[Ace Of Hearts]

Thanks for the news!

[comic fan]

Leyki's review for Buffy # 21 is up.Spoilers

Review, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #21 (The Core, part 1) | Light_Watcher

ETA

I have my copy of Buffy # 21.Part I of the final season 9 arc,"The Core Part I."

I'm going to keep this short since I'm very tied up today and tomorrow but this was a very strong issue.Lot's of great character all around.Loved the Buffy and Willow moments.The moments with Dawn.God she looks so sicklly.I really want her to pull through this.The thought that she is also losing her memories is so heartbreaking.And she wanted Xander to stay.That got me.

On the Xander front.Xander,Xander,Xander.I feel for the guy but this is the wrong move.The fake out with him double playing Buffy.This is not going to end well.I have a bad feeling for Xander making through this season now.Right this second I think Dawn has a better shot.I woudn't put it past Joss that Xander will end up sacrificing himself in the end to put right his mistake in helping Sevrine and Simone.

Spike had a great entrance back and I love that he was there for Dawn,not Buffy.Feel bad that she's lost memory of him.Some speculation from me.I wonder if Illyria will show up at the apartment next issue reuniting with Spike and that will bring everybody else to the Deeper Well?

I wonder when Anaheed and Billy will factor in more(and when the others will learn about Anaheed) or will they go off on their side story in Dark Horse Presents next?

So now we have a showdown at The Deeper Well(and the info about The FIrst Vampire) with D'Hoffryn while Xander's betrayal plays out with Simone and Severin.Looking forward to see how this goes.

Again good issue.

On a personal note.I'm going on a oversees vacation again at the end of the month.I have been the last few years.Last year was Germany.The year before that was The Netherlands/Luxembourg/Belgium.In 2010 I went to Italy.And 2009 it was England/Irland/Scotland.This year I'm going to France for about two weeks.The downside though is that Angel & Faith # 22 comes out while I'm away.So I won't be able to find out what happens(won't have computer access while I'm away) or get the issue until I'm back.Which is killing me given the cliffhanger of last issue.So today's issue of Buffy was my last issue of season 9 until I'm back the beginning of June.Glad to part on a strong issue.

[comic fan]

Review: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9' #21 -

Review: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9′ #21

Posted by Lonmonster on May 09, 2013



It’s the beginning of the end with the release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #21, as Andrew Chambliss kicks off a brand new story arc that sets the stage for the season’s looming finale. With only 4 more issues left, ‘The Core, Part One’ significantly pushes the narrative forward with a new mission, and wastes no time delivering exciting (though slightly ambiguous) plot twists that will leave readers dazed, but not surprised.

WRITTEN BY: Andrew Chambliss
ART BY: Georges Jeanty
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: May 8, 2013

Following last month’s example, this is also one of the least contrived and most entertaining installments of the season thus far. Xander, battered and bruised, returns after his forced rendezvous with Severin (The Siphon) and Simone; both of whom spoon-fed him promises of a better future if he betrays Buffy and provides them with intel in the form of the infamous VAMPYR book. Willow, having returned in issue #20, successfully manages to wake Dawn up, though the results are less than positive. She needs to juice up on magic in order to effectively save Dawn’s life, and she can acquire this magic in the Deeper Well; so, a new mission is born.

With the aid of Giles’ VAMPYR book, the gang reads up on The Deeper Well, while Georges Jeanty, Michelle Madsen, and Dexter Vines provide two visually fantastic panels bringing their research to life. Besides being designed to hold an abundance of magic inside, the Deeper Well is also a tomb for the Old Ones—the first demons to walk the Earth—who were too powerful to be defeated by mortal creatures. If anything goes wrong on their mission, Buffy and co. can inadvertently unleash hell on Earth.

The artistic team get an A+ for their take on the Deeper Well, especially considering their inclusion of Illyria in original form. But, Madsen steals the show with her colours, as she uses a noticeably larger and brighter colour palette in a mere panel, which, surprisingly, livens up the entire issue.

The rest of ‘The Core, Part One’ continues with confirmation of Xander’s betrayal, unbeknownst to Buffy and Willow. Debatably, his betrayal had more empathetic merit in issue #20 when there seemed to be no options for saving his girlfriend; but it’s a hard pill to swallow knowing he’s putting his trust in the bad guys.

The last 4 panels need mentioning as well, as Chambliss and Jeanty amp up the excitement in both script and art. It’s rare that Jeanty hits the mark with his artistic style, but his sequential illustrations of a main character’s return, The Scoobies’ stand-off with the guards, and Severin and Simone seemingly succeeding in their master-plan, is pure visual entertainment; only made better by Chambliss’ engaging plot developments. Arguably, even his variant cover is preferable over Phil Noto’s, this time around.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9” #21 offers a handful of great moments, but there are a few problems to be shared. The first deals with continuity errors. It’s revealed in the VAMPYR book that the last Old One to be imprisoned in the Deeper Well created the first vampire. But according to the BuffyVerse, more specifically in Season 5 of Angel, episode 16, Illyria blatantly confirms the existence of vampires during the days prior to her banishment to the Well. So, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding this fact. Moreover, there are believability and plausibility issues regarding the guards’ strategically bad judgement calls when protecting the Deeper Well; and product placement in the form of an obnoxiously featured iPhone makes an obvious appearance.

