Angel & Faith #18, by Christos Gage (writer), Rebekah Isaacs (artist), Dan Jackson (colorist), Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt (letterers) - Eyghon is some seriously dripping nastiness. You'd think a demon would want a physical form that didn't always appear to be on the verge of falling apart.So Nadira's plan to resurrect their friend hasn't gone terribly well, as it's delivered her and the other Slayers to Eyghon. He already has a horde of shambling corpses to infest, and every person knocked unconscious also falls under his sway. For a brief moment, that includes Faith, when she drops her guard upon seeing Giles. Then Nadira slashes her with a sword and she wakes up, which I'm sure was what Nadira was going for. OK, yes it was, I'm just annoyed by her attitude. She's beginning to resemble Kennedy, and for all that I liked Ken's tendency to give Buffy static, she was still irritating as hell. Angel tries to cover the withdrawl by fighting Eyghon, and mostly gets his ass beat, but they escape and live another day. Another day for expository dialogue!
The middle section of the book is all talk. How Eyghon survived Season 2. How he's fully formed, how and why he got ahold of Ethan Rayne and Giles' bodies. How Eyghon's presence was all part of Angel's plan to bring Giles back (because he knew Giles' soul didn't leave this plane, because Eyghon would have claimed it). And Faith, during her brief moment of possession, learned Eyghon's game, which involves an allegiance with Whistler. Personally, I'm less inclined than Angel to think Whistler's on the up-and-up with Eyghon, but I've never trusted the little toad's stated motivations. Anyway, then it's time to prepare to confront Eyghon again. See, you do need killing weapons to handle the corpses, but you also need nonlethal weaponry to contain your possessed friends. Or you could just give them shallow cuts across the belly, but I guess that's out. Also, Angel's going to need help to fight Eyghon. Help that can't be possessed by a demon, because there's already one in residence.
SPIKE!
If anyone tells you I "squeed" (or however you spell that), they're a filthy liar. I may, however, have gone "hee hee hee" with a slightly mad grin on my face when he showed up. Totally different. It's funny. I knew Spike was supposed to show up sometime soon, was even looking forward to it. I guess I thought it was still a few months down the line. It's an early Christmas! Or a late, extra Christmas. He's even sporting the black fingernail polish. Nice touch, Dan Jackson. I do wonder, though. Spike hadn't been invited into Alasdair's place, so he can't cross the threshold. Can he give the door enough of a push for it to swing open?
Isaacs handles the art beautifully, as usual. The haunted, sickly look on one of the Slayer's face as she hands Angel her phone. She looks wonderfully shell-shocked. The way the mace on Angel's back shatters when Eyghon hurls him into a wall (and Jackson put Angel all in reds and oranges to contrast the normal coloring of the rest of the panel). All the little creatures dancing around Alasdir's home, like the pixies taunting the cat with the ball of string. Apparently pixies are bigger jerks than cats, which boggles the mind.
I think my favorite bit is the look on Angel's face in the penultimate panel, as Spike makes himself known, and throws in a jab at Angel for good measure. There are so many emotions wrapped up in that expression, it's perfect considering the complicated history those two have. Plus, it contrasts nicely with the apprehensive or outright afraid looks on the Slayers' faces. Nadira, especially, looks spooked, but even Faith seem slightly gobsmacked. Guess she couldn't believe Angel would call Spike.
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