Angel

The winner of the WTF award in the category of comics is...

"Spike vs. Dracula #1." I finally got my comp copies, only to page through it and discover that page 21 was completely devoid of dialogue. Didn’t ANYONE wonder why the ending made no sense? What’s really mystifying is that it was on the jpegs that IDW sent me for approval. Somewhere, between the printer and the printing, an entire page of my dialogue completely vanished.

For those who bought the issue and would like to have some idea of what the hell happened at the end, the actual page of dialogue is reproduced below—

PAGE 21

PANEL A: Spike stalks the pub, looking as fearsome as he ever has. The people cringe back.

SPIKE 1: Because our lord and master, Count Dracula, is living up on the mansion on the hill!

SPIKE 2: Yeah, that’s right! The head vampire himself!

SPIKE 3: You thought he was just a pretend bloke in a book?

PANEL B: He leans toward them, shouting.

SPIKE 4: Think again!

PANEL C: People cringe back as Spike’s shadow is cast over them, his arms spread wide. Only Spike’s shadow is in the shot; Spike is off panel, casting the shadow.

SPIKE 5: This is going to be a vampire town in no time! Because as long as the Count’s in residence, everything’s ducky!

SPIKE 6: Because he knows that you people wouldn’t have the stones to...oh, I dunno...

PANEL D: Reverse angle so that Spike, who is now near the door, is pointing at them.

SPIKE 7: Form an angry mob and go storming his place!

SPIKE 8: Right now!

SPIKE 9: Right this very minute! With pitchforks and flaming arrows and torches.

SPIKE 10: But you won’t! ‘Cause you’re spineless!

PANEL E: Closer on Spike, tossing off that British obscene gesture of his with the two fingers.

SPIKE 11: So there!