All that said, this installment is very enjoyable, and the fandom will eat it up.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd


ETA

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...review&id=5985

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #21

by Greg McElhatton, Reviewer

After the lackluster conclusion to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8," I think a lot of readers pinned their hopes on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" giving a more focused and strong conclusion. If "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #21 is any sign, though, history is about to repeat itself in a bad way.

Andrew Chambliss' story in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #21 has a few problems. First is the lack of an interesting villain to drive the series; neither Simone nor Severin has generated any sort of interesting aspect -- in fact, both of them have been coming across as shockingly generic bad guys that normally would have been relegated to a supporting role. The bigger issue, though, is the almost random amount of story elements that seem to be getting chucked together. With each new piece of past "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" lore thrown into the mix, I can see the idea that all of these different elements could click together in a way that is exciting and a nice bonus for long-time fans. That doesn't seem to happen here, though. Because of the out-of-the-blue nature of each new item or location, it's more akin to someone reading a Wikipedia list of "things that might hold magic" rather than a well-composed, thoughtful story where one moment leads into the next.

Chambliss tries his best, though, and there are some small bits that do work. Xander's betrayal last month continues to play out in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #21, and I like that Chambliss instantly makes readers wonder whose side Xander is really on. It's a nice little fake-out, and it's one of the few pieces of the comic that will capture your attention. The coordination between this title and the more interesting "Angel & Faith" is also good, with one character moving between them in a way that feels natural but also doesn't leave behind anyone who bought one but not the other.

Georges Jeanty and Dexter Vines's art in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" has always been a little erratic; some issues look great, others not so much. This is unfortunately falling into the realm of the latter. You don't have to look farther than page 2 for an example of the problems with the visuals this month. When Buffy first appears in profile, (there's no easy way to put this) she doesn't look like a person, she looks like a Muppet. If it wasn't for the blonde hair and dialogue, I'd have never guessed it was supposed to be Buffy, with a horse-like face, elongated neck and dumbfounded expression. Willow doesn't do much better, with a stiff and still face that feels more like a cheap mannequin based off of the character.

From that point on, the art continues to be erratic. Every time there's an all-right image (like Buffy's, "Let's get you some more magic" moment), you turn the page and suddenly Buffy's nose is long and pointy like a witch's, or Dawn's face looks like it's melting with one eye higher than the other. It's a mess, and I know that these guys are capable of much better.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #21 makes me feel a lot like I did around the conclusion of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8," namely that after all that lead-up it had come crashing down into disaster land. "Angel & Faith" has kept me from swearing off the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" continuations in general, but one "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" is over, I think I'm going to steer clear of future incarnations of the main title unless we end up with a brand-new creative team. Maybe things will turn around in the final issues, but for now this feels like another looming disappointment.

[comic fan]

Covers and Solicitations for Buffy # 24 and Angel & Faith # 25(final issue of season 9 for A& F).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #24 (Phil Noto cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #24 (Georges Jeanty variant cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #24

In a last-ditch effort to save Dawn, the heroic trio of Buffy, Willow, and Xander must split up and tackle their own demons, real and imagined. As the season’s Big Bads—Severin and Simone—threaten to turn back time, the mystical council partner with Koh and Illyria to prevent a tragic tear in the fabric of time!

"Anticipation for next month’s issue is rising due to all the dramatic build-up this installment has to offer." — Bloody Disgusting

Writer:Andrew Chambliss
Artist:Georges Jeanty
Inker:Karl Story
Colorist:Michelle Madsen
Cover Artisthil Noto





Angel & Faith #25 (Steve Morris cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Angel & Faith #25 (Rebekah Isaacs variant cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Angel & Faith #25

Millions of lives hang in the balance, and Angel and Faith just might be on the losing end of this battle. It’s times like these that call for drastic measures . . . How far will they go to save the world?

Lives are lost, heroes are born, and as one chapter ends, another begins.

"Angel & Faith has been consistently strong. If Gage and Isaacs work together on another comic once this is over, I know I'll stick around to read it, too. Another good show from this duo." — Comic Book Resources

Writer:Christos Gage
Artist:Rebekah Isaacs
Coloristan Jackson
Cover Artist:Rebekah Isaacs

[comic fan]

Scott Allie podcast interview.It starts at 38:34,

Word Balloon The Pop Culture Interview Podcast: Word Balloon Podcast C2E2 Coverage and Kickstarter Success With Mark Schultz, Greg Pak & Jonathan Coulton

The big season 10 news.

As hinted in the writers twitter Q/A a few weeks ago where a photo from the first writers summit for season 10 showed Nick Brendon attended......



