Issue #4 is a bit of a break, a chance to include a pair of familiar faces, and set-up some storylines which should (hopefully) play out down the road. Taken by itself however the latest issue feels a bit too much like filler before the big fight between Angel and the champion demons of Hell.
Angel: After the Fall #4
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Season Six continues with a few more familiar faces – those of Lorne and the Groosalugg (who show up in Silver Lake of all places), but the anticipated throw-down between Angel and demons is sadly not covered here.
Most of the issue is taken up with Angel’s preparation for the upcoming battle of champions, although we do get a short flashback to Angel’s, and Los Angeles’, first moments in Hell.
Gunn continues to put his plan in action by destroying the Wolfram & Hart Building. This also has an unexpected consequence on poor Wesley, whether or not this was part of Gunn’s plan or just a side-effect will have to be seen.
We also get more time-loopyness around Spike this time who is offered a Hagun Shaft, said to be able to kill even Immortals, by the Demon Lords as a back up plan to take care of Angel should he find a way to win. As to why they would saddle this task with Spike, or even Illyria isn’t explained (or even well though out, it seems to me).
Other than the big explosions by Gunn the main trouble with this issue, aside from getting reintroduced to Lorne and Groo, is how much it feels like filler prolonging the battle which is to come. I’m also a bit concerned that the time-shifts we’ve seen effecting many of the characters haven’t even by addressed yet by the characters themselves (don’t you think someone would have commented on it by now?), or explained by the writers. This is really the first mis-step of the series; however if some of the foreshadowing comes to fruition in the next few issues perhaps it will be worth it. We’ll just have to wait and see.