Most of you know that I also write the weekly newsletter for X-World Comic, and some of my comments a couple of week’s ago drew some attention from fans of the title, Fallen Angel, as well as Peter David, the writer. To recap what was said-

“Fallen Angel #13, $2.95. Written by Peter David, Art by David Lopez. Is this title cancelled yet? I appreciate DC’s dedication to its titles, but it might be time for this one. I really don’t know anyone who has read it, and very few people seem all that excited about it, except for the hard core Peter David fans out there. Since I am a pretty avid fan of the man’s work myself, it is clear that not even that group of people seem all too excited about this book. Shame really – the guy does seem to have lost a step lately… 32 Pages.”

Well, I think it is safe to say that I have now heard a great deal of comments from people who are excited about it. Whether they are, as I termed them, “hard-core Peter David fans” or not is still a bit of a question, but they did speak in very highly glowing terms about the book. And more than a few of them seemed pretty agitated that I essentially called for the cancellation of a title that I hadn’t ever read.

While I don’t apologize for anything I said, the fact that so many of them stepped up to defend the title (and with much civility, something I really appreciate), I felt I owed it to them to give this title a fair shake. So I went out, plucked down $30, and picked up the trade of the first six issues, as well as the remaining seven, and set down to seeing for myself whether or not this title was indeed as good as they claimed, or if my list of Peter David’s top ten works would be safely intact.

Cast of Characters

Lee, the Fallen Angel, just appeared in Bete Noir one day, and set up shop in a local bar as someone who the people could turn to for help. Her real name and history are a mystery (there are those who believe her to be Linda Danvers), one that she is completely unwilling to share. She has demonstrated a wide array of abilities beyond that of a normal human – she is near invulnerable (though can be hurt, if hit hard enough), has exceptional strength, and has demonstrated a degree of telepathy and telekinesis. One interesting tidbit that is a bit unusual – her feet never touch the ground.

Doctor Juris is the Magistrate of Bete Noir, which essentially means that he runs the entire town. Though not your typical political leader, Doc Juris is also involved in just about every criminal action inside the city – he runs it all, on both sides of the “law.” It is also clear that he works for a higher order, which grants him one day off per year. Though at constant odds with Lee while at “work,” the two of them have shared a much more intimate relationship in private.

Dolf, the German bartender at Furors Pub is probably Lee’s strongest ally. He is the one who came up with the name (which she rarely likes to use), and provides her with a booth where those seeking her help can find her. Furors is something of neutral ground, where just about anyone can enter, as long as they don’t upset the barkeep. Even though Dolf encourages Lee’s “mission,” he never seems to like any of the clients she gets, always suspicious of their motives.

Benny is a pickpocket who wonders through the occasional panel from time to time, plucking valuables from unsuspecting victims. Little to tell about this guy, aside from the fact that he is there, and seems to be on speaking terms with Lee.

Boxer is one of Doc Juris’s main enforcers, and is very much the mold of your typical muscle. He is exceedingly loyal, and quick to offer the use of his “skills” against those who have wronged the ones he is close to. Though totally outclassed, he is always itching to get a piece of Lee, both for her actions against his girlfriend, Black Mariah, and his boss.

Black Mariah is another of Juris’s agents, and someone who has run afoul of Lee a couple of times. There are many references to Black Mariah’s first encounter with Lee prior to her appearance in issue #7, something that really unravels itself in the third arc. Mariah has a power she called “the rot,” the ability to suck the life out of someone by making skin contact. This ability lead Lee to cover her usually bare feet and arms with a wrap, to allow her to make contact with Mariah should they ever encounter one another again. Black Mariah was run out of town by Lee after she placed a “bad luck curse” on her, and Mariah only returned once she discovered a means of having the curse lifted.

Asia Minor is a drug distributor whose operations are based in Bete Noir. Though he is clearly not on the “side of the Angels,” he does seem to have something of a precarious working relationship with Lee. He speaks in pigeon English, though many think that is a front to make people believe he is not that bright. He tries on occasion to work with Lee, to his own advantage, but usually ends up the raw end of the deal.

Thoughts

Well, I suppose it is time to answer the question – now that I have read the series, am I singing a different tune? Though I might not have said things the same way when describing this title, the general idea behind my comments really would not have changed much. Peter David has far more impressive credits to his name than Fallen Angel.

This title is not all bad, I do have to admit. The setting is very imaginative. The ambigious nature of Bete Noir, a city that is run in an extremely unusual fashion. I have never heard of a “magistrate,” at least, not in a normal American city – and if there were, I believe it would be crawling with feds considering some of the shady things that goes on there. Doctor Juris and his organization have all the earmarks of something a little otherworldly – be it magic or something else. So is Bete Noir a traditional city, or something a little more mystical? I might be reading a little too much into things, but the setting of Fallen Angel is one of the more interesting aspects of the title. The fact that it could be anything, anywhere really adds to David’s flexibility when telling his story.

Now comes the question – is Lee actually Linda Danvers, Supergirl? I have read for months that there are those who actually believe this, and Peter David has done very little to counter that claim. Month after month, after a new issue comes out, there are those who look for hints to prove that Lee is actually Linda, and there is a wealth of them. In my opinion, this is one of the title’s biggest failings.

