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Spike Comics (Buffy Vampire Slayer)
Spike: Asylum by Lynch, Brian (2007) Paperback
Collects the entire five-issue Asylum miniseries, plus bonus materials!When the Monahan Family asks Spike to find their daughter Ruby, he accepts. The problem? Ruby's a half-demon and has been checked into the Mosaic Wellness Center, a rehab facility for vampires, demons, and other creatures of the night. The solution-- Spike checks himself in as a patient. But there's another, slightly bigger problem-- the hundreds of super-powered, supernatural patients at Mosaic know Spike, and want him dead. If the therapy doesn't kill him, the other patients will... from Brian Lynch and Franco Urru, the same team responsible for the Shadow Puppets miniseries!
Paperback
First published May 29, 2007
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About the author
Brian Lynch
233 books73 followersBrian Michael Lynch is an American film and comic book writer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
February 8, 2020
This is a pretty good book, kind of a companion piece to Shadow Puppets. Spike, trying to be a hero, infiltrates an asylum, having been hired to find a missing girl by her parents. He quickly finds, of course, that things are not what they seem. A new character named Beck pretty much steals the book, in which Lorne has a rather ineffectual cameo, too. Nicely written, pretty good art, with an interesting author's afterword section pointing out Easter eggs and such.
June 10, 2016
This was a good story. : )
July 20, 2019
this was referenced in spike shadow puppets, which I just read. I am going back through and filling in the holes in my collection now that I have and have finished reading all the volumes that are continuations of the tv series.
so I liked the front end of this. he goes into the asylum (basically, a metaphor for gay conversion therapy) being tricked. that was neatly done. but then the story coming out of the asylum was sketchier, harder to piece together, less satisfying. this was the debut of betta george, who I'd already encountered in the after the fall books. he dies here and is resurrected in shadow puppets in an egregiously lazy way - basically he died as part of the plot development in this, then in the next volume lynch decides he regrets it and just brings him back with no real explanation.
always love spike though. and his proclamation that his love for women is always what gets him in trouble is a good character insight, and more relatable to me than something like angel's redemption.
so I liked the front end of this. he goes into the asylum (basically, a metaphor for gay conversion therapy) being tricked. that was neatly done. but then the story coming out of the asylum was sketchier, harder to piece together, less satisfying. this was the debut of betta george, who I'd already encountered in the after the fall books. he dies here and is resurrected in shadow puppets in an egregiously lazy way - basically he died as part of the plot development in this, then in the next volume lynch decides he regrets it and just brings him back with no real explanation.
always love spike though. and his proclamation that his love for women is always what gets him in trouble is a good character insight, and more relatable to me than something like angel's redemption.
May 17, 2016
I love a good asylum story. It's no coincidence that these were the first two BtVS/AtS comics I ever bought:
I'm also very fond of Brian Lynch's Spike. Asylum and the follow-up Shadow Puppets work beautifully together. Shadow Puppets handles the funny and absurd (because PUPPETS), while Asylum is a bit more serious and tackles how Spike deals with guilt post-soul and his motivations. I'm really looking forward to reading Lynch's After the Fall arc for Spike.
I'm also very fond of Brian Lynch's Spike. Asylum and the follow-up Shadow Puppets work beautifully together. Shadow Puppets handles the funny and absurd (because PUPPETS), while Asylum is a bit more serious and tackles how Spike deals with guilt post-soul and his motivations. I'm really looking forward to reading Lynch's After the Fall arc for Spike.
