IDW Publishing Forums

fluff · I'm kind of a big deal Joined: 05 Jan 2011 Posts: 136

I have recently had my chance to read the Angel comics. It was great to know what happened after the TV show ended and, just like everyone else, I loved some bits, disliked some others but I was also left with a lot of questions concerning one character in particular: Wesley.

It was great seeing him back in AtF (though sad to know that he became bound to the Senior Partners by that pesky clause) but what is even sadder is that he completely vanished after the fall is reversed. Yes, I am aware that he remained dead, as he was dead when the Fall happened but I don't understand why there's no more mentioning him. We know that during the Fall Angel retrieved his body and that it was kept until Illyria claimed that he would be staying with her. But after the Fall never happened? Did he get a decent burrial or did Illyria find him first and kept to the statement she made during the Fall? Did he just vanish magically, like Wolfram & Hart to which he was bound? Or did the fact that the evil law firm vanished like it never was released him from the contract? Did the PtB manage to redeem his soul for the fact that he helped Angel reverse the Fall?

I hope I'm not the only oddball with the million questions. Now that the series is heading towards its final run, is it bad that I wish we get something on him (even as much as a return in one form or another, either as a good guy or as some unexpected weapon of Wolfram and Hart against Angel)? By all means, I don't want the Angel comics to follow Season 8's lead and bring back the oddest dead characters there could be but I just feel like Wesley's exit scene was much too sudden and I'd really love to see him again, even his troubled transparent self, before the finale. Anyone else in that boat? ^^

Double Dutchess · Transforumer Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 1122

Welcome to the forum Fluff! Good questions. I also strongly feel Wesley's loss. But it's not entirely true that he completely vanished after the fall was reversed. He did get a library wing named after him (and Fred). I thought that was a rather nice tribute. Of course it's not really the same as seeing him back in (ghostly) person, though.

fluff · I'm kind of a big deal Joined: 05 Jan 2011 Posts: 136

Thank you! About time I joined after all the lurking I did lately.

What I meant was how he kind of vanished after AtF, thinking AtF as the story arc. I don't want to get into how much I cried at the library dedication. It was the perfect thing Angel could have done in their memory.

I still think there was (and is) room for more Wesley. Maybe it's just me being too much of a fan of the character? It would be sad to see things wrapped up without as much as a ghastly appearance of him.

Jean-Vic · Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:10 am Post subject:

fluff · I'm kind of a big deal Joined: 05 Jan 2011 Posts: 136

pshand05 · Transforumer Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 1233 Location: NY

When Brian brought Wesley back, I thought that it was a dangerous choice. I love Wesley, but the thing is... you can't kill the guy again. His death scene was the best scene in the whole series. How could anything possibly live up to that?

But then, upon reading #16, I realized that I didn't take into account that Brian Lynch bathes in magical fairy dust of writerly awesome every night. He gave Wesley a second send-off that lives up to the first, which pretty much matches with how "After the Fall" lived up to the seemingly impossible expectations that "Not Fade Away" set for it.
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fluff · I'm kind of a big deal Joined: 05 Jan 2011 Posts: 136

I'm the kind of insane person that likes spoilers (I knew how Angel ended before I was ten episodes into Season 1). So I knew from the wikia what happens to Wes in the comics and though it seemed impressive to know that he prefers time being turned back to a moment when he wouldn't have been saved, actually seeing it drawn and written in the comic was just... It really was as beautiful and poetic (and impossibly sad) as his death in the show was. It saddens me that he had to have such a tragic fate, just when he finally found happiness.

JSPoole · Slayer Joined: 07 Nov 2009 Posts: 83

I like that we never really know for sure...its the same ambiguities as our own death. where does he go? does he reunite with fred? I liked when cordellia (or at least whom angel sensed was cordilla) rustled the leaves when angel was wondering the same, telling him to be optimistic in her own little way.

thats what makes the story so great...we intepret things like this and discuss it as fans..

personally, in my head, he is at peace with fred, and happy, and will one day see his gang again when their time comes. because thats what I hope happens for real, no matter how many times I doubt or can be cynical.

Moscow Watcher · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 1:52 pm Post subject:

I wonder if I'm the only one who wants Wesley back - either resurrected or, at least, as a ghost.

I agree that his death was heartbreaking - but Buffy's death in The Gift was heartbreaking, too, as well as Spike's in Chosen and Angel's in Becoming 2. Yet all of them came back.

When I watched "Dollhouse" I got the impression that Joss had very interesting ideas about Wesley and Faith and he sublimated them in the scene where Echo and Perrin cut each other to take out tracking devices. So, when I heard that Joss has plans for Illyria, I started to hope that maybe he has plans for Wes too. Of all the characters, Illyria has the strongest connection with Wes.
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fluff · I'm kind of a big deal Joined: 05 Jan 2011 Posts: 136

I'm torn between wanting Wes back and thinking he got his perfect ending in AtF. It would be fabulous if JW incorporated him into the future stories, though, to me, Wes would male more sense in Angel's story, even if he should be around Illyria. On the other hand, I'm not sure what story he could get to be in line with his beautiful ending.

Darkholme · Red Shirt Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 19

JSPoole · Slayer Joined: 07 Nov 2009 Posts: 83

JSPoole · Slayer Joined: 07 Nov 2009 Posts: 83

Darkholme · Red Shirt Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 19

fluff · I'm kind of a big deal Joined: 05 Jan 2011 Posts: 136

Apparently in season 9 Illyria won't be in the Angel title so I suppose she'll have a chance to be around Willow. Too bad magic doesn't exist any more, otherwise I'm sure they would have worked something out. I wonder if Willow even knows what happened to Fred.

Anyway, I like to think that in the Illyria mini-series, whatever happened when Illyria touched that stone also helped recreate and free Fred's soul. Since it's open for interpretation, I chose to interpret it this way.

My only hope at seeing Wesley back, even if only momentarily, were Wolfram and Hart. But since they're making an exit, or seem like they are making an exit, I guess that's very unlikely to happen neither in the final Angel, nor in the final Spike.