[comic fan]

Still no preview pages.

I have my copy of Spike #4 of 8 though.This issue was much meatier then last issue.

1)The Spike/Dru reunion is fun.Spike is torn between his old feelings for Dru,the fact that he's moved on,and still being pissed at her for running off and shagging that chaos demon.He's also pissed that she's been screwing John.Beck and Dru are very catty to each other too in this issue with both jealous of the other over Spike.Spike and Dru do get into it in the issue about their past and about Buffy.

Dru in the shower:She's getting in the way(she meaning Beck).

Spike:Wonderful,Let's do this now.Getting in the way of what,Dru.

Dru:Of us.

Spike: Dru,"US" belongs alongside Turok-Han and decent punk bands on the list of things that just don't exist anymore.I hopped of your crazy train the minute you hopped on a Chaos demon.Never been more happy with that decision than I was today,when you reeked of villain of the week.

Dru:I showered.He's gone.You have to let that go.

Spike lighting up a cigarette:Oh love...I've let SO MUCH go.

Dru coming out of the bathroom and drying her hair:Yes,I know.Playing with slayers.

Spike:SLAY-ER.I,uh,played with one.

Dru:And you killed two.So you're still ahead.Why aren't you with her?Oh,did you get bored?She seemed boring.Stiff and boring.

Spike:Anything but.Our story isn't done.I...exploded in front of her.For her.For the world.That's how we left it.(see Buffy Season 8 for the reunion).

Dru:She forced you to get a soul.

Spike:She made me want to be better.

Dru:You were perfect.

Spike:I was a nightmare

Dru:You were committed.You protected me.However you remember it...we were connected in ways that no one can understand.And then it changed.You took a soul and they came and you didn't know.

Dru then gets into what happened to her in Angel #24-25.

Again,Spike really does seem torn in this issue and does lose himself a bit into his past relationship with Dru while also trying to fight those past feelings.You really have to read the dialog to get the torn vibe.The issue sort of ends on that note while Spike also thinks about getting help which leads to #3 on this list below.

2)We get the insight dirt on John.Spike doesn't have John's soul literally.It's explained in this issue by Wolfram and Hart when Spike soul was restored in "Grave" there had to be a balance.To restore Spike's soul,someone else had to lose theirs.That person was John.

John:You told ME Spike took my soul.

Wolfram And Hart:We told you there needs to be a balance.When Spike won his back....

John:I DON'T HAVE MY SOUL BECAUSE SPIKE WANTED TO SCORE A GIRL.My point is YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING.When you put us in the same room.

John is also pissed because Wolfram and Hart used Dru to mess with Spike's head and he wants to know why they didn't use Buffy instead.Wolfram and Hark knew Buffy wouldn't be easy to manipulate like Dru.

John in tears:And you knew what you were doing when you brought her into this,when you paired us up.You could of brought in the Slayer if you REALLY wanted to mess with his head,but you didn't...

Wolfram and Hart:The Slayer cannot be easily manipulated.

3)The setup for Willow's arrival next issue.While Dru is showering Spike tries to call Angel's cell phone to let him know what's going on but the call fails(Angel is in the future as seen in his book).At the end of the issue while he and Dru are hugging,Spike realize he needs help.In a comedic sequence in Spike's head,he rules out Angel,Illyria,Connor,Gunn and even Wes.He decides to get Willow's help.And that's how the issue ends.

Again,much meatier IMO then last issue and fun.

[comic fan]

Final version of Georges Jeanty Buffy #40 cover.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #40 (Georges Jeanty cover) :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

[comic fan]

Gail Simone Asked To Write For Buffy Season Nine Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors

Gail Simone Asked To Write For Buffy Season Nine

Submitted by Rich Johnston
on January 7, 2011



We all know that the Joss Whedon showrun comic Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Eight is coming to a close, and that Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Nine is to launch from Dark Horse Comics later this year.

Well now we know that comic book writer Birds Of Prey/Secret Six/Welcome To Tranquility‘s Gail Simone has been asked to write for it.

I do hope she says yes. I would look forward to her Willow, especially.

Photo by Laura Gjovaag.

Jinxworld Forums - View Single Post - Your Favorite Comics Character!

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewCrossett
I just think it's a crying shame you've never written for the real Buffy, because your style is right in the Joss Whedon wheelhouse.

They asked me to, they said I can write as much Buffy as I want, and they sent all the tpbs for me to look at.

They have been pretty wonderful, actually!

[comic fan]

The issue came out last week but the preview pages for Spike #4 are finally out.

Preview: Spike #4 - Comic Book Resources

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: "Spike" #4

Courtesy of IDW Publishing, CBR presents an exclusive preview of "Spike" #4 written by Brian Lynch with art and cover by Franco Urru. Spike's reunion with Drusilla continues this Wednesday, January 12.



Spike’s reunion with Drusilla is nothing short of explosive, especially considering her new lover thinks Spike has something he needs. Meanwhile, Las Vegas continues to deal with even more weirdness as Wolfram & Hart tries to get around Team Spike. Bring on the pyrokinetic and the psychic fish to save the day!

[comic fan]

Dark Horse April Solicitations

Dark Horse Comics Solicitations for April, 2011 - Comic Book Resources

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON EIGHT VOLUME 8: LAST GLEAMING

Joss Whedon (W), Jane Espenson (W), Scott Allie (W), Georges Jeanty (P), Karl Moline (P), Andy Owens (I), Michelle Madsen (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)

On sale June 1
FC, 168 pages
$16.99
TPB, 7" x 10"

The season finale is here! At long last, the Big Bad stands revealed—Angel is back, and it’s tearing the Scoobies apart, testing the limits of their friendship. But Twilight’s unmasking is only the beginning, and Buffy must still face the ultimate betrayal.
Series creator Joss Whedon writes the final story arc of Buffy Season 8, taking his greatest characters to places only he can! Teamed with series artist Georges Jeanty, Joss reunites the dysfunctional gang of Buffy, Angel, and Spike, in the thick of it together for the first time since Season 3, and gives the Scoobies their gravest challenge ever, defending reality itself from the onslaught of demons. It’s the biggest Buffy finale ever!

• Collects Buffy Season 8 #36–#40.
• This volume also includes the spy-thriller Riley one-shot by Buffy series writer Jane Espenson and artist Karl Moline.

[comic fan]

Brad Meltzer podcast.Talks Buffy Season 8 starting at the 50 minute mark.

Word Balloon Comics Podcast

1)At the start of season 8,Joss let the writers pick which characters they wanted to write and pitch whatever they wanted.Instead of pitching a specific character to write,Meltzer piitched how he saw the Buffyverse.Joss liked some things and hated others but asked him to write the ultimate arc of season 8 and Joss would close it out.

