What is the truth behind the radiant green goo being sold by the demon underworld?
What They Say:
Following some bad-many would say unforgivable-choices as Twilight, Angel needed to hide away and wallow in his guilt. But with a little TLC–courtesy of his only remaining ally, Faith, Angel is back to fighting the good fight and taking demons down one by one. With the Watcher files at their disposal, Angel comes up with the ultimate plan for redemption.
The Review:
Angel revealed, at the end of the first issue, that his goal is to bring Giles back from the dead. While he knows it will be difficult to bring back both body and soul, he has hung his entire sense of purpose on accomplishing this task. Faith believes this to be impossible, but she has committed herself to repaying Angel’s earlier support for her by supporting him in return. So she tries to protect his fragile sense of purpose, keeping him from sliding back into darkness, while looking for a way to redirect his energy away from resurrecting Giles.
The story in this issue is strong, with several major points woven together artfully. Our title duo battles demons who have a new black market item – some kind of radiant, odiferous goo that commands oddly high prices. Angel has his suspicions about the substance, and doggedly seeks out the source, resulting in many action packed demon fight scenes! I was thrilled to be gifted with another flashback of Giles, this time revealing more of his compassionate support for Faith. We also get another glimpse at the big bads, Pearl and Nash, who entered the story in the first issue. I’m intrigued by these characters, and looking forward to learning even more about their motivations and end game plans.
“Angel and Faith” continues to strike a wonderful balance between soul searching drama, action, and dark humor as they explore the themes of sacrifice, atonement, and loyalty. Along the way, we are treated to some of my favorite funny lines as Faith reluctantly decides to “ride shotgun on his crazy train” and snide comments are made about Angel’s previous pseudonym, “Twilight”.
In Summary:
The second installment of the Angel and Faith series is well paced and entertaining. I enjoyed the mix of dark humor, action, and introspection. The nature of the mysterious goo is revealed, which sets the stage for an important part of the story arc. I adored the continued presence of Giles, through well written flashbacks. My interest is building in the creepy Pearl and Nash, and I’m hoping for more revelations about them next month. My excitement over the events in this series keeps growing. Definitely a great read, and a series to watch!
Grade: A