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November 6, 2025giant flying psychic betta splendens fish 👍👍👍👍👍
July 17, 2023
spike: shadow puppets ★★★☆☆
spike: old times ★★★☆☆
spike: asylum ★★★☆☆
spike: alone together now, vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
spike, volume 2: stranger things ★★★☆☆
spike: after the fall ★★★☆☆
spike: into the light ★★★☆☆
spike: a dark place ★★★☆☆
i love spike, but this is kind of boring, honestly. although, i’m here for spike pointing how he’s saved the world more than angel and fought for his soul, whereas angel was cursed with his. atta boy.
spike: old times ★★★☆☆
spike: asylum ★★★☆☆
spike: alone together now, vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
spike, volume 2: stranger things ★★★☆☆
spike: after the fall ★★★☆☆
spike: into the light ★★★☆☆
spike: a dark place ★★★☆☆
i love spike, but this is kind of boring, honestly. although, i’m here for spike pointing how he’s saved the world more than angel and fought for his soul, whereas angel was cursed with his. atta boy.
May 2, 2012
El guion no es ninguna maravilla, pero junta el suficiente mérito como para que no tenga que promediar para abajo, pese al pedorrísimo dibujo. Cuando pueda seguir "Angel tras la caída" voy a ver qué tan canónico sería esta historia. Pero como Lynch estuvo involucrado en ambos proyectos, quiero creer que muy.
December 25, 2009
Well written. In this story, we learn how Spike feels about his horrible sins in the past. Maybe he doesn't seek redemption like Angel, but he does his atonement every which way he can.
And Spike doesn't vamp out in most of the fights!
And Spike doesn't vamp out in most of the fights!
July 20, 2010
I was about to give this 4 stars based on its story line (plus the fact that Whedon had no involvement with this novel's production), but in the end it's 5 stars: after seeing this, Whedon decided to work with Lynch to do "Angel: After the Fall" and that says something!
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October 17, 2007Again, maybe I'm baised. But my good friend wrote this. And it's good. Really, really good.
November 2, 2020
Tek ciltlik bir hikaye için çok iyiydi. Spike döktürmüş yine:)
June 30, 2023
Gah! I loved it!
This collection is also not considered canon, but the fact that Whedon blurbed it and ended up working with Lynch on After the Fall is a pretty good sign it was done well.
I am a sucker for an institution story and the storyline for this one held up really well. I loved all of the nods to the Whedonverse. I loved how well Lynch captured Spike's character, his dialogue and the kinds of decisions he would make. The art was also much better than I've seen in some other Buffy issues and the commentary track at the end was an added bonus!
If you're a fan of Spike, you'll surely enjoy this one!
This collection is also not considered canon, but the fact that Whedon blurbed it and ended up working with Lynch on After the Fall is a pretty good sign it was done well.
I am a sucker for an institution story and the storyline for this one held up really well. I loved all of the nods to the Whedonverse. I loved how well Lynch captured Spike's character, his dialogue and the kinds of decisions he would make. The art was also much better than I've seen in some other Buffy issues and the commentary track at the end was an added bonus!
If you're a fan of Spike, you'll surely enjoy this one!
May 21, 2017
Brian Lynch has such a good handle on Buffy-verse characters. This reads like a great storyline on the show. Spike sounds like Spike and the reason that's impressive is because so many writers fail when trying to convert TV to comics. The idea of Spike getting himself into trouble because of his vanity is totally fitting and then how those twists and turns develop is super fun. Frank Urru's art is spot on and delivers horrors and emotions well. Overall, a Spike story done very well.
June 25, 2018
I love Spike. If I could only pick one Whedonverse character, it would be Spike (Captain Mal would be a REALLY close second). This was a good read. Also, don't skip the explanations for all the inside jokes at the end. I'm a little rusty and I only got about half without the clues, but I did NOT miss Ivo Shandor. Hello, Ghostbusters is the best movie ever!
July 12, 2020
This takes place closer the end of Angel Season 5. One of the things I really like about it is that Spike is trying to understand what it’s like to be a hero. And at the same time, as an interesting follow on, Illyria trying to understand what it’s like to be human. Brian Lynch captures Spike well, and it was a lot of fun seeing him go solo. Worth reading.