2)Joss loved Brad's geeky comic stuff like the machine from the X-Men/Teen Titans crossover.

3)Meltzer talks about the B/A sex scene.They went back and forth on how to handle it with Joss blurting out to lets just show everything.The whole issue will show it.

4)Joss told his writers upfront at the start of season 8 that Angel was Twilight.They knew the beginning of season 8 and the end of season 8,how the season would end but they didn't know the in-between,the middle.That's when Meltzer came up with the idea of how the Buffyverse works and The Universe had a plan.That if the universe was smart enough to create slayers when there are vampires,how is it not smart enough to have a plan for them too.This is how the eco-system works.

5)Meltzer didn't think he would use Andrew at all.He originally thought the comedy stuff would be with Xander.But as season 8 progreesed,Xander took on a much more mature adult role and Meltzer felt he couldn't ram that take on Xander down the stories throat.It wouldn't be true of where the character was at anymore.Andrew was now clearly filling that role.Andrew took over every scene he was in when he was only going to have a small role.

6)Would love to write for Buffy Season 9 but it's time dependent since he has so many projects.If the schedule works out than he would love to be back for season 9.

[comic fan]

Gail Simone confirms she's been asked to write for Buffy Season 9 and plans to immerse herself beforehand in the Buffyverse.

Jinxworld Forums - View Single Post - Gail asked to write Buffy season 9?!?!?!

Re: Gail asked to write Buffy season 9?!?!?!

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and respond to this.

I have been trying not to respond, mainly because I didn't have much that I could say at this point. But that stupid Bleeding Cool story made a big splash somehow and so I figure I owe it to everyone to say what I can.

Yes, I have been asked to write for the next run of Buffy comics. The people asking have been TREMENDOUSLY nice, by the way, a real credit to the industry and the franchise, just to get that in.

It's true, I have not watched Buffy. I have the first two seasons on disc, but haven't watched them. It is not because I don't find it appealing, in fact, it looks like a terrific series, but I just don't watch much television. I have seen the first couple episodes, and thought they were great fun.

I am not at all offended by the people who find my lack of Buffyverse knowledge off-putting. I think that is a perfectly reasonable concern. No one involved wants anyone working on the stories who doesn't know their stuff. It's always frustrating to read a story where the writer got everything wrong, wrong, wrong. So, no worries there.

All I can say is, I am a research hound when I write characters. I had never read a Deadpool comic when I took over that book. If I took this gig, I assure you, I would immerse myself in Buffy stuff 24/7 before I ever even considered putting a word on paper. You can say a lot of things about me, but I don't slop work out for a paycheck. I take this thing seriously, and the dedicated Buffy readership deserves the best efforts of the person writing the book.

My understanding is that there is something in my writing that reminds people somewhat of Joss' works. I've been hearing that for years. My guess is that the Buffy people felt I would bring some of that sensibility to the project, and they are confident enough in the Buffy series that they believe I would enjoy working in that universe.

That's it, I hope that clears some stuff up!

[~MelBelle~]

Please let it not be so, I mean I'm glad that she is going to do research and yes she is going to write about the Buffy series, but the Angel series is a big part of the buffy series and allot of the writers *seem* to be forgetting that. It's almost as if they're looking at both shows as two different shows like Firefly and Dollhouse, no connection.

I just hope that when she does her research she includes the ats verse as well, and how far each character exceeded themselves.

[comic fan]

Buffy Season 8 soundtrack as picked by the creative team.

Soundtrack to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 | Facebook

Soundtrack to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8.

by Dark Horse Comics on Monday, January 17, 2011

Music is no doubt an important part of any Joss Whedon series. So, with the end of Buffy the Vampire Season 8 happening this Wednesday at a local comic shop near you, we asked the creators to pick songs they though encapsulated this tumultuous ride. The pseudo-compilation is more of an EP than an LP for all you audiophiles out there. None the less, we hope you enjoy this selection of songs as we end another chapter in the life of the world's favorite vampire slayer.

Tracklist:

1) "Bitch Is Back" by Elton John

Chosen by Editor and Writer Scott Allie

YouTube - Elton John The Bitch is Back 1986

2) "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath

Chosen by Letterer Jimmy Betancourt

YouTube - Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

3) "Defying Gravity" by Idina Menzel

Chosen by Artist Georges Jeanty

YouTube - Defying Gravity - Wicked (With Lyrics!)

4) "Black Horse in a Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall

Chosen by Artist Jo Chen

YouTube - KT Tunstall Black horse and a cherry tree Tarantata

5) "More Than This" by Roxy Music

Chosen by Colorist Michelle Madsen

YouTube - Roxy Music - More Than This (High Audio Quality)

6) "Rotten Hell" by Menomena

Chosen by Editor Sierra Hahn

YouTube - rotten hell - menomena

7) "Uniform Grey" by Sarah Harmer

Chosen by Executive Producer and Writer Joss Whedon

YouTube - Jessica at Sarah Harmer - Uniform Grey

[comic fan]

For Once, Something Good Happens on Buffy's Brithday | Blogtown, PDX

For Once, Something Good Happens on Buffy's Brithday

Posted by Courtney Ferguson
on Tue, Jan 18, 2011



Buffy Summers' birthdays have been historically terrible (Angel loses his soul after they have sex; Giles betrays her; Giles gets turned into a demon; Dawn sets the house on fire; Dawn enslaves her friends and steals a leather jacket; Dawn is still alive). But all that changes this year! Celebrate the Buffster's 30th with Dark Horse and Cosmic Monkey Comics. The bash goes down tomorrow at the Multnomah County Central Library, which is also when you can pick up the last issue in Dark Horse Comics' Season Eight series (nearly four years in the making!) from Cosmic Monkey. There will be games, prizes, giveaways, and more. Also: Get all your geek questions answered by Buffy Editors Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn*, who will be in attendance.

Wednesday, January 19
Multnomah County Central Library, US Bank Room
801 SW 10th, 5:30-7:45 pm

* Who was kind enough to answer my most Shameful Email Ever:

COURTNEY: I have a pressing nerd question for you. I can't figure out the timeline of Buffy's age. (God, I'm sorry to do this to you). So I understand that in 2011 she's 30, but it seems like in Season Eight it's around 2006, what with the Amy Winehouse name-dropping and all, so Buffy would be 25. (OMG, I hate myself). Is there a little fudging of years in the storyline of Season Eight? Has more time transpired in the comics then I'm imagining? Will this all be explained in the last issue, and I should just settle down and wait? I suppose it could be 2006 or 2007 in the Buffyverse and we're just in the future celebrating her b-day. (I'll shut up now).

