interest in Dru has been rekindled. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Text Bite

Doctor (after Drusilla jumps on his lap): Dru...this is, um...this is not appropriate.
Drusilla: Oh... (leans in to whisper) ...That's why it's so much fun.

Angel Issue #24; art by Franco Urru. Written by Juliet Landau and Brian Lynch. From IDW Publishing.

[Edited for formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Angel After the Fall--Epilogue (Issue #23)

First, I have to apologize for reviewing out of order. Ideally, I shouldn't review Issue #23 of Angel After the Fall until I've reviewed issues 1 through 22 (and probably the TV series as well). But this blog was late in coming and now I'm behind, so in the hopes of staying at least somewhat on top of current releases, I guess I'll have to colour outside the lines a bit.

Second, there aren't actually any vampires in this issue. Well, Angel has minor cameos and Spike is mentioned (and the issue also has tie-ins with Spike: After the Fall, and Spike: Asylum), but other than that it's a vamp-free zone. There are, however, various and sundry lesser demons, Betta George, Illyria, and a T-Rex. And Gunn, naked. So all in all, we can't really complain.

I have to take a second to mention how much I love Illyria. I loved Fred too, and hate what happened to her, but Illyria is such an awesome character it's hard not to want more of her. Luckily, this issue is being spun into a five-part miniseries (Only Human) in August, so there'll be plenty of Illyria and Gunn action (but not that kind of action...probably...)

If you've already been reading AAtF, you'll want to keep going with this one. If you haven't and you're even a minor fan of the Buffyverse--what are you waiting for? The comic continues the Whedon hallmarks: great action, witty dialogue, solid storytelling, fantastic characters. Throw in some fine artwork and you're set.

Text Bites

Illyria: I have to kill you, Charles.
(Charles) Gunn: ...I agree.

Angel After the Fall--Epilogue, Issue #23; Art by Franco Urru and written by Brian Lynch.

[Edited to remove old link. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]