January 16, 2021
Genial! El dibujo podría ser mejorable pero esta bastante bien. Me ha gustado el argumento, ver a Spike por su cuenta intentando encontrar su lugar y el resto de personajes (Betta George es love)!
August 28, 2021
I enjoyed reading. Lots of new interesting carachters. The story is not so predictable (only a bit) and also explore this new Spike with a soul vibe.
April 27, 2024
So far the best Spike comic I’ve read which makes it of course the best Buffyverse.
October 30, 2024
4.5/5 stars 🌟
November 3, 2024
Really fun addition to Spike’s story
July 30, 2025
Spike is most enjoyable when unburdened by the other Buffy-verse people*
*except Lorne, Lorne is always welcome
*except Lorne, Lorne is always welcome
December 15, 2022
Fucking awesome. That's it.
March 5, 2017
Spike goes undercover in an insane asylum and ends up trapped there.
A fun adventure that introduces a number of fun new characters and shoes us what Spike's been up to.
A fun adventure that introduces a number of fun new characters and shoes us what Spike's been up to.
May 25, 2008
Yesterday/today (it's always so confusing in the wee hours what to call the day~because i haven't been to bed yet so it doesn't really seem like yesterday~but anyway...) was kind of a bitch~i was feeling like shit (have yet another cold and so does Dixie~if cats do indeed get colds i'm finding/getting conflicting information on that front~but the fact that my twelve year old cat is sneezing and congested/having trouble breathing disturbs me terribly.)
My library system started its summer reading program Friday and i didn't work until Saturday, so when i got to work one of the things i did was wander around looking for some of the display tape and other things my manager had said she was going to put up. So there i was, without my nametag (it's temporarily lost) meandering, looking like i had no idea where i was or what i was doing, when i had the sudden sense i was being followed; i turned around only to be assaulted by a couple of librarian questions... I was tempted to ask "Do i LOOK like i work here???" but of course i didn't, i very cooperatively helped them out like any good librarian should, but how the hell did they know?
Had a migraine ~towards the end i had to keep running to the bathroom to throw up and we still had customers every time i came out wanting things~i was late locking the doors and there were still people there asking to put holds on things and i told them "I'm sorry, i'm closed, you will have to come back another time," something which did not please them, and i usually don't do but i needed to get out of there (maybe if i threw up on them they would have sensed the urgency?)
Anyway, i get home, feeling, as i said, ooaoogy (you know what i mean, don't you?), and grumpy, to discover that Amazon has delivered the new Spike issue: SPIKE: Asylum. This discovery ignited in me a desire to read the other two Spike collections i already had, Spike and Spike vs Dracula (the second of which i discovered, interestingly enough, had two small bite marks in the lower right hand corner, which had me puzzled for a few minutes~was this a design feature {a bit much really for a mass produced graphic novel} or~a much more likely possibility~the result of Dixie's biblio-fascination?). So, i have spent the night, distracting myself from the extreme pain in my head in my neck and head, by reading about one of my favorite characters.
In Asylum the Spikester is tricked into signing himself into the Mosaic Wellness Center "where Mutant Enemies learn to be Mutant Friends" (one of oh-so-many inside jokes. Mosaic is supposedly a rehabilitation center for vampires, demons, witches, monsters, and all sorts of other beasties of the big bad dark. However once Spike arrives he discovers that not all is as it seems, now who would have thunk it??? Overall, well written, well drawn, well inked, and well coloured...
My library system started its summer reading program Friday and i didn't work until Saturday, so when i got to work one of the things i did was wander around looking for some of the display tape and other things my manager had said she was going to put up. So there i was, without my nametag (it's temporarily lost) meandering, looking like i had no idea where i was or what i was doing, when i had the sudden sense i was being followed; i turned around only to be assaulted by a couple of librarian questions... I was tempted to ask "Do i LOOK like i work here???" but of course i didn't, i very cooperatively helped them out like any good librarian should, but how the hell did they know?
