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John Byrne's Angel #4
Angel: Lorne
The world is in peril (again!), and only the most unlikely member of Angel's entourage is able to save the day. A special book-length tribute to the late Andy Hallett and his character, Lorne, presented by writer-artist John Byrne.
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2010
46 people want to read
About the author
John Byrne
2,956 books360 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
John Lindley Byrne is a British-born Canadian-American author and artist of comic books. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on nearly every major American superhero.
Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he also started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He also wrote the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 3, 2019
This special comic was a lovely tribute to Andy Halett and his character, Lorne. I loved that they paid tribute to such a beloved person in a form that fans of Andy’s were able to appreciate! Lorne was the hero in this story and his heart-warming personality shone through. At the end, there was a letter from Mark Lutz, the actor who played Groo in Angel and his words were so touching! A note told us that this would not be the last time we saw Lorne and I'm glad. This character had became a shining star for the show! It was lovely reading this story in remembrance to such an amazing character and actor. I can't wait for the return of Lorne in the comics and hope that whoever writes (or has written?) Lorne continues to respect the character Andy and Joss created.
October 11, 2017
Reseña de Fede Velasco para Comiqueando:
http://www.comiqueando.com.ar/columna...
En esta oportunidad John Byrne vuelve a incursionar en el universo de Angel, pero por un motivo muy especial: rendirle homenaje a Andy Hallet.
Este especial de 48 páginas se publicó a principios del 2010, a poco menos de un año de la muerte de actor Andy Hallet, producto de una falla cardíaca. La idea era hacer un número en homenaje y que sirviera también para sacar de circulación a Lorne, el personaje que él interpretaba en la serie Angel. Según explicaría el editor Chris Ryall, esto se decidió tras evaluar que usarlo de otra manera se podía considerar oportunista por su reciente fallecimiento, además de que les resultaba incomodo trabajar con el personaje, por estos mismos motivos.
Así es como llega Byrne (que parece que lo conocía a Andy) y se ofrece para escribir este especial, que le brinda una salida super digna al personaje y transforma todo el comic en un hermoso tributo.
La historia es bastante simple y no demasiada jugada, pero está bastante bien, si tenemos en cuenta que había que encontrarle un final decoroso a un personaje que en el fondo no era más que un secundario. Un demonio reformado que maneja un bar de Karaoke, como complemento es una maravilla, pero encontrarle una historia que le entregue una muerte digna puede ser muy complicado. Felizmente Byrne se las rebusca bastante bien y le encuentra una vuelta de tuerca al asunto para hacerla funcionar.
Como bien dice el título del unitario, todo gira en torno a la música de las esferas, esa teoría aristotélica que decía que las estrellas y los planetas estaban contenidos en esferas de cristal que giraban alrededor de la Tierra y cuando se tocaban producían una música que ningún ser humano podía escuchar. Así es como aparecen tres hermanos: Discord, Disharmony y Cacophony, salidos de quién sabe donde, que tienen el poder para alterar esta música y provocar la destrucción del multiverso.
Obviamente Angel y su banda se deciden ir a detenerlos, piñas van, piñas vienen. A pesar de ganarles el último enfrentamiento, la tríada de villanos se las apaña para usar su voz y alterar el centro de las esferas desencadenando la destrucción de todo. Alguien tiene que ocupar el centro y mantener las notas en equilibrio y obviamente el indicado para hacerlo es Lorne, que se sacrifica y decide pasar el resto de su existencia conservando el equilibrio.
También obviamente, después de esto viene un epilogo lacrimógeno, en el que si bien se habla del personaje, del subtexto se desprende que hablan también sobre el actor. Y como broche de oro, hay un back-up dibujado por Byrne pero escrito por Brian Lynch, que reapasa el origen del personaje en unas cuatro paginolas que no están nada mal.
El especial cierra con un epilogo escrito por Mark Lutz, un miembro del elenco e íntimo amigo de Andy donde cuenta las bondades de su amigo ilustrada con un montón de fotos de ambos.
