![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Woo-hoo!
I always wondered what Fallen Angel was doing on DC instead of Vertigo. It wasn't particularly related to anything else in the DC Universe -- and, in fact, the way the Angel and Bete Noire were set up, the DC Universe couldn't have used her at all -- and the material always seemed like it wanted to be too adult for the main DC line, but got hamstrung because it wasn't in Vertigo or Wildstorm Signature.
That does bring up an interesting question: if it's 20 years later, then when is it "now" and when was it "then"?
The artwork in the new version of Fallen Angel is very different, and bloody gorgeous, frankly. I wonder if the difference in the artwork means that there might be a darker turn to the story than before -- which, considering that they pushed the edges of what the DC Universe might allow in dark stories, would be pretty damned grim, indeed.
The way DC handled Fallen Angel at the end of its run was incredibly frustrating. On Free Comics Day two years ago, they gave out free copies of Issue 1, to get people to buy the trade that was about to come out, and to pull them into the series. And, for me, it worked! I loved the first trade. Unfortunately, the series was far enough along by then that I decided to just wait for the next trade, not knowing about (1) DC's abysmal handling of non-Batman trades -- seriously, if it's not one of the main Batman titles, trades take FOREVER, and that includes Gotham Central and, from what I've seen, Superman, JLA and just about every other title -- (2) the decision had more or less already been made that if things didn't pick up a lot, and quickly, after the trade, the title would be cancelled. Once I found out, I got what I could, but there's a hole in the middle of my run where issues 7-11 should be. Nobody in the city has those issues at all.
From what IDW's editor-in-chief says in their forum, the new Fallen Angel will be a creator-owned miniseries, with further issues to come if it sells. That it's a miniseries would also possibly explain the pricing; at $3.99 per issue, it's seriously discommoded some of the fan base. (I'm hoping this means that it's a longer than normal issue, maybe 48 or 56 pages instead of 22-24. We'll see. IDW's titles are notoriously expensive.)
PETER DAVID & CHRIS RYALL ON FALLEN ANGEL @ IDW
As inadvertently announced by DC's Bob Wayne during the Vertigo/Wildstorm panel at WizardWorld: Philadelphia, Fallen Angel will make the move from DC to IDW beginning later this year. Newsarama spoke with both IDW Editor in Chief Chris Ryall and series creator Peter David about what went into the move, and what readers can expect to see when the Angel lands.
"Peter and I had been talking about various other projects prior to Fallen Angel’s cancellation," Ryall told Newsarama. "I’ve been a fan of his work for years, and was determined to get him on an IDW book one way or another. At this point, Fallen Angel’s status at DC was, shall we say, undetermined, so he asked if it was anything we’d consider taking on if DC cancelled it. I think my reply was something along the lines of 'abso-effin’-lutely.'
"I loved the book, and more than that, I loved Peter’s commitment to it and his efforts to just about anything to keep it going when it probably would have been easier, and surely less time-consuming and probably more lucrative, to let it go and jump on another high-profile book instead."
Moving the series was an option due to the fact that Fallen Angel, despite being published by DC and a part of the DC line of comics during its life (though not exactly placed within the DC Universe), was owned by David and series artist David Lopez. As result, the property is transportable, though, not exactly easy.
"Whenever something of this nature is being done, there's always complications,” David said. “Even when everyone is working toward the same goal, there's simply a lot of legal aspects that have to be ironed out. Right now, everyone is in accord about Fallen Angel going to IDW. But legal agreements are what you write when everyone is on the same page in anticipation of future situations where they might not be. So that's where we are right now, putting the finishing touches on the agreements and waiting for the final signatures. That's one of the reasons we hadn't intended to announce yet; we wanted everything finalized. But the horse has not only escaped the barn, it's currently galloping around the track, so now it's just a matter of trying to catch up and jump on. Ironically, after everything else with the series, DC did a terrific job of promoting it in Philadelphia. That was the biggest play the book has ever gotten at a DC presentation”
As Ryall said (and fans of the book know), David was outspoken in his attempts to get readers to give the book as try, as well as his feeling that DC perhaps wasn't doing everything they could in regards to promoting the book. As a result, David feels that there's a large untapped audience for the series.
"Fallen Angel was always problematic for DC,” David said. “Potential DCU readers figured they could pass on it because it wasn't part of the DCU, and potential Vertigo readers--unaware that the content might appeal to them--skipped it because they just figured it was part of the DCU. Readers of IDW comics won't have any preconceptions, one hopes. Also, as soon as IDW announced the Spike one-shot, I was deluged with e-mail from Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans who said, in essence, ‘I've never read any of your comics, but I'll sure be there for this!’ If even a percentage of those folks then give Fallen Angel a try, we'll be in good shape.”
I always wondered what Fallen Angel was doing on DC instead of Vertigo. It wasn't particularly related to anything else in the DC Universe -- and, in fact, the way the Angel and Bete Noire were set up, the DC Universe couldn't have used her at all -- and the material always seemed like it wanted to be too adult for the main DC line, but got hamstrung because it wasn't in Vertigo or Wildstorm Signature.
Fallen Angel #1 Preview (Newsarama.com)
IDW has provided Newsarama with an unlettered, seven page preview of December’s Fallen Angel #1 by Peter David and JK Woodward. [...] David has already said that it will begin with the true origin of Lee, the enigmatic "Fallen Angel" of Bete Noire.
"The series needs a fresh start,” the writer said. “There is no more accessible way to approach it than to do a storyline that informs new readers of where she came from and answers questions for the long-standing readers. The Fallen Angel fans have been terrific, and I think they're entitled to know who she is and where she comes from. However, I'll be doing it in the same style as I did other 'origin' stories of such characters as Boxer. That is to say, the main storyline will be set in Bete Noire, but someone who was key in the Angel's origin will be arriving in the city, tying in to flashback sequences that reveal her background. However, there will be some new faces in the city, because time will have passed between the end of #20 and the beginning of the new series.”
Additionally, as David announced at his blog, issue #1 of the new ongoing series will have an alternate cover, provided by Lopez ... Also at his blog, David described the first issue as: "Issue #1 is designed to be a jumping on point. If you are a long-time reader of Fallen Angel, you will be surprised at developments since we pick up twenty year after the previous series. If you're new to the series, everything is explained clearly enough that you will have no trouble following."
That does bring up an interesting question: if it's 20 years later, then when is it "now" and when was it "then"?
The artwork in the new version of Fallen Angel is very different, and bloody gorgeous, frankly. I wonder if the difference in the artwork means that there might be a darker turn to the story than before -- which, considering that they pushed the edges of what the DC Universe might allow in dark stories, would be pretty damned grim, indeed.
The way DC handled Fallen Angel at the end of its run was incredibly frustrating. On Free Comics Day two years ago, they gave out free copies of Issue 1, to get people to buy the trade that was about to come out, and to pull them into the series. And, for me, it worked! I loved the first trade. Unfortunately, the series was far enough along by then that I decided to just wait for the next trade, not knowing about (1) DC's abysmal handling of non-Batman trades -- seriously, if it's not one of the main Batman titles, trades take FOREVER, and that includes Gotham Central and, from what I've seen, Superman, JLA and just about every other title -- (2) the decision had more or less already been made that if things didn't pick up a lot, and quickly, after the trade, the title would be cancelled. Once I found out, I got what I could, but there's a hole in the middle of my run where issues 7-11 should be. Nobody in the city has those issues at all.
From what IDW's editor-in-chief says in their forum, the new Fallen Angel will be a creator-owned miniseries, with further issues to come if it sells. That it's a miniseries would also possibly explain the pricing; at $3.99 per issue, it's seriously discommoded some of the fan base. (I'm hoping this means that it's a longer than normal issue, maybe 48 or 56 pages instead of 22-24. We'll see. IDW's titles are notoriously expensive.)