Reading Angel: The TV Spin-off with a Soul

In 1999 Angel’s creator Joss Whedon moved the vampire with a soul from the successful series Buffy the Vampire Slayer to his very own spin-off series Angel . With a cast of characters as tormented by their pasts as is Angel himself, the spin-off has developed its own preoccupations, exploring a darker vision of alienation, atonement and the fight for redemption, with humour and a fine, noir style. The series will complete its run in 2005 and this first discussion and celebration of Angel as a distinct entity explores the full five seasons, with a complete episode guide. The cinematic aesthetics of Angel, its music, shifting portrayals of masculinity, the noir Los Angeles setting, impact of comedy, the superhero, horror, and the influence of corporate and global evil in the form of Wolfram & Hart are just a few of the subjects addressed in this tribute to Angel for its many fans who will be going into mourning in 2005.