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Angel + Spike (single issues) #13-16
Angel + Spike, vol. 2: What's Past Is Prologue
As LAPD Detective Kate Lockley grows closer to Angel, neither realize they share a surprising connection to each other...and to Spike.
THEIR PAST WILL DOOM THEIR FUTURE. As LAPD Detective Kate Lockley grows closer to Angel, neither realize they share a surprising connection to each other...and to Spike. But as the trio must confront the (literal) demons of their pasts, Gunn and Fred each embark on their own quests that put them in danger. And that might just mean everything is going according to Wolfram & Hart’s master plan... A new era for Angel, Spike & their crew begins here as the new team of Zac Thompson (X-Men) and Hayden Sherman (Wasted Space) reveal the new evils hiding in the shadows of Los Angeles, along with a special flashback from Adam Smith (Jim Henson’s Beneath The Dark Crystal) and Piotr Kowalski (The Witcher). Collects Angel & Spike #13-16.
THEIR PAST WILL DOOM THEIR FUTURE. As LAPD Detective Kate Lockley grows closer to Angel, neither realize they share a surprising connection to each other...and to Spike. But as the trio must confront the (literal) demons of their pasts, Gunn and Fred each embark on their own quests that put them in danger. And that might just mean everything is going according to Wolfram & Hart’s master plan... A new era for Angel, Spike & their crew begins here as the new team of Zac Thompson (X-Men) and Hayden Sherman (Wasted Space) reveal the new evils hiding in the shadows of Los Angeles, along with a special flashback from Adam Smith (Jim Henson’s Beneath The Dark Crystal) and Piotr Kowalski (The Witcher). Collects Angel & Spike #13-16.
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 22, 2021
2 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Zac Thompson
211 books64 followersZac Thompson is a writer born and raised on Prince Edward Island, Canada. He's written titles like Marvelous X-Men, Cable, and X-Men: Black for Marvel Comics. Along with indie books such as Her Infernal Descent, Relay, and The Replacer.
In 2019, Zac became the showrunner of the Age of X-Man universe at Marvel Comics. His critically acclaimed miniseries, Come Into Me, was called the best horror comic of 2018 by HorrorDNA. His debut comic series, The Dregs, was called "lowbrow brilliant" by New York Magazine. His novel, Weaponized, was the winner of the 2016 CryptTV horror fiction contest.
In 2019, Zac became the showrunner of the Age of X-Man universe at Marvel Comics. His critically acclaimed miniseries, Come Into Me, was called the best horror comic of 2018 by HorrorDNA. His debut comic series, The Dregs, was called "lowbrow brilliant" by New York Magazine. His novel, Weaponized, was the winner of the 2016 CryptTV horror fiction contest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 15, 2024
After a one issue fill-in by Adam Smith, Zac Thompson and Hayden Sherman come on board a quickly sinking ship. Boom turned this title into a dumpster fire quickly. Boom cancelled the book as Thompson was writing the final issue. Which I was OK with because Thompson didn't capture the characters' voices and Sherman's art is awful. It's ill suited to a comic that needs the likenesses of the actors. I couldn't tell who was who in this. The colorist didn't do Sherman any favors either as it was equally terrible. This looked like a crappy, independent comic from the 80's, coupled with a rushed ending with tons of unanswered questions. Everything about this was terrible.
May 12, 2021
It reads just like a comic that has been cancelled prematurely so the author has to cram a bunch of conclusions into a single issue. Which is ok, because that's exactly what happened. But it's also not ok, since Angel's sh!tty parent comic Buffy is still chugging along despite being demonstrably worse. But then again, 'quality of work' is so far down the list of reasons for doing things at comic companies today, no one should be surprised.
February 15, 2022
How did this happen? How did things go off the rails this thoroughly and this quickly? After Bryan Edward Hill and Gleb Melnikov moved on from the book it was a foregone conclusion that they left some big shoes to fill. The way they reimagined the Angel corner of the Buffyverse was surprisingly fresh, fun, and exciting while still managing to capture the characters' voices and essence perfectly.
