In 1993, Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane teamed to introduce the heaven-sent warrior Angela into the latter’s Image Comics series Spawn. With her striking appearance and layered mythology, the character stood as a testament to what can happen when two unique talents pooled their skills in the spirit of creation within the comic book medium.
Two decades later, Angela made a splash in the most unlikely of places, capping off the status quo-shattering AGE OF ULTRON #10 with her first Marvel appearance. As she moves forward into this month’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5—written by Brian Michael Bendis and featuring art by Sara Pichelli with Gaiman himself overseeing—this one-of-a-kind character will rock her new surroundings and serve as a gateway to unforeseen corners of the Marvel Universe.
“Good stories and good characters are the backbone to our comic book industry,” says co-creator McFarlane. “I believe the Angela character can be one of those characters. Neil Gaiman has proven himself to be a much sought after author and I am sure he will bring some of his ‘magic’ to this character, whether it be as the actual writer himself or through his ‘Gaiman guidance;’ readers should be in for quite a ride.”
While other creators will be carrying the torch for the time being, it can’t be denied how much of Angela’s strength in character and concept come from McFarlane himself. A pioneer and unparalleled creative mind, the man who helped define Spider-Man’s modern appearance and took the wallcrawler to new heights in the 90’s infused Angela with the same energy and depth. With Gaiman—an acclaimed voice across countless fields who has garnered awards and respect and each of them—also funneling his genius, the character has the highest pedigree imaginable.
“Todd’s prescient creativity has always propelled him a couple of steps ahead of the pack,” says Dan Buckley, Marvel Publisher & President: Print, Animation & Digital Divisions. “The fact that Angela can step right into the Marvel Universe at such a critical time and command such a crucial presence is testament to what he and Neil collaborated on all those years ago.”
You can next spot Angela this month in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5 and follow her journey throughout the Marvel Universe in the years to come.
About The Author:
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.