Illyria: Haunted

Illyria: Haunted #1-4

by Scott Tipton, Mariah Huehner

Ancient. Alien. Illyria. Resurrected into the body of Fred Burkle (and burning all that she was in the process), Illyria remains one of the most mysterious creatures in the Angelverse. But when she seeks out answers to her existence, she must make her way back to The Deeper Well, and confront her own demons, old and new!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Vampires, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics

104 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2011

Reviews

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, the art in this book is soooo good! The minor connections to the awful Angel title (post-AtF) pulled me out of the story, but that’s not exactly this comic’s fault. I’m a huge Illyria fanboy, so getting inside of her head here was so exciting! Her relationship with Spike is also one of my favorites, and the Deeper Well is just so cool to revisit. The ending is a bit unearned, but overall it works. And it leaves Illyria in a satisfying spot, even if she’s revisited later in the Buffy comics and none of this character growth is acknowledged; but she has her time/space powers back, so maybe this did happen in continuity? Only her hair isn’t blue completely?? Who knows. No matter if this story is completely canon or not, it’s a really good time, and Illyria deserves the spotlight. 5/5 stars

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a bad book, but I didn't think there was a whole lot to it. The art was just okay, and I followed the story but it never really engaged me. Perhaps the problem was that I never much liked the character and always wanted Fred back. The best part was a conversation with Spike.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to the artist! Loved the illustrations throughout the comic and some example art pieces at the end were stunning (wish I could draw like that!).

Anyways, the story is mainly centered around Illyria being haunted by the memories or echoes of Fred and the memories of the life she had stolen as she was brought forth back into existence at the expense of Fred's life.

Also, Illyria's still mourning Wesley's loss and having existential life crisis moment of what her purpose is, as she still can't access her full abilities due to Fred's human body not being able to sustain that level of power of an Old One.

It was nice to explore the inner workings of Illyria's mind and how she sees everything, sees the world, both past and present tense through private reflections and conversations with others mainly with Angel, Spike, and a fellow Old One is very revealing of who Illyria is as an individual.

She either can stay stagnant, a remnant of the past, or evolve in modern times and I think the relationships she shares with Spike and her continual link with Fred, with Fred's latent emotions playing a huge role in the decisions that Illyria makes in the comic as she realizes that emotions are strength not weaknesses.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this mini-series! The narration felt a lot more like the TV series version of Illyria. The version we've been getting in the comics has been alright but just not the same. I loved the Spike and Illyria moments! They kind of redeemed the relationship with this series after the awkwardness within Spike: After the Fall. I also really loved the flashback moments! Some of them were heart-breakingly beautiful. Which brings me to the art. It was gorgeous! I learned a lot about Illyria and this story just made me want to know more!

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is the last of IDW's Angel related comics that I'll be reading. That's probably good. This one isn't even particularly interesting on the surface: Illyria's apparent interest in the meaning of life, the universe, and everything isn't a stunningly original concept, and the execution is a bit lackluster. And let's face it, Illyria is not exactly a character capable of carrying a miniseries, even a short one, by herself. Which must be why she's teamed up with Spike, to bring some life to the pages. But he can only do so much, and the end result can best be described as "meh". The art is some of the best I've seen in these IDW comics, though. At least all of the characters consistently look like themselves, which is a huge step up.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aprovecho que estoy escribiendo desde el celu para justificar lo corto y pedorro de la reseña. Guion: divertido y afortunadamente fiel al espíritu de Angel, la serie. Dibujo: malísimo y tristemente fiel a la estética de Angel, el comic.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about Illyria really speaks to me. In my dreams. In the little stone statue I keep hidden under my pillow. Gibbering.
Some people call me mad. Others call me Pancakes. I reach for mommy.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illyria, troubled by fragments of Fred's memories, heads back to The Deeper Well, to seek out her beginnings. She accidentally releases another prisoner held in the Well and has to keep it from destroying the world. Many didn't like this book, but I enjoyed it. I like the character and her developing angst at what she's done to Fred. Solid story and excellent art. Highly recommended.

[Cleo Summers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was extremely excited about this series of comics sadly it was a massive disappointment

Basic slap stick humour, basic narrative, basic interactions between characters, and basic character ‘development’

The art wasn’t a great either which was another huge let down, I was expecting comic book style of course but this art work was (to repeat it again) basic and lazy

As someone who was excited to experience the next part of Illyria’s story this isn’t what I hoped for, i wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!!

[Variaciones Enrojo]

spin off de Ángel protagonizado por Illyria.

[47Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story broaches of topics like friendship, love, depression, purpose. It's made that much more interesting by the point of view of a non-human that has lived for centuries. The main character will go through a dramatic inner change that will help her embrace life again. It helps if the reader is more familiar with the Buffyverse, but the story is still relatively standalone.

Illyria is one bad-ass fighter who unfortunately doesn't know her purpose in the world. This is because of the many sets of memories that confuse her thoughts and feelings. Angel isn't much help to her, but Spike tells her of the Deeper Well that can help her make sense of herself and the world around her.

They seek out the Well with help from the Frellian trickster demon Sally. They must first recover an item of sentimental value to Sally before Illyria continues her journey alone. In the Deeper Well she is warned not to touch anything, but in her anger she unleashes the demon Arsgomor that can destroy the world.

Now changed by the Well into a being that feels the suffering of others, she must fight the demon. She can't do so physically, so she uses her empathy to get the ground and living plants to seize Arsgomor and return him to a baby. Its caretaker can now shape it into something better that it was. Illyria welcomes her change and her new-found communion with nature and also gains a cute, tentacled, otherworldly pet.

