Gunn: Spotlight (Angel comic)
Encyclopedia
Gunn: Spotlight is a comic based on the Angel
television series. This title, along with the others in IDW Publishing's
Spotlight series, was collected in the Angel: Spotlight trade paperback.
, and Gunn
return to the Wolfram and Hart
offices after defeating a demon. Wesley's vision has been damaged as a result of the fight, but he calls the mission "an unqualified triumph" nonetheless. Later, Gunn confides in Angel that he is getting sick of the pressures and responsibilities of his job; as he says, "this is not what my mama raised me for." Angel encourages Gunn to get some rest.
As Gunn enters his office, Harmony
puts through a call from his cousin, Latonya. She tells him that another cousin, fifteen year-old Mario, has run away from his home in Dearborn
, Michigan
, to Los Angeles
. As Gunn sets out to find Mario, Angel warns him that he won't have backup, as the gang is all off to Macedonia to meet someone who may be able to fix Wesley's vision.
That night, Gunn arrives at a seedy-looking bar called "Bloody Crab." The bouncers deny him entry because he looks like a lawyer - out of place in this neighbourhood. Gunn replies that he was raised in this neighbourhood, beats the bouncers, and enters the bar. Inside, his cousin Mario has already joined a gang. Gunn takes Mario aside to talk; Mario points out that he is in exactly the same position Gunn himself was in years ago, and that he's doing fine. Gunn replies that Marios new "crew" isn't even human. At this point "Carlton," the gang's leader, intervenes. He tells Gunn to leave Mario behind, "before anything drastic happens." Gunn taunts Carlton, and is attacked by one of the gang members. Out of respect to their new member Mario, Carlton promises to merely damage, and not destroy, Gunn. They throw a badly beaten Gunn into an alley.
Later, at the W&H offices, Gunn is using his corporate resources to track down Carlton. He signs out a battle axe from the firm and sets out. He interrogates a demon named Otis into telling him about a "fight club" run out of an auto body shop that Carlton frequents. Otis claims that Carlton is planning on stealing the night's jackpot from the club.
At the fight club, Carlton is denied the opportunity to place any bets until he has faced a large demon - the club champion - in combat. As Carlton protests, the champ attacks and a battle ensues. Gunn arrives and pulls Mario out of harm's way. While everyone is distracted by the champion's fatal defeat of Carlton (by eating his face), Gunn and Mario make their escape, taking the briefcase of prize money with them.
In Gunn's convertible, Mario is coming to the realization that Gunn wasn't lying when he said the gang members weren't human, and that Los Angeles really can chew you up and spit you out. Suddenly, the champion lands on the car, demanding the prize money. Gunn tells Mario to take the wheel, and attacks with his axe. However, Gunn is knocked from the vehicle, and the champion turns his attention to Mario. Fortunately, Gunn had managed to catch the rear of the car with the axe, and climbs back into the vehicle. Taking the champion by surprise, Gunn decapitates the demon.
After putting Mario on a bus back to Michigan, Gunn returns to his office. Wesley, vision restored, stops by to ask how Gunn's mission went. A happy Gunn replies, "I didn't want to deal with it at first. All these people relying on me all the time, gets kind of...big. But y'know, once you get used to it...it feels pretty good."
comics such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. Some fans consider them stories from the imaginations of authors and artists, while other fans consider them as taking place in an alternative fictional reality. However unlike fan fiction
, overviews summarising their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by both Fox and Joss Whedon
(or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise.
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
television series. This title, along with the others in IDW Publishing's
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
Spotlight series, was collected in the Angel: Spotlight trade paperback.
Summary
Gunn's naive cousin ends up in L.A. having run away from his home in Ohio. Gunn must try to find him before the city chews him up and spits him out. This is the first comic to feature Gunn as a main character.Expanded overview
Angel, Spike, WesleyWesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel...
, and Gunn
Charles Gunn
Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon...
return to the Wolfram and Hart
Wolfram and Hart
Wolfram & Hart − Attorneys at Law is a fictional international, and interdimensional law firm featured in the television series Angel, as well as other extended materials in Joss Whedon's Buffyverse.-Fictional history:...
offices after defeating a demon. Wesley's vision has been damaged as a result of the fight, but he calls the mission "an unqualified triumph" nonetheless. Later, Gunn confides in Angel that he is getting sick of the pressures and responsibilities of his job; as he says, "this is not what my mama raised me for." Angel encourages Gunn to get some rest.
