Yet Another Buffy/Angel comics poll

[shapinglight]

Yesterday, I read the latest issues of the Buffy and Angel comics. Have to say it was a bit of a strange experience, reading two such wildly different portrayals of Angel in one day. One of them, if a little idealised (not that much, though), was very recognisable to me as Angel of AtS seasons 1-4 (Angel of AtS season 5 is a bit different). The other seems to have fast-forwarded through his own life and skipped straight from Graduation Day Part 2 in BtVS season three to where he is now without passing go (except for a very brief halt in End of Days).

Then, I suddenly realised why they were so different. Of course! I told myself, how stupid of me not to think of it before. It's so obvious. Angel left Sunnydale at the end of BtVS season 3 and bumped into that Toth guy from The Replacement, who zapped him with his magic stick thing-y. There are in fact two of him. One of them went off to L.A. and grew up (or sort of), the other got locked away in a box somewhere, to be taken out during End of Days just to snog Buffy and sulk, and then be bundled away again until season 8. This one is obviously a gullible idiot wandering around like Fotherington-Thomas going, "Hullo clouds, hullo sky, hullo talking dog!" and not thinking anything of it when they answer back.

Well, it makes as much sense to me as anything else.

Under the cut, a poll. Choose your own wacky cause to the effect of Bizarro Angel



[Poll #1641102]

Comments

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

He's always been a twat.

[shapinglight]

Steady now. :)

[quinara]

I like all the options, but in the end 'he's been under a lot of stress lately' seemed to capture something elusive and perfect...

[shapinglight]

You mean it's a meaningless copout?

[norwie2010.livejournal.com]

What quinara said. ;)

[shapinglight]

See my answer to her. :)

[2maggie2.livejournal.com]

I've been saying this for a while now!

[shapinglight]

That there are two of him? Does that mean no 40 may include the arrival of the other Angel, looking very miffed that his much stupider twin has managed to end the world when he wasn't looking?

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Eh, I'm with bogwitch, but you knew that. I'll take a side of "Joss has decided AtS isn't canon" though. Will miss all the other characters...

[shapinglight]

I'll take a side of "Joss has decided AtS isn't canon" though. Will miss all the other characters...

They may well be better off missing. I don't think Joss is interested in any of them, except maybe Illyria.

And now see, season 8 Angel would never wear that crash helmet.

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

Since taking over Wolfram & Hart, Angel has become irredeemably evil, is clearly insane and he's hopelessly obsessed with Buffy.

Also, Joss hasn't watched Ats in awhile, has forgotten all about Connor and has decided that Angel: After the Fall isn't canon after all.

[elisi]

Well he did forget that Warren was so dead that The First was walking around wearing his face...

[shapinglight]

Since taking over Wolfram & Hart, Angel has become irredeemably evil, is clearly insane and he's hopelessly obsessed with Buffy.

Yeah, I did say AtS season 5 Angel is a little different. However, he also became a horrible cynic who signed away the Shanshu prophecy, so I don't see him listening to any talking dogs.

No other explanation. There are two of him.

[elisi]

One of them went off to L.A. and grew up (or sort of), the other got locked away in a box somewhere, to be taken out during End of Days just to snog Buffy and sulk, and then be bundled away again until season 8. This one is obviously a gullible idiot wandering around like Fotherington-Thomas going, "Hullo clouds, hullo sky, hullo talking dog!" and not thinking anything of it when they answer back.
This keeps making me giggle. So does your poll. For which I thank you, because I've been feeling very grumpy about all this lately.

[shapinglight]

because I've been feeling very grumpy about all this lately.

Jeanty saying that Angel and Spike just hate each other was sort of the last straw for me, must admit. Then I read the latest Angel comic which, while not being that great a comic, at least gave me an Angel I could respect, plus gave him a great scene with Spike (and they didn't just hate each other) and a great scene with Connor.

His son. Who he loves more than anything.

[hello-spikey.livejournal.com]

I like the idea that perhaps Angel was darkly corrupted by his time at Wolfram and Hart, myself.

...perhaps causing him to do unthinkable things to Spike which the vampires are politely not mentioning. Yeah. Something like that. :)

[shapinglight]

Well, I can go with that, but I still can't quite get from there to Twangel, because Twangel is a stupid, gullible git. Your Angel is just a git, so there's a difference. :)

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

My theory, which is mine and belongs to me

He's thin at one end, much thicker in the middle and thin again at the far end.

Much like the comic, in other words.

[shapinglight]

:snorfle: It also describes AtS season 5 Angel rather well, though less so earlier seasons Angel, of course.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

Of course! Brilliant!

[shapinglight]

:bows:

[xc-runner50.livejournal.com]

Am I the only person who voted for "Angel is perfectly in character. He's always known dogs can talk". Come on people That is hilarious how could you resist clicking that one :P. It is almost as nonsensical of an answer as the Angel we are seeing in Season 8.

[shapinglight]

It is almost as nonsensical of an answer as the Angel we are seeing in Season 8.

Almost, but not quite. :)

[greenstone-j.livejournal.com]

Yes, stress, because Spike's been refusing to give his his daily blowjobs since he's been talking to dogs...

[shapinglight]

Well, can you blame him? I know I would find it very offputting.

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

Sensitivity to wacky blue kryptonite

[shapinglight]

Well, it stands to reason that now he's SuperTwangel, there has to be something like that, I suppose.

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

BWAHAAAAAAA! I love all the choices! XD

[shapinglight]

I notice no one has picked the He's Just Misunderstood option. ;)

[ms-scarletibis.livejournal.com]

...to be taken out during End of Days just to snog Buffy and sulk

Nah. In "End of Days," Angel was all jokily sulky about the Spike thing, and Angel s3 wouldn't have done that.

Or, maybe he would. The only time Buffy and Angel didn't have a melodramatic moment while talking to each other was when the subject was about Spike...otherwise, Angel's pretty two dimensional around Buffy unless he's Angelus.

I think Joss has decided to pretend as if the Angelverse doesn't exist. A good deal of it was Greenwalt's baby and not Joss. He really didn't want to focus on making folks identify with vamps (though he repeatedly did it inadvertently), and certainly didn't want a spinoff. Perhaps this is his way of saying "up yours!" Then again, IMO, he's doing the same with Buffy, so...

[ms-scarletibis.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I do think Angel's misunderstood, but I'm certain that with these comics, that's just not the case.

In fact I'd argue that the folks who try to justify this comic!Angel as being in character as completely misunderstanding his true canon persona. Like srsly.

[http://users.livejournal.com/mad_brilliant_/]

Bogwitch said it before I could. :)

[shapinglight]

Poor old Angel! I like him. I just don't like the comics version of him.