[Sara Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I've been on a bit of a comic spree. I found out that Amazon has a company called ComiXology which has tons of comics and an unlimited service which allows you to borrow comics. I was interested in reading Buffy season 8 so I did the free trial and was instantly hooked. I rarely have time to read with school at the moment. 20 units, plus a job and community service has left me with little time for anything else. So having these comics to flip through when I have free time has really been a joy.

I enjoyed Buffy season 8 as much as I thought I would. It was fun and wonderfully drawn. But, this was an interesting find that I found among the unlimited section. I didn't know there was works done by a non-Dark Horse publisher. I'm not sure if this is part of the continuity or not, but I did quite enjoy the reading and the art was really lovely. The story was fun and I've always loved Illyria. All in all, a fun little read.

[pianogal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok, but I'm not a fan of whining Illyria. I liked kick ass Illyria better. Was nice to see Spike though.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good art in this, but I wasn't as interested in this Illyria story.

[Magali · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say ? I love Illyria. And the story is good, the artwork is gorgeous and there even is Spike in it, big bonus.

[Aimee Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there’s not a lot to the story, the artwork is excellent. I’m not the biggest Illyria fan (never forgave what happened to Fred) but I enjoyed this.

[Love_booksforlife Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this and the other Illyria series. It is interesting watching her struggle with humanity. I wish there were more series with her as the star.

[Tamar Elmensdorp-lijzenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spike and Illeriya, such a great combination.

[Sarah Weiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally, I like this story.

Illyria is a complicated character for me because I'll always blame her for Fred. She's not quite evil, she's not quite good, but she doesn't have enough humor or purpose to make me want to root for her.

What I love about this installment is that it's a character study of Illyria. It explores good and evil. It explores humanity, and it explores what that means to former god. Illyria's respect for Fred, and her discovery that everything has a season, and the time of the gods is over allows her to embrace who she truly is. She stops trying to take over the world and she stops pretending to be a hero.

I just wish the plot didn't take so long to get there. I like that Spike was around, but I think he could have hung out with Illyria for just a little more - and the side quest was unnecessary. Overall, this feels like a way to get Illyria out of the plot for a while. I wish that wasn't so transparent.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good solid addition to the expanding Angel canon that Joss Wehdon is overseeing at IDW publishing. Here the spotlight is away from Angel and moves to the displaced ancient goddess Illyria. Illyria is fine when she out and about dealing destruction (or trying to bed Angel's son) but she is struggling with memories resurfacing of Fred, the woman whom she destroyed when she took over Fred's body. If anything this installment serves as a bridge to take Illyria from where she has been to being a more well rounded character going forward. By the end of the tale she has developed some traces of humanity.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scott Tipton has the tough assignment of writing a post-Fall Illyria comic. Following up the After the Fall conclusion, Illyria is beset by memories of Wesley and Fred. Tag-teaming with Spike, she is off to the Deeper Well to discover what her future may hold. Trying to squeeze in things such as Illyria and Gunn's team-up, Polyphemus and the revamped Angel Inc, and upcoming spin-offs prove unnecessary and distracting. Sadly, the unleashed Old One and the old maid demoness Keeper of the Well also fall short of expectations, and come across as fluff. I find I am haunted by this attempt to continue the Angel legacy.

[Sarah]

So lately I've been reading ALL the IDW Angel comics and I've come to the conclusion that they almost all suck. Plot devices/holes, overly cheeky dialogue, too many original characters and not enough character development. But this one was different. Yes the whole thing with the magic jewel that fixes all her problems has NO explanation but that's not important. The characterization in this book is awesome. It's the story I had always hoped to see, had Angel continued. Utterly unexpected and great fun.

[Jenni Noordhoek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent little one-shot, fills in some blanks for the last couple volumes of Angel. A little bit out of universe, IMO - every once in a while these comics have a flashy finish that would have never been possible in the tv series and never feels like it should be possible according to the storyworld... but really not bad. I love the Spike and Illyria combination - they work really quite nicely together.

[S.P. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was looking forward to reading about how Fred got on in after the end of the TV series. Well, I wish I hadn't bothered. Very formulaic. Angry demon goes out and finds their humanity. Maybe I am getting cynical, but it just wasn't very interesting. No tension. No drama. Just dull. Sorry.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, I'm not quite sure why this was written. It gets two stars because the art is beautiful and the writers, mostly, captured the voices of the characters pretty well. But I didn't feel like I learned anything new or revelatory about the characters, specifically Illyria nor was the story or anything about it particular entertaining in any way.

[Hayley (Gory B Movie) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad to be almost done with the IDW run of Angel comics. This one was okay but their storyline with Illyria dealing with taking Fred's body is very repetitive. They've already beaten this story to death. Though this was one of their better swings at it. Not terrible, but nothing worth seeking out either unless you are a diehard Illyria fan which I am not.

[Bert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short, disappointing comic centered around Illyria, a character that thrives as part of the group (because of who she is/used to be) but rather falls flat on her own. It does not help that her adversaries in this book are too easily defeated.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illyria focuses less in this volume on being a good psychopath, and more on living with the memories of the body she stole. There's something very comforting about an alien presence trying to be a human.
Also, the art is quite beautiful and fun to savor.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own the individual comics of these and not the collected edition, but this was a decent story. Not as good as the "Only Human" side arc, but it was still interesting to see what was going on in Illyria's head.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cheesy ending is mostly believable, but what a rich character!