Had a migraine ~towards the end i had to keep running to the bathroom to throw up and we still had customers every time i came out wanting things~i was late locking the doors and there were still people there asking to put holds on things and i told them "I'm sorry, i'm closed, you will have to come back another time," something which did not please them, and i usually don't do but i needed to get out of there (maybe if i threw up on them they would have sensed the urgency?)
Anyway, i get home, feeling, as i said, ooaoogy (you know what i mean, don't you?), and grumpy, to discover that Amazon has delivered the new Spike issue: SPIKE: Asylum. This discovery ignited in me a desire to read the other two Spike collections i already had, Spike and Spike vs Dracula (the second of which i discovered, interestingly enough, had two small bite marks in the lower right hand corner, which had me puzzled for a few minutes~was this a design feature {a bit much really for a mass produced graphic novel} or~a much more likely possibility~the result of Dixie's biblio-fascination?). So, i have spent the night, distracting myself from the extreme pain in my head in my neck and head, by reading about one of my favorite characters.
In Asylum the Spikester is tricked into signing himself into the Mosaic Wellness Center "where Mutant Enemies learn to be Mutant Friends" (one of oh-so-many inside jokes. Mosaic is supposedly a rehabilitation center for vampires, demons, witches, monsters, and all sorts of other beasties of the big bad dark. However once Spike arrives he discovers that not all is as it seems, now who would have thunk it??? Overall, well written, well drawn, well inked, and well coloured...
August 10, 2025
4.5 stars
Spike's character changes a lot between Buffy and Angel. He goes from being a hero to nuance and back to... maybe a hero?
This comic really draws on that progression, and I love it!
Sometime in Season 5, Spike ends up in a demon asylum. Why? Not because of heroic tendencies, because of his sins. In fact, at the beginning of the story, Spike's heroic are non-existent. He says it himself: "I may not be a bloody villain anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm a hero." He only takes on the mission to feel superior to Angel.
And that's when things go sideways: Spike is told he's a villain, then he realizes he has sinned, but his reaction to that sin is to withdraw and make himself unable to save others. In the end he does the right thing, but it's mostly out of loyalty and because he generally believes that killing people are bad.
Still, he draws clear parallels between himself and Angel. He doesn't want to lead. He's not going to come up with quasi-suicidal plans. He's willing to risk a few innocent lives to save himself and his friends from certain death. I love the nuance.
And I love the characters. Spike's gang is awesome - especially Anna, Beck and Beta George. Plus, Lorne helps save the day!
Spike's character changes a lot between Buffy and Angel. He goes from being a hero to nuance and back to... maybe a hero?
This comic really draws on that progression, and I love it!
Sometime in Season 5, Spike ends up in a demon asylum. Why? Not because of heroic tendencies, because of his sins. In fact, at the beginning of the story, Spike's heroic are non-existent. He says it himself: "I may not be a bloody villain anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm a hero." He only takes on the mission to feel superior to Angel.
And that's when things go sideways: Spike is told he's a villain, then he realizes he has sinned, but his reaction to that sin is to withdraw and make himself unable to save others. In the end he does the right thing, but it's mostly out of loyalty and because he generally believes that killing people are bad.
Still, he draws clear parallels between himself and Angel. He doesn't want to lead. He's not going to come up with quasi-suicidal plans. He's willing to risk a few innocent lives to save himself and his friends from certain death. I love the nuance.
And I love the characters. Spike's gang is awesome - especially Anna, Beck and Beta George. Plus, Lorne helps save the day!
September 28, 2014
Every fan who watched Buffy and Angel waiting for a grand, ultimate Spikesploitation that never really came to be, owes it to themselves to read 'Spike: Asylum'. Don't let the generic-sounding premise dissuade you - the story inside is a painstaking deconstruction of William the Bloody that goes right down into the ugly sprouting roots of his warts-and-all. Spike may be cool, he may be aware of it and we may all love him for it, but Bryan Lynch wisely avoids any fanboy fantasy - frequently poking fun at Spike and his inflated ego all with the task of helping him to be the man he wanted to be at the end of Season 6 of Buffy. Lynch also seamlessly adds to the roster of characters by giving Spike his own unique ensemble of weirdo sidekicks. Betta George was cheated out of his own series.