SIERRA: Regarding Buffy and her age... We've sort of fudged the age thing a bit. Season Eight takes place a year or so after the end of the show, putting Buffy and her pals in their mid-20s. Vague? Yes. That's the answer/non-answer. We just refer to them as "twentysomethings."


Buffyfest will be posting a end of the season interview with Scott Allie at some point in the next few days.

buffyfest (buffyfest) on Twitter

Oooh. Just checked the Buffyfest email & saw our end-of-season interview with Super @ScottAllie ! It's juicy!
about 2 hours ago via Mobile Web

[comic fan]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/48135

Wednesday Brings The Season-Eight Finale of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER!!

Published on: Jan 19, 2011




I am – Hercules!!

The eighth and longest season of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” launched March 14, 2007 in comic book form and written by a lot of the same screenwriters behind the 1997-2003 TV show, comes to an end Wednesday with a final issue scripted by series mastermind Joss Whedon.

The 40th issue of Season Eight was delayed slightly to commemorate the 30th birthday of Buffy Summers (as established on the TV show).

Writers who migrated from the first seven seasons to the eighth include Joss Whedon ("Toy Story," "Speed"), Drew Goddard (“Lost,” “Cloverfield”), Jane Espenson (“Battlestar Galactica,” “A Game Of Thrones”), Doug Petrie (“CSI,” “Pushing Daisies”), Drew Greenberg (“Dexter,” “Warehouse 13”) and Steven S. DeKnight (“Smallville,” “Spartacus: Blood and Sand”).

Issue #39, released last month, featured Very Big Death. #40 looks to be the sad epilogue.

Word is there will be a ninth season, also in funnybook form, but we may not see it launch till Joss Whedon is done writing and directing Marvel’s big-deal “Avengers” motion picture.




Buffyfest Buffy #40 Analysis

Buffyfest: Buffy #40 Analysis - SPOLIERS (but only a little)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Buffy #40 Analysis - SPOLIERS (but only a little)

Disclaimer: This is not a review. If you're looking for the full on spoiler fest, you ought to poke your peepers elsewhere. This here is some fine genuine analysis so get the darn comic and, when you're done flipping through it a few times, put on your best smarty pants, and then read this thing.

Hope.

It might just be the theme, not just of season 8, but of Buffy as a series. Sometimes hope can be the thing that leads us to salvation but, sometimes, it can lead us astray. Sometimes the road to hell is paved with hope.

I suspect that was Brad Meltzer's intention during the "Twilight" arc as he cobbled out this idea that one girl vs. innumerable vampires, demons, ad infinitum works but an army of slayers makes for a topsy turvy world gone wrong. We all know that Buffy's decision in Chosen was going to have consequences, that her decision to call all the potentials at once meant taking the choice away from countless other women but, at the same time, I don't think it's enough to say "Buffy was wrong". I don't think a writer can ever say, simply, "that was bad, no cookie for you" nor can we, as viewers or readers ever say, conclusively, what the truth of things is.

All that being said, Buffy was wrong. She betrayed herself, she betrayed her girls, her family, her friends, and the world. That's the theme after all. Betrayal. And hope, but we're not there just yet. Keep that one in your back pocket for now.

Buffy #40 is the end of the great experiment that was Season 8. Can you take a show that aired for seven seasons and turn it into a successful comic book? Can an army of slayers unite to fight the forces of darkness? Can fandom not bicker and , in general, behave like a bunch of collective dillweeds for five seconds? One of the best (and worst) things about Season 8 is how all of these things have become so interconnected. Buffy, Joss, you and I… we're asking the same questions, fighting the same struggles; we're just doing it on different playing fields in different ways. But this is Joss's baby and, before everyone else has their final word, el jefe gets to say his piece.

What's he saying? Well, I think he's saying that there is no one single ideal that can keep hundreds of unique voices in synch forever. I think he's saying that Buffy is a charismatic leader but, then again, so was Hitler. I think he's acknowledging some of the flaws that have been repeatedly pointed out, most especially that sex in space is kind of silly.

Buffy #40 is an entire issue that simultaneously gets back to the old formula while also saying "Don't get too comfy just yet". It's a pinch of fan service with a few heaping spoonfuls of "I'm still in charge, alright?" This is the last time we'll probably see all the Scoobies contained within the same pages for a while and we don't even see them all together at once. This is Buffy's POV, so it all ekes out a little at a time.

What we do get is gloriously familiar. Buffy with Xander and Dawn is the humor and intimacy of family. Buffy with Willow is the shared pain of regret, the labored love and resentment that two best friends can only share when they've given and taken away everything from each other. Buffy and Faith are the separated sisters still in constant competition despite themselves, both still vying for the love of a father that can't hear them anymore. Buffy and Spike are the old lovers, uneasy in their own skin whenever they're close but still trying to look beyond the scars they've given each other and still reach out for…

Hope. Because changing the world aint all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes when you try to build a better world you sort of kind of accidentally almost destroy the entire universe in the process. Sometimes you don't change anything at all and, even when you do, it's never in the way you intended it.

But, if you're Buffy, there's always hope. It's the thing that separates her from Angel, and the reason I think Joss chose to mirror the end of "Not Fade Away". Funny thing about a mirror, what you see in the reflection is the same but opposite.

Hope is the one thing we all struggle to keep. We're all hoping that out lives will have meaning, that we can make a difference. Whether your demons are literal or metaphorical, whether you're the one who created it all or are part of the community that binds it together, we all hope for more, for better, from each other, from ourselves, from the world.

I just hope we don't all accidentally have a fan orgy in the vacuum of space and destroy the universe in the process. All I'm sayin'!

Posted by Bitsy

Spoilers for the issue.

For the discussion of Buffy #40 - BtVS - Whedonesque.com

God bless Diamond for getting their deliveries to the UK on a Tuesday. Anyhow details now follow

Willow and Kennedy are now over.
Simone shot the general.
Giles left everything to Faith but one very special book went to Buffy.
Buffy is having nightmares.
Forewarning from Spike.
Some damn fine scenes with Willow, Xander and Faith.
Interesting tie-in with Not Fade Away.
And a letter from Joss, it's all good.
Simon | January 19, 10:20 CET

Joss' letter is about how season 9 will be different, the intent for season 8 and thanks to Dark Horse and IDW.

Willow and Kennedy are over because Kennedy wanted power. And it's obvious that Willow is still in love with Tara. The damn fine scenes contained some damn fine lines. The nightmares are about Giles and Angel. The book was the first ever book Giles showed Buffy. Spike warns Buffy that someone is coming for her. The tie-in is that the last line of season 8 is the last line of Angel season 5.
Simon | January 19, 10:47 CET

Oh and no more new Slayers. And did we know Giles' middle name is Edmund?
Simon | January 19, 10:52 CET

Let's go to work. Does Buffy say it to the scoobies or just to herself?


