Creative Staff:
Scripts: Victor Gischler
Art: Will Conrad
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Letters: Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt
What They Say:
“Where the River Meets the Sea Part Three”
Angel and Faith resurrected the Watcher Rupert Giles and saved the world from a magical virus, sacrificing a corner of London to do it. The affected area—now called “Magic Town”—is filled with people transformed into magical creatures, some struggling to survive, some abusing strange new powers. Now Angel is once again looking after the fallout of his actions, while Faith, having brought Giles to America, explores her options…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Faith’s having trouble working with people and Angel is finding fitting in spectacularly easy in Magic Town.
The problems from the last issue still exist in this one and I think these will be resolved as we get further and further into the story. Since these come out every two months, there’s a huge disconnect between this issue and the last, and I think that’s part of the big problem here. Once we have a more connected story than “setting up Angel and Faith’s separate arcs,” it’ll work a lot better. The next story arc could focus mainly on Angel and the next mainly on Faith until they eventually converge through a series of happenstance. Whatever happens, these stories need to be at least thematically connected, which they are not right now.
Faith’s story focuses on her not being able to fit in when, by all means, she should be able to. She can be the mentor to these new Slayer-kin, but it’s just not working out. Instead, she doesn’t do her homework on the job and she ends up screwing it up. Her client, a bird demon thing that got caught in this world, is a known demon gallivanting around with underage girls. But sometimes, jobs like these require compromise and Faith isn’t quite ready for her moral compass to go that direction.
Meanwhile, Angel is trying to track down a demon pixie that’s been causing trouble and is related in some strange way to a demon blob glass blower. Who knows what this means thus far, but I’m sure it’ll be revealed in more detail next issue. But he’s finding fitting in very easy. Between Nadira and Inspector Brandt, Angel has Angel Investigations: Magic Town Edition in full force…He’s not in charge anymore, but whatever. He’s still doing the same kind of work.
In Summary:
I don’t know what they were thinking with splitting Angel and Faith up AND trying to keep it in the same comic. Both of these stories would be a lot stronger if they stood on their own. Regardless of that, the stories themselves seem to be moving in a really nice direction. Faith’s questioning her role within Kennedy’s organization, and whether she would be better off with Buffy and her gang. Angel has his own problems in Magic Town and, while he may feel alone, he is anything but. I basically want this set up to be over now.
Content Grade: C+
Art Grade: A-
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: June 4, 2014
