Archaeus is done in America, retreating and regrouping. There’s the threat that he will be making his second attempt with a partner — a dangerous partner. With little information and a darkness coming soon, Angel and the gang have their work cut out for them.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Starting off the issue, we see some Magic Town vampire hoodlums disturbing a blue lady creature on the street. Seems that Angel’s absence has become well-known and the baddies are taking advantage of the expanded freedom. But just because Angel’s not around doesn’t mean there’s no good guys out. Enter Fred, who protects the blue lady and faces off against the vampires. Human against vampire wouldn’t cause them unrest, but facing off against Illyria definitely puts the fear in them. And it causes us some unsettled emotions, too. Who is to say that Fred can keep controlling Illyria? Or that she won’t do something when Illyria’s in charge that will have serious repercussions? We just don’t know.
The next instance of Fred we see is her waking up in bed and discovering that Angel’s been watching over her all night. She came in last night, dazed, and Angel wanted to ensure that she would be okay. This is problematic because it hints that this will become a repeated occurrence, if Illyria becomes stronger. But, for now, they need to concentrate on Archaeus and his issues.
Koh, Faith, the aunts, and Fred all meet up with Angel to discuss the current status. The rundown was a bit redundant for those of us who read the Buffy comic, but I’m not sure if it was sufficient for those who didn’t. I would have liked a bit more smoothing out of the story so that it would satisfy both perspectives. We know that Archaeus will try again, and that the gang must be prepared. This is especially true because he is teaming up with Dru. Archaeus is powerful, but paired with Dru it’s an extremely dangerous situation.
Dru shows how their plan is starting with the assignment sent to her minions. She wants them to get the key to Magic Town. What is that? Well, more like who. Turns out the key is Nadira, which makes sense. She houses great power, and to control her would allow Dru great power, too. Will Angel and the gang be able to save Nadira? Or will Dru gain unimaginable power? We’ll have to wait until next issue to find out.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