She says it to herself.


Can't Spike be a little more specific about who or what is coming for her?


No. As he says "I haven't actually got to that bit yet." It could be Simone as on the second last page we see a panel of her, with pics of people she has killed and Buffy too. But there is a face covered in blood and wearing red shades also on the second last page that I don't recognise so he could be the season 9 big bad?


What did Joss said about the intent of S8? (pretty please)


Reconciling the optimistic, empowering message of Chosen with the dystopian, Slayerless vision of Fray's future. And the consequences of Buffy and Willow's empowering spell. It looks like Season 9 will be a back to basics (and Joss says he completely changed his plan for it).


Wow, Giles left everything to Faith?


Yes, Faith has a theory it's because Giles thinks Buffy is stronger than Faith and she [Faith] needed more help. The panels with the book are quite powerful.

There's also a lot of pissed Slayers and Wiccans out there.

This is a very good issue and I think it will please those who wanted to see Buffy interact more with the rest of the core characters. Something that Joss acknowledges in his letter.


I realized along the way that the things I loved best were the things you loved best: the peeps. The down-to-earth recognizable people. And Mecha-Dawn. (She has a tail!)
Simon | January 19, 11:28 CET

I read this Tuesday and with all of my spare time wrote up a more in-depth summary with some thoughts. I wasn't allowed to buy the issue, so I had to write from my recollection, but here it is if anyone's interested:

The story begins and Buffy is working in a coffee shop in San Francisco, doing a quick summary of where her life is now. I think does a good job of establishing the tone of the issue. It then transitions into the first meeting between Buffy and someone that she knows. What initially strikes me is that the art is not at the level that I wish that it was. Maybe that's me, maybe it's the artist or the inker or that it was rushed for the deadline or maybe it's something else, but it begins with Buffy speaking to Kennedy and it took me more than a minute to recognize Kennedy (of course, how many times have they conversed by themselves this Season?). I just wasn't expecting that. Kennedy is angry, but for a very unexpected reason. Willow recently broke up with her. We see Willow meeting Buffy in San Francisco. They talk of a few things, Willow says that she ended it before Kennedy could have, because she was sure that Kennedy would have, now that Willow no longer has her magic. Willow attention is turned toward contemplating the loss of magic, and how that affects her and the rest of the world. She doesn't fight with Buffy, there's definitely not the sense that what happened means that "they'll never speak again" or it's going to "tear anyone apart" or anything of that nature. But it's clearly affecting her, she's thoughtful and perhaps more reserved.

We see The General and get an idea of how the military views the new situation as well as how he views it, right before he is unexpectedly shot in the face. We have a brief glimpse of Giles' funeral and we hear of his will. I wish that we had seen his friends speaking at his funeral, I was hoping that his life and memory could have had more time devoted to it, but this is only one issue and so his will is more pertinent. He left nearly everything, from his home to his money, to Faith. Buffy obviously has conflicted thoughts on this and she goes to visit Faith, who explains that she doesn't know why Giles did what he did, but she guesses that it was because Giles might have thought that Faith needed it more. That Buffy, no matter what she might go through, would have the strength to survive on her own. Buffy was left a book and Faith tells Buffy that she is THE vampire slayer now. Staying with Faith is Angel, but he seems to be in a state of deep shock. His eyes are open but his mind doesn't seem to be there. As a fan of AtS, I hate to see that, though pragmatically I have to admit that there was no way for them to thoroughly cover his role in S8 quickly, even if they had wanted to do so. I'm sure that they'll spend time on him in S9.

We hear that Harmony is no longer popular and that neither is Buffy. But Harmony will be appearing on Dancing with the Stars (and that show actually is mentioned again later). The remaining Slayers blame Buffy for ending the magic and don't even want to be called Slayers anymore. Spike comes to visit Buffy and they have some witty banter/ Buffy makes it clear that Spike is not allowed into the apartment she's staying at. We see that Buffy is sleeping on the couch in Xander & Dawn's apartment. She keeps having the same dream and Dawn is supportive of her. Xander doesn't get many lines, but Dawn has a few. Jokes are made, and there are comments about some of Dawn's transformations through the Season. Later on we see Buffy, as she's trying to sleep on the couch, suffer through Dawn's cries. Dawn is in the other room moaning loudly to Xander about their love making, but then we see that Dawn is by the door, and by herself, as she's clearly pulling a prank on Buffy. But Buffy doesn't know that, and so she goes out on patrol instead.

She is confronted by three women who no longer call themselves Slayers (I'm sure that we've seen them before, but I haven't re-read the Season in awhile, sorry). She tells them that she doesn't want to fight, but the talk becomes heated and finally they attack her. She fends them off, and tells them that while she doesn't want to fight them, she will defend herself if they continue to come after her. She leaves and as this is all happening, Buffy becomes more confident and assured. She has made mistakes, but she will get past them. She will continue to strive, and as she prowls the night, she sights a vampire. For me, the ending seemed clear. Whatever else has happened, her name is Buffy and she slays vampires.

There are several pages of letters and a crossword puzzle. But before that, there was a full page letter from Joss. Personally, I enjoyed that most of all. I don't feel that I could begin to do an adequate job of summing up what he said, but I think that it was clear and honest and insightful, and I was very glad that he addressed that which he did.

By the time that the story ended then I thought that it struck a very confident and optimistic tone. Still a lot of problems to look at, relationships to examine, conversations that might be had. This Season had it's struggles, perhaps some because of the medium, and perhaps some for other reasons. But I do very much like the tone that it ended on. I felt that as the story went along it was as confident and assured of itself as it's been yet, and for one of the few times this Season, I wished that I could have gone on reading, and immediately seen what happens next.
Risch22 | January 19, 13:27 CET

Staying with Faith is Angel, but he seems to be in a state of deep shock. His eyes are open but his mind doesn't seem to be there. As a fan of AtS, I hate to see that, though pragmatically I have to admit that there was no way for them to thoroughly cover his role in S8 quickly, even if they had wanted to do so. I'm sure that they'll spend time on him in S9.

I think it ties in well with AtS because of the Angel/Faith redemption relationship. Though they could have wiped the blood off his face.
Simon | January 19, 13:33 CET


Faith: "You're the only Slayer. You always were."
Buffy: "Then I really did fail."
Simon | January 19, 13:38 CET


"I think it ties in well with AtS because of the Angel/Faith redemption relationship. Though they could have wiped the blood off his face."

