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Angel: After the Fall (collected editions)
Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
The excitement of After the Fall continues in this latest offering from Whedon and Lynch! With truths revealed, master plans laid out, and people dying, it's clear evil is winning the fight in Los Angeles. In this decisive story, a climactic battle will see Angel live free or die for the final time.
136 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2008
10 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Joss Whedon
519Ìýbooks4,361ÌýfollowersJoss Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon) is an American screenwriter, executive producer, film and television director, comic book writer, occasional composer, and actor, and the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures.
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997�2003)', 'Angel (1999�2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009�2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit:
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997�2003)', 'Angel (1999�2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009�2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
August 11, 2021
I loved this volume; the story and the characters.
So interesting to see beloved characters twisted in a way you could barely recognise them but that was part of the journey. Of course these people would change, they're in hell! Of course they had to do things they never thought they would do because now, they're dealing with a whole new set of rules.
Seeing how these characters dealt with/took advantage of those rules was awesome!
Another thing that was cool to see was so many different characters from the show. It added that extra bit of nostalgia.
Also I found it intriguing that some characters had stayed the same. Their morals and what they stood for. This didn't make them boring but added yet another link to the show.
I always wondered where the series would've gone, where the characters ended up. I am so glad this series answered these questions!
The last issue in this volume made it seem like Angel's life will be far different to the one we're familiar with. I'm definitely excited to read on and see what becomes of our favourite vampire with a soul [yes, I'm talking about Spike ;)]
So interesting to see beloved characters twisted in a way you could barely recognise them but that was part of the journey. Of course these people would change, they're in hell! Of course they had to do things they never thought they would do because now, they're dealing with a whole new set of rules.
Seeing how these characters dealt with/took advantage of those rules was awesome!
Another thing that was cool to see was so many different characters from the show. It added that extra bit of nostalgia.
Also I found it intriguing that some characters had stayed the same. Their morals and what they stood for. This didn't make them boring but added yet another link to the show.
I always wondered where the series would've gone, where the characters ended up. I am so glad this series answered these questions!
The last issue in this volume made it seem like Angel's life will be far different to the one we're familiar with. I'm definitely excited to read on and see what becomes of our favourite vampire with a soul [yes, I'm talking about Spike ;)]
April 24, 2011
Ugh. What a crappy ending. Spoiler time:
Also, was this thing edited at all? Seems like there were a lot of errors in the writing. (Not plot/content errors, but grammatical/style stuff.)
Also, was this thing edited at all? Seems like there were a lot of errors in the writing. (Not plot/content errors, but grammatical/style stuff.)
October 19, 2017
Much better than the last one. The final issue is a bit...weird, it does not fit with what I think the tone of the show is, but issue 16 was PHENOMENAL. Well, I might be biased because I enjoy shows breaking my heart, but whenever Wesley saves the day, it's a good day.
Note: WESLEY DESERVED BETTER.
Note: WESLEY DESERVED BETTER.
February 11, 2022
Well as much as I was not really into the overall plot of A:AtF I am ok with how it resolves itself at the end. They put way too much emphasis on the dragon though.
June 28, 2019
Angel: After the Fall comes to an incredibly thrilling and epic conclusion in Volume 4. On the verge of death Angel is visited by a vision of Cordelia who encourages him not to give up; meanwhile Gunn captures Illyria and attempts to use her to time-slip LA back to before it was sent to hell. Especially well-written, author Brian Lynch does an impressive job at building the action to a climactic battle and at wrapping up all the major storylines (while still leaving a few open). The artwork is also quite good, though there are a couple of issues that are subpar. Additionally, there are some really incredible covers in the art gallery and a copy of Brian Lynch’s original outline for issue #1. Extraordinarily compelling, Angel: After the Fall � Volume 4 is a powerful and fitting conclusion to this remarkable series.
July 17, 2019
I never thought I would enjoy graphic novels. I have just never found a comic that I connected with. I never understood what people saw in them until recently. I have been finding more and more enjoyment in graphic novels. It all started with Saga and has led me to Angel: After the Fall. I have been a fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel shows for awhile now. With my new found love of graphic novels I decided to give these a try. And for me everyone of the volumes was better then the last. I even got a little choked up during Chapters 3 and 4. I don't really like how it left it open for more at the end. I was hoping for a conclusion not a continuation. Oh well you can't have everything.
September 24, 2009
I really enjoyed the After the Fall series. Admittedly, I'm not a huge comic/graphic novel fan. The format is just not my style, lots of fits and starts and jagged edges. But some of the art is really wonderful, and the hardcover collection volumes (4 in total) are really well made and lovely, with extra art and very cool comments and extras by the author at the end. I enjoyed the experience. And most of all I finally have a resolution to that awful day in the alley. The story arc really captures the tv series style of dark angst, wild adventure, and heroic love. Angel fans should read the series.
May 20, 2014
I really loved this comic. Love the Buffyverse and hope to read more comics and books from it!