This volume? Yeesh, that all kind of goes away, sadly. The voices for our cast are entirely wrong. The tone? Abysmally wrong. I thought the new creative team utterly failed to pick up the threads left by the previous creative team, clumsily dropping them into a messy pile on the floor and kicking them down a sewer drain. It's...terrible.
I know for a fact that Zac Thompson is a better writer than this so I will be genuinely shocked if I ever hear that he wasn't just phoning it in until the book got the final axe.
Ugh.
If you're reading this series and checking out reviews before embarking on this final volume you are better off leaving things how they ended at the conclusion of volume one. Just stop there. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Don't sully a wonderful reading experience with this as the finale to an otherwise very enjoyable series.
Just skip this one.
This volume? Yeesh, that all kind of goes away, sadly. The voices for our cast are entirely wrong. The tone? Abysmally wrong. I thought the new creative team utterly failed to pick up the threads left by the previous creative team, clumsily dropping them into a messy pile on the floor and kicking them down a sewer drain. It's...terrible.
I know for a fact that Zac Thompson is a better writer than this so I will be genuinely shocked if I ever hear that he wasn't just phoning it in until the book got the final axe.
Ugh.
If you're reading this series and checking out reviews before embarking on this final volume you are better off leaving things how they ended at the conclusion of volume one. Just stop there. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Don't sully a wonderful reading experience with this as the finale to an otherwise very enjoyable series.
Just skip this one.
June 11, 2021
I feel mean being mean to this volume, but there's not much else I can do. The final arc of Angel & Spike didn't even know it was going to be the final arc until right at the last minute, so it ends up setting up a load of stuff that it never gets to pay off.
After a one-off fill-in (which is kind of a problem start when Boom! trades are only four issues) Zac Thompson throws Angel, Spike, and Kate into a mystery story featuring Oz that dovetails into some of the multiverse stuff that's been going on over in Buffy. It's all a bit rushed and unfinished, but I'm not surprised. Apparently Thompson only learned that the series was cancelled midway through writing the final issue, so he had to pivot right at the end to try and tie things off. The results are mixed, but I can't really blame him - he did his best.
Angel also lost series artist Gleb Melnikov between volumes, and that shows too - in his place we get Hayden Sherman, who doesn't do a bad job, but feels a bit too sketchy for books inspired by actual actors. Think Felipe Andrade, that kind of vein.
Angel & Spike don't go gently into the good night, and it's a shame. There was a lot of potential here, but the title flounders at the last minute due to poor timing. I hope it can recover if/when it gets relaunched.
After a one-off fill-in (which is kind of a problem start when Boom! trades are only four issues) Zac Thompson throws Angel, Spike, and Kate into a mystery story featuring Oz that dovetails into some of the multiverse stuff that's been going on over in Buffy. It's all a bit rushed and unfinished, but I'm not surprised. Apparently Thompson only learned that the series was cancelled midway through writing the final issue, so he had to pivot right at the end to try and tie things off. The results are mixed, but I can't really blame him - he did his best.
Angel also lost series artist Gleb Melnikov between volumes, and that shows too - in his place we get Hayden Sherman, who doesn't do a bad job, but feels a bit too sketchy for books inspired by actual actors. Think Felipe Andrade, that kind of vein.
Angel & Spike don't go gently into the good night, and it's a shame. There was a lot of potential here, but the title flounders at the last minute due to poor timing. I hope it can recover if/when it gets relaunched.
January 4, 2021
The art. My eyes. My poor eyes.
March 16, 2022
All the storylines end in an anticlimatic finale that makes this entire series feel pointless in retrospect
The writer never stood a chance. He was informed that this would be the end while he was already writing the last issue - and before he truly had a grasp on each of the characters. BOOM should at least have continued this series for another 4 issues to give it a proper ending.
And I really don’t like the art either.
The writer never stood a chance. He was informed that this would be the end while he was already writing the last issue - and before he truly had a grasp on each of the characters. BOOM should at least have continued this series for another 4 issues to give it a proper ending.
And I really don’t like the art either.
March 17, 2022
Sarò sincera, il volume è così buttato lì che non avevo neanche capito fosse il conclusivo della serie.
Angel e Spike sono totalmente out of character, la storia è debole perchè la trama non è coerente... non mi ha lasciato nulla.
