Basement X

http://blog.newsarama.com/2010/08/18/an ... late-2011/

"Well, this is odd: according to a sentence in Dark Horse Comics senior managing editor Scott Allie’s comments in the “Horsepowerâ€￾ column in the back of this week’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Riley one-shot, Angel comics are returning to the publisher in 2011. IDW has had the rights to Angel since 2005.

Here’s exactly what was written in the note:

“What’s next for the Whedon clan and Dark Horse? How about a Dollhouse comic written by Jed and Maurissa, who wrote key episode of the show, and the return of the Angel series to Dark Horse in late 2011, in tandem with our Buffy Season 9 relaunch?â€￾

That’s pretty big news to announce within the text of an in-house promotional page at the back of a comic, something pretty easy for a reader to skip over. On IDW’s official forums, chief creative officer and editor-in-chief Chris Ryall wrote, “We’ll be addressing this soon, so please bear with us. Thanks, for your patience and your support. Back soon.â€￾

Picture of the column and potential Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 spoilers after the jump.

The character of Angel has appeared in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comic, but his post-TV series ending adventures have continued in IDW’s comics, starting with 2007 miniseries Angel: After the Fall. Like Buffy Season 8, the current Angel IDW comics are considered canonical, picking up from where the TV shows left off — in Angel’s case, after season five ended in 2004. Dark Horse and IDW collaborated on IDW’s Spike miniseries, meant to bridge the gap between Season 8 and After the Fall.

Angel and Buffy creator Joss Whedon has been involved with these comics, overseeing both and scripting several issues of Buffy. Before 2005, Angel starred in many non-canonical Dark Horse comics, starting with 1999’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Angel three-issue miniseries, collected as Angel: The Hollower.

Newsarama has contacted Dark Horse Comics for comment, and will update as the story develops."

More info: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=27928

Evidently Dark Horse has always regretted letting go of Angel so it's nigh time it gets back to it's rightful owner. DH actually stole IDW's thunder by revealing the announcement in the Riley one-shot, they had expected IDW to announce it before the issue hit stands but they obviously didn't.

You know what I hope? That whatever Dark Horse publishes with Angel in 2011-2012 is simply rehasing and undoing the entire IDW series. I wasted my time and money on that book for 2 years, and now I'd like to read those stories if handled right. I'm pissed to learn that shitty idea that ran for 2 years was considered to tie into all of this now. Forget it. I refuse to believe ANY of that bull as it was utter crap.

I'm with Ed, on this though I didn't drop it as much cash & energy into Angel as he did. I do hope Darkhorse throws alla that crap from IDW out the 12th story window when they launch Angel in 2011-2012, and for Goodness sake, they better find a decent artist too. If see anything resembling that garbage art on the DH series, I'm gonna pass.

As for the politics behind Angel returning to Darkhorse, I suspect there will be a lot of anger from IDW directed at Darkhorse because the very nature of the change sounds like it was forced upon IDW. I suspect maybe even Whedon himself helped Darkhorse to regain the license for Angel. Add to the fact that Darkhorse "accidentally" let slip that Angel is returning to DH in a blurb, thats just salt in the wound.

As of now, I don't know if I'll be picking up Angel, I have some space on my pull list, but I don't want to fill it up immediately. I'd like to give my wallet some breathing room for the time being and save some cash. If Angel is released towards the end of 2012, I will probably pick it up but if its released anytime soon, then no.

Well to be honest, I'm wondering now if Angel won't be one of those additional series that's part of Season 9. Dark Horse Editor Scott Allie alluded to there being more than one "ongoing" Season 9 series, with a few one shots or minis possibly. So what if they GET Angel by late 2011, but don't kick off Season 9 until 2012, and Angel is part of that? I think that it's entirely possible they do that, and make it part of the overall Season 9 story.

I'm quite certain it's a co-running ongoing to Season 9. The blurb says it starts in time for S9 so it makes sense. It could be if S9 doesn't start until 2012 that there will be a mini leading up the ongoing, sorta like they originally did with a 3-issue mini.

I know that Allie hated losing the Angel license, and he swears they were working with IDW to make a better announcement but it seems IDW was just jerking off and not fully cooperating until the blurb was already released. I doubt that DH released the blurb on purpose, they probably hoped IDW would release their announcement before the issue came out and just didn't take the opportunity as they should have. Either way, I'm glad it's ending (obviously I've continued with Angel even after it started sucking, lol).