As Gunn enters his office, Harmony
Harmony Kendall
Harmony Kendall is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. The character is portrayed by Mercedes McNab...
puts through a call from his cousin, Latonya. She tells him that another cousin, fifteen year-old Mario, has run away from his home in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. As Gunn sets out to find Mario, Angel warns him that he won't have backup, as the gang is all off to Macedonia to meet someone who may be able to fix Wesley's vision.
That night, Gunn arrives at a seedy-looking bar called "Bloody Crab." The bouncers deny him entry because he looks like a lawyer - out of place in this neighbourhood. Gunn replies that he was raised in this neighbourhood, beats the bouncers, and enters the bar. Inside, his cousin Mario has already joined a gang. Gunn takes Mario aside to talk; Mario points out that he is in exactly the same position Gunn himself was in years ago, and that he's doing fine. Gunn replies that Marios new "crew" isn't even human. At this point "Carlton," the gang's leader, intervenes. He tells Gunn to leave Mario behind, "before anything drastic happens." Gunn taunts Carlton, and is attacked by one of the gang members. Out of respect to their new member Mario, Carlton promises to merely damage, and not destroy, Gunn. They throw a badly beaten Gunn into an alley.
Later, at the W&H offices, Gunn is using his corporate resources to track down Carlton. He signs out a battle axe from the firm and sets out. He interrogates a demon named Otis into telling him about a "fight club" run out of an auto body shop that Carlton frequents. Otis claims that Carlton is planning on stealing the night's jackpot from the club.
At the fight club, Carlton is denied the opportunity to place any bets until he has faced a large demon - the club champion - in combat. As Carlton protests, the champ attacks and a battle ensues. Gunn arrives and pulls Mario out of harm's way. While everyone is distracted by the champion's fatal defeat of Carlton (by eating his face), Gunn and Mario make their escape, taking the briefcase of prize money with them.
In Gunn's convertible, Mario is coming to the realization that Gunn wasn't lying when he said the gang members weren't human, and that Los Angeles really can chew you up and spit you out. Suddenly, the champion lands on the car, demanding the prize money. Gunn tells Mario to take the wheel, and attacks with his axe. However, Gunn is knocked from the vehicle, and the champion turns his attention to Mario. Fortunately, Gunn had managed to catch the rear of the car with the axe, and climbs back into the vehicle. Taking the champion by surprise, Gunn decapitates the demon.
After putting Mario on a bus back to Michigan, Gunn returns to his office. Wesley, vision restored, stops by to ask how Gunn's mission went. A happy Gunn replies, "I didn't want to deal with it at first. All these people relying on me all the time, gets kind of...big. But y'know, once you get used to it...it feels pretty good."
Writing and artwork
- Harmony tells Gunn, "my last snack had, like, seven espressos," implying she had fed on a human. In "Harm's Way" it is stated that Wolfram & Hart employees are forbidden to do this.
- In this issue, Harmony is stationed at a small desk directly outside Gunn's office – a workstation never seen in the TV series.
Cultural references
- Walt Disney WorldWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
: Wesley says his vision reminds him of "the nightly fireworks display at that amusement park in Florida," a likely reference to The Magic KingdomMagic KingdomMagic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
at the Walt Disney World Resort. - American BeautyAmerican Beauty (film)American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela...
: Gunn compares his situation at Wolfram and Hart to that of Kevin Spacey in American Beauty. - Mr. Pibb: Wesley says the potion used to restore his eyesight tasted like "flat, warm Mr. Pibb."
Canonical issues
AngelAngel comics
Angel comic book refers to one of two series published by Dark Horse Comics during 2000–2002. Both of these series are based on the television series Angel, and were published while the television series was on air. The first volume was an ongoing series halted after seventeen issues. The second...
comics such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. Some fans consider them stories from the imaginations of authors and artists, while other fans consider them as taking place in an alternative fictional reality. However unlike fan fiction
Fan fiction
Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
, overviews summarising their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by both Fox and Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
(or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise.