Fallen Angel: Down to Earth

Peter David, Fallen Angel: Down to Earth (DC, 2007) It took three years for the second volume of Fallen Angel, Down to Earth, to appear. It was worth the wait. We learn a great deal more about Lee, and also about Black Mariah (not the main bad guy, but obviously a much more important character in the story than the first volume would have led us to believe), get some more fast-paced and action-packed stories, more wonderful dialogue-- basically, more of everything that made the first Fallen Angel book great. It may be another three years until we see book three, but I'll be waiting in line when it appears. This is very, very good stuff. ****

In the second trade collection of Peter David's DC Comics run on Fallen Angel the Angel has a bit of an arch-enemy, of the female persuasion. So, some violence and the hunt for an arcane artifact, along with some advice from a bartender who may be a little bit more than he actually seems to be. 3.5 out of 5

"Down to Earth" is the second collection from Fallen Angel's brief run at DC, and it sets the title character, a.k.a. Lee, up as one of the most complex and interesting in the comics field. Although her origins remain in doubt -- and we don't know why her feet don't touch the ground when she walks -- the red-shrouded Fallen Angel by night (and physical education teacher by day) is an enigma. Working here in pursuit of a blood-soaked shard of the True Cross, she proves herself willing to cross any line -- including torture -- to achieve her goals. Is she a heroine? No doubt. But Lee's hands aren't always clean at the end of the day, and her motives aren't always pure. Anyone looking to her for help had better be prepared for the consequences. Bete Noire, the delta city where Lee lives and works, is as much a character as the people in this book; it's far more intriguing than the Metropolis or Keystone City of other books, and I look forward to exploring its nooks and crannies. DC cancelled this series far too soon. - Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

This is the second trade to reprint stories from DC Comics' run on Fallen Angel. It contains issues #7-12.