For me, it wasn't so much the stupid, as the annoying that got me with Narbonic. there were just too many characters that really grated on me.

As for Freak Angels, I've read part of it and really liked the artwork. I keep intending to go back to it, but keep forgetting. Warren Ellis is a hit-or-miss thing to me; when he's good, I love his writing...when he's off, he just comes off as strident, self-important and over-dramatic. It's hard to tell when he's going to be in which mode.