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When we last left our bulging heroes, Spike was oogling Eddie's bare ass after discovering a blood-draining factory and gettin' it blowed up real' good. Tansy Fry and idiotic her pop culture cohorts have cooked up a way to create a bunch of small Hellmouths and are selling the use of them to the highest bidder. She had just opened up her first one to allow a disco diva demon to come through with a demon on a leash like Lord Sebassis. Oh, joy.
Warning: This may contain spoilers for the main Angel series, and it also has strong language, sarcasm, and ranting.
Spike: the Devil You Know, Issue #3.
Synopsis
In a parking garage, Spike is snarking at Eddie because the information he took from Dwight from the Office's Blackberry has only led them to places where Tansy has been and not where she is. To be fair, it did lead them straight Tansy's cohorts in Issue #2... which was a trap, but still. The parking garage is attached to a casino called the Lucky Break, and Spike proudly proclaims that he is going to bargain with a demon named Beryl who hangs out there and warns Eddie that he needs to be more aware of the "whole demon subculture." Of course, in a "har har" moment, Eddie already knows a demon working at the casino who gets him a seat in a poker tournament, leaving Spike to investigate on his own.
Meanwhile, "Tansy the Terror" is reminding Duchess Disco Diva Afrolicious Demon Lady that their contract was for a single use of her new Hellmouth to gain access to the earthly dimension in exchange for the "Forge of Amara." The Duchess has gathered wealthy demons in her dimension who also want access to the Tansy's TransDimensional Travel Agency. Tansy is angry that because of the Duchess's wrangling that she'll be losing money on the deal, but agrees that the Duchess can bring over two of her operatives for every ten paying customers. The Duchess's plan is to reform the Circle of the Black Thorn and meet Angel. She believes that Angel is evil because details of some of his exploits have been lost in translation (i.e. believing that Angel sent Baby Connor to hell on purpose, took out Wolfram and Hart to rule L.A., and that he "defiled a Slayer"... wait, he kinda did that last bit... oh, no, he just deflowered her. My bad).
Spike meets with Beryl, who is a Piccolo-esque green demon (get it? Beryl? Green? Also, DBZ/Sailor Moon implications) and works as one of the casino's chefs. Beryl reveals that Andrea, Tansy's henchgal, was in the casino the week prior trying to recruit vampires, but she stopped suddenly. Beryl wants to know about Tansy and tells a reluctant Spike that their deal is a fair trade of info. Quid pro quo, Clarice. Spike says that he never met Tansy, but he saw her handiwork once (I guess he doesn't really count seeing her at the Master's Court as "meeting" her).
In a flashback, Spike recalls seeing the carnage that Tansy wrought- single-handedly killing a whole village in "rage" without really even feeding. Darla appears to be joining in on the fun, and Angelus looks pleased as bloody fruit punch. What caused Tansy to lose her shit in the first place was someone confusing her with Darla.
Beryl tells Spike that the vamps who Andrea recruited were told to go to the "Old Reservoir" while Eddie is playing poker with a bunch of other demons. Spike joins him at the table, marveling that they would play for something other than kittens. Spike annoys Eddie about his hand (basically pointing out that Eddie's going to win the round), and Eddie gives him a "plz go die" look.
Meanwhile back at Tansy's House of Hellmouths, an enormous cloven-hoofed beast named Sam'rskell has come through with no payment. Tansy tells him that his payment will be to take care of a "little blonde problem."
Spike is pleased with himself, and Eddie is frustrated because he would have been able to win more money if he'd been allowed to play longer. Spike snarks that he must need the money for his pants budget. As they talk about poker etiquette in the parking garage, Eddie stabs Spike in the back through his heart with a metal rod so that Andrea could not shoot him with her crossbow (or that's what it looks like 'cause it's not really laid out very well in the panels). Spike fights with two "Grappler Demons" while Andrea tries to shoot him. Eddie uses his ice powers to freeze Andrea's hands. After Eddie tallying up all the times that he's saved Spike, he receives a punch to the face for being an asshole. After they stop trying to kill one another, they finally remember to question Andrea who tells them that Tansy has already opened the Hellmouth. They leave her there with her hands and feet frozen, and Spike says that maybe a demon might come along to help her and makes a comment that alludes to tentacle-rape. Classy.