August 24, 2015
2nd Read: 8/23/2015
Original Read: 7/21/2014
Original Read: 7/21/2014
September 11, 2023
this one got me, i really was crying over here, over Cordelia, over Connor, over Angel, over Wes� emotional gut punches all over the place. also thank god i know my man’s spike survives or that fake out would’ve been it for me. i had been starting to wonder if everything seemed normal on the outside and Illyria was having time slips what that time impact was so glad they saw that through, allows for growth without full loss, but officially losing Wes still hurts.
overall, i enjoy the arc - can see the flaws (like wow so basically it didn’t matter, but they remember everything so it DOES), but i am really sad this story didn’t get to make it to the tv because whew i would’ve enjoyed this wrap up. really curious to see how this wraps into the rest of the canon buffyverse and if angel gets humanity again or if WH rises again.
overall, i enjoy the arc - can see the flaws (like wow so basically it didn’t matter, but they remember everything so it DOES), but i am really sad this story didn’t get to make it to the tv because whew i would’ve enjoyed this wrap up. really curious to see how this wraps into the rest of the canon buffyverse and if angel gets humanity again or if WH rises again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
A mess of overly-complicated continuity porn with one of the worst ending tropes in writing. It's not quite as bad as "It was all a dream." but it contains a hard reset that makes the entire After The Fall storyline mostly moot. Deaths don't matter. Character growth is undone.
I wasn't at all a fan of volumes two and three, but the fact that this volume means I didn't even have to read them to follow the story is frustrating.
It's my understanding that many people enoyed how much plot was involved in this story, particularly after the previous disappointing volumes. I understand that. I just wish the plot was interesting to me, or that it wasn't immediately retconned.
If you're a die-hard Buffyverse fan, you'll probably enjoy this more than volumes two and three. Otherwise, it'c ompletely skippable.
I wasn't at all a fan of volumes two and three, but the fact that this volume means I didn't even have to read them to follow the story is frustrating.
It's my understanding that many people enoyed how much plot was involved in this story, particularly after the previous disappointing volumes. I understand that. I just wish the plot was interesting to me, or that it wasn't immediately retconned.
If you're a die-hard Buffyverse fan, you'll probably enjoy this more than volumes two and three. Otherwise, it'c ompletely skippable.
January 4, 2025
Ugh...
Time did no favors for this story.
Angel is at a crossroads. Let himself die and he could avert a prophecy that's been hounding him for YEARS (Doom, Gloom, and the EndOfAllThings). Survive and the apocalypse is almost assured. His friends will stay dead and evil will have proven itself as a winner. There's plenty of sacrifices along the way. Lots of characters we've grown to love over the years take heroic stands. It's REALLY touching. It hits all the feels you'd expect.
Then...
It's wiped away.
NONE OF IT MATTERS.
DID ANY OF IT?
-----.
Essentially, 4 volumes of this series are wiped away. Yes, the characters remember what happened...but the, 'it wasn't quite a dream' aspect is a bit much. Even worse (in my opinion) is that we're not done with the series yet. There's more to come.
Time did no favors for this story.
Angel is at a crossroads. Let himself die and he could avert a prophecy that's been hounding him for YEARS (Doom, Gloom, and the EndOfAllThings). Survive and the apocalypse is almost assured. His friends will stay dead and evil will have proven itself as a winner. There's plenty of sacrifices along the way. Lots of characters we've grown to love over the years take heroic stands. It's REALLY touching. It hits all the feels you'd expect.
Then...
It's wiped away.
NONE OF IT MATTERS.
DID ANY OF IT?
-----.
Essentially, 4 volumes of this series are wiped away. Yes, the characters remember what happened...but the, 'it wasn't quite a dream' aspect is a bit much. Even worse (in my opinion) is that we're not done with the series yet. There's more to come.
October 23, 2022
So this is the end of the "after the fall" comics and it was a good ending. Nice loophole.
Angel lost his son and basically goes berserk and manages to get himself killed, on purpose.
Turns out that if angel died wolfram and heart needed to go back and retrieve angel when he was still a vampire. The battle of the alley. Knowing what happens now, angel is able to make things right. Save Gunn, save California at the cost of losing fred and Weasley.
Since time turned back in a way, everyone remembers what happened and now angel is a celebrity and he's uncomfortable, as usual.
Decent ending since angel is not free from wolfram and heart but is still trying to do good. Like he always does.
Angel lost his son and basically goes berserk and manages to get himself killed, on purpose.
Turns out that if angel died wolfram and heart needed to go back and retrieve angel when he was still a vampire. The battle of the alley. Knowing what happens now, angel is able to make things right. Save Gunn, save California at the cost of losing fred and Weasley.
Since time turned back in a way, everyone remembers what happened and now angel is a celebrity and he's uncomfortable, as usual.
Decent ending since angel is not free from wolfram and heart but is still trying to do good. Like he always does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2018
And the first of the arcs is finally finished. It's muddy in both art and storyline. Part of the problem is Lynch and company tried to wrap up every character's storyline giving us fragmented stuff. This volume ties it all up and it's pretty satisfactory as far as that goes.