Scott Allie confirms that Nick Brendon will be writing for Buffy Season 10.At the season 10 writers summit,they brainstormed for five or six hours and laid the foundation for season 10.They are currently in the process of outlining season 10.Nick Brendon is part of the season 10 writing team.Everybody at the summit was kicking ideas around and contributing things.It was great to get Nick Brendon's take on what they want to do with his character and all the other characters.

So this probably gives more weight to Xander surviving the season.

[comic fan]

Cover art and solicitation for the Buffy S9 Vol. 4 trade.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 4: Welcome to the Team TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Volume 4: Welcome to the Team TPB

Buffy is unwillingly recruited by the demon Illyria and a mystical council to take down the Siphon—for good. He is on the loose again, and a danger to all remnants of magic! Meanwhile, back home the loss of magic has begun to affect those closest to Buffy . . . Collect issues #16-#20 of Season 9.

* Executive produced by Joss Whedon!

* Andrew Chambliss of television’s The Vampire Diaries and Once Upon a Time!

[comic fan]

Preview pages for Angel & Faith # 22.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...eview&id=16477

Preview: Angel & Faith #22



Giles’s resurrection has been pushed to the back burner while Angel and Faith tackle Season 9’s Big Bads—Pearl, Nash, and Whistler—who threaten to release boundless magic over the planet. Only the strong will survive!

• Executive Producer Joss Whedon.

[comic fan]

I'm back from my trip to France.I manage to get some computer access and free time at my hotels for part of the trip so I was able to get spoiled for this issue and also see the preview pages for Buffy # 22.

Preview: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #22

Preview: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #22 - Comic Book Resources

Preview: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #22



Buffy, Xander, and Willow must fight against all odds to get past the mystical council and gain entry to a magical hotspot—the Deeper Well! New allies are born while old enemies bring the heat. Grave dangers await our heroes at the center of the earth!










I should have my copy later this week(the next few days will be hectic) and I'm greatly looking forward to it sicne I did also read the reactions around too.

Here is the first spoiler review I read for A & F # 22

InvestComics – Comic Book Reviews

Angel & Faith #22

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Rebekah Isaacs

Publisher: Dark Horse

Summary

While attempting to resurrect Giles, Angel and Faith let their guard down and now a magic virus has never been closer to poison the earth! But that will all have to wait until Giles can be brought back.

What’s good?

Rebekah Isaacs really is phenomenal. Very few artists are able to draw the likeness of actors and actresses without stumbling into that creepy, uncanny valley but she pulls it off. Faith is recognizable as Eliza Dushku and Angel looks great as a young David Boreanaz. The sets also look great with real attention to detail that ensures every book in a library looks distinct from one another.

The resurrection of Giles is handled well by adding a little twist to things. Rather than get the character back exactly as he was, Giles returns in the body of his young, teenage self and it’s the source of a lot of puberty-based humor that lightens up the emotional reunion without ever undercutting it. This book does have a lot of that good, Whedon-esque humor courtesy of Christos Gage with such great handwaving jokes like Angel suggesting that they can probably find some “artifact” to age up Giles.

This issue is a real “moving the pieces around the board” issue with characters reestablishing their dynamics and deciding what to do next. That said, it’s never boring when setting those pieces. Seeing these characters that have a real affection for each other interact echoes the feeling of watching a good tv series with a strong ensemble which is exactly what this book should be doing. At the end, everything’s been set up and the characters are charging into a potentially apocalyptic battle.

What’s not-so-good?

The puberty jokes do get run into the ground after a while by the time we get to the ol’ “roll of quarters” standby.

Rate it!

I really wasn’t expecting to like this book, having not been a fan of Buffy or Angel, but damn my expectations because this was a really good book. Familiarity isn’t required to draw you into this story of a friend and mentor’s resurrection but it could only enhance it for those familiar with the history of the characters. The book’s a solid 9/10.


So Giles is back as a teenager,12 years old but with all his adult memories and knowledge

ETA

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...review&id=6058

Angel & Faith #22

by Greg McElhatton, Reviewer

With "Angel & Faith" set to wrap up in August (with issue #25), it's a little sad to see "Angel & Faith" #22 hit stores this month, because it means the end is nigh. For a strange sister title to its main parent "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9," though, "Angel & Faith" has ended up the real winner. Here, Christos Gage and Rebekah Isaacs once more remind readers how a strong creative team can make all the difference in the world.

After all, on its surface, an entire book revolving around Angel and Faith trying to bring Giles back from the dead could have gone horribly awry and even dull. But in "Angel & Faith" #22, when the book finally achieves its goal, not only is there still a final twist, but it feels right. Everything from the previous 21 issues has led up to this, both directly and indirectly. In other words, it feels like Gage has had a 2-year plan meticulously plotted out from day one, and let's be honest: how often do you actually get that in both practice and reality?

I also appreciate that the twist itself in terms of Giles' return could have felt lame or annoying, but instead is taken seriously but with also a nice slice of humor. It's a strange decision on the surface, but as you take into account everything we've learned about Giles' life as well as his family, it makes sense and more importantly Gage is actually doing something interesting with it. I'm not sure where it'll go from here, but with three issues to go I feel like the sky's the limit. That is exactly the sort of feeling you should get from a comic, but especially one that's moving through its final storyline.

