PLOTLINE
And so we continue. After the last issue's dramatic cliffhanger, Angel finds himself stuck in a well with sunrise not too far off. As Angel tries to make it out we end up in flashback mode again, before he makes it out of the well only to be thrown back in again. Thankfully Doyle and Cordy are tehre to lift Angel out of the well, although not before the sun is out burning him, hence he's forced to lie in bed naked (!?!) Not to worry though, he soon has his clothes on again as the trio have a plan to rescue the missing children and the mesmorised husbands - of course we'll have to wait for the next issue to see how things go...
ART
I know my fellow reviewer had a really hard go at Zanier last issue, but somehow I really like the art of ANGEL. Admittedly it can be sloppy at times, but Zanier has a knack for capturing the actors' likenesses, and the backgrounds also help with the story, with a sort of noir/Gothic appearance. Zanier also adds some neat touches such as Doyle demonstrating the flash of the camera on Cordy, in which the lens just happens to be pointing at a certain part of her anatomy...
WRITING
If you thought the first issue was confusing then just wait until you read this. We have flashbacks galore from 100 years to one hour, and it confuses the hell out of you. I know that there's a purpose to all this, and hopefully it'll all be resolved next issue when everyone will see just how interesting the storyline really was, although for now I have to say I'm unclear as to where this is going, and it's not exactly the best Chris Golden story - in fact, it's bordering on being as bad as his PUNISHER series.
COVER
Well, the photocover suits the story really well, but the artwork cover is not exactly the most eye-catching, especially when it is mostly taken up by a character who is more than likely going to be dead by the end of the next issue.
OVERALL
The writing is still as confusing as hell, and if you don't have issue one then give it a miss. Although if you do have issue one you should still probably give it a miss...
The one saving grace is the art. Probably the best artist on a BUFFY comic so far, Zanier looks destined for greater things with RISING STARS and TALES OF WITCHBLADE, so I'll doubt he'll be doing ANGEL for long before one of the big two publishers, Marvel and DC, pick up on his talents. If you want some eye candy then pick it up, but if you're also looking for a good story you'd better check back with #4. BACK TO THE TOP
SURROGATES, PART 2
Writer: CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN
Pencils: CHRISTIAN ZANIER
Inks: ANDY OWENS
Background assists: MARVIN MARIANO
Colour: DIGITAL BROOME
Cover variations: art, photo
Reviewer: RICHARD MORGAN
ART RATING: 6/10
WRITING RATING: 4/10
OVERALL RATING: 5/10
SURROGATES, PART 2 - REVIEW 2
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