Look, I loved David’s work on Supergirl, but to constantly look at this title as an extension of that story is a bit farfetched and, I think, damaging to the book. And David hasn’t helped matters- in his words or his writing. If Lee was ever revealed to actually be Supergirl, that would deal a serious blow to this title. The very nature of Lee is that of the “mysterious protagonist.” You are never meant to know that much about her, and that is one of the aspects of her character that are so appealing. If you were to suddenly discover everything about her, that aspect of the title would forever be destroyed, and the story would suffer as a result. So, then, why constantly tease the audience by hinting that she is indeed Linda Danvers? It is clear that Peter David is doing this – her powers are the same, there is the “angel” reference – there was even a line in issue #12 (a flashback issue) where Lee was asked her name by Juris. Her reply – “My name’s L- – … Lee, I was going to say Lee.” Can’t you just hear the “Lee is really Supergirl” contingent crowing about that one?

Someone might correct me on this one, but I have heard that Fallen Angel is a creator-owned property, which would make it very difficult to have Lee actually be Linda Danvers. It has also been said that Bete Noir is NOT inside the DC Universe. So if having Lee be Linda Danvers would be destructive to the nature of this story in the long term (would make a great short-term story, but it would kill the title’s longevity), and if things have been set up from a legal standpoint so that it would be impossible for Lee to be Linda, why drop so many hints? Why make the characters so similar? I think it is a failing on the part of Peter David to make a character that is in some aspects most original, but at the core a pale copy that will forever be in the shadow of Linda Danvers. I think if David were to make a solid statement, and show in the story that Lee is, in fact, her own unique character, that would go a long way towards improving this title.

Don’t get me wrong, the Supergirl/Fallen Angel “controversy” isn’t at all the biggest problem I have with this title, but it is the most visible. The thing that really hurt my enjoyment of Fallen Angel was the way that the story is put together. I have heard this book described as “experimental,” I can only assume this is in reference to the way that Peter David has structured the story. Now I am all for experimentation, a writer must experiment from time to time to keep his work fresh. Plus, as an art form, there must be some experimentation for storytelling to evolve. That being said, if the experiment isn’t working, I feel it is a wise move to recognize its failings and work towards correcting them.

We have all read stories that began in the “middle of the action.” Well, Fallen Angel took that to a new level. This title began in the middle of EVERYTHING. The best example of this is the whole Black Maraiah/Fallen Angel conflict. From the very first issue you are told of their encounter, and how it resulted in Mariah being run out of town. But you don’t learn the specifics until issue seven, when Mariah makes her appearance. Until that point, many questions are raised about the nature of these past events, and the gaps are filled in later as they become pertinent to the story at hand.

The problem here is, specifically in the case of Black Mariah, the story of the first “encounter” ends up being told simultaneously with the second, which results in lessening the impact of both. This is not an isolated problem. The way that David is unfolding this story negatively impacts just about every important aspect of this story. Another example of this is the relationship between Lee and Doctor Juris.

Without warm-up, with some very cursory conflict establishment between the two, the fact that they are sleeping together is just kind of thrown at you. Had we been given a few issues of story to show that in the public eye, these two are adversaries, this revelation would have been quite stunning and powerful. The first issue was simply far too soon for this fact to be known.

Then, of course, we are treated to the occasional scene with them together, then, their apparent break-up. Immediately after, we are treated to a stand-alone flashback story which tells how they met, and first got together. This was a good story, but had we known about it before the “break-up,” it would have made the scene that much more powerful. It was already good – perhaps the best blending of artistic storytelling and writing to date in the series, but it seemed to lack the history that would have driven it home. Instead, after reading the stand-alone, all I could think of was that I wished I would have known about all of this before. David seems to be going somewhere with this, but he hasn’t given me much incentive to want to see what happens next. The moment has already been spoiled.

Bottom Line

It was frustrating reading this title. There is a fantastic story here, it is just told completely wrong. I appreciate the fact that Peter David seems to be trying something new here, but I just don’t think it is working out very well at all. There is clearly a large group of fans out there that swear by this title – and I am not about to fault them for it, and I do hope this title does avoid cancellation for their sake. I am forced to wonder, however, how many of those readers enjoy this title simply because they think (or hope) that Lee ends up being Supergirl. Not a good reason to cling to a title, I think, and I really hope those who are of that mind are indeed few.

The title is worth a look to anyone who is curious. Peter David is standing by his work, very much to his credit, and has challenged anyone to pick up a copy of issue #14, and has essentially guaranteed that you will be sold on Fallen Angel based on that issue. Though I have now read the entire series and am not completely sold, I am still going to take him up on that. If he is that confident in the quality of his story, I will give this series one last chance.

The first Fallen Angel trade, collecting the first six issues, is available now, as is issue 13. Issue 14 is due out August 18th. Issue 14 does have a unique plot, at least according to DC’s solicit. As they describe it – “Every single cast member comes wandering through Dolf’s bar, each caught up in their own problems…not realizing they’re interrelated, and only the Fallen Angel can solve them in one stroke!” I am curious to see what Peter David comes up with here – hopefully this story is up for the difficult task of overcoming my already less-than-glowing opinion of the title.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Written by Peter David,
Illustrated by David Lopez,
Inked by Fernando Blanco,
Colored by Nathan Eyring, and
Published by DC Comics.

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