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'Spike: Asylum' Review.
First of all, be warned that I love this book. Although I’ll try to be rational, informative and level-headed in my appraisal, I won’t claim to be objective. And it is only by using Super Sized willpower that I am not going to compare it to ‘The Long Way Home’ (s8, ep 1) - all I’ll say is that ‘Spike:Asylum’ (IMHO) is in most ways the stronger and better work, but that a lot of the reasons are quite simply inherent in the fact that they’re telling different sort of stories and an unfortunate choice of artist for s8.
To begin with, I was prepared to love this comic. I’d heard good things about it by people whose opinion I trust and my expectations were high - and luckily they were more than met. Being able to read the whole thing in one go and hold it in my hand also helped of course, and I loved the fact that there is a cover art gallery + author’s notes at the back. Esp. loved the notes, since they give a wonderful look into the writing process and Bryan Lynch’s mind.
Others have mentioned how the story is almost like a novel. This is a good point. There is a single narrative, well plotted and paced, with twists (some clichéd, some genuinely surprising) and a great and very inventive setting. There is also a large gallery of vividly drawn original characters (seriously, they’re *excellent* and I could easily waffle about them at length!) and the whole thing just springs to life on the page.
I know a lot of people think that Spike doesn’t need to be away from everyone else to ‘be his own man’, etc. There is certainly a case to be made for that, but please don’t let that be your reason for not getting this book. I love Buffy and Angel, but they were both the main character on their shows, and Spike - even when he was the hero - was never the one topping the bill. Here he is. [cheers] This story explores Spike, and Spike only. What he goes through does not have to fit in, or in any way reflect or illustrate, another character’s journey. It’s all about him! We have other characters mirroring him, the baddies targeting him. And you know what? It is great! Not only can he easily carry a story, he does it his own way...
What do I love most about this story? (Not an easy call btw) That it is about character exploration and character development. The plot takes Spike places, gets under his skin, and I want to say that at the end of the story he’s ‘a changed man’. But that is corny and also implies that he becomes somehow *different*, which isn’t the case at all - what happens is that he learns to accept himself, and others, on a deeper level than before. Mostly I think it builds on what he learned in ‘Damage’, but then goes beyond that, takes him further along understanding who and what he is. What’s easy to forget with Spike is that he’s only had his soul for a very short time. As Angel said, he spent 100 years coming to terms with infinite remorse - Spike spent 3 weeks in a basement, and then he was... well the word isn’t fine. But he coped and he got on with it. Over the course of S7 and S5 we saw him gain insight and self-awareness in fits and starts, but 2 years (3? by the time of Asylum) is not very long. ‘Forcing’ Spike to do some self-reflection is a very, very satisfying thing! This is where the fact that the story is Spike-centric, and thus lets us in on his thoughts, is a great help. The art is wonderful (and I’ll get to that in a minute), but even so it is a far cry from the nuances that JM could bring to the role. So instead of a single look or gesture being able to convey a host of hidden messages, we’ll get Spike’s voice over, showing us his reactions and state of mind. We know that Spike has no problem with fighting any external foe or with being heroic, but internal demons are a different thing...
Here I think I have to say how well Bryan Lynch writes Spike. Sure he’s a fanboy, but then so were most of the BtVS/AtS writers [points to Drew Goddard quote on sidebar]. Most importantly he really seems to ‘get’ Spike. He sounds and behaves like the Spike we know and love, full of all the strengths and flaws that make him who he is. And the dialogue *sparkles*! If Joss suddenly decreed this story canon I’d take him at his word in a heartbeat! (I’ve already written 4 ficlets set in this ‘verse...)