Yeah, I very much agree that it was meant to be a reversal of their roles in AtS. I did wonder about the stains on his face too. The best guess that I can come up with is that it was left as a visual shorthand for how badly off he is. I think that they could have just put that in the dialogue though.

[ edited by Risch22 on 2011-01-19 13:44 ]
Risch22 | January 19, 13:43 CET

The best guess that I can come up with is that it was left as a visual shorthand for badly off he is.

Yes or maybe he doesn't want the blood washed off because he wants to punish himself. I think the guy that I couldn't identify in the second last page is Roden (going by the two neck chains). I'm going to have re-read that particular arc to see if that panel was there.
Simon | January 19, 13:50 CET

"Yes or maybe he doesn't want the blood washed off because he wants to punish himself."

That could be it too, though I figured that that interpretation was less likely because he was sitting up with the vacant look. If he was conscious and punishing himself then I would have guessed that he would have been more downcast. He could have his head down, possibly his face in his hands, he might have been lying on the floor. Something along those lines.

"I think the guy that I couldn't identify in the second last page is Roden (going by the two neck chains). I'm going to have re-read that particular arc to see if that panel was there."

Unfortunately, I can't say that I recall.
Risch22 | January 19, 14:01 CET


"What's that all about? Is it said in a jokey manner or is she serious? Kind of seems like a slap in the face that Spike isn't allowed in. I get that it's Xander and Dawn's place, but even those two shouldn't have a problem with Spike considering he helped save their asses/the world again."

I wasn't entirely sure if she was joking or serious and wondered about it too. It was said and then they cut to the next scene. Might have been half and half.

I can see her wanting not to deal with him right then because after everything that she just did with Angel, she may very much want to lay off any romance for awhile. They seemed civil before then, but that's as much as I was able to glean from that dialogue.
Risch22 | January 19, 14:06 CET

[comic fan]

Joss Whedon interview about the end of season 8 and hints at season 9.

Joss Whedon talks about the end of the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Season 8 comic, and the future of Season 9 -- EXCLUSIVE | Shelf Life | EW.com

Joss Whedon talks about the end of the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Season 8 comic, and the future of Season 9 -- EXCLUSIVE

by Adam B. Vary



The acclaimed (oc)cult TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer went off the air in 2003 after seven seasons. But for nearly four years, Buffy’s story has lived on in creator Joss Whedon’s “Season 8″ comic book series, which finishes its 40-issue run today. Whoa, boy, did things go down. (WARNING: Some big time spoilers follow, for both “Season 8″ and the impending “Season 9.” Consider yourself warned now.) Over the course of the “season,” Buffy became a god, battled (and boinked) her ex Angel, and watched him kill her mentor Giles. And then she effectively destroyed the seed of all magic on earth. Issue No. 40 deals with the aftermath, and — as Whedon makes clear in his exclusive Q&A with EW — it also gives some pointed hints for what to expect in Buffy “Season 9.” Whedon also talks about his new comic series about Angel with publisher Dark Horse, some of his controversial plot turns in “Season 8″ — Buffy goes lesbian? Xander and Dawn get domestic? — and what actor Anthony Stewart Head’s reaction was when Whedon told him his character Rupert Giles was going to bite the big one.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So no more magic, huh?
JOSS WHEDON: [Chuckles] Well, let’s not use hyperbole. No more magic in the sense of not so much entirely convenient magic. I wanted to play with the idea of the world dimming a little bit. Possibly because that’s how I feel about it, or at least this country in the last 10 years. And I wanted to do a little bit of a little bit of a reset, where things seem more back down to earth. I got very excited when I had a comic book with the idea that I could do absolutely anything. We hit a lot of beautiful notes and I’ve got a lot of great writers working [on the comics], and I’m very proud of it. But at the same time, it’s like, yeah, “You can do anything” is not really the Buffy mission statement. The Buffy mission statement is, “What does this feel like?” So I wanted to bounce it back a little bit to the real world.

Issue No. 40 is clearly setting up Season 9, and makes it seem like it is going to be far more human-scaled.
It will be more like the television show. With the comic, we just sort of said, “Wheee!” Ultimately, “Wheee!” caught up with us in a cavalcade of mythology. It became clear, as it did with the show, that people really liked when Buffy’s adventures reflect what she’s going through in her life [and] what we’re going through in our lives at that age. That was the thing in season 8 that we didn’t tap into as much as I think we ultimately should have.

You did seem to touch on that idea when you, essentially, made Buffy a god with her own idyllic world, and she pretty much rejected it right off the bat.
Yeah. I feel like we’re true to the characters. It was just that very basic mission statement of, “You know what, I’m going through this, too.” Not a lot of people are leading armies. Buffy, part of her charm is that the fact that, outside the mystical world, she was nobody. And it was interesting to put her in that power position and to play on that grand scale. But ultimately, I think the fans more enjoy her when she is the little underdog and not the little overlord.

Not that anybody who’s a Buffy fan should be that shocked that you did this at this point, but Joss, you killed Giles.
Yeah, I did. I did. I have several reasons for that, some of which I can’t reveal because ripples from that event are going to be a part of both [the Buffy "Season 9" comic and the new Angel comic]. Part of it was really just feeling that Giles’ place in the comic book did not sit the way it did in the show. To have this paternal, expositional guy there — it wasn’t really something that played in the comics the way it did when Tony Head [i.e. actor Anthony Stewart Head] does it. I wanted to make all this matter and have something that would send emotional ripples through all the characters. Also, I’m a prick. But I did tell Tony it was going to happen before it did. At first he said, “Oooh,” a little worried. Then I said, “Angel’s gonna kill you.” He said, all excited, “Oooh! That’s great!” [Laughs]

Perhaps the other most controversial choice you made was to enter Buffy into a lesbian relationship. For some fans, that did seem to come oddly out of left field.
You know, I didn’t hear any real objection to that. But I don’t go trolling on websites for people that don’t like me. I’m very fragile, like an egg. We had talked about the idea of Buffy having a lesbian fling as one of the things that does actually reflect where she is in her life, if you consider the events in “Season 8″ to be her college experience. It’s that time in your life where that might happen. We just slammed right into it with a splash page, instead of tenuously inching towards it. And that was largely [writer] Drew Goddard’s call. He said, “You know what? It would obvious to start building toward this, and then seeing that play out, how that would be. I think in a lot of these situations, it just kind of happens, and then you deal with it.” It’s more interesting and it gives us a better opportunity to face the reality of a situation like that.

