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Post by hitnrun017 on Mar 18, 2009 18:20:17 GMT -5
The same thing that happened with Kate happened with Gwen this issue. A shaky introduction that makes little to no sense. And I get Gwen feeling bad for what she did, but would THE Gwen Raiden be begging for forgiveness like a little high school student who got dumped? And Connor being negative towards is outrageous to me. If I was Connor, I'd be on my knees thanking her for what she did in AtF #13. "Psycho stalker"? You gotta be kidding. But on the plus side, I really enjoyed the interaction between Kate and Gwen. Kate helping her out was great. But we've never seen Connor or Gwen in this type of situation before, so it is hard to say how they should or should not act. Neither have been in love before, except for maybe Connor, but he was beyond messed up in Season 4. Yeah, I guess that's true, but I wouldn't be expecting them to act like little immature teenagers. I mean, the way Connor acted this issue is even worse than how he acted in Season 4, IMO. In Season 4 it was justified, this is just Grade A douche-ness.
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Post by Wyndam on Mar 18, 2009 18:23:21 GMT -5
But we've never seen Connor or Gwen in this type of situation before, so it is hard to say how they should or should not act. Neither have been in love before, except for maybe Connor, but he was beyond messed up in Season 4. Yeah, I guess that's true, but I wouldn't be expecting them to act like little immature teenagers. I mean, the way Connor acted this issue is even worse than how he acted in Season 4, IMO. In Season 4 it was justified, this is just Grade A douche-ness. The back stabbing line was a little too much (hence my "Connor may have been a little too harsh" line in my review), but other than that I thought their reactions to each other were fine.
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Post by hitnrun017 on Mar 18, 2009 18:25:02 GMT -5
Yeah. It's probably just the Gwen uber-fan coming out in me.
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Post by AndrewCrossett on Mar 18, 2009 18:38:57 GMT -5
I absolutely am in love with Desdemona (Dez). Kelley knows her way around Were characters and it really shows. Dez is quick-witted, sexy, strong willed, and complex. Her inability to control her transformations and behavior while in her were-cat form I think will play out very nicely in the issues to come. I agree with this completely... Dez is great. Both the writer and the artist seem to be far more comfortable with her than with any of the other characters, and consequently she's the most interesting. So far she's completely upstaging Angel. (And did we mention the sexy part? We did? Okay.) I wonder if Kelley Armstrong and IDW have any intention of making comics set in her own world with all her own characters. I'd certainly take a look at those. I'd be up for a spinoff series focusing on Dez as the protagonist, too, without Jossverse continuity issues distracting me and taking me out of the story. I'm officially pretending that this Kate is a completely different Kate from the one in the series. Why? BECAUSE SHE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE KATE IN THE SERIES. This seems to me like a case of "I wanted another original character here but I've already got Dez, so... I'm gonna use a canon character but just change her around to be the way I want her." (K. Armstrong is on record as saying she didn't even like Kate in the series, isn't she?) I kind of wish she'd left Kate alone and maybe adopted one of the minor female characters from AtF instead. Spider, or even one of those nameless Slayers Gunn was abusing. Or Noelle the Sadecki demon? There's a character who's current activities I'd like to know about, especially considering that Non is still prowling about... and I don't think Noelle probably likes Non very much anymore. And just to wrap up: A message from Cordelia? I mean, honestly! I already knew this was coming but I just wish her name wouldn't be dropped so out of hand like this. She was kind of my favorite and she died in that awesome 100th episode and I just wish we could leave her alone. I hope this means we won't actually see her. She'll just be *sigh* getting her higher being on. Maybe Angel can go stand on the roof and make a report to Cordelia at the end of every issue, like Mork calling Orson. In a way, it makes sense from a logic standpoint. If Cordy is an emissary of the Powers, then emmissarying between them and their Champions is what she's supposed to be doing. It just seems to render her death and curtain call so anticlimactic. (And if Cordy is a messenger, why are angels carrying messages for her? Heaven doesn't seem to have a very efficient communication system.)
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Post by Xander-shaped friend on Mar 18, 2009 19:24:25 GMT -5
Am I the only one that can't wait for this arc to be over? I don't think she has a grasp of any characters she didnt create herself; Angel sounds like a Terminator, looks like a Terminator and it's driving me mad.
it's really sad that the best thing IT IS DOING is keeping his magic tat a menace.
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Ethros
Novice Witch
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Post by Ethros on Mar 18, 2009 20:43:42 GMT -5
Urgh, reading about it I might not even bother buying this. Sounds like a waste of money. I don't know what #18 was, but it certainly wasn't Angel I tell you that. And if this is even worse.. gods
I'll have a flick through in the shop tomorrow, but I may just sit this arc out. Everything about it from the covers, the art, the writing, the dialogue, etc is just off
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cheryl
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Post by cheryl on Mar 18, 2009 22:22:09 GMT -5
I think it's been o.k. so far. It's just different because we are used to Brian writing it. It really isn't bad. I enjoyed this one. Don't mind the art either, for that matter.
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Hallow Thorn
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Post by Hallow Thorn on Mar 19, 2009 4:24:36 GMT -5
A message from Cordelia hey? How has this been played out so far?
