Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5
EAN: 9781600100611
ISBN: 1600100619
Label: IDW Publishing
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: IDW Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 120
Publication Date: 2007-05-30
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Studio: IDW Publishing

When the Monahan Family asks Spike to find their daughter Ruby, he accepts. The problem? Ruby's a half-demon and has been checked into the Mosaic Wellness Center, a rehab facility for vampires, demons, and other creatures of the night. The solution - Spike checks himself in as a patient. But there's another, slightly bigger problem - the hundreds of super-powered, supernatural patients at Mosaic know Spike, and want him dead. If the therapy doesn't kill him, the other patients will...

Customer Rating:
Summary: A good read
Comment: Like many Spike and Whedon fans, I enjoyed Spike Asylum. The story is fairly meaty, though given it's a series that focuses on one character that's far easier to do than in the new Angel: After the Fall series that Lynch is also writing where there are any number of characters that need page-time.

I liked little touches such as a nod to the Gentlemen from BtVS S4 and some of the references to times past (particularly the eyepatched smartass). I think the thing that made the comic enjoyable is that I there's a sense that Lynch really enjoys writing for this character.

The storyline itself definitely casts Spike as a hero who, however reluctantly embarking on this mission, nonetheless quickly develops a sense of responsibility about the people he encounters and what he feels needs to be done in the demon asylum. It's also nice to get a cameo appearance from Lorne, who Lynch will later pair (to great effect) with Spike in Shadow Puppets. The artwork is also quite good and serves the story well.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: SPIKE IN THE WRONG NEIGHBORHOOD
Comment: This story takes place after the end of the Buffy TV show and after Spike has returned from the dead, soul intact. Spike is sought out by the Monhans, the parents of a part demon teenager who is being held against her will by a cult who operates the Mosaic Center. Her parents want Spike to rescue her and play upon his weakness for women to get him to agree. Spike commits himself to the Mosaic Center, although the place turns out to be quite different than what he expected. The place is more like a maximum-security prison for demons run by a giant slug-like warden. As you'd expect, Spike doesn't make friends too easily in the place and soon is butting heads with the leader of the vampire clique named Weisau. The only demons who don't want to kill spike is a small group of misfits. If that wasn't enough, Spike has just found out the real reason that the Monahans wanted Spike's help.

The trade paperback collects the entire five issue limited series from IDW. Spike is at his big-mouthed best in the book and it only serves to get him into more and more trouble. What seems to be a fairly simple plot is cut open to reveal much more once Spike is finally inside Mosaic and several interesting surprises are served up for the reader. Writer Brian Lynch moves the story along quickly. Artist Franco Urru is a new name for me but one who I hope to hear more about in the future. His rendering of Spike is spot on and he also gives readers some very interesting (and disgusting) looking fellow inmates. Look for a surprise guest star as well. IDW is doing a great job with the character.

REVIWED BY TIM JANSON

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Comment: A good tale which shows a working knowledge of the buffyverse. It was an enjoyable story, and I had only one problem with it: they made Spike too ineffectual. Yes, he has "come over" to the good guys, but he still is a force to be reconned with. His weakness has always been in thinking, not fighting. Pretty much the only one he couldn't best was Angel, and if you remember, he did beat Angel in season 5.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great read.
Comment: Best graphic novel from the Buffy-verse. If you're a fan of Spike, then this is a must have. Great story, excellent characters & throwback references that only a Buffy fan well catch. Also, the return of a minor character from Angel's show.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Spike
Comment: This was a great read. Makes me wish that Spike had his own show, or, you know at least played Constantine in the movie of the same name. Eh, what are you going to do.

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