Preview Angel & Spike #9 (SPOILERS)

[Priceless]

Preview: Angel & Spike #9 | Graphic Policy

 

[TriBel]

@Priceless The bad guy looks like a 1940s Noir character and has no eyes or stitched up eyes (like the Bringers)*. Kate's a detective; the bad guy's dressed like Spade or Marlowe (ostensibly good guys but there are no totally "good" guys in noir) - the lack of eyes is taking "Private Eye/Private I" to the extreme. The play between Eye/I is a fundamental theme of noir. There's a bridge between Kate's final piece of dialogue and Angel's first - both of which are about identity. Spike even says "We should talk about this in private". And thank you writers for the Mommy/Daddy remark. I kinda like this.

*Also the crosses Spike drew on the Angel punch bag in Chosen.

 

[Priceless]

@Priceless The bad guy looks like a 1940s Noir character and has no eyes or stitched up eyes (like the Bringers)*. Kate's a detective; the bad guy's dressed like Spade or Marlowe (ostensibly good guys but there are no totally "good" guys in noir) - the lack of eyes is taking "Private Eye/Private I" to the extreme. The play between Eye/I is a fundamental theme of noir. There's a bridge between Kate's final piece of dialogue and Angel's first - both of which are about identity. Spike even says "We should talk about this in private". And thank you writers for the Mommy/Daddy remark. I kinda like this.

*Also the crosses Spike drew on the Angel punch bag in Chosen.

I really like Kate here. She's doing her job, she's empathetic and caring in a way I never saw on the show. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her and how she fits in with the gang.

The Angel/Spike dynamic is so familiar and I'm glad the writers haven't changed it too much. I'd still like an explanation as to why Spike is willing to help the white hats, when he's apparently soulless. I agree that this issue is going to be about identity and how Angel and Spike differ in theirs. This might extend to Kate also.

I like the 1940's noir feel of it, especially perfect as it's set in LA. I think all the ingredients are looking good and working well, so I have high hopes for this one.

 

[TriBel]

I have high hopes for this one.

...could be the kiss of death. 😄 I also like Kate...I thought she was a missed opportunity on the show. I like the dynamism of the art and it feels "noirish". Is that an oil thingy in the background of the opening frame? Doesn't The Big Sleep end in an oil-field - or with reference to oil?

 

[DeadlyDuo]

The Angel/Spike dynamic is so familiar and I'm glad the writers haven't changed it too much. I'd still like an explanation as to why Spike is willing to help the white hats, when he's apparently soulless.

Same here. There's no reason for Spike to be good.

At the moment my reaction is lukewarm, I'm not overly keen on how they've drawn Spike, he looks a bit goth with the guyliner, and Fred looks too much like how Faith would be drawn. The Boom comics have been seriously lacking in the story department and making the characters feel like themselves (It's one thing to update them to a more modern setting, it's quite another to just slap a familiar name on a completely different character). I might give this one a chance, depending on reviews, but I think it's safe to say that unless I'm particularly wowed, I won't continue reading much longer. The Buffy comics are rubbish, and what were favourite characters can only carry something so far. I'll check it out because of Spike but I'm not holding high hopes for it.

 

[Taake]

Oooh, interesting, the boys together again! I've only been following from afar but I was wondering whether Spike and Angel would have a past in this universe. It'll be interesting to see what their history and dynamic will be now, I'm hoping for banter and might even be convinced to give this issue a try

Hm, I might be more interested in them than the high school crowd, including Buffy herself, is this what getting older feels like? Or maybe I am just not done with the Angel and Spike dynamic yet (s5 wasn't enough!).

 

[TriBel]

I'd still like an explanation as to why Spike is willing to help the white hats, when he's apparently soulless.

If they're taking the Noir theme seriously then they won't be truly bad or completely good - society's too corrupt for goodness to survive. Spade has a code by which he lives; IIRC Marlowe clings to some romantic notion of chivalry even though he knows this isn't a time for knights. I always thought Angel was noir (he had the code - he was even tight with money like Marlowe). Spike's aligned with "chivalry" from S5 onward - first perverse "courtly love" then as Champion".

is this what getting older feels like?

No...your memory and your knees are usually the first to go.

 

[GreyWalker1958]

KATE!!!

Ok, so maybe I can forgive Boom for wheeling out key characters too soon.

Re: Spike, I guess that speech from the IDW comic (#7, IIRC) about doing good before acquiring a soul is kept and adhered to by Hill.

 

[TriBel]

KATE!!!

Ok, so maybe I can forgive Boom for wheeling out key characters too soon.

Re: Spike, I guess that speech from the IDW comic (#7, IIRC) about doing good before acquiring a soul is kept and adhered to by Hill.

I like IDW Spike! TBH, given they've already re-written the soul mythology with Xander, I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see a soulless Spike with a (confirmed) capacity for good. I imagine that won't go down well with Angel though. Sad - not. 😄