Behind the Curtain
For prior reviews; Angel & Faith #12 , Angel & Faith #13 Angel & Faith #14 Angel & Faith #15 Angel & Faith #16
Plot
Who stole Giles body? Why is he alive? Faith faces the consequences of her friendship with Angel. What does the late Ethan Rayne have to do with all this?
Art
I love how detailed the backgrounds in this book are. The only real problem I have with the art is that Giles and Ethan look a tad to similar at times. Overall the art is great.
Story & Script
Wow, what a brilliant issue. This ties together a lot of old plot threads, and does it in a subtle but really fantastically done way. We continue off from that cliffhanger last issue with the apparent return of Giles. We find out who stole Giles body, and it turns out that it all connects back to a filler episode of Buffy in Season Two. While I wasn't a fan of the initial episode, the villain has a lot of potential.
Faith's conversation with Angel is fantastic. You can see that throughout the series their bond has weakened, and weakened and is on the brink of breaking the duo apart. I have a feeling that big things are coming for Faith.
Sophie and Lavinia are really the heart of the book. They provide a much needed comic relief to the story, which is needed when the story is called "Death & Consequences". This story is off to a fantastic start with some brilliant dialogue, plot developments, and tension. I'd also like to add that I love all the little references to old stories. It took me a second read to actually spot it but they mention a character, Olivia, a short lived love interest of Giles who appeared a few times in Season Four. It's the little things like that, that I really enjoy.
Overall.
This story is setting up to be the best one so far. I love the villain reveal at the end, the return of Giles and Ethan, and the references to Olivia. Nadira is really developing into a great supporting cast member. I could easily see the season ending with a battle between her and Faith. Christos Gage delivers an amazing issue, with beautiful art by Rebekah Isaacs.