To start with: I have read a great deal of John Byrne's work as a writer/artist since the early 1980s. Most of that I didn't read when it came out, I caught up on later. I have read many interviews with him over the years and, while I haven't liked everything he's done, I have been present for most of it.
Conversely, I have never watched the TV series "Angel," nor did I watch its predecessor, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Not once. I know nothing about either one.
So, you can probably see where this is heading.
Byrne's recent "Angel" projects left me with a conundrum: am I interested enough in his work to buy his adaptation of a TV show I have never watched?
The answer is yes. I have bought his "Angel" projects -- one limited series and a couple of one-shots. And they were all very good. I am still not interested enough in "Angel" to sit through an entire episode of the TV series, though.
I suppose this is sort of like someone who had never seen the TV series "The Fugitive" but has watched the movies a few times. Like these people, I have no idea what gets lost -- or added -- in the translation from one medium to the other.
What brought the point home to me was Byrne's latest effort, called "Angel: Lorne."
I read the whole thing, and never knew it was a tribute to one of the show's actors who had died until I read the material at the end of the book.
Here's the story synopsis:
The world is in peril (again!), and only the most unlikely member of Angel's entourage is able to save the day. A special book-length tribute to the late Andy Hallett and his character, Lorne, presented by writer-artist John Byrne.
After reading the whole thing, I felt strangely left out. I could tell the book was supposed to tug at my heart strings for someone whose loss was deeply felt.
But, I had no previous affection for the character or the actor. Heck, I didn't even know who he was.
It was clear from the story and the columns in the back of the books that the show's fans loved him.
So I had read the whole thing, and ended with the thought, "Another solid effort from John Byrne."
And I missed the whole point.
What a strange feeling -- excluded in the middle of something so familiar.
1 comment:
Having watched the retro tv channel and a few Hulk episodes with Bixby and Ferigno I think it may have had the biggest impact as a show of any comic book show except possibly Batman in reruns with its all star villians.
There is a Rod Serling produced show on the retro channel with one episode that captured the whole hulk type storyline (the more evil side) and it starred Bill Bixby.
Like a musician that covers a song or sings a song from a past or different era, it seems Byrne has done a good job again.
Me and Bobby Mcgee is a great song whether Kristoferson (who wrote it but likely did not sing it the best), Janis Joplin, or the Statlers (they did and a lot of others like Chuck Berry's Memphis or Rick Nelson's Hello Mary Lou.)
I have never seen either Angel or Buffy (except the original movie preceding the series, which had Donald Sutherland in it I think)
JCarp
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