Also the story gives us great moments! This was something the show always did wonderfully (as ‘Top 5 moments’ memes attest to), and there are whole giant heaps of them in this book, that I keep re-reading. I want tons of icons, but this one will have to do (also I don’t want to spoil people). Tender moments, funny moments, deeply unsettling/scary moments (think ‘Damage’), profound moments, ‘Hells yeah!’ moments... (You have *no* idea how hard it is not to mention just *one*. My self-restraint is quite remarkable. But then I am myself a spoiler phobe...). Also (as this icon shows, sorry but I couldn’t help myself) a lot of *great* - and profound - lines.
Finally the art... ::happy sigh:: Franco Urru is my new hero! *g* Seriously though - that stupid line ‘drawing the character, not the actor’ suddenly makes sense to me. Of course Spike is easier to capture than most other characters, what with the hair and the cheekbones etc, so that helps. That said, artwork is of course something that v. subjective, and there are probably people out there who don’t like Urru’s style. But for me, this was just Spike. From the first page to the last, he looked and moved like Spike - drawing me into the story and never making me stop and scratch my head. Apart from that, Urru is fantastically inventive and has a brilliant eye for detail. There are extra things and in-jokes on most pages to discover, and also of course a lot of it is just plain gorgeous. (I am currently wondering if there is any way I can get hold of ‘Spike: Shadow Puppets’. In an interview Lynch described Urru’s work on that book as ‘shockingly beautiful’. *meeps*)
I know that there are criticisms that can be thrown at this book, since nothing in this world is perfect. Thing is, I don’t care. When I love something (say ‘Chosen’) I am perfectly willing to overlook stuff that might be a bit daft (the ubervamps suddenly being easy to kill). It’s the same here. ‘Spike: Asylum’ ate me up whole, and any small niggles have no impact upon that whatsoever. Where it counts - story wise, character wise, art wise - this work delivers in spades. So I say: If you like Spike - buy this comic! (Available on Amazon for not a lot of money.)
In conclusion...
Our shows are dead and gone and we’ll never ever see James Marsters on our screens again, playing Spike. [sob] But if I can’t have him, then this Spike will do quite nicely, thank you. Very nicely indeed:
Why yes I might have a crush on him. Shut up.
Spoileryfangirling review still to come. So please keep your comments spoiler free. :)
To begin with, I was prepared to love this comic. I’d heard good things about it by people whose opinion I trust and my expectations were high - and luckily they were more than met. Being able to read the whole thing in one go and hold it in my hand also helped of course, and I loved the fact that there is a cover art gallery + author’s notes at the back. Esp. loved the notes, since they give a wonderful look into the writing process and Bryan Lynch’s mind.
Others have mentioned how the story is almost like a novel. This is a good point. There is a single narrative, well plotted and paced, with twists (some clichéd, some genuinely surprising) and a great and very inventive setting. There is also a large gallery of vividly drawn original characters (seriously, they’re *excellent* and I could easily waffle about them at length!) and the whole thing just springs to life on the page.
I know a lot of people think that Spike doesn’t need to be away from everyone else to ‘be his own man’, etc. There is certainly a case to be made for that, but please don’t let that be your reason for not getting this book. I love Buffy and Angel, but they were both the main character on their shows, and Spike - even when he was the hero - was never the one topping the bill. Here he is. [cheers] This story explores Spike, and Spike only. What he goes through does not have to fit in, or in any way reflect or illustrate, another character’s journey. It’s all about him! We have other characters mirroring him, the baddies targeting him. And you know what? It is great! Not only can he easily carry a story, he does it his own way...
