BEFORE THE DAWN, the first DARK ANGEL novel was a prequel to the television series; SKIN GAME, the second, is a sequel to it, picking up from the events in the final episode, FREAK NATION.

I haven't watched that episode since its original broadcast, but that didn't really matter as the relevant events leading up to the siege of the transgenics in Terminal City are neatly summarised.

A story based solely around the siege would probably be pretty boring, so author Max Allan Collins opens things up by allowing several of the regulars a way out. Which is just as well, since staying there for any length of time would end up killing them.

This also gives them more to do than more to do than merely being cooped up while the police and army wait on the other side of the fence. It also allows other characters from the TV series, such as Asha and White's associate Otto, to be brought into the story.

Apart from the siege of the "freaks" in Terminal City, Seattle also has to contend with a serial killer who is like something out of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Naturally, Ames White is keen to blame the killings on a transgenic, but could he actually be right? And, if he is, what can Max do about it?

Once the nature of the murders became clear, I was initially fearful that the less-than-original aspect of them would have a negative impact on the novel. This didn't happen. The motivation behind them fitted in with what was going on, and other characters' actions tied in with their behaviour on-screen.

As with BEFORE THE DAWN, the author has got a good handle on DARK ANGEL's characters, and juggles the various plot strands - such as the siege, the killings and White's attempts to blame it all on the transgenics - well.

The TV series' regulars of Max, Alec, Joshua and Logan are all given plenty to do and it's possible to imagine the actors who played them reading the lines the characters get here. Other characters from the TV series help flesh out the various plot strands, with Original Cindy and Sketchy working from the outside and White trying to track down the "freakish" transgenics. Collins also gives Detective Clemente, who lead the Jam Pony siege in FREAK NATION a big role, and his desire to find a peaceful solution to the crisis contrasts with White's machinations.

Like BEFORE THE DAWN, SKIN GAME is pretty violent, and the language makes this one of the more "adult" TV spin-offs. However, as before, neither element seems gratuitous or overdone and feels like a logical extension of the television series. A highly enjoyable read that doesn't really feel much like a spin-off from a TV series. BACK TO THE TOP

SKIN GAME

Written by MAX ALLAN COLLINS

DEL REY BOOKS

$6.99


RATING: 9/10


NEXT RELEASE:
AFTER THE DARK

PREVIOUS RELEASE:
BEFORE THE DAWN