It's a thoroughly enjoyable read that Joss Whedon himself considers to be canon (it indirectly feeds into the strands of the building blocks of the foundations of Buffy: Season Eight and Spike's involvment in it). A must-read.
It's a thoroughly enjoyable read that Joss Whedon himself considers to be canon (it indirectly feeds into the strands of the building blocks of the foundations of Buffy: Season Eight and Spike's involvment in it). A must-read.
July 7, 2016
This was a great little story. True it has little consequence on the universe and I am guessing is no longer canon, but it was enjoyable just in itself. I was not a big fan of the artwork, but the numerous pop-culture and Buffyverse references made up for it. From Tango & Cash, to Tommy Wiseau, to the Firefly theme. Some were very clear homage, but some seemed so slight I thought I was kidding myself (like T&C). But Ivo Shandor? I knew that right away. Brought up YouTube to watch the jail scene from Ghostbusters where I was pretty sure some lines were lifted. Scared the crap out of my kid when I chimed in with Bill Murray - "So Be good! for goodness sake .... whoa~" But then I found the list at the end of the book! There were more references packed in than I thought! Chock-full of easter eggs. And one was an egg for those who happened to read out of order. I've already read vols. 1-4 of "After the Fall", where Lynch got a chance to give his telepathic Beta fish another go.
January 6, 2025
As the title suggests, Spike commits himself to an asylum for supernaturally unstable beings to find a young girl whom he believes is being mistreated. Once inside, the tables turn and Spike finds that there is no way out.
This is the series that made Joss Whedon take notice of writer Brian Lynch. Whedon was so impressed by the writing that he had Lynch write Spike:After the Fall and insisted that the telepathic fish, Betta George return. I added Asylum to my reading marathon for this reason and because the Mosaic Wellness Center, George, and Beck all appear in later canon issues of Angel. You don't have to read Asylum to make sense of these later issues but if you are curious about these characters and want to understand all the inside jokes, I highly recommend that you read the entire Spike trilogy which begins with Asylum, then Shadow Puppets and finally Spike: After the Fall.
This is the series that made Joss Whedon take notice of writer Brian Lynch. Whedon was so impressed by the writing that he had Lynch write Spike:After the Fall and insisted that the telepathic fish, Betta George return. I added Asylum to my reading marathon for this reason and because the Mosaic Wellness Center, George, and Beck all appear in later canon issues of Angel. You don't have to read Asylum to make sense of these later issues but if you are curious about these characters and want to understand all the inside jokes, I highly recommend that you read the entire Spike trilogy which begins with Asylum, then Shadow Puppets and finally Spike: After the Fall.
November 5, 2007
This is a fantastic example of how powerful a graphic novel can be when written well. The pictures in this issue are stunning and dramatic, but it is the witty writing and great plot development that make this a real winner. Brian Lynch really understands the enigmatical character of Spike and fans of the Buffy series will cheer for the anti-hero in this intricate story. I don't want to give anything away because I felt like I was one of the characters while reading the story. I highly recommend this graphic novel!
August 20, 2008
Whee! Possibly the best BtVS/AtS comic I have read: Lynch nails the characterization in this and also dishes up an engaging plot filled with interesting OCs, a lovely Lorne appearance, and a bunch of hilarious in-jokes. If there were a Spike spinoff (if only) this would make a fantastic episode—it’s certainly much better than what I’ve read of the Angel: Season 6 comic. (Sorry, Joss.) I hope I can get my hands on Lynch’s other effort, which I believe involves Spike doing Vegas. *g*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews