When does a licensed comic not feel like a licensed comic? When it’s Angel #1 from Boom! Studios. Existing in the same continuity as Boom’s rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, Angel should feel like it’s a part of that world. Instead, it feels completely cut off from it, not only choosing to avoid referencing its sister comic at all but also not referencing any ideas or concepts from the larger Buffyverse at all, aside from the identity of its main character.

The issue begins with the adventures of Angelus, Angel’s evil alter-ego, killing and turning a fierce warrior in some mysterious but indistinct time and place with a slightly more fantastical edge than we’ve previously seen in Buffyverse fiction. We then shift to modern Los Angeles, where the titular vampire with a soul meets with an old friend whose life he apparently saved.

Writer Bryan Edward Hill captures the noir-ish brooding of the Angel we know and love, from his loner attitude to the specifics of his dialogue. Where Hill doesn’t succeed is in making us care about the collection of new characters he introduces in this issue, or in using Angel to say anything particularly original. He tries to say something profound about teenagers and social media culture, but his message there is muddled and a little cliche.

Gleb Melnikov’s art is compelling enough. His character designs are bright and recognizable, and his Angel bears enough of the likeness of actor David Boreanaz. His page layouts are attractive enough, using lots of panels to cram quite a bit of story into 20 pages. Melnikov colors his own work in the flashback sequence, and Gabriel Cassata’s colors in the present day sequence are appropriately moody and noir-ish. Letterer Ed Dukeshire’s work is solid as well.

If this were the first issue of some brand new property, this would be great for first issue, compelling enough to give the first trade paperback collection a look. As the first issue of a new Angel series, though, it feels just a bit lacking. Here’s hoping future issues connect the story somehow to the Buffyverse we know and love.

Grade: B+