3000 links? Two comments spring to mind. One, impressive stuff. Two, you need to get out more.

Kidding. Nice going, Simon. :)

Great interview, as well. Plenty of new info but my favourite part was the whole "I think it will be an ongoing..." thing. That's exactly what I've been hoping somebody would say.

Koven | July 28, 18:22 CET

Can't bring myself to read a spoiler-laden (or even potentially spoiler-laden) article, but have a question I hope someone can answer: When will this first book be available?

And, well done, Simon!

Chris inVirginia | July 28, 18:29 CET

No release mentioned, Chris inVirginia.

Does anyone understand these "scheduled breaks"? Honestly, it's a little confusing.

CaptainB | July 28, 18:34 CET

Damn!

Thanks, CaptainB.

What is a "scheduled break", by the way?

Weird...they're able to put 22 episodes of TV, with all the people and logistics and whatever a lot faster than a few comic books. I'm sure there are good and valid reasons, but it is frustrating.

Chris inVirginia | July 28, 18:38 CET

An interview that gets me excited without giving much away, great! I'm interested in the 'amazing' things planned for between the breaks in the series, that could indicate a lot of possible things.

The character I'm most looking forwards to in this series is Illyria. Not just because I'm a big fan, but because I think the character is perfect for comics. Wouldn't surprise me if a run of Illyria comics spins out of the Angel S6 series.

[ edited by ChromeShark on 2007-07-28 17:15 ]

ChromeShark | July 28, 18:39 CET

Chris, there is actually nothing too spoiler-specific in the interview outside of details that you would already have assumed, in my opinion. You might want to wait to see if others agree with me before you read it (there may be some that are more spoiler-phobic than I am) but I think you would be safe with this one. Nothing in there that I wouldn't have guessed from the comic being exactly what it is. A follow up to the show.

I don't think the first issue has been given a definite release date so far. Certainly not one that I'm aware of. If it has then I'd love to know when it will be.

The breaks seem to me to be a way of allowing everyone to keep on schedule and not let the readers down with unexpected delays. This way they can let us know exactly when the main series will take a break and have these special issues ready to fill the void for those months. Great idea, I reckon.

Koven | July 28, 18:41 CET

I think it's similar to what happens with Buffy season 8. So many issues get released (i.e. for a plot arc) and then there's a month or two months break.

But in IDW's case it sounds like there will be a spinoff story released during the break periods for After The Fall.

Simon | July 28, 18:41 CET

What was that? Did the skies just open to a glorious blast of moon glow? And did I just hear a chorus of transuding furies sigh?

Oh, yes... those are tears of squee running down my face.

Love's Bitch | July 28, 18:45 CET

Thank you so much Simon! And congrats:)


And ChrisinVirginia - the book will be out in November according to the interviews posted yesterday.

The scheduled breraks ar ein order to give the artist a break. The special issues will b e 5-8 page stories (within 22 pages i presume) of other characters who may not be integral to the main plot, but still live within the Angelverse, whose stories will be covered during this time. So while we may not get the main story every month, we will have an Angel comic every month.

Which gives me the jollies:)

angeliclestat | July 28, 18:56 CET

Assume for a minute that somebody (say, like me) who has never been into comic books is interested in getting this particular series. Can one subscribe to the whole thing or must one go out in search of every issue every month?

wissxwe | July 28, 19:15 CET

One can do either wissxwe. Hopefully these will be easier to find than the Spike:Asylum series. I had a very difficult time finding those. I had to work really hard at it.

Spike: Shadow Puppets has been easier to find so maybe the comic shops are wising up.

This was a great interview, very funny, and I am really happy about the artist as well as the writer. I have loved the art in the Spike comics. Best I have seen yet in any of the comics I have gotten.

And I am curious about the character Lynch never bonded with until now. As long as its not EVE, I will be happy. He has taken Lorne to some really great places in Shadow Puppets, and I look forward to this new series with great anticipation. Although I still hope he will have time to do more Spike on his own.

Xane | July 28, 19:58 CET

I would imagine that given the huge success of the official Buffy season 8 comics, IDW will go out of their way to promote the Angel series. Hopefully comic book shops should pick up on this.

Simon | July 28, 20:34 CET

Silly question, I know, but I just woke up and I can't seem to remember hearing anything: Has Joss confirmed that, like Buffy Season 8, this angel book is canon? Not that I wouldn't be excited and ready to buy it either way, I'm just curious.

TaraMaclay | July 28, 21:12 CET

TaraMaclay, since Joss is over seeing them, I think you can assume it's canon.

With regards to length of time for comics -- TV shows have multi million budgets and hundreds of people working them (plus marketing plus post production plus everybody else). ANGEL will have, like, 5 people I'd imagine.

Another edit, I've heard November for the first ish.

[ edited by gossi on 2007-07-28 18:27 ]

gossi | July 28, 21:14 CET

Hot damn!!! And love his stuff he has to say about Lorne at the end.

Harmalicious | July 28, 22:17 CET

November I can wait until. I mean, I can't but I can if you know what I mean. Where dya hear that, BTW, gossi ?

I mean, someone likely to know or that guy you were chatting to in the loo at your local ?

Saje | July 28, 22:22 CET

Yay! Awesome interview.

This has been a great year for my nerdly habits. Between this, Buffy S8, the last Harry Potter, the end of The Sopranos, and the forthcoming Serenity: Better Days (um...when are we gonna hear about ths again, isn't it rumored for this fall?), my head has been and will be exploding regularly.

(The only dark spot was Spider-Man 3. But we shall not discuss this further.)