It would have been more tense of course if I had read this monthly because there are places and twists that would have made me sad until I could get the next volume but that falls a bit flat when you're reading the bound graphic novel.
Some characters die, some don't stay that way and it ends up some place I'm not sure I'm going to like. However, the things that got undone are likely to make me happy.
It would have been more tense of course if I had read this monthly because there are places and twists that would have made me sad until I could get the next volume but that falls a bit flat when you're reading the bound graphic novel.
Some characters die, some don't stay that way and it ends up some place I'm not sure I'm going to like. However, the things that got undone are likely to make me happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2022
I'm honestly pretty divided on this one. Overall, it was really great and enjoyable; Angel getting famous, the reset of hell, Spike and Angel bonding, and even the events leading up to it, including Illyria's turning into a massive monster was all interesting. The only thing that really put me off was the resurrection of all the characters who died (i.e. Conner and Gunn), which seemed somewhat weird. However, I guess Wesley ended up actually dead; however, I would have still enjoyed seeing higher stakes in the comic.
December 13, 2021
This is the volume I liked the least to be honest. It was a little anti-climactic for me and I had to stop and think about the ending to really get it, which I hate. It was tough to get out of an impossible situation and you had to really let go and let the book lead you to the ending. I liked the last chapter being what happened after but I almost wished the action would have lasted longer and let the new volume clean everything up.
April 23, 2024
Angel: After the Fall Vol. 4
Angel discovers the true meaning of the Shanshu Prophecy: that the vampire with a soul will lead the forces of evil to victory. Deciding to die, he finds a loophole that forces the Powers That Be to reset Los Angeles to before the Fall, allowing him to continue leading the good fight, but at a devastating cost.
A clever plot, with fantastic artwork as ever and a stunning (and well earned) climax.
Angel discovers the true meaning of the Shanshu Prophecy: that the vampire with a soul will lead the forces of evil to victory. Deciding to die, he finds a loophole that forces the Powers That Be to reset Los Angeles to before the Fall, allowing him to continue leading the good fight, but at a devastating cost.
A clever plot, with fantastic artwork as ever and a stunning (and well earned) climax.
January 2, 2017
If this is the general direction that a potential season six would've gone, then it would've been a spectcular finale. While I'm interested to read more Buffyverse comics, I feel like After the Fall at least gives me a sense of closure to one side of coin if I decided to not read anymore. I at least have my Angel ending.
December 24, 2017
A powerful installment in the Angel mythos that provides one thing; much needed closure. This offers a grand look at the complex nature of the characters in Angel's world (a world of only grey where good and bad bleed together). This is the series finale that the show was unable to provide. A must read for fans!
May 13, 2018
Not for me. I loved Angel the tv-series but this just doesn't work as a comic. Most of the time, nothing makes much sense. Everybody dies several times but not really. Some pointless prophesies that change when appropriate. And in the end, it didn't actually happen but it did. Ah. No. I really tried to like it, I swear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2018
I knocked this a star because there were some grammatical errors and that's weird for a finished edition of any published work. These weren't small ones either. I will say I liked the overall story that this part completed.
December 31, 2018
Number 4 of 6 After The Fall series. features some unexpected deaths, shifting alliances and an attempt by Illyria to save LA from the jaws of Hell. Wall to wall action and interesting story and art. Wish the tv series could have continued. Very highly recommended.
January 29, 2021
aaah! me ha encantado todo. El guión, los personajes los siento como muy ellos, el dibujo mejora respecto a otros y cierra todo muy redondo. Me hubiera encantado ver ATF en la serie, lo hubiera disfrutado como una enana.
Me meo con la portada del número 17! xD
Me meo con la portada del número 17! xD
March 21, 2022
Well, that was different. Everything has gone to hell and what does that mean for Angel & Friends? It's means trouble. Big trouble. Strange endings. Lots of good art and snappy dialogue. If you're a fan of the TV series, you'll enjoy its continuation in the comics.
March 15, 2023
3.5/5 Probably the strongest of the Angel volumes so far. Enjoyed the fact that even though everything kind of rested that people still remember. I think it’s always a cop out when everyone forgets how weird things got.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2023
Wow, I didn't realize I first read this in 2012. The story progression and wrap up in this one sparked a lot more of the feels and with a much deeper impact. And hey, give me more Spike banter and I am always satiated. A beautiful conclusion to after the fall.
May 4, 2024
Very confusing. Kinda pointless. Angel is so annoying in it. Only gave it three stars because return of George Betta, as well as Spike and Thorn rocking and Ilaria quite good. Happy to read Spike’s version now.
March 19, 2018
This series took a nose-dive pretty quickly. The story is not compelling and completely scattered. The art just plain stinks - bunch of scribbles.
Read
February 2, 2019Just a no all around. I won't spoil anything, but the ending � gaaaah!!!! hisssss!! boooo!!!
It is really becoming a test to continue. I am giving it one more go 🙄
It is really becoming a test to continue. I am giving it one more go 🙄
April 5, 2019
The color pallet was better in this volume. Love how the fiery landscape looks. And there's a really emotional moment between Angel and Connor.
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