Isaacs' art, as always, looks great. She's good with likenesses, but she's also able to keep her characters feel animated and non-posed; that's something rare in a licensed comic book. Pages are cleanly laid out and easy to follow, the individual panels are carefully rendered to focus your eyes on just the right thing, and backgrounds are present and well fleshed-out. All of these seem like obvious things to want in a comic's visuals, but at the same time you'd be surprised how some or all of these fail to show up. Add in a great overall artistic style with some nice thick ink lines and you end up with another smart looking comic.

"Angel & Faith" #22 is another in a long line of good comics from Gage and Isaacs. Fans of the stars of this comic should definitely be buying these; definitely one of the best licensed books I've read in a while. I've said it before and I'll say it again: if Gage and Isaacs work on a comic together, I'll buy it, no questions asked. As always, good times.

[comic fan]

Preview pages for the Billy story starting in Dark Horse Presents # 25.

Preview: Dark Horse Presents #25 - Comic Book Resources

Preview: Dark Horse Presents #25



After training with Buffy, Billy the vampire slayer heads back to his hometown to deal with the zompire epidemic! Delve into a time-travel story from Eisner Award–winning writer Matt Fraction! Mike Richardson adapts Andrew Vachss’ vision of violence in the big city in Undergound! Read an installment of The Chapel Chronicles by fifteen-year-old Emma T Capps!

Plus, new installments of Trekker, Blackout, Nexus, Crime Does Not Pay, Brain Boy, King’s Road, and Bloodhound!






ETA

Finally I have my copy of Angel & Faith # 22,Part II of "What You Want,Not What You Need."

I'll keep this short since it's been already majorly discussed.I really enjoyed the issue and loved all the character interaction between Giles and the other characters especially Faith.Also got a laugh at Giles horomones raging around Faith twice.

As for Giles's fate in the next 3 issues.I see three options happening.

1)Giles stays in his 12 year old body.

2)Giles gets aged back up.

3)Giles dies again.

At this point ,I can't guess how it will go.

I'm still leary at more ressurections but I have to admit I hope we don't lose Giles again but the ressurections have sort of reached the breaking point for me.Joss is even doing it with Agent Coulson on Agents of SHIELD.Whatever happens with Giles.Either way after devoting a whole season to it,this really should be it on the ressurection front.

But I really did love this issue.

[comic fan]

CBR Behind Buffy S9:Angel & Faith # 22 with Christos Gage.

BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9: Rupert's Back? - Comic Book Resources

BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9: Rupert's Back?

In our latest BEHIND BUFFY commentary, "Angel & Faith" writer Christos Gage discusses the long road to and surprise twist in the resurrection of Rupert Giles and what it means for the comic's cast moving forward.

Daniel Glendening, Guest Contributor

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for "Angel & Faith" #22.

Things are looking up, sort of, on the eve of the apocalypse!

Issue #22 of Dark Horse Comics' "Angel & Faith," written by Christos Gage and featuring art by Rebekah Isaacs, picks up right where #21 left off: Angel, Faith, Alasdair Coames and the Fairweather sisters set in motion a resurrection spell designed to bring fallen Watcher Rupert Giles back to the land of the living. However, just as the spell is hit its climax, Whistler, Pearl and Nash burst in, interrupting the proceedings, throwing a few punches and absconding with Coames' stash of mystical artifacts.

The series continues its trek towards the Season 9 finale with issue #22, which while relatively light on outright action focuses on character building and the slow build towards the inevitable big clash. In this installment of BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9, Gage discusses the decision making process around Giles' resurrection, and how it might be affecting the rest of the "Angel & Faith" crew.



CBR News: Issue #22 opens with Angel, Faith, Alasdair and the Fairweathers attempting to salvage their resurrection spell after the interruption from Whistler, Pearl and Nash at the conclusion of the last issue. We see a little of each character's memory of Giles, and most of them, it seems, are bent on this resurrection out of some sense of guilt over past failure. Would Giles himself approve of the use of this type of magic being driven by guilt?

Christos Gage: No, probably not. He'd want them focusing all their energy on stopping Whistler and company. He likely wouldn't have approved of Willow resurrecting Buffy, either. But that's not to say he's not happy to have her back, or unhappy to have been saved from Eyghon. Then again, he's not entirely thrilled with how things turned out for him, either.

Faith is the exception to this -- she isn't thinking of failure, but instead of her need for Giles in her life. Faith has come a long way since her first appearance. In what ways would you say she's grown over the course of this Season, and where might her character arc be leading her?

I think Faith has grown more than any other character in the Buffyverse -- of course, she started out setting the bar pretty low! One big step for her is realizing, as she does this issue, that she's come to a point where she doesn't need a father figure in her life -- not the Mayor, not her own biological father, not Giles. She's come to a point where she's capable and independent on her own. But, as Giles points out, that doesn't negate the pain of not having, and never having had, the father figure she deserved. She's realized that she has to grieve in order to move past it. As for her overall character arc, keep reading!