What do I love most about this story? (Not an easy call btw) That it is about character exploration and character development. The plot takes Spike places, gets under his skin, and I want to say that at the end of the story he’s ‘a changed man’. But that is corny and also implies that he becomes somehow *different*, which isn’t the case at all - what happens is that he learns to accept himself, and others, on a deeper level than before. Mostly I think it builds on what he learned in ‘Damage’, but then goes beyond that, takes him further along understanding who and what he is. What’s easy to forget with Spike is that he’s only had his soul for a very short time. As Angel said, he spent 100 years coming to terms with infinite remorse - Spike spent 3 weeks in a basement, and then he was... well the word isn’t fine. But he coped and he got on with it. Over the course of S7 and S5 we saw him gain insight and self-awareness in fits and starts, but 2 years (3? by the time of Asylum) is not very long. ‘Forcing’ Spike to do some self-reflection is a very, very satisfying thing! This is where the fact that the story is Spike-centric, and thus lets us in on his thoughts, is a great help. The art is wonderful (and I’ll get to that in a minute), but even so it is a far cry from the nuances that JM could bring to the role. So instead of a single look or gesture being able to convey a host of hidden messages, we’ll get Spike’s voice over, showing us his reactions and state of mind. We know that Spike has no problem with fighting any external foe or with being heroic, but internal demons are a different thing...
Here I think I have to say how well Bryan Lynch writes Spike. Sure he’s a fanboy, but then so were most of the BtVS/AtS writers [points to Drew Goddard quote on sidebar]. Most importantly he really seems to ‘get’ Spike. He sounds and behaves like the Spike we know and love, full of all the strengths and flaws that make him who he is. And the dialogue *sparkles*! If Joss suddenly decreed this story canon I’d take him at his word in a heartbeat! (I’ve already written 4 ficlets set in this ‘verse...)
Also the story gives us great moments! This was something the show always did wonderfully (as ‘Top 5 moments’ memes attest to), and there are whole giant heaps of them in this book, that I keep re-reading. I want tons of icons, but this one will have to do (also I don’t want to spoil people). Tender moments, funny moments, deeply unsettling/scary moments (think ‘Damage’), profound moments, ‘Hells yeah!’ moments... (You have *no* idea how hard it is not to mention just *one*. My self-restraint is quite remarkable. But then I am myself a spoiler phobe...). Also (as this icon shows, sorry but I couldn’t help myself) a lot of *great* - and profound - lines.
Finally the art... ::happy sigh:: Franco Urru is my new hero! *g* Seriously though - that stupid line ‘drawing the character, not the actor’ suddenly makes sense to me. Of course Spike is easier to capture than most other characters, what with the hair and the cheekbones etc, so that helps. That said, artwork is of course something that v. subjective, and there are probably people out there who don’t like Urru’s style. But for me, this was just Spike. From the first page to the last, he looked and moved like Spike - drawing me into the story and never making me stop and scratch my head. Apart from that, Urru is fantastically inventive and has a brilliant eye for detail. There are extra things and in-jokes on most pages to discover, and also of course a lot of it is just plain gorgeous. (I am currently wondering if there is any way I can get hold of ‘Spike: Shadow Puppets’. In an interview Lynch described Urru’s work on that book as ‘shockingly beautiful’. *meeps*)
I know that there are criticisms that can be thrown at this book, since nothing in this world is perfect. Thing is, I don’t care. When I love something (say ‘Chosen’) I am perfectly willing to overlook stuff that might be a bit daft (the ubervamps suddenly being easy to kill). It’s the same here. ‘Spike: Asylum’ ate me up whole, and any small niggles have no impact upon that whatsoever. Where it counts - story wise, character wise, art wise - this work delivers in spades. So I say: If you like Spike - buy this comic! (Available on Amazon for not a lot of money.)
In conclusion...
Our shows are dead and gone and we’ll never ever see James Marsters on our screens again, playing Spike. [sob] But if I can’t have him, then this Spike will do quite nicely, thank you. Very nicely indeed:
Why yes I might have a crush on him. Shut up.
Spoilery
no subject
*meeps*
think he'll definitely want to show he can write Angel and the other characters and that he can do the show justice and after all, when all is said and done, it's Angel's show.
Of course. And he handled all the group stuff v. nicely in Asylum. My hopes are high.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how he'll handle the Angel/Spike relationship
Yes, yes, yes! Spike's thoughts about Angel are among my favourite things! :)