You also had Xander and Dawn ultimately become a romantic item, and you outed vampires to the world. It seems like you wanted to advance the story in a really meaningful, significant way on a lot of fronts.
You can’t just sit around and spin your wheel with these guys. The show lasted on the idea that people are constantly changing. What makes them interesting? So, is Willow destined to go dark? How is that future going to unfold? Who is in love with whom? Who can’t be with whom? That’s part of what makes their interaction rich. It’s not just, “We’re clever and funny, the murder is solved.” It’s just not the way I write. It was still very clear to me that Xander and Dawn were going to end up together by the very start [of Season 8]. And actually, I was surprised that anybody was surprised. All their interactions were so tight, and occasionally weirdly physical. It was all pointing there. He tried to have a relationship with somebody else, but some prick killed her.

You mentioned earlier about getting into a bit of trouble thanks to the freedom that comic books afforded you. But what was your favorite “We could never do this on the TV show” moment?
I gotta go with giant Dawn. I loved giant Dawn so much, absolutely more than the readers, but I didn’t care. The idea that Dawn becomes a giant and all the permutations of that, some of which we didn’t even get to do, that was such a delight for me. It just absolutely fit in the universe. It was the right kind of problem for Dawn to have.

On the penultimate page of issue No. 40, there’s a guy in John Lennon glasses who looks fairly evil. Am I right in thinking he’s new? Or am I just not remembering him from season 8?
He’s a new guy. I can’t tell you about him. But you are not wrong to say you don’t remember him, because he has not appeared yet. He has yet to come.

In the Fray storyline from “Season 8″ — in which Buffy got sucked into the world of your spin-off comic about a slayer living far into the future — we met Dark Willow again, and we seem to be heading in that direction the way we left Willow at the end of “Season 8.”
Well, maybe. It’s a question we’re holding out there right now: Is that her destiny? Can she get her powers back? This idea of magic being taken out of the world — that’s going to be her personal obsession and will result in a miniseries. She can have center stage for a while. Whether or not that means that’ll send her to become the evil Fray’d version of herself is something we’re going to dangle.

Finally, all due respect to the amazing artists who drew the comic and did the covers, but do you ever miss having the actors to bring these stories to life?
I do. Particularly, as I said before, in the case of Giles. Tony has this cool sexuality that just doesn’t come on the page when he’s saying, [in a British accent] “Oh, this book says blah blah blah.” It’s hard to capture some of the stuff that the actors bring. Tony is astonishing. I can’t speak highly enough of how artist Georges Jeanty captured their likenesses, but still made it look like a comic book and not like balloon heads on hastily drawn panels. And the way he captured Buffy was really lovely. But yeah, you hear [the characters] so well, sometimes it’s like they’re there. It is frustrating at times. You’re like, “Why can’t they just be there? Let’s get the whole gang back together again.”

For more on Joss Whedon and the future of the Buffyverse — including how Whedon really feels about the recently announced plans for a Buffy reboot movie without his involvement — check out this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands Friday, Jan. 21.

[comic fan]

IGN interviews Scott Allie About The End Of Season 8 and Season 9.

http://comics.ign.com/articles/114/1144844p1.html

The End of Buffy: Season 8

Editor Scott Allie discusses the finale to Season 8 and what is still to come in Season 9.

January 19, 2011
by Jesse Schedeen

Few segments of geekdom are as devoted to their obsession as fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. These fans cried out in pain when Buffy and its companion series Angel went off the air. And they celebrated when Dark Horse chose to continue beyond the end of these two shows with Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8. The saga of Buffy and the Scooby gang has unfolded over the course of nearly four years, 40 issues, and multiple writers. And now, with the release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #40, that saga comes to a close.

To mark the ending of this mammoth undertaking, we chatted with editor Scott Allie via e-mail. Allie shared his thoughts on co-writing the final arc with Whedon, the complicated relationship between Buffy and Angel, and bidding farewell to several popular characters.

But fans needn't worry about the future of the franchise. Dark Horse is already prepping Buffy: Season 9 and a new Angel series for later this year. We also asked Allie more about what the publisher has in store for these new books.

IGN Comics: Your name name is credited along with Joss Whedon's for the scripts in "Last Gleaming". How would you describe the writing arrangement on this arc? How does it compare to Joss' previous efforts on the series?

Scott Allie: We worked really closely together on the outline, then I went off and wrote scripts, sometimes in pieces, and ran them by him. He gave me notes, sometimes extensive, sometimes light, and then the book was drawn. When it was time to letter, he'd first go over the script and polish the dialogue in places. I think this was similar to arcs that other writers wrote, except that he generally gave them dialogue notes before it was drawn. So it was at least as hands on as with those other writers, but not the same as him writing the arc himself.

IGN Comics: Presumably Joss had a fairly comprehensive outline for Season 8 when work began. How much have plans for the series evolved over time? Is the series ending differently from how you originally planned?

Allie: The big picture is exactly the same, but a lot of details changed. We knew from the get-go that Angel was Twilight and that this would mean the end of magic, the ultimate betrayal being betraying oneself. We knew she'd get super powers, but didn't know exactly how that would come across—it was a little more like a superhero story, with Brad at the helm. Lots of details changed. At one point Warren and Amy were going to kill each other, but we got jazzed about the idea of Warren liquefying when the magic ended.

IGN Comics: "Last Gleaming" is easily the most densely packed arc of the series. Have there been any unique challenges putting this final story together?

Allie: It was the end, and we had to tie down everything we could, so that was different than previous arcs. There were a lot of plot threads in this thing, and we did not sew it all up, but the effort to do that, to decide how much we were going to do, that took a lot of figuring. And the death of Giles thing, that was the only time we kept a secret from the other people on the creative team.

IGN Comics: Issue #39 featured several major character deaths. Was it hard dispatching fan favorites like Giles and Andrew? How have the fans been reacting to these events?

Allie: Wait, who killed Andrew!? No, Andrew didn't die. Are you thinking of Warren? Andrew just got knocked out. And everyone hates Warren, so that was easy, and sort of fun, and hopefully funny. But Giles. Yeah, that was not good. We all felt sick. There were long talks. Whedonesque threw up some kind of funeral announcement and closed the site for a day in memory. Tony Head has recently commented on the comic, and that was a relief. In that his comment was not that I ruined this or that, as some of the fans have said.

IGN Comics: Which character do you feel has shown the most interesting growth and evolution over the course of these last few years?

Allie: I'd say Xander. I think he's matured, settled into himself. I was pretty excited to see him rebuff Buffy like he did, when she tried to steal him out from under Dawn. Oh, no, wait, it was Faith. She's grown the most. Not just in this season, but over the course of Seasons 7 & 8 she's become something better than she was. She's still vulnerable when it comes to Buffy, but she's a much more mature person than she was on the Angel show, and before that. I'm excited to see her evolution continue.

