Angel: After the Fall (season 6)

[Allan]

Well, it's official - Angel is getting a canonical comic, sixth season, titled Angel: After the Fall.

Joss isn't writing it, instead it has tapped Bryan Lynch, who has written the fun Spike: Asylum comic, and the so far enjoyable Spike: Shadow Puppets to write it. From the looks of it, Lynch will be the only writer on board.

An interview with Bryan Lynch is here.

While it will be cool to get a canonical season 6 for Angel, it is a little disappointing that Joss isn't writing, or really that involved. To me, it seems more like doing it for the sake of doing it, and not putting in the same amount of effort in as Buffy season 8.

And don't expect any crossovers - like the WB/UPN issue, Dark Horse published Buffy comics, and IDW publishes Angel ones.

The series is expected to run for 12+ issues.

So, what are people's thoughts? Will you read it?

[Bre]

Yeah I'll read it. Joss said Lynch is capable of handling it, so I believe so. Plus Spike: Asylum was really good, couldn't even tell Joss didn't write it. Lynch seemed right on with the language and stuff so I'm excited. It'll be nice to see the Angel gang again. Will be weird without Wes though.

[shred]

I just saw the cover of it and read news on the season 6. I'm disappointed that Joss is not involved. I gotta agree, it looks like this comic is out because Season 8 of Buffy is doing and they want to cash in its success.

I don't think I'll be reading it though. It's hard enough to find Buffy season 8 here so I'm not going to search high and low for this comic. I'll read it if I stumble upon it online or something.

[Allan]

ariensun said:

Plus Spike: Asylum was really good, couldn't even tell Joss didn't write it.

Agreed. I even lifted bits of it for Dominion. When you get Buffy #5, pick up the first two Spike: Shadow Puppets issues by Lynch. Smile Time hits Japan.

Lynch has the best grasp of all the writers to handle Angel comics, so hopefully he can pull it off. I'm not a huge fan of Franco Urru's art, though.

I'll definitely be picking this up, but I grab all the IDW Angel stuff.

[Mooshi]

I'm extremely excited. I always liked Buffy better than Angel, but of course i'll read it. It's to bad that Joss isn't writing it though. I've never read any of Lynch's comics, but i'd like to see what he comes up with for season 6 of Angel.

[Deleted]

I'm not quite as excited about this (as compared to BtVS season 8). I'm definitely found AtS enjoyable, and I'm certainly interested in seeing what they have to deal with after the events of season 5. I'm not a comic fan, though. We all know I've been struggling a bit with the BtVS ones, and I'll persevere through those because it's BtVS. I'm not quite as attached to AtS. Also, it is a little disappointing and off-putting that Joss isn't involved, though it sounds like Lynch is certainly more than capable.

If I think about it, I might pick it up after the season's finished and it's been put into book form (can't remember what that's called in the comic world ), like I did with Fray and Tales of the Vampires. That makes it a bit easier to read for me. But no promises.

[jeanvic]

From what I hear, it will be a series that deals with how Angel is dealing with losing in the big alley battle. That's the arc. How does Angel deal with losing?

People have asked whether Gunn is dead or Wesley is returning and Lynch has refused to comment on either so you never know.

Spike is said to have an important part but Angel is the main character first and foremost. I'm a little iffy with that beause Lynch has only written Spike comics, but I'll keep an open mind. Can't judge before we see anything.

Hopefully it will be good. I don't think Joss cares about Angl as much as he does Buffy so i don't think he gets as involved. I mean, Buffy Season has repotedly 50 issues while Angel has 12+. That says it all. I just hope that one day, Angel will get a proper series like Buffy and will get Joss full attention. It deserves it.

[Bre]

It's not that Joss cares more about Buffy, he just has more ideas of what to write about it, which is understandable.

I think it will be cool seeing Illyria, too. She should look really good.

[Allan]

Buffy was the story that spawned it all, so naturally it's what Joss would focus on first.

I'm looking forward to more Illyria, definitely. I wonder who the character that Bryan Lynch wasn't a fan of but is now loving is... A regular from season 5, or someone who just made guest appearances prior?

My money is on Connor.

[shred]

I'll probably read the first issue just to see how survives.

I'm not liking the idea of Spike having an important part in the season.

[Allan]

shred said:

I'm not liking the idea of Spike having an important part in the season.

I don't mind the idea, but I wouldn't put much stock in anything that doesn't come from Joss or Bryan Lynch about this. It wasn't referenced during the announcement, so who knows?

[jeanvic]

It all comes down to Spike in the end. According to the majority, the series can't exist without him. Someone said to me that they think Angel will be a titular leading character only.

I think Angel will remain the lead, but I think most issues will focus around him AND Spike.

I hope its good, because I haven't waited three years for this news for nothing.

[Allan]

To think it would be about Angel in name only is ridiculous. And regardless of whether you're a fan of Spike or not, to complain about another character being featured prominently is like complaining about how much Willow was featured in Buffy. While both Buffy and Angel are named after lead characters, they are still ensemble shows.

Granted, Bryan Lynch does seem to like Spike, given that his two series' thus far have been about the character. So he might like to use Spike. But after Angel season 5, Spike was a large part of Angel's world. So was Illyria, and so was Gunn (though whether he survives is another matter). I don't think it will become more of a Spike series, though.

[shred]

What I'm worried about the most is that if Spike has an important part to play in the comics, the other characters would lose out. That was what happened in season 5.

I don't think I would mind if Spike plays a major role but the other characters don't get neglected in the process. I would have figured if there was a season 6, Illyria would have played a bigger role in that season. Spike ran his course in my opinion and so the writer should give other characters a turn to step up - characters like Illyria.

[Bre]

I don't think Lynch will do that. Like Allan said, he is obviously a Spike fan, but as he writes about these other characters he will learn more about them and, hopefully, not neglect them. But I love Spike, so if it was a lot of Spike, I wouldn't complain.

[Allan]

I don't even think Spike in season 5 took too much away from the other characters. Granted, Illyria is someone who should be fleshed out more, but she was only around for a few episodes and didn't have the chance.

Re Bryan Lynch neglecting characters, take Spike: Asylum for instance. He introduced a slew of new characters, who got enough screen time, and didn't distract the story from Spike. Shadow Puppets is reusing some of these characters, adding Lorne into the mix, and from the first two issues, there are no problems there.

[Paul]

im really looking forward to this, i have no problems with spike being in it either, he was part of the team so i think all team members should get equal coverage, its only fair. imagine not putting willow or xander in season 8 because its buffys book and she should get all the limelight, its not right

[jeanvic]

Buffy should get more than them, but they shouldn't be abandoned. Same with Angel. Tell his story first and foremost, but also tell the stories of the others.

Brian Lynch and Chris Ryall (head of IDW) have told me that this will not be all about Spike. They have said that the story is Angel's and it will be told accordingly. I believe them, so my fears of Spike are allayed. Bring on the comics.

[Allan]

The first issue of After the Fall is out in November, and an image from it has been released (linked because it's kind of big for posting) here.

[Laura]

I'll read the transcript, but I won't actually buy the comic (it is what I am doing with Buffy season 8 as well).

As for Joss not writing it himself, that is a little disappointing, but he wouldn't let someone else right the comic unless they were qualified, so I will trust him on this one.

However, I heard somewhere that Angel would appear on Buffy season 8, but sparingly.