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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 741
EAN num: 9781600102318
ISBN number: 160010231X
Label: IDW Publishing
Manufacturer: IDW Publishing
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 104
Printing Date: September 29, 2008
Publishing house: IDW Publishing
Sale Popularity Level: 1545
Studio: IDW Publishing
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Product Description:
First Night begins! What happened on the very night Los Angeles went straight to hell, the incident that ended the Angel television series with such a shocking cliffhanger? Why did the team go their separate ways? And how did Connor rise up to become one of Hell's greatest champions?
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Rated by buyers 
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This collection features some of the weakest and some of the strongest parts of "After the Fall." Naturally, the flow isn't as strong as the actual meat of the series (issues 1-5, 9-) because this is made up of five-seven page one-shots that tell what happened to the characters between "Not Fade Away" and "After the Fall." These comics are a lot more hit-and-miss than the actual story arc of "After the Fall," but the overall reading experience is a good one.
Spike's story definitely gets better with each read. The Connor/Kate story is also very good, as is the Gwen tale. Both have their strengths, and both have their weaknesses. There was a tale that a lot of people seemed skeptical about, but I thought it was sad, poignant, and really hilarious. Civilians shows us a bum and a random chick dealing with their very first night in Hell, and while it wasn't really as influential on the actual arc of "After the Fall" like most of these ended up being, it was a great read that sort of added a layer of reality to the book.
The only story that doesn't improve with each read is the Lorne tale, simply because I don't think a story structured that way really has a place in the book. In Buffy, "Once More With Feeling" had people singing because of a supernatural reason. Every event in the history of the show that tampered with the format, it was explained to be the characters dealing with the effects of a supernatural event. In the Lorne story, it is what it is. A story about Lorne told in 'verse. As interesting as it was to find out how Lorne got to where he was, the format of it was very hard to swallow.
Now that I got the "What I Liked" and "What I Didn't Like" section out of the way, let's get to the part I like talking about the most. What I loved. The climax of First Night is Gunn's story, the tale that finally reveals how he got sired. It's heartbreaking, and is such a dark, tense read that it will leave your heart racing well after you close this book. The art in this tale, done by Mirco Pierfederici is fantastic. And speaking of art, woah Nick Runge! His work in my favorite tale collected here, Wesley, is nothing short of perfect. His skill in capturing the characters likenesses and making it feel like an Angel episode is unrivalled. While I wasn't overly impressed with Runge's work in issues nine, ten, and eleven, this short tale proves that his only weakness is time. Plus, the coloring in this short is millions of times better than the coloring in latter "After the Fall" issues, and the lush flesh tones and deep blues really bring out the elegant details of Runge's art. And don't even get me started on the writing. It carries on the tragedy of Wesley's death, and really sets up the character's story for the rest of "After the Fall."
Much like the very first hardcover collection, the presentation of this book exceeds expectations. The only book I have--and I have thousands upon thousands in my teensy, tiny room--that is as beautiful a volume as this is "After the Fall: Volume One." Again, we've got a new cover by Alex Garner featuring everyone's favorite ghost, Wesley. His figure is glossy, with the rest of the cover smooth, which makes his ghost-like form look more translucent. The use of blues and oranges is beautiful, and its overall one of the best covers we've seen. Much like the very first volume, the book has thick pages and a sturdy spine that won't wear down easily. The design from the previous book is here as well, and it's quite a nice one, what with the way the chapter pages and the borders of the special features look. There is no bookmark like in the very first volume, but that's a non-issue, considering how good the rest of the book is.
Overall, the stories make a great prequel to "After the Fall," my favorite comic series of all time. Most of them are an enjoyable read on their own, but when paired with the other issues of the series, they're great.
9/10
Rated by buyers 
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This is only the third comic book (or collection of comics) that I've ever purchased but my love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel tv shows prompted me to purchase these items. I was very impressed with Angel:After the Fall Vol.1 and couldn't wait to get my copy of Vol. 2 to find out what really went down the night LA went straight to Hell - without so much as a hand basket to cushion the crash landing.
Sadly, this collection is only OK. The story and plot lines often feel jerky and disjointed and the illustrations by the various artists contribute to the feeling. While each illustrators' drawings were amazing in and of themselves, I found it confusing that a character could morph within three or four pages based on the illustrator. I would often find myself flipping back and forth and studying the images in order to determine who was who. Case in point, look at how each of the artists draw the character of Fred/Illyra. It got confusing when every couple of pages there was such a dramatic change in her appearance, especially when the character was drawn so consistently in the very first volume.
Overall, a good book for those who want to know what happened but the stories are largely independent of each other and there is no sense of the coming cliff, the boom, or how the big bad will respond next. Spike, being Spike, has some really great moments and it was nice to see Lorne again. Borrow this book before you buy because it may not deserve a permanent and prominent place on your bookshelf.
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