Issue 4 cover and synopsis revealed

[vampmogs]

Hey,

Found this on Whedonesque. It is of the Issue 4 cover;

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stori.../26/angel4.htm

Cover looks good, I'm assuming Gunn is planning an attack against Angel?

This is the snyopsis;

Spoiler:

As the first chapter in this epic tale reaches its penultimate point, Angel issues a challenge to someone?a lot of someones, actually?that he can't possibly win. Meanwhile, Spike considers changing sides as this hellish new status quo presents some opportunities he can't pass up. And IDW promises a shock ending more explosive than even those of the first three issues.

Spoiler:

I am assuming that the opportunities Spike can't pass up either have to do with turning human, winning something over Angel or the prospects of being with Buffy somehow.

[NileQT87]

Spoiler:

wha-?! vampmogs, are you jumping the gun a bit there? lol. where did that theory come from, or have i been missing spoilers?

well, that or spike might just turn on angel or be out for his own skin. but, imo, that would be total character devolution for him. i really don't think we'll be seeing any shanshuing, unless joss just wants to eliminate either angel and spike as characters for good.

what i'm most scared about here is that the characters are actually devolving, rather than evolving.

honestly, i think that angel, spike and wesley should all be on the same page here. it honestly doesn't make sense for them not to be. gunn is a vampire--it's not gunn. the thing that killed gunn is wearing his face. as for illyria--she's a wild-card, but she has feelings for wesley.

*that* is what i want to see. if spike believes that little in angel, imo, it makes him look bad. the point was that he stopped being out for himself. what "destiny" did was point out what was wrong with spike and how he was doing things for the wrong reasons. fred's death was a catalyst to change that. he might not particularly like angel, but he believed in what angel did there just as much as angel did. it is a fact that spike was the second of the gang to raise his hand, followed by wesley. gunn and lorne were last.

the only reason i can think of that illyria would have a grudge against angel would be wesley's death. which means that i think wesley and illyria definitely need some interaction.

and i still hate the dragon being 'misguided'.

[vampmogs]

Spoiler:

wha-?! vampmogs, are you jumping the gun a bit there? lol. where did that theory come from, or have i been missing spoilers?

Spoiler:

Well really I just based my assumptions on everything we know about Spike. What were his sole motivations over the last year on Btvs? Buffy, getting something over Angel or being on top, or the Shanshu, both of which he brings up in 'Not Fade Away.' I don't think it is too radical to believe either three couldn't be his motivations for turning to the dark side, and are the opportunities Spike can't 'pass up.'

I concede I don't have much to go on yet given we haven't seen his status in s6. But given what we know of him I think they are the three most likely contenders.

[Maggie]

Spoiler:

My first effort at doing a spoiler tag. Hope this works. Lynch did an interview where it came out reading as if Spike was on vacation chasing around after the babes. This provoked a bit of a response from people (including myself) who thought this was massively out of character for Spike. (Your idea of Spike is light years from my idea of Spike, FWIW -- we'll have to get into that at some point). In any case, Lynch made haste to say the interviewer didn't get him right and that this is all about appearances, and that there's more going on with Spike than meets the eye. We've already been through a tiresome set of "will this be what it takes to turn Spike evil" scenarios -- he won't quit the mission because he sees Buffy snogging Angel; he won't aid and abet a necromancer just because he heard Angel planning to kill him; he won't let Fred die just to become corporeal. Spike's instincts are really quite good, post soul. Lynch knows this and isn't going to go against canon on what we already know about Spike. His two series on Spike make this clear. That's a Spike who is unsure of who he is, but whose compass points due North.

That's not to say there are no real temptations out there for him. Indeed, his story is over if there aren't. But based on what we've seen I think they are more things like putting loyalty ahead of his own judgment and following Angel, even after Angel's own moves were called into question; or trying to get information to save Fred by torturing an evil doctor. In general he's new enough at all of this to be prone to mistakes under the guise of pursuing a good end. Personally I'm hoping for a drama centering on Spike's disillusionment with Angel after NFA, and the effects that has on their relationship. Spike is more than willing to snark at Angel and try to belittle him. But he really looks up to the guy. But that all comes into question in the wake of the fall and I think that could play into interesting dynamics between the two of them. Disillusionment can breed counterproductive overreactions.