Tansy catches her sorceress demon business partner trying to look inside the Forge of Amara. Apparently, the sorceress is going to get the box in exchange for her help in completing Tansy's plan.
Eddie and Spike drive around. Eddie is still in his demon form because he's "out of pants." Spike explains what a Hellmouth is and that he closed one. Spike is a bit grumpy that he feels that he doesn't have a future, but cheers up a bit thinking that no one expects anything of him. Eddie wonders why Spike believes he has no future, and Spike basically says because Gunn told him that that's what the Senior Partners said. Eddie doesn't think that the source of the info is credible and wonders why Spike would bother to fight if he didn't believe that it would make a difference. Spike admits that he doesn't know what he would do if he wasn't on the "hero road."
While Spike is trying to find out more about Eddie's past, a large sword comes crashing through the engine of the Austin Healey. Sam'rskell towers over the ruined car and asks which one of the boys is Spike. Eddie, who has taken his human form again, and Spike point fingers at one another.
Review
The Story: Once again, I feel like I wasted time reading this. The only important pages are the ones with Tansy and the kitchen scene with Spike and Beryl. Other than that, we really learn nothing nor are we made to care about anything. Also, "Tansy the Terror" does not have any kind of ring of fright to it, and she doesn't seem that capable arranging traps for Spike. Maybe it's just lack of real communication on her part, but why would Tansy have Andrea set up a trap for Eddie and Spike in the parking garage of the Lucky Break while the much more powerful and likely-to-win Sam'rskell is waiting just down the block?
The "Forge of Amara" makes the specialness of the Gem of Amara seem kinda... not special. Also, IDW has already done a Gem of Amara-related story- Spike: Lost and Found. Both Tansy and the Duchess are trying to reform associations from the past- the Order of Aurelius and the Circle of the Black Thorn. Probably would be a fiercely powerful group if the pureblood demons didn't shown obvious distain for "blood-eaters" like Tansy. I feel like with all the references to Xander, the Order of Aurelius, the Gem of Amara, and the blood-draining factory from The Wish that Bill Williams is trying to hit the readers over the head with "LOOK AT HOW MUCH I WATCHED THE SHOW! MY STORY IS GOOD BECAUSE I MAKE REFERENCES!" Yeah, Williams, I make references too... in my fanfic... and they make a little more sense than yours. Next thing you know Jesse's going to show up not-not-dead as head of the Order once Tansy's dead.
ETA: I need to add that Eddie did nothing in this issue until the parking garage fight. The poker tournie that he enters isn't an attempt to gather information; he just wants money. Why is he in this story?
Minor Quibble: For all Williams's use of Britishisms, I don't see Spike saying "pants" when not referring to underwear. He would most likely say "trousers" since it's already been established that Eddie goes commando.
The pages where Spike is stabbed by Eddie with a metal rod are weird and confusing. Not only have we gone back to the strange plasticy art style, but it's also poorly laid out. To be honest, I am still unsure if Eddie stabbed Spike at all or if it is a metal arrow that Andrea shot at him. The only reason I say that it's Eddie that stabbed him to protect him is because it makes no sense for Andrea to shoot him with a metal object if she's trying to kill him. However, because of the layout choices, it looks like Andrea is re-loading her crossbow, so it's even more confusing. Why would she JUST be loading her crossbow if she hadn't shot yet? Shouldn't she already have it loaded? Where did Eddie get that rod/arrow thing? Was he keeping it down his jeans? Is that what Franco has been drawing all this time?
"Grappler Demons" may be the laziest name for a species ever (besides "Ice Demons"). And did we really need a whole bunch of panels of Spike and Eddie thanking one another while they fight? We get it. They like each other a little more now. No need to ram it down our throats.
Dialogue-wise, Spike is a tiny smidgeon more palatable in this issue. He's still very annoying and acting like fourteen year old Liam, but we do get to see a little bit of vulnerability- that he's still somewhat scared that what Gunn said about him not being in the history books is true, though Spike seems to have interpreted that to mean that he has no future or that he won't matter. The conversation between Eddie and Spike about this issue is really unnecessary since Spike and Angel already had it in the final issue of After the Fall where Angel reminded Spike that just because he's not "in the history books" doesn't mean that he won't matter in the future; it just means that the bad guys will never see him coming. I guess Spike still might feel a little insecure about learning that W&H don't view him as a real threat, but it still comes across in these panels as a rehash.
Eddie, on the other hand, is just not a likable character to me. I mean, I don't think that every character necessarily has to be likable, but every bit of his dialogue seems shoehorned into the scene, and that just really grates my cheese. I would rather see Spike and Marv on this adventure, really. And why, when Eddie acted like he knew all about Spike in Issue #1 suddenly need a whole bunch of backstory?
The Art: The trend of Franco Urru's cover being the best thing about the art continues with this issue. Oh, God, I apologize to George Jeanty. Seriously. Yeeeeeeeek. This artwork is just awful even compared to the artwork of the last two issues. Good bloody night. I like Chris Cross's art for Brian Lynch's "Everybody's Dead," but I don't think it works here. Actually, I wish that Mr. Cross would have gone with less attempts at realism and just gone with the style he used for "Everybody's Dead." It would have created a better atmosphere for the story. I do like Chris Cross's designs for the demons, but humanoid creatures are very jinkies. O_o;;;
The flashback. WHAT THE HELL?! Can Chris Cross not remember what he drew in the first issue for Spike and Angelus pre-1900? Angelus has close cropped Mr. Darcy hair, Spike's hair almost looks hacked off and peroxided, and Mr. Cross still does not care about the difference between Regency, Edwardian, and Victorian clothing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; the costumers on the show didn't give a fuck either. If he is confused about what they should look like, why not look at a damn screencapture for fuck's sake? He just drew the hair correctly two issues ago, and yet gets it so wrong here! ARGH.
The page where Spike has his flashback in Beryl's kitchen is a jolting change in the artwork for the worst. It's really cartoony and weird- very elastic and off-putting. It goes back to the less jarring style for a page or two and then in the parking garage it goes back to plastic-looking. It doesn't do anyone any favors and reminds me of the awfulness of the majority of Spike vs. Dracula's artwork. I have to wonder if some of these pages that are wonky are Jose Beroy's, but what's weird is that the pencils on those pages looks more like Chris Cross's work than the rest of the pages yet Cross is the main penciller.
Also, the flat backgrounds most most of the panels are uninteresting. I like the interior of the Lucky Break and the flashback Olde English town, but other than that it's all blargh.
I'd like to thank Mr. Urru for the preview for Issue #4's cover in advance for once again making the focus of the piece two enormous trouser-snakes. Oh, Franco, you delightful man you. :D
Warning: This may contain spoilers for the main Angel series, and it also has strong language, sarcasm, and ranting.
Spike: the Devil You Know, Issue #3.
Synopsis
In a parking garage, Spike is snarking at Eddie because the information he took from Dwight from the Office's Blackberry has only led them to places where Tansy has been and not where she is. To be fair, it did lead them straight Tansy's cohorts in Issue #2... which was a trap, but still. The parking garage is attached to a casino called the Lucky Break, and Spike proudly proclaims that he is going to bargain with a demon named Beryl who hangs out there and warns Eddie that he needs to be more aware of the "whole demon subculture." Of course, in a "har har" moment, Eddie already knows a demon working at the casino who gets him a seat in a poker tournament, leaving Spike to investigate on his own.
Meanwhile, "Tansy the Terror" is reminding Duchess Disco Diva Afrolicious Demon Lady that their contract was for a single use of her new Hellmouth to gain access to the earthly dimension in exchange for the "Forge of Amara." The Duchess has gathered wealthy demons in her dimension who also want access to the Tansy's TransDimensional Travel Agency. Tansy is angry that because of the Duchess's wrangling that she'll be losing money on the deal, but agrees that the Duchess can bring over two of her operatives for every ten paying customers. The Duchess's plan is to reform the Circle of the Black Thorn and meet Angel. She believes that Angel is evil because details of some of his exploits have been lost in translation (i.e. believing that Angel sent Baby Connor to hell on purpose, took out Wolfram and Hart to rule L.A., and that he "defiled a Slayer"... wait, he kinda did that last bit... oh, no, he just deflowered her. My bad).
Spike meets with Beryl, who is a Piccolo-esque green demon (get it? Beryl? Green? Also, DBZ/Sailor Moon implications) and works as one of the casino's chefs. Beryl reveals that Andrea, Tansy's henchgal, was in the casino the week prior trying to recruit vampires, but she stopped suddenly. Beryl wants to know about Tansy and tells a reluctant Spike that their deal is a fair trade of info. Quid pro quo, Clarice. Spike says that he never met Tansy, but he saw her handiwork once (I guess he doesn't really count seeing her at the Master's Court as "meeting" her).
In a flashback, Spike recalls seeing the carnage that Tansy wrought- single-handedly killing a whole village in "rage" without really even feeding. Darla appears to be joining in on the fun, and Angelus looks pleased as bloody fruit punch. What caused Tansy to lose her shit in the first place was someone confusing her with Darla.
Beryl tells Spike that the vamps who Andrea recruited were told to go to the "Old Reservoir" while Eddie is playing poker with a bunch of other demons. Spike joins him at the table, marveling that they would play for something other than kittens. Spike annoys Eddie about his hand (basically pointing out that Eddie's going to win the round), and Eddie gives him a "plz go die" look.
Meanwhile back at Tansy's House of Hellmouths, an enormous cloven-hoofed beast named Sam'rskell has come through with no payment. Tansy tells him that his payment will be to take care of a "little blonde problem."
Spike is pleased with himself, and Eddie is frustrated because he would have been able to win more money if he'd been allowed to play longer. Spike snarks that he must need the money for his pants budget. As they talk about poker etiquette in the parking garage, Eddie stabs Spike in the back through his heart with a metal rod so that Andrea could not shoot him with her crossbow (or that's what it looks like 'cause it's not really laid out very well in the panels). Spike fights with two "Grappler Demons" while Andrea tries to shoot him. Eddie uses his ice powers to freeze Andrea's hands. After Eddie tallying up all the times that he's saved Spike, he receives a punch to the face for being an asshole. After they stop trying to kill one another, they finally remember to question Andrea who tells them that Tansy has already opened the Hellmouth. They leave her there with her hands and feet frozen, and Spike says that maybe a demon might come along to help her and makes a comment that alludes to tentacle-rape. Classy.
Tansy catches her sorceress demon business partner trying to look inside the Forge of Amara. Apparently, the sorceress is going to get the box in exchange for her help in completing Tansy's plan.
Eddie and Spike drive around. Eddie is still in his demon form because he's "out of pants." Spike explains what a Hellmouth is and that he closed one. Spike is a bit grumpy that he feels that he doesn't have a future, but cheers up a bit thinking that no one expects anything of him. Eddie wonders why Spike believes he has no future, and Spike basically says because Gunn told him that that's what the Senior Partners said. Eddie doesn't think that the source of the info is credible and wonders why Spike would bother to fight if he didn't believe that it would make a difference. Spike admits that he doesn't know what he would do if he wasn't on the "hero road."
While Spike is trying to find out more about Eddie's past, a large sword comes crashing through the engine of the Austin Healey. Sam'rskell towers over the ruined car and asks which one of the boys is Spike. Eddie, who has taken his human form again, and Spike point fingers at one another.
Review
The Story: Once again, I feel like I wasted time reading this. The only important pages are the ones with Tansy and the kitchen scene with Spike and Beryl. Other than that, we really learn nothing nor are we made to care about anything. Also, "Tansy the Terror" does not have any kind of ring of fright to it, and she doesn't seem that capable arranging traps for Spike. Maybe it's just lack of real communication on her part, but why would Tansy have Andrea set up a trap for Eddie and Spike in the parking garage of the Lucky Break while the much more powerful and likely-to-win Sam'rskell is waiting just down the block?
The "Forge of Amara" makes the specialness of the Gem of Amara seem kinda... not special. Also, IDW has already done a Gem of Amara-related story- Spike: Lost and Found. Both Tansy and the Duchess are trying to reform associations from the past- the Order of Aurelius and the Circle of the Black Thorn. Probably would be a fiercely powerful group if the pureblood demons didn't shown obvious distain for "blood-eaters" like Tansy. I feel like with all the references to Xander, the Order of Aurelius, the Gem of Amara, and the blood-draining factory from The Wish that Bill Williams is trying to hit the readers over the head with "LOOK AT HOW MUCH I WATCHED THE SHOW! MY STORY IS GOOD BECAUSE I MAKE REFERENCES!" Yeah, Williams, I make references too... in my fanfic... and they make a little more sense than yours. Next thing you know Jesse's going to show up not-not-dead as head of the Order once Tansy's dead.
ETA: I need to add that Eddie did nothing in this issue until the parking garage fight. The poker tournie that he enters isn't an attempt to gather information; he just wants money. Why is he in this story?
Minor Quibble: For all Williams's use of Britishisms, I don't see Spike saying "pants" when not referring to underwear. He would most likely say "trousers" since it's already been established that Eddie goes commando.
The pages where Spike is stabbed by Eddie with a metal rod are weird and confusing. Not only have we gone back to the strange plasticy art style, but it's also poorly laid out. To be honest, I am still unsure if Eddie stabbed Spike at all or if it is a metal arrow that Andrea shot at him. The only reason I say that it's Eddie that stabbed him to protect him is because it makes no sense for Andrea to shoot him with a metal object if she's trying to kill him. However, because of the layout choices, it looks like Andrea is re-loading her crossbow, so it's even more confusing. Why would she JUST be loading her crossbow if she hadn't shot yet? Shouldn't she already have it loaded? Where did Eddie get that rod/arrow thing? Was he keeping it down his jeans? Is that what Franco has been drawing all this time?
"Grappler Demons" may be the laziest name for a species ever (besides "Ice Demons"). And did we really need a whole bunch of panels of Spike and Eddie thanking one another while they fight? We get it. They like each other a little more now. No need to ram it down our throats.
Dialogue-wise, Spike is a tiny smidgeon more palatable in this issue. He's still very annoying and acting like fourteen year old Liam, but we do get to see a little bit of vulnerability- that he's still somewhat scared that what Gunn said about him not being in the history books is true, though Spike seems to have interpreted that to mean that he has no future or that he won't matter. The conversation between Eddie and Spike about this issue is really unnecessary since Spike and Angel already had it in the final issue of After the Fall where Angel reminded Spike that just because he's not "in the history books" doesn't mean that he won't matter in the future; it just means that the bad guys will never see him coming. I guess Spike still might feel a little insecure about learning that W&H don't view him as a real threat, but it still comes across in these panels as a rehash.
Eddie, on the other hand, is just not a likable character to me. I mean, I don't think that every character necessarily has to be likable, but every bit of his dialogue seems shoehorned into the scene, and that just really grates my cheese. I would rather see Spike and Marv on this adventure, really. And why, when Eddie acted like he knew all about Spike in Issue #1 suddenly need a whole bunch of backstory?