IGN Comics: What can readers expect from issue #40? Does it serve as an epilogue to "Last Gleaming" or are there still more trials ahead for our heroes?

Allie: I didn't write this one, it's all Joss, and so you know there are arduous trials in store for the kids. It is epilogue, to the whole season, but in doing that, it shows what her life is like after the dust settles. And there are challenges, which will get worse in the next issue …

IGN Comics: How would you characterize the relationship between Buffy and Angel in the aftermath of this big battle? Are they back to being antagonists?

Allie: Gotta wait for #40. I like what Joss did, don't want to do anything to diminish it.

IGN Comics: Jo Chen's cover to issue #40 forms an obvious parallel with issue #1. Will there be other parallels drawn in the story itself?

Allie: Yeah, very much so. And, in odd ways, other key moments in the characters' histories. The Joss issues are always the best, in particular the standalone issues. I'm happy that some readers would disagree, because it's a shame when there's only one choice for best story … but for me, his are the best, and this is a great one to go out on.

IGN Comics: What can you reveal about Season 9 right now as far as premise, creative team, and structure? Can we expect other Season 8 writers to return, such as Brian K. Vaughan or Brad Meltzer?

Allie: Some Season 8 writers will return, but there will be important new members of the team. We're all getting together in a week to work on the story, and things will be a bit more solidified there. But it will be very different from Season 8, in important ways, including how it's put together.

IGN Comics: Will the Buffy comic and the new Angel series co-exist in the same way the two TV shows did when they were on the air?

Allie: I'd kind of say moreso, but not that Buffy and Angel themselves will be crossing over all the time. Maybe not at all. They'll need a break, but in other ways, the two titles will have connections the shows did not. And one publisher, instead of two networks.

IGN Comics: Can readers expect any other Buffy projects in the gap between Seasons 8 and 9? Are there any other one-shot specials in the pipeline like the Willow and Riley specials?

Allie: There will be something bite-size between seasons, but nothing major. There's really not that much time. Six months, I think? It'll take that long just to rev this engine back up, man.

IGN Comics: WB has been showing some interest in producing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot not tied to the current Buffy universe and continuity. Should that movie materialize, would you have an interest in producing comics set in that universe in the same way IDW publishes G.I. Joe books set in various universes?

Allie: ****, look what DC does with Batman, that's no more unified a continuity or approach than IDW's various Joe books, is it? That's totally cool, and a valid way of presenting your characters. And Disney's got that new, edgy, Breaking Bad-style version of Mickey Mouse on Disney After Dark, which I'm looking forward to. But that's different than saying, Hey Joss, let's work really carefully with you to do an official, canonical continuation of your iconic female character … plus we're also gonna do this other thing over here that you've been wicked polite about. Who knows, though, maybe they'll work something out with him.

Buffyfest's Interview With Scott Allie.

http://buffyfest.blogspot.com/2011/0...e-on-road.html

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Exclusive Interview: Scott Allie on the Road Behind and Ahead for Buffy



Wow, it's been a long, strange trip. There's been ups, downs and outright wars - so basically, it was like any other season of Buffy. And just like other seasons, there's something bitter-sweet about saying goodbye to the gang for awhile. Luckily, we spoke with Scott Allie, editor and writer of the season, to keep the fire from going out for just a little longer.



Buffyfest: So, we’ve come to the end of Season 8. It’s been a long haul with many ups and downs. What is your most memorable moment from the past 4 or so years?


Scott Allie: When Joss emailed to tell me, "You're officially cowriting the finale with me." Or the moment that I realized, in a meeting with Marketing, that we hadn't shown issue #12 to Fox.


Buffyfest: Those sound memorable! Now, in this final issue, we find Buffy living in San Francisco. Who's idea was it to set Buffy up in SF for Season 9?


SA: Pretty sure that was Joss. He had a pretty solid idea of where she'd wind up after this.


Buffyfest: What about that city made sense in the decision?


SA: Lotta stuff. It's a good place for a girl in her twenties to restart her life, and that's what she has to do. It's a meaningful place for a young person to head to. Plus she's gonna look really good doing the Batman thing hopping around those particular rooftops. We liked the idea of keeping her in California, but striking out to new ground. And we felt like San Francisco was a city that was up for grabs, in terms of superheroes. Lot of factors.


Buffyfest: Now that we’re at the end of the season, how much time has passed from the beginning of Issue 1 to the end of #40?


SA: I don't know. We haven't spent two minutes talking about that, to be honest. It's not long—it's not four years. Mostly things moved along pretty quick, although they were in Tibet a lot longer than it took to read those issues. But mostly things moved ahead without a lot of time passing. So maybe it's been a year, somewhere around there.


Buffyfest: One of the most asked questions in the forums is “Who's the prince?” Is this something we should have figured out already or is there more to come on this in Season 9?


SA: No comment.


Buffyfest: We'll take that "No comment" as "There are a lot of comments I can't share". Getting into specifics of issue #40, who's the bleeding guy on page 23? If you can't tell us, can we at least get a hint?!


SA: "Bleeding"? Is it his blood, or someone else's? Find out in Season 9.


Buffyfest: Oooh! Ok, moving on to the big break-up of the issue. Does Kennedy know that Willow's a cheating slimeball and, if not, do you think she would feel differently about their break-up if she knew the truth?


SA: I don't think she knows, but we could alter that depending on how we set things up at the beginning of Season 9. I think more info for Kennedy can only make her feel worse. Willow's not at her best.


Buffyfest: No she is not, but Faith is! She gets Giles’ belongings, but Giles still gives Buffy the title of THE Slayer even in death. Is your interpretation of Giles leaving Buffy the "Vampyre" book the same as Faith's?


SA: My interpretation is different than Faith's. Faith's right, but there's more to it than that. Giles wouldn't give it to Buffy to burn Faith. Giles was a smart guy.


Buffyfest: Even though Faith is helping Angel, she seems reluctant to do so. Has she forgiven Angel or is she just doing it for the good of the group?


SA: Her gratitude for what Angel did for her goes way beyond forgiving him. It's the sort of thing where you never have to say you're sorry. Faith has grown a lot this season, and she's uniquely equipped to deal with Angel now. She's up for this. And her concern is not the group.


Buffyfest: Who's idea was it for Angel to crash at Giles' apartment in London: Faith or Buffy?


SA: I'd say Faith.


Buffyfest: Faith has "faith" in Angel. What about you? Is there hope for Angel?


SA: Yes. I think there's always hope for people. But he really has to earn it. He has to grow from this. He has to find a new way to deal with who he is. He really has some bad karma, and I mean that far beyond him having done some bad stuff he has to make up for.