E mi dispiace tantissimo perchè aveva del potenziale!
Angel e Spike sono totalmente out of character, la storia è debole perchè la trama non è coerente... non mi ha lasciato nulla.
E mi dispiace tantissimo perchè aveva del potenziale!
January 31, 2023
Was really lacking the sarcastic humour found in the Buffyverse...both through Dark Horse & Boom.
January 11, 2021
full review to come
February 24, 2025
The Spike & Angel banter was fun
September 12, 2023
Angel and Spike, Vol. 2 by Zac Thompson continues the supernatural adventures in the dark and gritty world of Los Angeles. Angel and Spike find themselves facing new and old enemies while trying to salvage friendships. Volume 2 sees the two vampires embroiled in a power struggle that threatens not only their own existence but also the balance of the supernatural forces in the city. Alongside their allies, they must confront their own pasts as well as the ever-present danger of the Hellmouth.
Angel and Spike, Vol. 2 delivers a character-driven installment in the ongoing Buffyverse saga. This volume delves into a deeper understanding of Angel’s past struggles and the exploration of his and Spike’s rivalry and uneasy partnership.
The artwork has its hits and misses. The cover is a bit of a miss for me, but there are some great pages inside.
As with any continuation of a well-loved franchise, there is a challenge to meet the high expectations of fans. I think this volume holds up in some areas and falls a bit flat in others. I think I am looking for a bit more of Gunn and Fred and am missing that. I will continue with the series but have mixed feelings about the direction it is taking.
3.5 stars
Angel and Spike, Vol. 2 delivers a character-driven installment in the ongoing Buffyverse saga. This volume delves into a deeper understanding of Angel’s past struggles and the exploration of his and Spike’s rivalry and uneasy partnership.
The artwork has its hits and misses. The cover is a bit of a miss for me, but there are some great pages inside.
As with any continuation of a well-loved franchise, there is a challenge to meet the high expectations of fans. I think this volume holds up in some areas and falls a bit flat in others. I think I am looking for a bit more of Gunn and Fred and am missing that. I will continue with the series but have mixed feelings about the direction it is taking.
3.5 stars
December 30, 2020
This series run has been more consistent than its Buffy and Hellmouth counterparts, but these final issues fall flat with a rushed finale inflicted upon new series writer Zac Thompson by BOOM! Studios while he was still writing issue #16. The result is the events leading to the finale feel like an unnecessary diversion from the main plot.
Issue #13 is a one-shot story set in 1962. I didn't like illustrator Piotr Kowalski's rendering of Angel, which when combined with Mattia Iacono's colours somehow looks more like Data than David Boreanaz.
Along with Thompson being introduced for issues #14-16, Hayden Sherman takes over illustrating. There were elements of his style that I like, but times when the body proportions of characters are like a circus mirror where they appear far wider than they were on the previous page. And the werewolves were way too big.
Issue #13 is a one-shot story set in 1962. I didn't like illustrator Piotr Kowalski's rendering of Angel, which when combined with Mattia Iacono's colours somehow looks more like Data than David Boreanaz.
Along with Thompson being introduced for issues #14-16, Hayden Sherman takes over illustrating. There were elements of his style that I like, but times when the body proportions of characters are like a circus mirror where they appear far wider than they were on the previous page. And the werewolves were way too big.
January 1, 2022
this series got cancelled, which is really annoying. also, the actual book is called "what's past is prologue", not "what's done is denied". it's a bit of a pile up because of the cancellation. it's a little toooo much with fred. basically, I just need spike to be folded back into the buffy series or something. the art is weird, as a lot of people mention but honestly I find the art in these buffyverse comics is usually up and down because they change artists so much. I prefer it when I can, you know, recognize the characters. the people are just too broad in this one. but I'm not going to be too fussy because a lot of the art all through these comic books is off. weird voluptuous legs with people in strange stances, odd linework all over the faces. is it buffy or anya?
December 28, 2021
Ma cosa è successo? Volume conclusivo decisamente deludente. Angel e Spike sono completamente diversi, fuori dal personaggio. La storia sembra andare alla deriva. Peccato. Questa serie meritava un finale migliore. Unica cosa positiva è la pagina finale.