UnpluggedCrazy | July 28, 22:23 CET

When I picked up the latest Buffy, my comic book store guy asked with some anxiety if I thought that the demand would continue at the same level once Jossir was not writing them. I assured him that while there might be the tiniest of drops in purchasing, that because it was canon, and being overseen by Joss, people would continue buying. Hope I'm right!

Lioness | July 28, 22:34 CET

Saje, since my earlier post above I've heard November mentioned as a rough release date for the first issue in a number of different threads around various forums. Either it's correct or it's a really persistent false rumour.

Lioness, from everything I've seen so far, I'd say you are very likely to be right. ;)

Koven | July 29, 00:53 CET

It looked to me (from the slide the guys from IDW put up at their panel) like Joss was getting top billing on the Angel: After the Fall comic. Which seemed a little unfair to Brian Lynch, but I guess it is Joss' outline, and Joss is editing/providing notes on Brian's pages.... I wanted to ask Brian Lynch more about this but there was no more time in the panel. :(

[ edited by embers on 2007-07-30 03:15 ]

embers | July 29, 07:24 CET

Joss getting top billing on Angel:After The Fall probably makes good marketing sense too.

Buffyfantic | July 29, 20:35 CET

I am beside myself with anticipation for this Angel series. I don't understand what Lynch meant, though, when he was answering the question about whether it'd be a 12-issue arc. Can anyone translate? I get the concept of breaks, but overall the answer was really vague. Was he allowing for the possibility of more than 12 issues?

Lynch is a great choice for the job. He captured Spike and Lorne so well in Asylum and Shadow Puppets. Bravo, Brian Lynch! That said - and I mean no offense to Lynch and his considerable capabilities - but I'd love for this series to take off and for it to mutate into a much larger project, involving not just Joss and Lynch but also some of the other great Angel writers, like Minear (very unlikely, I know) or Goddard, etc. That'd be awesome. A girl can dream, can't she? As for Urru, I'm sad to say I'm not crazy about his art work. I find it too dark and dim and difficult to perceive. I love complex graphics, so it's not the busyness of the art that bothers me. Hmmm.

phlebotinin | July 29, 23:02 CET

What I meant was: for now we're calling it a 12+ issue series, as for now we know it will be more than 12 issues to tell the story. Every now and then, probably around 5 or 6 issue intervels, AFTER THE FALL will take a break. Remember how the series would sometimes not be on every week? Much like that, there will be a month or so where the series won't be out.

But in it's place, there will be big specials detailing stories that are not DIRECTLY dealing with the main storyline. Showing how certain characters got from point A to point B, spotlighting characters that don't have a huge part of the AFTER THE FALL story arc. They will add to the overall story but not be a direct "this happens next" kinda deal. Does that make sense?

The first one of these, for now called FIRST NIGHT, is planned and such and will appear either right after issue 5 or 6. It's a doozy.

Brian Lynch | July 30, 03:34 CET

Makes sense to me. Cheers, Brian.

One question, if you happen to still be around? Saying that there will be a break in the series every 5 or 6 issues that will be filled with one of these specials would suggest that you seem to think that this will go on for a lot longer than 12 issues. I mean, if there was only going to be a single month break for the entire run of the series, which would be the case if it was only going to run for around 12 issues (give or take) then I wouldn't think you would be worrying about filling any gaps.

Is this just me being a little too eager or are we really looking at something that could potentially run for quite a while?

Koven | July 30, 04:03 CET

No idea, to be honest. I would think it wouldn't be THAT much longer than 12 issues (and it's possible it could be simply 13 or 14 issues), but I will say that even when that storyline is over, the world goes on, there are a ton more stories to tell.

Brian Lynch | July 30, 04:07 CET

Congrats on getting the gig Brian!
We're all doing the giggly tippy-toe dance in my world, eagerly waiting to see what you have in store for us.

Love's Bitch | July 30, 04:22 CET

All I needed to know and pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. I tend to think the type of show that Angel was on television will translate much better to comic format as a series of limited series, rather than an ongoing run. The season idea is perfect for Buffy but I think an Angel comic book needs a more arc-intense format to give it the feel of the show that it will be continuing, if you see what I mean?

Cheers again. :)

Koven | July 30, 04:24 CET

Brian,

will these special one offs and spotlights fall under the umbrella of After the Fall? I ask this mostly for subscription reasons, if they would be get delivered along with the normal issues... would the 'full' title be Angel: After the Fall - First Night or something similar? Or will they be issues that totally stand on their own outside the series? If you get my drift...

aapac | July 30, 11:34 CET

It's all great news as far as I'm concerned Brian.

Roll on November.

deborahmm | July 30, 11:40 CET

This is totally based on assumption, aapac, but my guess would be that the specials wouldn't be classed as part of the actual run and that you would have to specifically request them from whoever you subscribe from. I could easily be wrong but usually series subscriptions only include the issues of the main run, unless stated otherwise.

Again, I could be wrong but either way you would be best talking to your supplier.

Koven | July 30, 13:37 CET

If it's a shop you can just say, "Pull me any Angel comics until further notice" (like I didn't do with Shadow Puppets and am now having a hell of a time finding - s'weird because all my LCS' had loads of Asylum issues, thinking word may have spread ;). Dunno how it works online though.

Gotta say, pretty jazzed by the specials idea, filling in some blanks and expanding on some characters will really give it a proper 'universe' feel, widescreen baby, talkin' epic, dig ? ;).

Saje | July 31, 00:35 CET

I. Can't. Wait.

Well, I can, but I don't really want to.

I'm really enjoying Spike: Shadow Puppets. It's funny, for one thing, and has the sort of authoritative story telling you usually only find in "canonical" books. Good work, Brian.

bigsofty | August 01, 01:11 CET