Para cerrar, sólo me resta agregar que el dibujo de Byrne está en un nivel muy bueno para ser un laburo de franquicia y por la época en que lo hizo. Se nota que de verdad lo tocó la muerte del tipo y estaba comprometido con el proyecto, ya que más allá de algunas pequeñas fallas, todo su laburo está super-cuidado.
http://www.comiqueando.com.ar/columna...
En esta oportunidad John Byrne vuelve a incursionar en el universo de Angel, pero por un motivo muy especial: rendirle homenaje a Andy Hallet.
Este especial de 48 páginas se publicó a principios del 2010, a poco menos de un año de la muerte de actor Andy Hallet, producto de una falla cardíaca. La idea era hacer un número en homenaje y que sirviera también para sacar de circulación a Lorne, el personaje que él interpretaba en la serie Angel. Según explicaría el editor Chris Ryall, esto se decidió tras evaluar que usarlo de otra manera se podía considerar oportunista por su reciente fallecimiento, además de que les resultaba incomodo trabajar con el personaje, por estos mismos motivos.
Así es como llega Byrne (que parece que lo conocía a Andy) y se ofrece para escribir este especial, que le brinda una salida super digna al personaje y transforma todo el comic en un hermoso tributo.
La historia es bastante simple y no demasiada jugada, pero está bastante bien, si tenemos en cuenta que había que encontrarle un final decoroso a un personaje que en el fondo no era más que un secundario. Un demonio reformado que maneja un bar de Karaoke, como complemento es una maravilla, pero encontrarle una historia que le entregue una muerte digna puede ser muy complicado. Felizmente Byrne se las rebusca bastante bien y le encuentra una vuelta de tuerca al asunto para hacerla funcionar.
Como bien dice el título del unitario, todo gira en torno a la música de las esferas, esa teoría aristotélica que decía que las estrellas y los planetas estaban contenidos en esferas de cristal que giraban alrededor de la Tierra y cuando se tocaban producían una música que ningún ser humano podía escuchar. Así es como aparecen tres hermanos: Discord, Disharmony y Cacophony, salidos de quién sabe donde, que tienen el poder para alterar esta música y provocar la destrucción del multiverso.
Obviamente Angel y su banda se deciden ir a detenerlos, piñas van, piñas vienen. A pesar de ganarles el último enfrentamiento, la tríada de villanos se las apaña para usar su voz y alterar el centro de las esferas desencadenando la destrucción de todo. Alguien tiene que ocupar el centro y mantener las notas en equilibrio y obviamente el indicado para hacerlo es Lorne, que se sacrifica y decide pasar el resto de su existencia conservando el equilibrio.
También obviamente, después de esto viene un epilogo lacrimógeno, en el que si bien se habla del personaje, del subtexto se desprende que hablan también sobre el actor. Y como broche de oro, hay un back-up dibujado por Byrne pero escrito por Brian Lynch, que reapasa el origen del personaje en unas cuatro paginolas que no están nada mal.
El especial cierra con un epilogo escrito por Mark Lutz, un miembro del elenco e íntimo amigo de Andy donde cuenta las bondades de su amigo ilustrada con un montón de fotos de ambos.
Para cerrar, sólo me resta agregar que el dibujo de Byrne está en un nivel muy bueno para ser un laburo de franquicia y por la época en que lo hizo. Se nota que de verdad lo tocó la muerte del tipo y estaba comprometido con el proyecto, ya que más allá de algunas pequeñas fallas, todo su laburo está super-cuidado.
July 17, 2018
I liked the story idea, but it was a little short and Lorne needed to sing in it.
May 21, 2019
I loved the tributes at the end. Five stars for Andy Hallett and Lorne. 😍
January 17, 2024
Beautiful tribute to the legendary, Andy Hallett. To the point, yet touching, a great one to own.
October 3, 2024
The tribute to Andy was beautiful.
August 1, 2025
The intention was good, I believe that, but it just tried to damn hard to be cute and came off...not.
The two included essays are far better than the comic itself.
The two included essays are far better than the comic itself.
