Angel

Writer: Peter David

Artist: Nicola Scott

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Price: $3.99

First of all I should say that I am not a Buffy/Angel expert. I’ve seen maybe half of all the Buffy episodes, and certainly less than that of Angel. The reasons for me reviewing an advance copy of this new book from IDW were wholly centred around the creative team attached to it, namely Peter David and Nicola Scott. Illyria

Having read this issue, I have to say that my interest in seeking out other Buffy-related comics has risen considerably, as has my enthusiasm to actually watch all those Whedon vampire related episodes I haven’t gotten around to yet. As the title suggests, this comic focuses on the character of Illyria, the demon that resides in the body of Fred, the girl that Wesley loved.

Peter David does a wonderful job of conveying Illyria’s personality and understanding (or lack) of her surroundings amongst humanity. The story regards a killer who has no remorse for his crimes, even going so far as to attack the mother of some of his victims in the courtroom.

Illyria’s presence at the trial is seemingly to gain a better understanding of what causes humanity to regard remorse and forgiveness as a trait to be admired. Illyria breaks the man out of a guard van and takes him across the desert. During this journey, whilst questioning the criminal’s lack of remorse, Illyria also reflects back on discussions with Wesley regarding his killing of the person who brought Illyria into Fred’s body. As you may expect, this all has a relevance to Illyria trying to understand just what she did when she took Fred’s life. I have to admit I was quite surprised to find myself emoting so strongly with a character I’ve never come across. This lays at the feet of David’s deft scripting.

Scott’s artwork is very strong, there are times when it almost reaches Cassaday’s Planetary levels, probably due to the costume design of Illyia, but mainly due to the great skill with which Scott uses the character’s and their surroundings. Nicola’s sense of panel dynamic is very strong, whether it is the talking head panels or the action scenes, and the clarity of layout makes it a pleasure to read.

As a newcomer to Buffy related comics, I found this particular one to be very good, and it will probably prompt me to check out some of the other titles. My initial reason for wanting to read this comic was the creative team though, and I feel vindicated by that choice. You’ll be seeing a lot more of Nicola Scott soon, and apparently this Peter David bloke has been known to write a few things.