But what happened? Definitely disappointing final volume. Angel and Spike are completely different, out of character. History seems to be drifting apart. Pity. This series deserved a better ending. The only positive thing is the final page.
But what happened? Definitely disappointing final volume. Angel and Spike are completely different, out of character. History seems to be drifting apart. Pity. This series deserved a better ending. The only positive thing is the final page.
January 2, 2023
I'm sorry but this addition to the Angel reboot was absolute trash. There were too many plot lines that were not summed up and the artwork completely missed the mark for me. The characters in this installment did not have motivations that made sense with the other entries into this reboot. Ultimately, even if this series wasn't canceled by BOOM, I would not be continuing on unless some of the authors/illustrators were swapped out.
October 4, 2022
Can I give it zero stars? This is the worst comic they’ve ever put out for this franchise. The art and writing are both SO bad that all the characters are completely unrecognizable. (It’s a shame too, the wardrobe/Fred’s glowup at the very end could have been epic.) I took a break and restarted and could barely tell who was even in the scenes.
July 21, 2021
I read this two weeks ago and don't remember a single thing about it except that it was kinda ugly and that I liked the beginning more than the end. This ended poorly, and it wasn't the author's fault.
September 14, 2023
Calling it quits on this series. I really tried. But the art work has gone down hill fast, and the story line is so disjointed. The premise was something that could be good. But I feel like they gave up way before I did.
June 15, 2021
Spike's snark and one-liners are the only thing that bumped this up from a 2-2.5 stars to a grudging 3 stars . . . and it's hard to earn a 2-star rating from me!
September 12, 2021
Story wise this was 4 stars. So I'm going with that for my rating. With that in mind, what the geck was with the art style?! It was just plain awful.
October 18, 2021
just no, especially the ending
February 14, 2022
Bad art. Bad plot. Bad characterization.
February 8, 2023
Well that's a shitty ending
May 4, 2023
Why, oh, why, would you change the writer and the artist? No wonder this is the last volume in the series - not even my sassy William could charm his way out of cancelation after the shocking art direction change (there is a 2022 revival that I cannot wait to read, but I am not sure Spike will play a big part in that one or even be there at all).
Up until now this series was fun and consistent (unlike Buffy and Hellmouth) - plus have I mentioned tons of fun? This volume, however, it was all over the place. It has a few illustrators working on the same storyline (just in different issues) and that definitely made me enjoy it less, especially in the last two issues where the proportions were really out of whack!
The conclusion was rushed, the day was more or less magically saved, plot lines were abandoned midway. The only thing I enjoyed in this entire volume was Spike's snarky lines.
Up until now this series was fun and consistent (unlike Buffy and Hellmouth) - plus have I mentioned tons of fun? This volume, however, it was all over the place. It has a few illustrators working on the same storyline (just in different issues) and that definitely made me enjoy it less, especially in the last two issues where the proportions were really out of whack!
The conclusion was rushed, the day was more or less magically saved, plot lines were abandoned midway. The only thing I enjoyed in this entire volume was Spike's snarky lines.
September 28, 2023
angel still looks like michael myers in this due to terrible artwork
June 9, 2024
1 star - only finished to complete the series because it is awful (the art and story). Also, I can't handle how the authors have portrayed Spike in this volume - its not like him at all.
February 3, 2025
Some fun banter between Angel and Spike. Werewolves in LA. Fred tries to get used to her possession. Multiverse?!
March 20, 2021
I feel like the artwork really fell off during the series, but the story had such a great ending!
December 29, 2021
Deze viel een beetje tegen. De tekeningen zijn anders... Het verhaal is een beetje chaotisch... Maar misschien als ik heel de serie eens na elkaar lees dat dit beter wordt.
Re-read: Ik kan het verhaal beter volgen als ik alle delen na elkaar lees, maar ik vind de tekeningen in dit deel heel slecht… Ik herken van tijd de personages niet…
Re-read: Ik kan het verhaal beter volgen als ik alle delen na elkaar lees, maar ik vind de tekeningen in dit deel heel slecht… Ik herken van tijd de personages niet…
July 8, 2022
Five stars for my boy Oz making an appearance ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews