by Randy Lander

ANGEL #2 "Long Night's Journey..." Recommended (7/10) Dark Horse Comics Writers: Brett Matthews & Joss Whedon Pencils: Mel Rubi Inks: Chris Dreier Colors: Michelle Madsen & Dave Stewart Letters: Pat Brosseau Editor: Scot Allie Price: $2.99 US/$4.50 CAN With Joss Whedon at the helm, Dark Horse has reinvented Angel as an almost straight-on super-hero book that really has little in common with the television show. This is wise in that it doesn't compete with the preconceptions of a really good show in a medium that can't compete in those same terms, but bad in that there are already a lot of super-hero comics out there, and Angel doesn't really offer anything that a dozen or more of them don't already. Angel is a good super-hero comic, don't get me wrong, it's just that it's not anything terribly revolutionary and it still lacks the excitement and darkness that the televised versions of these characters have. This issue is dedicated mostly to a super-hero slugfest in the middle of Los Angeles, pitting the surprisingly acrobatic Angel against gigantic monsters that a television budget simply couldn't afford. Give Whedon and Matthews credit for playing to the strengths of their respective mediums, at least; this is a big adventure that would probably look like silly and obvious CGI on the screen, but looks perfectly fitting on the four-color page. The downside is that Angel comes off like a second-rate Spider-Man, quipping and flipping and showing none of the brooding darkness or even goofy shyness that has defined the character. The supporting cast comes off considerably better, with Cordelia's wit and Wesley's dry and formal style of speaking perfectly captured. Gunn also comes across well, and in general I can hear the voices of the actors speaking all of these lines. The secondary story showing the supporting cast rushing off to help Angel would work in television, and it serves as a nice grounded B story for those who are put off by giant monsters and super-hero fights. Mel Rubi is not an artist whom I would list among my favorites from what work he's done, but he is perfectly suited to the story style that is being used here. His depiction of the fight is a thing of beauty, with grace and power evident in all of the characters and some terrific action staging. He excels at action, whether it's a giant fire monster battling a vampire or Gunn's truck roaring around the corner to pick up Wesley and Cordelia. All in all, the book has succeeded in redefining the direction of the Angel comics, and a good writer could pick up from here and tell the story as a super-hero format book with decent success. It just seems a shame that the complex morality and blend of darkness and humor that can be found in the television series has given way to what is really a fairly typical comic-book. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.