And then, oh man -- the results of the spell are revealed: Giles has come back in a twelve-year-old's body! What?

That was Joss [Whedon]. We started out Season 9 with different opinions about the outcome of the resurrection. Scott was leaning toward our heroes failing to bring Giles back, but learning something about themselves in the journey and accomplishing other important things. Joss and I both wanted the resurrection to work, but not quite as planned. My thought was that Giles should come back as Ripper, but Joss felt he should be a kid, and while I wouldn't presume to speak for Joss as to his reasons why, I can now see a really good reason Giles shouldn't have come back as Ripper: he'd be too close in age to the other characters, which, even if we never went there, opens up the uncomfortable possibility of Giles in romantic entanglements with female characters to whom he's always been a father or mentor. Initially there was talk of Giles being in a 10-year-old body, as he was in the flashback we saw in issue 5, but Joss then suggested 12 years old. That's great, because it puts him on the cusp of adolescence, so while the idea of any actual nookie with other characters is off the table, we get the raging hormones of a 12-year-old male body, which makes things as awkward as possible for everyone, which is always fun.

The idea of Giles coming back as Ripper-era Rupert reminds me of the episode in which adult Giles reverted to his swaggering Ripper persona and had an affair with Buffy's mom (relationships get complicated so easily!). There is, I think, a thread that runs through the Buffy storylines that has to do with false appearances, or contradictions between appearances and actuality.

Yeah, I think that episode may be another reason why Joss didn't want to go with young adult Ripper -- we've kind of been there. But we do have a lot of people in the Buffyverse who are different than they appear, from the vampires to the great-aunts.



As everyone is trying to wrap their heads around what has happened, they are all having slightly different reactions. How would you say everyone is handling the transformation?

Everyone has their own take. Giles' Great-Aunts think it's wonderful -- they regard Giles as an adorable little living dress-up doll who is no longer wrinkled and old, which they see as a fate worse than death. Angel is just thrilled that he was able to undo one of the horrible mistakes he's made -- any other implications haven't really hit him. Alasdair is kind of the opposite: he had been advocating against the resurrection, but it worked, and now he feels bad he wanted his good friend to stay dead, even though that's what Giles would have advocated. Faith, we discuss above and below. As for Giles, his life has been turned upside down. He still has the memories and knowledge of his middle-aged former self, but with the physical body of a 12-year-old, which is more than just an outward appearance. Grant Morrison once wrote a great chapter of "Zenith" in which a scientist is rapidly aging backwards, and it's narrated by his journal entries as he hits different life stages. The one where he's an adolescent talks about how overwrought everything seems, and he's displaying the sullen rebelliousness of a teenager, even though he still has the same knowledge and memories of this man in his sixties or seventies. So Giles has to adjust to more than just being shorter; there's this hormone soup running through his veins skewing everything, and that means more than just involuntary boners; it means impulsiveness and emotion and all manner of other things. He's kind of the same person, but he's also not.

Rebekah has done an amazing job of channeling adult Giles through this young body. The character design and, especially, the body language are very apt.

Damn right. She is amazing. I think this is an instance where her talent has done something a TV show couldn't have done, and that's have a twelve year old kid who looks and acts exactly like Anthony Steward Head playing a middle-aged Giles stuck in a young Giles' body. Now stop talking about how great our artist is before someone offers her a truckload of money to go work with them!



Giles and Faith have a fairly intense conversation up on the rooftop. Suddenly, that Father-figure relationship Faith wanted has been perversely inverted. What does this inversion mean for their relationship?

It's sad in that Faith wanted the best father figure she ever had back and she didn't get him, but the silver lining is that this pushes her to the realization Giles articulates well: she doesn't need that. She's become her own woman, an adult, who can stand on her own. Where the Faith/Giles relationship goes from here remains to be seen, but it'll be different than it was before.

Giles has been left feeling unsure of what his role is now, or what shape is life will be taking. He tells Faith that, in fact, none of the team really needed him back as he was, and in conversation with Alasdair it's speculated that there may be a reason for his returning in this state. What might that reason be? Is there a cosmic need for a tween Giles?

No, not so much cosmic as personal. Alasdair is saying the reason is that Giles himself had that question in his mind about "What if I could start over and do this instead," with "this" being enter the Watcher Academy at twelve instead of nine or ten. So his great-aunts, who wanted a re-do, were imagining him as he was when they brought out his magic talent at ten and he had to go be a Watcher before he was ready, and Giles resisted becoming that frightened boy again, picturing himself instead at twelve, and that's how he ended up.



As the team is making plans and preparations to find and take out Whistler, Pearl and Nash, Giles asks everyone to remain focused on the task at hand, in the event that he or anyone else die in combat. This brings up the question: should they have put so much energy into Giles' resurrection in the first place?

Probably not, but when has this group ever done what they should? One thing we didn't want to do was have Giles travel the same journey Buffy did after her resurrection, so don't look for him to experience a similar existential crisis about having been awoken from his eternal reward -- but given that in his particular case his soul was enslaved to Eyghon, that wasn't likely anyway.



