If you don't know how the television series Angel ended, you'd best steer clear of this review.

Lynch and Whedon backtrack somewhat with this second volume of ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL. There's a framing story that takes place at the same time as the events at the end of the first volume, but this installment is mostly concerned with what our heroes were up to on the night Wolfram & Hart sent Los Angeles into Hell. They took a three-issue break from the main storyline to provide us with a series of (very) short stories about Spike, Connor, Lorne, Wesley, Kate, Gwen, the people of Los Angeles and Gunn.

I could tell you I wasn’t miffed that this didn’t take up right where that big cliffhanger at the end of the first volume left off, but I’d be lying. That complaint aside, though, this was good. It helps fill in some of the gaps left by that sudden transition from united alleyway showdown to broken up gang. I especially enjoyed the chance to catch up with Kate. I’d always wondered where she got to. Here’s hoping she continues to play a role in the series.

The problem with the stories is that they’re all quite short. Since Lynch squeezed so many stories into such a small space, they don't always have the depth as I was hoping for. They’re good, yes, but they’re not really on the same level as the first volume.

I think I actually enjoyed Lynch’s comments on the stories more than the stories themselves. He discusses the arc as a whole, then goes over the plotting and art involved with each story. His commentary was often hilarious, and it got me thinking about the stories in a whole new way.

If you enjoyed the first volume, this is definitely worth reading; however, I'd caution you to expect good, rather than great, things from it.

(This review originally appeared in a slightly different form on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

I'm so glad this book was made because I enjoyed After the Fall but really felt out of the loop. The uncertainty was as much distracting and intriguing. It kind of drove me crazy to have characters like Gwen and Nina tossed into the fray with little explanation, so First Night settled things down for me, and now I'm ready to dive back into the story. And, can I say, Wesley is so cool. ( )