So this would include all of the non-Spike pre-"After the Fall" IDW comics?

Invisible Green | July 03, 08:04 CET

Now I'm conflicted - I have the TPB's for all of those ( Angel: The Curse, Angel: Old Friends, Angel: Spotlight, and Angel: Auld Lang Syne) but should I get it anyway for any extra features?

The obsessive in me says "YES!" (he's really loud!) but the pragmatist says "No."

What to do? What to do?

And 488 pages? Even for an omnibus, that is big.

catalyst2 | July 03, 10:02 CET

Just to be clear, this omnibus is non-canon right? So what's the quality of the stories like?

MattK | July 03, 13:18 CET

That is an odd picture.

Mrs.BigPileofDust | July 03, 14:51 CET

MattK - Yes, none of these stories are canonical. I only read "Cursed" and "Old Friends," but I found them both to be really awful.

Invisible Green | July 03, 17:40 CET

Invisible Green: If you read 'Old Friends' why are you asking if these are non-Spike? I don't know about 'Cursed', Spike must not have been in that one cuz I haven't read it, but he was in 'Old Friends'. And as far as 'Auld Lang Syne', that was all Spike & Angel. I enjoyed all that I did read and plan on getting this to support my favorite vamp. As far as 'canon', who cares? A good story is a good story and I will take Spike anyway I can get him. Thanks for the heads up on this, xanderharris!

luvspike | July 03, 19:26 CET

luvspike, I took Invisible Green to mean "non-Spike" as in not "Spike: Old Times", "Spike: Shadow Puppets", "Spike vs. Dracula", etc.

As far as these stories go - I found Old Friends to be pretty decent, though I've only read part of it. The Illyria Spotlight is quite good - it's a pity that Peter David's contract with Marvel keeps him from writing any more Angelverse stories, because he had quite a good feel for the characters, IMHO.

LKW | July 04, 03:26 CET

luvspike said:
"As far as 'canon', who cares?"

A whole lotta folks. With good reason too. I can't speak about IDW's Angel comics, but having read everything Buffy in comcis, it's generally been true that anything canon (Fray, Tales of the Slayer/Vampire, Season 8, and a few other one-shots and minis written by Mutant Enemy scribes) is better-written, better captures the voices of the characters, and makes better plot sense for the Buffyverse. I won't deny that I've enjoyed some of the non-canon stuff...but way, way less of it. And judging by comments on this site and elsewhere, a whole lotta fans feel the same way.

Also, personally, I just got tired of paying for fanfiction that ended up being undone or couldn't possibly fit as the TV series went on. I know a lotta folks have liked some of what Bryan Lynch specifically did in his IDW comics before Angel: After the Fall, but since no one after him is obligated to adhere to any of that, it could just be wiped out/contradicted in the future.

Still kinda leary of trying out the IDW Angel comics--why is Joss' name attatched to Angel:AtF, but not Spike:AtF ? Did that particular spin-off not get his approval or not have any input whatsoever ?

I wonder if Dark Horse will put out an Angel omnibus of their own (hopefully just containing the whole thing, Volume 1 plus the 4-issue Volume 2 mini-series that was never properly resolved). Maybe once they're finished releasing all the old Buffy comics ? I think there was a Cordelia spotlight issue from that line of Angel comics too.

It wasn't the best thing ever, but I loved the way that series dealt with/acknowledged Doyle's death.

[ edited by Kris on 2008-07-04 20:30 ]

Kris | July 04, 23:22 CET

Oh, why oh why can't Buffy and Angel be published by the same company. At first I thought, "yay, this will go great with my Buffy Omnibus collection!" but now I realize that IDW may be a different size, most likely a different colour spine, and there is sadness. However, because I am spaztastic about books of all sorts, I will own this puppy, and put some Astonishing Xmen in between to hide any differences.

ninjapigeon | July 05, 07:06 CET

Just because it's 'canon' doesn't automatically make it good. I quit reading the Buffy 'canon' comics because they just don't interest me, canon or not. So to say they are 'better written and better captures the voices...' is soley in the eye of the reader.

luvspike | July 06, 04:24 CET