May 6, 2016
A tribute to the character of Lorne and actor Andy Hallett, who originally portrayed the character in the TV series. Hallett sadly passed away in 2009 and IDW published this special as a means of letting Lorne step out of the regular continuity (which was growing darker and nastier) for a while, but also to honour the person behind the character.
The book contains "The Music of the Spheres", a new 34-pages story by John Byrne, and the Byrne-illustrated, Brian Lynch-written 4-pager "Lorne" from the First Night arc in Angel: After the Fall, as well as a eulogy of sorts from friend and co-actor Mark Lutz (who played the Groosalugg), complete with photos from Lutz's photo albums, and a brief afterword from IDW Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall.
All in all, a worthy tribute both to the character and the man behind him, and a good read to boot. If anything, seeing Byrne draw Lorne, Angel, Illyria, the Groosalugg, the dragon Cordelia and even, albeit only for a brief glimpse, Spike and Gunn, really makes me wish we could have much more Angel material from Byrne.
The book contains "The Music of the Spheres", a new 34-pages story by John Byrne, and the Byrne-illustrated, Brian Lynch-written 4-pager "Lorne" from the First Night arc in Angel: After the Fall, as well as a eulogy of sorts from friend and co-actor Mark Lutz (who played the Groosalugg), complete with photos from Lutz's photo albums, and a brief afterword from IDW Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall.
All in all, a worthy tribute both to the character and the man behind him, and a good read to boot. If anything, seeing Byrne draw Lorne, Angel, Illyria, the Groosalugg, the dragon Cordelia and even, albeit only for a brief glimpse, Spike and Gunn, really makes me wish we could have much more Angel material from Byrne.
August 10, 2025
This one took a while to find - mostly because no website could agree on the name of it.
Overall, it's a beautiful tribute to Lorne, the character, and to Andy Hallet who played him onscreen and died of cancer shortly before this was published.
In many ways, this comic is a stand-alone, designed to get Lorne off-screen, which is why I give it four stars. This doesn't extend the continuity much at all, except to say, I like the idea that the world's song went out of whack because of the time-reset.
This is literally Lorne's swan song and it's beautiful. Lorne, a character who knew right from wrong, but really was more concerned with living life than saving it, chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice with no hesitation because he knows he is the man for the job. Further, the comic celebrates music, which is so much a part of Lorne's character.
The comic also includes an illustrated nursery rhyme of how Lorne saved Sillverlake, plus several tributes to Andy Hallet.
It's a beautiful send-off.
Overall, it's a beautiful tribute to Lorne, the character, and to Andy Hallet who played him onscreen and died of cancer shortly before this was published.
In many ways, this comic is a stand-alone, designed to get Lorne off-screen, which is why I give it four stars. This doesn't extend the continuity much at all, except to say, I like the idea that the world's song went out of whack because of the time-reset.
This is literally Lorne's swan song and it's beautiful. Lorne, a character who knew right from wrong, but really was more concerned with living life than saving it, chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice with no hesitation because he knows he is the man for the job. Further, the comic celebrates music, which is so much a part of Lorne's character.
The comic also includes an illustrated nursery rhyme of how Lorne saved Sillverlake, plus several tributes to Andy Hallet.
It's a beautiful send-off.
September 14, 2012
This was a decent story and a nice tribute to Mr. Hallett who died too young. For someone who had never really acted before, he really put on a great show with this character. Byrne does a fantastic job with this story and with all of the characters, especially capturing the voice of Lorne. My one critique, and for me it is a big one, is that it was way too short. The story itself was fine but I wish it had taken longer to tell because I was so enjoying Byrne's treatment of these characters. I also really enjoyed Mark Lutz's tribute to Andy. I hadn't known they were pals and this was neat to learn and read about.
May 24, 2010
Good tribute.
December 2, 2015
Set somewhere during the Angel: After the Fall sequence of books. After volume 1 and probably before volume 4.
September 9, 2020
a sweet sendoff for Andy Hallett. His character was one of the most original characters of any tv show.
April 4, 2017
A touching tribute to an amazingly talented man who is surely missed.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews