Review: Angel & Faith #4

Live Through This, Part Four

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Rebekah Isaacs

Covers: Steve Morris/Rebekah Isaacs with Dan Jackson

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Angel and Faith engage in some unanticipated fisticuffs when Angel’s old henchmen, the über evil Pearl and Nash, show up at the Mohra blood auction our heroes have infiltrated. Formerly allies of Twilight, Pearl and Nash have a grudge to settle with Angel and violence ensues. Meanwhile, Faith continues to struggle with the decision to take matters into her own hands by turning Angel human in an effort to make him let go of his self-imposed mission to bring back the deceased Giles.

Live Through This, Part Four really begins to get into the moral and emotional meat of the story as Faith debates with herself the pros and cons of making Angel human again using the Mohra blood. The decision is not a simple one for Faith who struggles not only with whether it is the right thing for Angel, but also with her own self-doubt and a lack of confidence in her ability to make the right choice. Gage continues to develop the deeper connections between these two flawed characters as they try to do the right thing for themselves and each other.

Once again Isaacs’ art is top notch. Her mastery of these characters continues to grow and improve from issue to issue and makes this series such a joy to read. In particular her depiction of Faith, as she juggles the various people in her new life and the challenge of being there for both Angel and the slayers, is superb. Faith continues to grow into her responsibilities and Isaacs’ art shows how difficult this is for her at times.

It feels as if Angel & Faith is teetering on the very edge of fulfilling all the plot potential promised in the first few issues. Gage has great pacing and things are really starting to come together now in a way that suggests it’s about to get truly interesting for the two main characters. The next few issues should see some of the story elements peak and it’s going to be an exciting ride for readers! 7/10

Bernice Watson