First Night & Spike:After the Fall

[Nina]

An article ... it isn't much information, but it's something.

Spoiler:

March 18, 2008
IDW will release a new comic miniseries, Spike: After the Fall, beginning in July. Brian Lynch and Franco Urru, the creative team on Angel: After the Fall (see "IDW San Diego Announcements"), will handle the creative chores on the new four-issue miniseries.

The story for the new Spike miniseries will flow out of "First Night," an upcoming story arc in issues #6 through #8 of Angel: After the Fall. The First Night story arc explores the effects on the Angel cast of the apocalyptic fight in the alley that concluded the TV series. Issue #6 will focus on Spike, Connor, and Lorne; #7 will focus on Wesley and a long-absent character from the Whedonverse; #8 features Gwen, the effect on LA being thrust into hell on the city's denizens, and the tale of Gunn's fate. Issue #9 of After the Fall will ship two weeks after #8 in June, and will pick up on the cliffhanger from the end of issue #5.

New art teams will work on these issues. Issue #6 will feature art by David Messina, Stephen Mooney, and John Byrne; #7 will feature art by Nick Runge with a wraparound cover by Rebecca A. Wrigley and a special variant cover by Mike Oeming; #8 will have art by Fabio Mantovani, Kevyn Schmidt, and Mirco Pierfederici. All three issues will include a framing sequence featuring Betta George, illustrated by Tim Kane. The art team on #9 will be Nick Runge and Art Lyon.

The Spike: After the Fall storyline will take Spike from the events in "First Night" and explore his changing relationship with Illyria in the new city. It will answer many questions, including how Spike ended up taking over a certain mansion in Westwood.

And two covers:
issue 8:

issue 9:

Spoiler:

I hope that we will see some Angel scenes in 'first night' as well, I know that he can't walk but he has thoughts and Wesley is around him ... maybe in the Wesley issue. I love that Wesley has an issue for him alone ... and the long-absent character (the mysterious woman on the First Night cover? ... Cordy ... Fred?...) And Gwen gets a story ... I'm happy that she will be more important.

And a lot of new artwork ... I hope that it will be great.

And of course, 2 A:AtF issues in June and Spike:AtF ...

about the covers:
I don't like the Spike cover, the drawing is too angular IMO. I like the Angel cover, another promo picture cover, but that are the best Ats covers.

[Jaseon]

Wow, I love the Issue 9 cover.

Haven't seen an illustration in any of the comics so far that looked so much like David!

I don't particularly like the Spike cover either, it just feels too batman...ish. I keep thinking of the Joker and Gotham city when I look at it.

#7 will focus on Wesley and a long-absent character from the Whedonverse;

hehe, it's so going to be Kate. :P
Cordy hasn't been absent for that long. ^^

[vampmogs]

Sounds very interesting and being canon I didn't want them to shy away from getting into things. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad disappointed that we'll have to learn about Spike's journey through this instead of Atf. It was conceived in Atf and I was hoping it'd stay that way, with Spike's comic just being an added bonus, giving us more insight into his character ect. But it appears if we want to know how he ended up in the mansion we'll have to read this, it just seems a bit odd it wasn't explained in Atf is all.

I hope we get a real insight into what kind of relationship Spike has with the girls, there’s been a lot of a back and forth on wether or not he’s sleeping with them all or not.

I also hope we get an insight into how Spike feels about his part in sending LA to hell or wether or not he puts all the blame on Angel. It's a bit unclear on how the characters are really feeling about that at this point in time.

It'll never happen but I'd actually find it very cool if Spike met up with Kate. I'd be interested to see how she handles the news of another vampire with a soul ect. And what's happened to LA in general.

[NileQT87]

i'm pretty sure the lapsed character with wesley is:

Spoiler:

winifred burkle

check out the spoiler page from the wesley: first night issue--it's all wesley and fred. also... last page of issue #5.

[Ralphie]

Spoiler:

Didn't Wesley and Illyria meet for the first time in issue 5?

[ThePoet's<3]

Yes.

I don't like the Spike cover at all. Not too familiar with the other artists except David Messina. He's pretty good - second runner up to Uru. Wish they could have gotten Uru to do the covers.

The Issue #9 is very nice. Just wish it were Spike.

[BangelFan2202]

I just love the cover for issue #9. The Spike cover i'm not to fond of it.

~Trish

[vampmogs]

I like the Spike cover when in vamp face more than the other one. It's a pretty hit and miss cover really. I go back and forth on how much I like it.

[Nina]

Is it correct that issue 6 (the first issue of the First Night series) coming out tomorrow?