As the team crashes Whistler's world-ending party, we get a glimpse of yet another potential wrench in the gears. Is that Nadira following behind Angel and Faith, with vengeance on her mind?

It's definitely Nadira. As for what's on her mind, vengeance is a pretty safe bet -- but against who?


I thought it was interesting that Scott Allie was against bringing Giles back and having their failure to bring him back leading them to learn something about themselves while both Joss and Christos Gage wanted the resurrection to work but Gage wanted him back as Ripper while Joss wanted him back as a kid.Joss of course won out.But's also interesting about what Gage realized after the fact if they brought Giles back as Ripper.Giles would be close in age to the other characters and that it would open the door for romantic pairings with the female characters like Buffy and Faith which it sounds like Gage feels should be avoided(my reading of his comments).I.'ve seen Buffy/Giles fic over the years so I bet this would of been a kick for them to see.But even bringing back Giles as a kid,the age was debated.At first they were going to bring him back as a 10 year old but Joss suggested 12 which works to play up the hormones without the possibility of a pairing.

[comic fan]

Buffy S9 # 25 solicitation and covers.Final issue of season 9

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #25 (Phil Noto cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #25 (Georges Jeanty variant cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #25 (Phil Noto cover)

Creators

Writer:Andrew Chambliss
Artist:Georges Jeanty
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colorist:Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Phil Noto

Buffy can’t ever just be a vampire Slayer, can she? Always, the world seems to want more, and as the lives of her loved ones are threatened, Buffy shows why she is the Chosen One. Whatever is thrust upon her, she can handle it! Er . . . sometimes with a little help from her friends.

* Executive produced by Joss Whedon!

"Very enjoyable, and the fandom will eat it up." - Bloody Disgusting

[Eddy]

Nick Brendon is going to write Buffy comics? Wow.

[comic fan]

Originally Posted by Eddy (View Post) Nick Brendon is going to write Buffy comics? Wow.

He's involved in some way.He was at the season 10 writers summit.

Leyki's review of Buffy # 22.

Review, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #22 (The Core, part 2) | Light_Watcher

ETA

I have Buffy # 22,The Core Part II.

This issue was sort of eh.It's basically an action issue with some set up for different things.

We got the setup for Billy and Anaheed to go off for their Dark Horse Presents 3 parter(and I will be passing on that.Not because I have no interest but because money is going to be tight for me the next few weeks).

We got the setup for Spike's next interaction with Buffy I would assume with taking Anaheed's info about Simone to Buffy.

We got the setup for the fallout of Xander's betrayal now that it's been revealed to Buffy and Willow.

As far as that goes.It played out how I would expect.It does make me wonder once again if Xander will sacrifice himself to fix his mistake and poor judgment.If we hadn't already learned that NB is involved in season 10 via the writers summit photo,I would peg Xander's death as a sure bet.Considering Nick is involved as a seaso n10 creator,I'm expecting some type of fallout from this playing into season 10.

The Spike and Dawn scene was nice but now that Spike is also starting to lose memory of Dawn(and rushes to tape record his memory of her to boot), I'm left pondering if Buffy,Xander and Willow are next.I would guess Willow's memory would go first between the three with Xander and Buffy next.I'm also curious if Giles remembers Dawn now too.

Koh hasn't been much of character to me so his epiphany while logically I get just really causes a shrug from me.

The end reveal by Illyria about Severin's plan dosen't jibe for me since we saw that sort of thing doen in After The Fall with no apocalyptic consequences.

Even though they aren't connected,it did make me wonder how Whistler's,Pearl and Nash's plans would jube with Sevrine's and Simone's

So overall,this was a bit on the dull side for me even with the action.

[comic fan]

Reviews for this weeks first part of the Billy three parter in Dark Horse Presents # 25.

Dark Horse Presents # 25 Review | Unleash The Fanboy

For me, the headlining Buffy story, “Love vs. Life,” was a bit of a disappointment, although my situation is fairly unique, as I just started watching the TV series a few months ago and only recently finished season three. Thus, I had no idea what was going on. It is disappointing, however, that, over a hundred episodes after where I currently am in the series, we’re still rehashing the same themes. Moline’s art is exceptionally fluid, making the characters feel as if they’re alive and moving, even when standing still.


Best Shots Advance Reviews: MARA, DARK HORSE PRESENTS, More | Newsarama.com

Best Shots Advance Reviews: MARA, DARK HORSE PRESENTS, More

by The Best Shots Team
Date: 18 June 2013

Sometimes a portfolio of new works, at other times a minor cross-promotion for other major Dark Horse series, the first vignette in this month’s book falls a little bit in each camp. TV writer and producer Jane Espenson presents the first installment of the three-part "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Love Vs. Life" with artist Karl Moline. Tying directly into the ninth season of Buffy, currently running across various comics, it focuses on Billy the Vampire Slayer. While readers not up on the current season may not fully understand what is going on in the first few pages, Espenson does a terrific job of making this accessible to more general audiences. Keeping with the season’s ethos of providing more personal and character driven stories, the "zompire" attacks are secondary to the big decision that Billy makes concerning his boyfriend Devon. It’s the stuff of classic Buffy television episodes, and a perfect opener to the issue.

