Fallen Angel: "To Serve In Heaven" TP

[Arch Enemy]

Zero spoilers.

I can't believe no one has written up a review or commented to any great extent whatsoever regarding this book, in the Reviews section, the News section, Talk@, or wherever or anywhere else.

With the release of the "To Serve In Heaven" TP, I think this book seriously might have graduated into being one of my top-ten favorite comics of all time.

My God was this IDW effort an awesome follow up to the first FALLEN ANGEL series published by DC--I might even say IDW's five-issue FA TP was considerably better than the first DC FA series...and I loved that run as well.

I'm not going to spoil anything here, as I feel you've got to go and just read this bloody book to completely understand...

But I will inform you that we finally get Lee's (Fallen Angel's) origin story here, in glowing, bloody detail; we see why she's "fallen," and we get into her dark, driven emotions and head full of indignant, pissed-off God-rebellion like never before--and we like it.

We also get major answers and some closure to many of the story threads which were never resolved in the first series: Black Mariah; Juris; the son she abandoned with the nuns; and the true nature of her enigmatic city--Bette Noir.

The art is just incredible.

It's painted, shadowed, alive as well as dead.

I think you should buy this thing.

Or steal it...whatever you need to do.

Just read it.

A+

Who else loved this book as much as myself?

[Peter David]

Well, if no one else can be bothered to say anything, *I* would like to say thanks for the kind words about the trade. I think it's one of the best looking collections of my work ever.

PAD

[rockieman]

Actually, I completely missed this thread a few days ago. I also have been really enjoying it - even moreso than the DC run (and that's probably due to JK Woodward's gorgeous art). I haven't re-read the DC run, but it's possible some people have like Vol 2 more is because it really hit the ground running. Of course, I also fall into the (minor) camp of people who don't mind not having every answer from issue 1 page 1, like in Vol 1.

I definitely think more people should be reading this and picking up the DC run. IIRC, the most recent DC solicitations had a new FA trade in it. This can only be good for those people on the fence, and that didn't want to scour for back issues.

Keep up the good work PAD (and JKW).

[Peter David]

Actually, I completely missed this thread a few days ago. I also have been really enjoying it - even moreso than the DC run (and that's probably due to JK Woodward's gorgeous art). I haven't re-read the DC run, but it's possible some people have like Vol 2 more is because it really hit the ground running. Of course, I also fall into the (minor) camp of people who don't mind not having every answer from issue 1 page 1, like in Vol 1.

I definitely think more people should be reading this and picking up the DC run. IIRC, the most recent DC solicitations had a new FA trade in it. This can only be good for those people on the fence, and that didn't want to scour for back issues.

Keep up the good work PAD (and JKW).

Yeah, that's true. DC is now starting to collect the remainder of the DC run. So we've got the upcoming TPB collection of "Sachs & Violens" (which is nice because S&V are now regulars in "Fallen Angel") and the January release of "Fallen Angel, Vol. II" which will collect, I believe, issues 7-12. Not bad for two characters who were only in a four-issue LS thirteen years ago and a book that was cancelled after twenty issues.

PAD

[rockieman]

Yeah, that's true. DC is now starting to collect the remainder of the DC run. So we've got the upcoming TPB collection of "Sachs & Violens" (which is nice because S&V are now regulars in "Fallen Angel") and the January release of "Fallen Angel, Vol. II" which will collect, I believe, issues 7-12. Not bad for two characters who were only in a four-issue LS thirteen years ago and a book that was cancelled after twenty issues.

PAD

I have the original Epic series, and I remember I re-read it about 5+ years ago. I should pull it out again, just to refresh my memory of it.

[Arch Enemy]

Well, if no one else can be bothered to say anything, *I* would like to say thanks for the kind words about the trade. I think it's one of the best looking collections of my work ever. PAD

And thank you for an excellent book...and also for introducing us to the immensely complex, multi-dimensional character of Liandra/Lee/Fallen Angel, her insane supporting cast and the even insaner city of Bette Noir.

From a reader's standpoint, I think the move to IDW really turned out to be an absolute blessing in disguise for this particular sleeper hit of a series, you know?

It's not that the first series really appeared to be holding anything back--because that clearly wasn't the case...at least, not really--but it's obvious now with FA under IDW, any semblance of any publisher's overshadowing 'kid glove' imperative has been cut ruthlessly away, cleanly severed without remorse and discarded in the flames of the Fallen Angel's original plummeting from grace.

I'm pretty sure there's a few scenes in "To Serve In Heaven" that DC would have censored out or at least watered down, even under their "Mature Readers" tag, and for lack of a better description--that just would have really bloody sucked.

Under IDW, it feels as if the FALLEN ANGEL series is now truly free, free of any dictated censorship bounds whatsoever--and hence completely free to destroy.

FALLEN ANGEL IDW comes off as an unapologetic, balls-out iconoclastic headbuster, a beautiful sexual nightmare trapped inside a sublime and insidious daydream, a ripping bloodbath writhing deadly in the warm heart of compassion...

Please keep it coming.

[Peter David]

I'm certainly going to try.

Oh, and as a heads-up to "Fallen Angel" fans: J.K. Woodward has started up his own website, www.jkwoodward.com, and he's selling original art pieces from the series at remarkably reasonable prices. Check it out.

PAD

[Arch Enemy]

This thread...it needed a bump.

[Arvandor]

Indeed it did.

Fantastic series. Arguably the best indie series on the stands. The atmosphere and pacing are incredible, and the characters are complex and seem very real.

This is a great book.

[EmeraldGuy32]

Yeah, that's true. DC is now starting to collect the remainder of the DC run. So we've got the upcoming TPB collection of "Sachs & Violens" (which is nice because S&V are now regulars in "Fallen Angel") and the January release of "Fallen Angel, Vol. II" which will collect, I believe, issues 7-12. Not bad for two characters who were only in a four-issue LS thirteen years ago and a book that was cancelled after twenty issues.

PAD
Do you know if they are going to re-release vol. 1? I've been on the look out for it since the IDW series came out...and have been unsuccessful. I couldn't even find it at SDCC! Loving the series. I just really wish I knew all the backstories, and I prefer tpbs to singles.

[Ryall]

Do you know if they are going to re-release vol. 1? I've been on the look out for it since the IDW series came out...and have been unsuccessful. I couldn't even find it at SDCC! Loving the series. I just really wish I knew all the backstories, and I prefer tpbs to singles.

The trade paperback is available now, actually--your retailer should be able to easily get you a copy from Diamond, and we have it at our store if you can't find it elsewhere:
http://store.idwpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=656

We definitely printed a lot of these books to make sure it'd be available, so it's at Diamond and available all over. I saw a couple at a local Borders this week, too. We're also working on Vol. 2 for an early '07 release right now, too, with maybe a deluxe oversize HC to come in later '07 as well.

[sharp_1]

Hey, Peter.

I just wanted to let you know that I am really enjoying Fallen Angel. I am glad that DC is continuing to collect the series in trade, and have been happy with the quality of the IDW continuation. This is one of very few titles that I actually buy the monthly and the trades to add some dollars of support.

And, if the "Premiere Edition" hardcover info on Amazon is correct, I will buy it a third time so I can have the best format possible, and throw some more cash to help the series continue.

Thanks for the great work and the artwork link. I gave it to my wife with the hint that the holidays are approaching. Keep you fingers crossed for me.

-Neil