Brian Lynch's Characterisation of Spike

[lady_windermere]

I have been lurking round the IDW Message board, and then saw this.


Brian Lynch, scripter of IDW Publishing's July-debuting Spike: After the Fall said character creator Joss Whedon provided a solid direction for the series.

"Joss laid the groundwork with me, a very specific outline, and now I'm carrying it out," Lynch said. "He did the heavy-lifting in the beginning, and now I'm the spokesman, I'm the mouthpiece."

Here's how IDW describes the four-part series:

"In IDW's Angel: After the Fall, all of the characters who survived the melee that concluded Joss Whedon's TV series have had to find their way in a Los Angeles cast into hell. As befit his character, the vampire Spike seemed to have it all at the start -- he was set up in a certain Beverly Hills mansion, surrounded by a cadre of female warriors and Illyria, too. But it wasn't always so easy for him.

"Spike: After the Fall tells the tale of what happened in the intervening months since that alleyway cataclsym. Along for the ride in this series are Illyria, who has a tendency to revert back to Fred at inopportune times, as well as Angel's Dragon, and a new cast of characters as well. Most importantly, the series introduces a character who will come to be see as Spike¹s arch-nemesis. Even more than Angel."

Series artist Franco Urru provides two issues in a 50/50 split for the first issue, and the Australian art team of The Sharp Brothers offer a grindhouse-inspired incentive cover.

"I cannot express how great this is coming out," Lynch said. "I didn't want to dilute Angel: After the Fall or the previous Urru/Lynch Spike tales, so we didn't plan this until we saw whether or not it would work. It worked. It works soooo well. This is gonna be goooood. All the hell! None of the Angels!"


I posted it at angel6_aft, but want to voice some concerns at my own journal, rather than there, as Brian sometimes visits.

Brian has done well in his Spike stories, but the more I hear him talk about Spike the more I feel his characteristion of Spike is not mine. I don't see Spike as an anti-hero, nor Angel as an arch-nemisis of Spike's and I really cannot see Spike as "having it all" in Hell.

Any thoughts?

Should say this is post NFA Angel Season 5!

Comments

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

angelstart makes some very good points.

Personally, I think of both Spike and Angel as anti heros but for very different reasons. An anti hero is a central character in a story, novel, or play who lacks traditional heroic qualities, such as high purpose or moral strength. Both fit this description but from very different perspectives.

Angel lacks true moral strength. He often does things out of anger (such as not really helping Lindsey in "Blind Date", despite his big speach to Buffy about saving souls in "Sactuary" or locking all those people in the wine cellar in "Reunions") or high-handedly makes self-serving decisions on his own (such as choosing to return to a vampire in "IWRY", making the blanket decision to join Wolfram & Hart for all of the gang in "Home" or talking Lorne-Lorne-into killing Lindsey in "NFA").

Spike, on the other hand, lacks a high purpose. He very often does the right things for all the wrong reasons, even when he was evil (before the chip). We've seen him act out of love-for Drusilla, for Buffy, for Dawn, for Joyce and for Fred. We've seen him save the lives of the Scoobies, who he's always professed not to like at all. We've seen him take bullets for Lindsey, someone he had no reason to trust after the scam he pulled on Spike and we've watched as he developed a rapport with Illyria. We've seen that he believes in speaking the truth time and again.

And more importantly, IMO, is the fact that Spike sought out his soul of his own free will and has died saving the world. That's something that Angel has not done.

To me, that makes Spike more of a hero than Angel and I suppose that's the way I'll always see them.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Personally, I think of both Spike and Angel as anti heros but for very different reasons. An anti hero is a central character in a story, novel, or play who lacks traditional heroic qualities, such as high purpose or moral strength. Both fit this description but from very different perspectives.

They do have anit-hero qualities, that is very true. They have (or in Angel's case had) a demon as well as a soul, which could cloud even the most moral soul.

Angel lacks true moral strength. He often does things out of anger (such as not really helping Lindsey in "Blind Date", despite his big speach to Buffy about saving souls in "Sactuary" or locking all those people in the wine cellar in "Reunions") or high-handedly makes self-serving decisions on his own (such as choosing to return to a vampire in "IWRY", making the blanket decision to join Wolfram & Hart for all of the gang in "Home" or talking Lorne-Lorne-into killing Lindsey in "NFA").

Don't even get me started on what he did to MY Lorne. Such a gentle peaceloving demon, with a wonderful voice! *sigh*

Angel often showed a darker side to his personality in the show. He was never black and white. I have to admit that is what I loved about AtS, it had grey's, but it also meant then none of them were traditional heros.

Spike, on the other hand, lacks a high purpose. He very often does the right things for all the wrong reasons, even when he was evil (before the chip). We've seen him act out of love-for Drusilla, for Buffy, for Dawn, for Joyce and for Fred. We've seen him save the lives of the Scoobies, who he's always professed not to like at all. We've seen him take bullets for Lindsey, someone he had no reason to trust after the scam he pulled on Spike and we've watched as he developed a rapport with Illyria. We've seen that he believes in speaking the truth time and again.

I think with Spike his lack of a high moral purpose has come from always being in someone's shadow, and letting them lead. With the Fanged Four, he may have rebelled, and had his own aims, but ultimately he was the youngest of them, and followed the rest of his family.

While with Drusilla, he cared for her. He may have done things so she could get what she wanted, but it was her whims that he catered for

I would like to see him more in control now.

And more importantly, IMO, is the fact that Spike sought out his soul of his own free will and has died saving the world. That's something that Angel has not done.

Yes, Angel was cursed, while Spike earned his soul!

To me, that makes Spike more of a hero than Angel and I suppose that's the way I'll always see them.

Oh same here, so much the same here!

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

I think certain changes are inevitable. When Spike was in the the show about female empowerment, his behavior had been modeled according to feminist ideals. When te crossed over to boys' territory, he has been a bit rewritten to satisfy another audience. Thankfully, they kept the core personality intact.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Yes, I think that they have to have change. If the character remained the same, then the character would become redundant. I'm hoping Brian makes sympathatic changes, that make sense, and lead to growth for Spike!