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The Night Lord
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Post by The Night Lord on Mar 19, 2009 5:10:24 GMT -5
Great, all the above comments are making me not want to get #19 or the rest of Aftermath. It's not sounding so good for Kelley and David (sound of the executioner's drum beats in the background) And also, a message from Cordy? What does she have to say? Let's hope it's played out well. I'd hate for it to go all wrong because Kelley has no idea what she's doing with the characters
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Paul
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Post by Paul on Mar 19, 2009 10:16:13 GMT -5
This wasn't bad. Not really Buffyverse quality, due to the mediocre art and dialogue, but taken on own terms it's quite enjoyable. One thing I respect about this story is that it's playing off the events of AtF. The Demon Lord assasins, the crazy apocaplyse people, Gwen's betrayal... Kelley is clearly making an effort to continue the story from where Brian left off, rather than just coming in and doing her own thing. That's an unfortunate trend in the comic book industry, one writer comes in and ignores the last writer's run, so it's good of Kelley to bridge the gap. Another thing I like is that Kelley is moving the story forward. We're clearly watching the birth of a new Angel Investigations roster, and it's interesting to see how the characters relate to each other. Unfortunately, this is hindered by some flat characterization and banter, but it's still interesting. Things I don't like... I'm not a fan of Dez yet but that could be because of her clichéd "We have a new character, look how cool and amazing (s)he is!!!!" introduction. Spike and Faith were introduced like that in the shows, and I instantly didn't like them as a result. (Of course, I grew to love them and now consider them some my favourite characters of all time.) Dez is going to have to work hard for me to like her. I'll refrain judgement on the Cordelia thing for now, but I'm not keen on the cheesy winged angel at the end. It seems a little on-the-nose, like if Angel slept in a coffin and dressed like Bela Lugosi. For anyone interested (ie, Thorn ), the Cordelia thing is one of those final page reveals. The last line of the book is, "I have a message for you, Angel. From Cordelia." So we don't know the details yet.
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Hallow Thorn
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Post by Hallow Thorn on Mar 19, 2009 14:20:24 GMT -5
Great...Thanks, I will be picking this issue up then ha... (I also looked up Being Human, sounds awesome!)
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Ethros
Novice Witch
I beat the bad guys[Mo0:0]
Posts: 291
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Post by Ethros on Mar 19, 2009 16:06:41 GMT -5
Well I got it today (along with Blood & Trenches #1) Yeah it wasn't horrendously horrible, a fairly enjoyable read... but it just doesn't "feel" right. There may have a been a few things I've quibbled about in Buffy Season 8 and Angel ATF, but they still felt true to the source as it were. This just doesn't really. It feels more like something like Angel: Auld Lang Syne for example- throwaway
I hope it improves with the last 3 issues
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Mar 19, 2009 16:09:56 GMT -5
From what you guys have said.. I'm definitely not buying Aftermath.
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patxshand
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Writer/director/Amy Acker's husband.[Mo0:0]
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Post by patxshand on Mar 19, 2009 18:03:49 GMT -5
Why not, Joe? It's still part of the main story. Might still get better.
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Joe
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Obsessive Paranoid Boob
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Post by Joe on Mar 19, 2009 18:16:29 GMT -5
Oh, I'm still gonna read it. I'm just waiting until the hardcover.
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iloveromy
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Post by iloveromy on Mar 19, 2009 23:02:17 GMT -5
The message from Cordelia is...
concern about wtf happened to Angel. It's so bad. If Armstrong wants to write a mediocre Angel story, that's one thing. But don't make me look at the steroid induced freak of natures that barely resembles characters that I care about.
Yes, I'm Irritated.
I'm contemplating just waiting till the arc is over and just reading the recap on wikipedia or something.
One note about the issue though... you know the Cordelia thing is going to be a total let down right? It's either going to be the Dragon or some groan worthy, half assed attempt at keeping our interest to buy through the arc.
I'm normally not this negative but the series really did just take a complete 180. And honestly, Armstrong's writing isn't really what is bothering me. There are few out of character moments and I'm not really digging the use of Kate when Nina would have been just a good of character to expand. My problem is the art. How can I look at Dave Ross when I've had Franco? It's like eating steak for dinner every night then having to eat a baloney sandwich.
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Post by underworld on Mar 20, 2009 0:48:27 GMT -5
I was pretty non-plussed by the last issue, and was hoping that this arc might get into its stride a bit more with issue 19. And I was desperately hoping the art might improve! Unfortunately I was disappointed on both counts. I thought that Angel had turned into the Hulk on page 4 what with the green skin and purple pants!
Kelley really hasn't managed to get the character's voices or attitudes down at all. And I still don't like the depiction of Kate. Despite the fact that she got more dialogue in this issue than Angel, she comes across like a completely different person to the character we know from the series.
The story itself is ok. Kind of light weight overall. Even taking the fact that it's an Angel comic out of the equation I think it's probably a below par publication.
Oh, and don't get me started on the "I have a message.....from Cordelia" bit at the end. Leave it alone, already!
Probably won't be picking up the next issue
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Post by underworld on Mar 20, 2009 0:49:41 GMT -5
Oh, on the plus side, Nick Runge's cover was awesome. It's a shame the rest of the comic didn't match its standards
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Hallow Thorn
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Post by Hallow Thorn on Mar 20, 2009 4:22:16 GMT -5
The message from Cordelia is... One note about the issue though... you know the Cordelia thing is going to be a total let down right? It's either going to be the Dragon or some groan worthy, half assed attempt at keeping our interest to buy through the arc. I don't think it will be the Dragon...but I just hope they don't 'F' it up... I don't want 'After the fall' to be the last of Cordy but if it was it was a hell of a good way to end on... (But hey... if no one like, .. then No Canon For You!..lol)
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Post by buffyverseforever on Mar 20, 2009 4:35:28 GMT -5
I thought it was a pretty good issue,myself.
Best wishes,
Scott
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