[comic fan]

CBR Behind Buffy S9:Andrew Chambliss on Buffy # 22

BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9: Chambliss Dives Into The Deeper Well - Comic Book Resources

BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9: Chambliss Dives Into The Deeper Well

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" writer Andrew Chambliss dives into the events of issue #22, looking at Xander's desperation, the significance of the Scythe and the importance of Spike's tender side.

Daniel Glendening, Guest Contributor

As Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9," written by Andrew Chambliss and featuring art by Georges Jeanty, is careening towards its finale, Buffy and crew find themselves once again all that stands as a final defense against the destruction of the world. The Scoobies have been stretched thin of late, with zompires raging across the world and Buffy powerlessly watching her sister, Dawn, slowly and painfully fade from reality.

Buffy, Xander and Willow have rushed off to The Deeper Well in a last ditch effort to gain the power to save Dawn from forgetting herself and disappearing for good. There, they find a hearty battle awaits them. Meanwhile, rogue Slayer Simone and Severin, the Siphon, are attempting to sneak in through the back door in hopes of turning back time.

For this installment of "BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9," Comic Book Resources spoke with Chambliss about the inner motivations of the Scoobies as they rush toward Armageddon. We discuss the doubts plaguing Xander as Dawn fades from the world, Balloon Demons and hints of changes still to come.




CBR News: Before we dive in to issue #22, let's get a brief wrap up on #21. Willow manages to bring Dawn partially back to the land of the living, and Buffy leads Willow and Xander on a mission to the Deeper Well to gain the magic necessary for Willow to complete Dawn's cure. The Deeper Well is guarded, of course, and it's the Demon Council watching the gates. As Buffy dives into battle, it's revealed that Xander is, in fact, working with Simone and The Siphon. Whew!

What sort of state is everyone in, would you say? There seems to be a hint of desperation in the air.

Andrew Chambliss: Desperation is a fair assessment -- maybe even an understatement. Dawn's life is in the balance back in San Francisco. Buffy, Willow and Xander are planning to find magic in the Deeper Well. Even if they get past the council, they have no idea what they're going to face inside. And then there's the added bonus that Xander's secretly aiding the bad guys.

What is going on in Xander's mind that has led him to turn his back on his life-long friends?

Xander's still in the same place he was back in issue #20. We got a glimpse in his head there. Basically, he's stood back and watched so many people die -- most recently Giles at the end of [Season] 8. He was able to keep it together since then because he had Dawn. His ordinary life with her was an escape from living in a life where your girlfriend, friend, mentor could be killed at any time. He didn't think he was going to have to stand by and watch one more person die. But, of course, then Dawn -- the girl he loves, the girl who was helping him keep it together -- started to die because her magic was fading, and he just lost it. And whose fault did Xander think it was? Buffy's. If she hadn't destroyed the Seed, Xander doesn't think Dawn would be in this position. So when Sev and Simone came along with their offer, Xander thought it sounded pretty good -- if Severin can actually turn back the clock to before Twilight, not only can Xander save Dawn's life, but it would also mean Giles would still be alive. Willow wouldn't have lost her magic, and Buffy wouldn't have gone through all the fallout she has since she destroyed the Seed. Even though he's turning his back on his friends in the moment, Xander thinks he's actually making the tough choice that will help everyone when all is said and done.



As Issue #22 opens, we're right in the thick of battle. Buffy is fighting with the Scythe, brought back to her by Willow. She remarks that she hasn't wielded the weapon since destroying the Seed -- does the return of the Scythe herald the return of something larger? Magic? Or maybe even Buffy's confidence?

Buffy's relationship with the scythe is definitely a complicated one. The last time it was in one piece, she used it to destroy the Seed. Even though she believes she made the right decision, it's a reminder of an action that put Dawn in the danger she's in. With that in mind, I think it's kind of cool that Buffy's using the same weapon to fight her way into the Well where she hopes to find magic to save Dawn. I don't think Buffy's even thinking about any of this, though -- she's pretty focused on kicking the Council's ass. Bringing the weapon back into Buffy's world wasn't necessarily designed to herald the return of something larger. When Willow returned with it in Issue #20, it really was meant as a peace offering between friends. Willow returned with magic; she was a witch again, and she brought Buffy a weapon that reminds her of who she is -- the Slayer. It was meant as a cool little friend moment. The scythe will definitely play a role as the final arc heads into the Deeper Well, and not just as something Buffy uses to slice off demon arms -- though there will be that!


Simone and Severin are at the other entrance to the Deeper Well, in New Zealand, hoping to slip in the back door, and we finally see what Balloon Girl is made of: Georges Jeanty's Balloon Slime-mold monster is pretty fantastic!

Severin makes pretty short work of the monster, though, and it seems their path is wide open. Their plan can't be as foolproof as they make it seem, right?

