The forces of Good and Evil clash above the streets of London in  Angel and Faith 23. Does it live up to previous issues? Read on to find out.

Here’s the official description from Dark Horse:

Preventing Pearl, Nash, and Whistler from releasing their magical virus proves difficult for Angel and Faith. The duo is outmatched! Enter Nadira—could this hate-filled Slayer lend a helpful hand or will she use this opportunity to end Angel for good?

Showdown with this season’s Big Bads!

I have a confession to make I’ve never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My first exposure to the series is through these comics, which I’ve been enjoying quite a bit. Christos Gage’s scripting makes it easy to follow the plot even without the years of background information. Gage’s script is top notch. He never bombards the reader with exposition.

Last month we saw Rupert Giles return in the guise of a twelve year old boy. It was a quiet issue.  The calm before the storm. This month all hell breaks loose on the rooftops of London as Angel and Faith battle against Pearl, Nash, and Whistler who plan to eradicate one third of the earth’s population by releasing a magical plague. Sounds biblical. It is. Most of the issue is one extended fight sequence (sort of like the overdrawn ending to Man of Steel but without the collapsing buildings). Actually, I really enjoyed the pacing of the action sequence and to be fair it’s nowhere near as repetitive or destructive as Man of Steel.

The art can make or break an issue like this that relies so heavily on action. Rebekah Issac proves once again she’s up to the challenge. There’s a kinetic energy, a swift movement to her fight scenes, which gives her panels an added intensity. She doesn’t clutter the page with unnecessary background images, which might get in the way of the action. Issac’s art isn’t glossy, but it gets the job done.

Angel and Faith is a must read for Buffy fans and accessible for newer readers like myself. With only a few issues to go Gage and Issacs are pulling out all the stops. This is a highly entertaining series.

4/5