Buffyfest: Connected to that, we have Buffy’s last line in the issue being “Let’s Go to Work” which Angel’s iconic last line in “Not Fade Away”. What’s up with that?


SA: It's the mission statement, but it also means something real different from when Angel said it.


Buffyfest: What story are you looking most forward to telling in regards to Season 9? Why?


SA: Oh, I don't know. There's a lot. I've been really excited about some stuff with Willow for a long time, but as we tie some things together in the early planning, there are things that get more and more interesting. We've got bits for Faith, something for Spike, for Angel, for Buffy that I'm really excited about. Angel's gonna have some of the best bits. But there are lots of things we still have to nail down.


Buffyfest: Continuing with Season 9, what’s a Buffy and Angel world going to look like without magic? Are there any loopholes we need to know about?


SA: There are loopholes. Look at the dialogue between Willow and Aluwyn in one of my issues. Aluwyn spells some things out. But the world is really different. There are both good and bad repercussions to this.


Buffyfest: In tune with a world without magic, will we see Fray again next Season?


SA: We've talked about it, but only if it makes sense. Only if it pushes the story forward. We definitely want to bring Fray out again, but it might not have a place in Season 9.


Buffyfest: What about the alternate slayer from the issue, “The Chain”? The fairy makes an appearance in this issue, so will we see the slayer again in Season 9 or is her death imminent at the end of the issue?


SA: I've always thought of her as dying there, but it's possible she survived.


Buffyfest: Are the titles set in stone? Last we heard at Comic Con, there are going to be Spike and Willow books, as well. Is there any more news on that?


SA: We still have some work to do. Neither Spike nor Willow are set in stone—the only things that are rock solid are the two main titles.


Buffyfest: We know that this past weekend, you had a writer's summit in L.A. to map out the story for Season 9. Can you tell us who was there?


SA: Joss, Sierra, me, Zack, Jane Espenson, Drew Greenberg, Danny Kaminsky, and a few other writers ... names we'll share soon. There were some people we were counting on spending the day with who weren't able to make it because of their busy weeks, which was disappointing.


Buffyfest: How did the process of setting up the story go?


SA: Great. It was fun. It was educational for me, and I've got a lot riding on it. We nailed the themes, the central conflicts. Lots of details to work out, but we found the main plotlines for all the main characters, and we nailed down our starting points. We still need to do outlines, breaking the bits into a real structure. But we spent the day throwing around ideas, seeing which ones still sounded good an hour or two later, and then watching ideas overlap and reconnect. It's gonna be a weird season.


Buffyfest: Can you tell us about any great moments that came out of the meeting?


SA: Lightsaber fights and karaoke. I didn't even think I knew the Thompson Twins.


Buffyfest: Ha! To be a fly on that wall. Finally, any other Season 9 news you’d like to share?


SA: Just that Joss is taking a bigger role in it than we initially expected. He'll be more directly involved in the writing than I was expecting, which is a relief. But we've got some other good stuff set up, things I wish we could tell readers, but now is not the time.

Buffyfest: Don't worry. We'll be waiting patiently. Thanks for being a part of the reason we still get to talk about Buffy. See you next Season!


SA: Thanks, Michelle—thanks for keeping the readers talking.

Posted by Michelle

[comic fan]

Review: Buffy the Vamipre Slayer Season Eight #40 - Comic Book Resources

Buffy the Vamipre Slayer Season Eight #40

by Greg McElhatton, Reviewer

So, this is it, right?

Well, not entirely. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine" will happen before too long, so this isn't the end of the story, but it's the end of the "season" and as such, it's time for pieces of story to start wrapping up.

Fortunately for all of us, if there's one kind of story Joss Whedon was particularly good at on the original show, it was the epilogue to a season. With the climax hitting in the previous issue, here we get to see Buffy and company start picking up the pieces of everything that's broken. And of course, that means it's time for some recriminations, second-guessing, and glances ahead on what's to come.

This isn't the first time that Buffy's big victory was at least in part a mistake (Angel getting dragged to Hell at the end of Season Two is a popular example), and Whedon does a nice job of exploring the self-doubt and agony that Buffy's going through as she once more tries to figure out if she did the right thing. Finding out how the destruction of magic is affecting not only spellcasters but also existing and potential Slayers is a good story hook, and it's fun to see how everyone takes it a little differently. In many ways it's a brave new world for Buffy and company, now, and it's good that Whedon's taking a little time here to explore it.

The other characters get their own moments in the spotlight too, which is appreciated. It'd be easy to push them to one side, but everyone gets at least a small scene. Still, the primary focus is Buffy, and her final rooftop confrontation with some of those that feel betrayed by her actions is a classic "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" scene, one you can just imagine happening on the show itself.

Georges Jeanty's pencils aren't the best we've seen on the book, but they're not the worst either. Some of his likenesses are better than others, but looking back to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" #1, the several year ride on the book seems to have taken a bit of the wind out of Jeanty's sails. Some of the pages look downright rough, especially the ones with Dawn. Still, there are some moments which I think Jeanty hits just right, like Buffy at the reading of the will, or the two-page sequence of Buffy fighting her attackers on the roof. It's a nice reminder that when given the proper time and/or motivation, Jeanty can show us just why he was picked for this assignment in the first place.

Whedon has said that when the Season Nine stories begin (later in 2011), that the book will be "a little tighter, a little more concise." I can't help but think that's a good thing. This is a strong ending, but this series in general was drawn out a bit too long to have its proper impact. With a strong conclusion for now, though, at least it's ending on a positive note.

Preview: Angel #41 - Comic Book Resources

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: "Angel" #41

Courtesy of IDW Publishing, CBR is pleased to share an exclusive preview of "Angel" #41 by David Tischman, Mariah Huehner, Elena Casagrande, and Jenny Frison. The issue hits stores next week, January 26.



Angel quickly adapts to his new situation, only to discover that Wolfram and Hart and James are the least of his worries, as someone unexpected decides it's time to stop playing nice. Meanwhile, Connor and the gang are under attack at the new headquarters from yet another threat!

[comic fan]

Rebekah Isaacs To Pencil Buffy Season Nine? Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors

Rebekah Isaacs To Pencil Buffy Season Nine?

Submitted by Rich Johnston
on January 20, 2011

The final issue of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Eight came out today.

But Buffy Season Nine is due to have a new look.

As Georges Jeanty moves on to DC work, so it’s time for Buffy to take a new artist in return.

Bleeding Cool understand that Rebekah Isaacs, recently on the DC/Wildstorm book DV8 but also comics like Drafted, Sheena, DMZ and Hack/Slash is tapped to pencil Buffy Season Nine later this year.

Here’s some examples of her work to get us all in the Buffy mood…