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In Defense of Spoilers: Spoilers often get a bad rap because many folks think they ruin climactic surprises. I've waited this long to write this 'blog in the hope that most Buffy fans have already read the first two comic arcs and are well familiar with the material. For the rest of you, maybe you're like my wife, Teresa, who loves Buffy, but is not a real comic book fan. Or maybe you're not a real big Buffy fan at all. Well, perhaps a blog like this is for you (well, not really, but read it anyways). Please, feel free to comment on this blog, but you are hereby forewarned that I will be discussing spoilers, so no whining! 'Kay? 'kay...
Buffy Season 8 - Episode 1, The Long Way Home, Part 1.
When last we left the Sunnydale gang, Sunnydale was no more. The town was completely destroyed in a climactic battle with the First Evil. The Watcher's Council was blow'ded-up, along centuries worth of information on the demon world. All seemed lost, but Buffy, with significant help from (sometimes evil) uberwitch, Willow, was able to activate all the Potentials into full fledged Slayers, with all the attendant superpowers. Thus the worldwide Slayer population grew from two to nearly two thousand. The Sunnydale Hellmouth was destroyed, taking the whole town with it. When the TV series ended, we Buffy fans wondered for years at the possibility of a world full of Slayers. Finally, Joss Whedon and Dark Horse Comics decided to show us that world.
That world kinda kicks ass!The Long Way Home is first arc of Buffy Season 8, and it starts in classic Buffy style, with a fight. We quickly learn some info: Buffy and the Scoobies have started tracking down the new Slayers and have organized them into battle squads. Two of the new Slayers are impersonating Buffy, one in partying in Italy and the other "deep underground". Some say for security reasons, but really because Giles and Andrew think it's funny to mess with Angel and Spike (see Angel season 5 episode "The Girl In Question" to make sense of that remark).
Presumably, Buffy and the survivors of the destruction of the Sunnydale Hellmouth are the new battle squad leaders. Somehow, somewhere the gang have acquired some new technology, weaponry and hardware, and now fight demons on a global scale. Tactically, this makes sense, but unfortunately, the new Slayer organization looks like a collection of terrorist cells, especially to the US military. (I'm also not sure how they can now afford resources such as battle helicopters and body armor).
We gradually get updated on the activities some of the rest of the Scooby Gang. After taking a brief sabbatical to Africa to hunt down the history of the First Slayer, Xander now is Buffy's acting Watcher. He monitors the worldwide Slayer activities from a castle stronghold in Scotland, outfitted with the best technological and magical monitoring systems available. As busy as he is, he still has time to flirt with Renee, a new Slayer and analyst in the Scotland Ops Center.
The opening battle scene indicates that Buffy's squad of Slayers (Leah, Satsu and an un-named Slavic speaking girl I'll call "Greta") are generally effective, but are mostly inexperienced, as Buffy spends as much time worrying about their reactions to demons and dead bodies as she does fighting. One benefit to the comics medium is that the fight scenes can easily offer a more dynamic aspect as compared to the TV show, and the demons can be drawn larger and scarier (there's only so many times you can do "man-in-a-suit" demons).
Also, the comic is a bit more gorier than the TV show. Buffy's team defeats the demons, but human bodies are found on the scene, already dead and scarred with a strange star and rising sun symbol on their chests. As Buffy discusses this mystery with her team, she does not see the un-identified, booted person floating in the air, serenely keeping watch.
Cut to the former Sunnydale:
It seems that the US Military is investigating the remains of Buffy's home town. In a scene reminiscent of the movie Alien, the military team discovers something really gruesome living underground in the center of the Sunnydale/Hellmouth crater.
Cut back to Scotland:
After a post-battle briefing with Xander, Buffy checks in on Dawn. We notice that the relationship between Dawn and Buffy is terribly strained, a consequence that has been developing since the Sunnydale days. They hardly can speak to each other without drawing verbal barbs. Also complicating matters: Dawn in a giant, an affliction that is suggested to be a result of her "dating" a "thricewise" (which according to Whendoesque.com, refers to a giant of Norse mythology), in lieu of studying at Berkely. Dawn refuses to divulge to Buffy the events leading to her current state, preferring instead to speak with Willow (whereabouts currently unknown). The conversation between Dawn and Buffy is equal parts funny and sad.
Oh yeah, Buffy misses her mom, her friends, churros and sex.
Cut to a military complex where General Voll, the leader of the Sunnydale crater investigation team, is reacting with horror to something in a holding cell. Something unseen by the reader.
The General is briefed that two subjects were found in the crater ruins, and that Subject 1 was keeping Subject 2 (the unseen horror) alive after the Hellmouth went kaput. The military analysts think that Subjects 1 and 2 were fed on other Sunnydale survivors. General Voll is grossed out even further when it is revealed that Subject 2 is Subject 1's "boyfriend". He asks the analyst if the Subjects had the decency to go insane. No such luck. He answers, "Unstable, but surprisingly coherent."
As they make their way to another holding cell, the General is informed that Subject 1's first words to the investigation team were: "I'm gonna help you kill her." Presumably a reference to Buffy. Turn the page for the first big reveal of the series. Subject 1 is Amy Madison.
Here endeth the issue...I for one was pleased to see Amy the Witch again, since I've always had a soft spot for that character for no other reason than I always thought the actress who portrayed her had a hot bod. Also Amy's been around since Buffy Season 1, Episode 2, so she's got history. The character of Subject 2 remains a mystery though. Could it be an old Big Bad?
So far, I'm impressed by the series artwork. Penciller Georges Jeanty has captured the key distinguishing characteristics of the main characters, but is not slavishly reproducing the expressions of the actors. Rather he's hitting the right tone of familiarity and embellishment. Story-wise, the first issue is promising. I've seen better comics scripting from Joss Whedon from his Astonishing X-Men series, but since this is the first issue of a lenghty overall arc, I am just plain happy he's writing Buffy again. Can't wait to see the fates of the other Scoobies.
Blogcast Contest
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! As the name of this 'blog will attest, I have trouble with titles. Therefore I'm holding a contest for a name for my regular 'blog on the Buffy Season 8 comics. Please send in suggestions to my email address "alikufogo at yahoo dot com". Submissions are due by Thursday, January 31, 2008. The winning entry will receive a free bagged and boarded copy of Astonishing X-Men Issue No. 23, penned by Joss Whedon and artwork by John Cassaday, so remember to include your mailing address in the entry.
1 comment:
frickity frack Ali! I love Buffy and will read this.
I personally think that the writing wasn't the best, but I'll take anything Joss will give me, so I'm not depressed.
I suppose I didn't grow up reading comics, but these always seem too short to me. much much too short. so maybe covering entire arcs at a time would be better... it would make for fewer, better posts, and would give you time to cover Angel and Fray too. good post anyways. I don't have much to say today.
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