I loved the balloon monster. I'd been waiting to unleash the demon hiding inside that balloon ever since we first saw that little girl as a member of the Council. Georges had a really good take on what that demon looked like -- I was sorry to see Sev kill it. But that monster had to go so they could get into the Well.

Severin and Simone are certainly pretty cocky as they head into the Deeper Well, and why wouldn't they be? Nobody's been able to stop them so far. But, yeah, your suspicions are correct: Things aren't going to be as easy as they think in the Deeper Well. I mean, they are going into a giant tomb filled with thousands and thousands of coffined demons, and not just any demons -- the Old Ones. Let's not forget that this is where Illyria had been buried before she took over Fred's body as a vessel.



Back at Buffy's place, Billy gets a call from his Watcher and decides he has to leave to stop a zompire attack in his hometown. What is Billy's role in this larger End-Of-The-World storyline? His part seems to have diminished somewhat since he was introduced.

Jane Espenson had a great idea for a Billy/zompire story in Dark Horse Presents. It's something that we just didn't have room to tell in "Buffy" once we got the Scoobies back together and sent them off on their adventure, so rather than short-change Billy as a character, we decided to give him a little side adventure. He's definitely not out of Buffy's world for good, and even though he's not witnessing the events at the Deeper Well, that doesn't mean what's happening there won't have an effect on him or what's happening in his home town going forward. He's on the ground, fighting zompires, and I think it's safe to say that we'll walk away from the season seeing how the Scoobies' actions in the Cotswold are going to affect places like Santa Rosita.



Spike is also back in San Francisco, trying to connect to Dawn and help her to remember herself. Where is Spike's place, these days? Since his space jaunt, he seems to be bouncing around a little bit, unsure of where he belongs.

I think Spike is exactly where he wants to be. He specifically didn't run to Buffy's side in England when he heard what was happening. If he had -- even though he's no longer pining for her -- I think some part of him would be wondering why he's always running to Buffy's side to help her out of a jam. Instead, he came to help Dawn. His relationship with Dawn is a lot less complicated, but that doesn't mean it's any less strong. Dawn and Spike developed a pretty tight bond back around the time when she discovered she was the Key, so I think it's only fitting that Spike's the guy at her side, helping her hang onto who she is. And even though Buffy doesn't know that Spike's at Dawn's side, I think she'd feel a lot better knowing that Dawn is with someone who shares so much history with her.



Suddenly, Buffy finds herself in a tight spot on the battlefield, only to be saved at the last minute by Koh and Illyria. The two offer their aid, but Buffy is reluctant to accept. Why the reluctance? It seems she could use all the help she can get.

Buffy could definitely use all the help she can get, but let's not forget that Koh hasn't exactly been the most reliable ally in Buffy's past. He betrayed her back when they were working for Kennedy, and he was working for the Council because they had answers for him about who put him in demon jail. At first blush, he's not exactly the guy you want at your side fighting the very same Council who can tempt Koh with answers to that question.

Ironically, though, Buffy shouldn't be worried about Koh at all -- especially when it's really one of her best friends she should be keeping an eye out for. But, given her past with Koh, can we really blame Buffy for making that mistake when she runs into him?



After Willow saves Xander from certain death by what looks like a squid-demon, he calls Sev and Simone to check in. He's beginning to have doubts about their plan -- what is fueling those doubts, and what leads him to spill the beans to Buffy?

I don't think Xander ever really thought the specifics of the plan through. He just looked at the upside. If Severin and Simone succeed, the clock gets reset. The Seed is never destroyed. Dawn's magic never fades. Lots of bad stuff doesn't happen. But in order for Severin and Simone to even have a shot at resetting the clock, someone needs to keep the Council busy -- and Buffy's doing just that. When Xander sees that she's willing to die to get Willow into the Well -- when it actually becomes reality -- it all becomes too much for him. He agreed to help Sev and Simone specifically because he didn't want to watch one more person he cares about die. When he calls Simone, he tells her that even if everything gets reset, he still can't stomach watching Buffy or Willow die -- and he's right. It would be too much for him. That's ultimately why he comes clean to Buffy, but I also think it goes a little deeper than what Xander tells Simone. He's starting to doubt whether they can pull it off. He's beginning to realize, even if he's not admitting it to himself, that Severin and Simone might not be able to do what they promised him. Maybe they're using him. Since he lost faith in his friends, which is hard to do, it's not surprising that he's now losing faith in the villains.



Xander's been stretched pretty thin, emotionally, over the past few issues. Is this fallout with Buffy going to push him to the brink, or will it catalyze growth?

Xander has been raked over the coals in the past couple issues. All the emotions he kept bottled up all season burst out, and those emotions pushed him to make some pretty questionable decisions. As Buffy scrambles to clean up Xander's mess and save her sister, Xander's going to find himself in the exact position he didn't want to be -- standing on the sidelines watching as the people he cares about are put in danger. Whether he lets the guilt of what he's done keep him from acting or whether he can push past everything and find his own way to start making some right decisions is what we'll see over the next couple issues.