The Art: The trend of Franco Urru's cover being the best thing about the art continues with this issue. Oh, God, I apologize to George Jeanty. Seriously. Yeeeeeeeek. This artwork is just awful even compared to the artwork of the last two issues. Good bloody night. I like Chris Cross's art for Brian Lynch's "Everybody's Dead," but I don't think it works here. Actually, I wish that Mr. Cross would have gone with less attempts at realism and just gone with the style he used for "Everybody's Dead." It would have created a better atmosphere for the story. I do like Chris Cross's designs for the demons, but humanoid creatures are very jinkies. O_o;;;
The flashback. WHAT THE HELL?! Can Chris Cross not remember what he drew in the first issue for Spike and Angelus pre-1900? Angelus has close cropped Mr. Darcy hair, Spike's hair almost looks hacked off and peroxided, and Mr. Cross still does not care about the difference between Regency, Edwardian, and Victorian clothing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; the costumers on the show didn't give a fuck either. If he is confused about what they should look like, why not look at a damn screencapture for fuck's sake? He just drew the hair correctly two issues ago, and yet gets it so wrong here! ARGH.
The page where Spike has his flashback in Beryl's kitchen is a jolting change in the artwork for the worst. It's really cartoony and weird- very elastic and off-putting. It goes back to the less jarring style for a page or two and then in the parking garage it goes back to plastic-looking. It doesn't do anyone any favors and reminds me of the awfulness of the majority of Spike vs. Dracula's artwork. I have to wonder if some of these pages that are wonky are Jose Beroy's, but what's weird is that the pencils on those pages looks more like Chris Cross's work than the rest of the pages yet Cross is the main penciller.
Also, the flat backgrounds most most of the panels are uninteresting. I like the interior of the Lucky Break and the flashback Olde English town, but other than that it's all blargh.
I'd like to thank Mr. Urru for the preview for Issue #4's cover in advance for once again making the focus of the piece two enormous trouser-snakes. Oh, Franco, you delightful man you. :D
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Whatever happens with Spike in the main series (the "why" is he so off) I'm glad that Williams had Spike seeing himself only doing the hero stuff.
Yeah, the comics are not so great, but they're fun. I'm wondering if the the demons which came through the Hellmouth will appear in the last W&H Angel arc.
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LMAO!
the Forge of Amara
Yet more evidence that the only Spike episode the IDW writers ever saw was "In the Dark."
and that he "defiled a Slayer"... wait, he kinda did that last bit... oh, no, he just deflowered her. My bad).
*sporfle*
Can Spike please, please kill Eddie Hope as quickly and painfully as possible? Off-page would be even better; just half a panel with someone saying "Where's Eddie?" and Spike answering "I killed him", and then no more pictures or mention of him ever again.
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Angel: Where's Eddie?
Spike: *examines his nails casually* I killed him... with this knife. *holds up a spoon*
Angel: That's a spoon.
Spike: Exactly.
or alternatively he could respond, "I see you've played knifey-spoony before" with a horrible Australian accent. XD
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No offense, but I was bored just reading the summary! lol
You have my sympathies for getting through the whole thing.
Also, "Tansy the Terror" does not have any kind of ring of fright to it
If you really want a name that strikes fear in the hearts of demons, might I suggest something that doesn't rhyme with "pansy"? Just a thought.
"Grappler Demons" may be the laziest name for a species ever
Hahaha, well, you can't blame that on Williams. Grappler demons were from S3 of AtS. Unless they look totally different, in which case, weird coincidence.
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I popped over to Buffy Wikia to see about the Grappler demons, and from their description, the Grapplers in the comic probably are the same type of demon. Still, I stand by the laziest name for a species ever, and I'll use it as another example of Williams wanting to shoehorn a bunch of Ats/BtVS episode references so that people see that he's a "fan."