WHAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE...
Confusion, that's what. Angel is requested by the powers that be to watch over a woman named Rita Carlson who was a surrogate mother to an unhuman baby. Angel investigates by going to a fertility clinic run by Dr. Lavinia Feehan, she tries to put a stop to his meddling by sending 'goons' to chuck him down a well, but he got out, just in the nick of time. The last we saw of Angel he has about to be attacked by short brown midget things and Dr Feehan.
WRITING
The conclusion of SURROGATES - it's been a bumpy ride, it's been a confusing ride as well. Issue 1 left us, the readers, with a 'What the hell's going on here?' sort of thing. Too many flashbacks, things happening with no explanation. It was poor. With all of the questions raised in issue 1 resolved in issue 2 (let's say Golden could've done things much better, like telling the story in it's original order, not cutting and pasting different parts of the story and plonking them anywhere else).
This issue is definitely the strongest of the three issues: violence, monsters, short midget demons and a few cracking surprises. The short little demon midgets actually turn out to be the babies the mothers gave birth to. Feehan becoming a bigger version of the demons' mother and her children. They don't however prove much of a match to Angel, but they do put up a good fight though.
First appearance of Kate in this issue. I guess it's Dark Horse's way of saying, 'No, we haven't forgotten about her, look, she has a full page to herself!' It isn't needed though. Angel didn't have to call Kate, if GOlden were to include her, at least do it earlier on in the trilogy. "We'll bill you," directly follows on from Cordy's speech in the pilot episode, City of. It was nice to have something that has happened in the TV show continue into the comics. Sure it was only one line, but it was still a nice touch. A cracking finish to a lame storyline, this storyline's going to be hard to mark.
ART
Good. Bad. Good. Bad. A good penciller needs a good inker. Zanier here has three inkers and two assistants, which makes me ask the question, 'Just how much of this issue was 100% Zanier and Owens/' It seems, very little.
The style of art changes throughout the issue. From nice bold outlines to sketchy detail to something in-between. This issue is a mess. But however, it's Zanier's finest ANGEL issue thus far, finally finding his feet when it comes to drawing Angel. The characters look good, have a great style to them and they don't change faces too often, well if you discount Angel's game face, that is. I'm still not convinced that Zanier's the right guy to pencil this issue, due to the fact this month he has three books out, RISING STARS #4, BUFFY #16 and this one. He is overworked and it shows, with two assistants and three inkers coming into help him out. Maybe Dark Horse should actually let Zanier go, let him concentrate on the big breasted world of Top Cow and let someone else take a shot at ANGEL. Reviewing Zanier's art work in this issue is tricky, much like reviewing the storyline. The art isn't all done by Zanier, he works well with two inkers and not the other so this issue doesn't do him justice, although it's my personal favourite as it shows that he has improved since issue 1. The characters' features are there, the storytelling's improved but like I said, ONE penciller needs ONE good inker.
OTHER NIT-PICKS
Colouring's off this month with Doyle changing the colour of his shirt from white to orange, never knew demons could do that. Other than that, no other nit-picks.
RATINGS
Writing: This issue - great! Top job from Golden. Nice character development (literally), nice violence, nice monsters.
SURROGATES #1-#3 - eurgh. Crap start, great finish. Issue one sucked, issue 2 was okay, issue 3 was great.
Art: This issue - the cover should have read Golden, Zanier, Mariano, Jump, Owens, Minor Arnold. Only two people were billed for the art when it took six people.
SURROGATES #1-#3 - eurgh. Crap start, crap finish, good middle.
Cover: Somebody shoot Matsuda.
Next issue: Fill in time - Zanier's off to draw more big breasted people in RISING STARS, while we get Eric Powell from THE GOON . Check out www.thegoon.com for more of his artwork. It's going to be different. Probably not in a good way... BACK TO THE TOP
SURROGATES,
PART 3
Writer: CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN
Pencils: CHRISTIAN ZANIER
(with help from MARVIN MARIANO, DRAXHALL JUMP)
Inks: ANDY OWENS, JASON MINOR, CURTIS P. ARNOLD
Letterer: CLEM ROBINS
Colour: DIGITAL BROOME
Cover: JEFF MATSUDA
and JON SIBAL
Cover variations: art, photo
Reviewer: MARC
ART RATING: 9/10
WRITING
RATING: 5/10
COVER RATING: 0/10
OVERALL
RATING: 6½/10
SURROGATES RATINGS
ART RATING: 5/10
WRITING RATING: 5/10
OVERALL RATING: 5/10
NEXT ISSUE:
THE CHANGELING WIFE - REVIEW 1
THE
CHANGELING WIFE - REVIEW 2
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SURROGATES, PART 2 - REVIEW 1
SURROGATES, PART 2 - REVIEW 2