[indigo sunrise]

Like you said too, I had read spoilers and speculation about the pregnancy storyline, but a part of me was still not sure if it would actually happen, or if it would turn out to be fan speculation. So reading that last panel in #5, I was still a bit shocked that they are really going there. But I am also okay with it, if it is handled properly. And I think it will be. I'm excited to see where it will go from here. It could mean a number of things, ranging from being "just" a normal pregnancy to something as big as Buffy giving birth to the seed, or a new Slayer line - or anything in between... so yes, I'm beyond curious to see which road they'll take with that.

Also loved seeing the Giles nod.I don't think there was ever any doubt she missed him but nice to see that affirmed here.

I loved this too.

In short.. I wish we wouldn't have to wait another whole month for the next issue

[comic fan]

Looks like some of the mainstream media is picking up on the pregnancy reveal.

Whoops! Buffy the Vampire Slayer is [spoiler redacted]! | Blastr

Whoops! Buffy the Vampire Slayer is [spoiler redacted]!



Since everyone's favorite slayer made the switch from our TV screens to comic books, there have been a host of controversial moves—a lesbian tryst, superhero sex in space and, oh yes, the destruction of all magic in the universe. So what's left?

How about a baby? Yes, it's true, the Buffster is up the proverbial duff. On the final page of Buffy Season Nine Issue 5, our young Miss Summers is holding a pregnancy test with a big, fat plus sign on it, confirming months of speculation that she's on the road to mommyhood.

Part of what makes this so controversial is its execution. Writer Andrew Chambliss makes a point of saying that Buffy is no longer a girl now that she's with child. One might imagine there are a host of grown women who have never borne children who might take offense at the idea they are still "girls."

Moreover, there's a certain element of the soap opera when an unexpected pregnancy occurs. Questions of "who is the father" crop up which, considering the life and death nature of the vampire series, can feel a touch domestic.

Speaking of which—who is the daddy? Could it be an old flame like Angel, Riley or Spike? A friend like Xander? Or is it a mystery man like Buffy's unseen neighbor, Heinrich, who sent her flowers in issue one, who has provided the necessary genetic material?

Ultimately, we suspect it falls to the skills of the writer. Buffy has seen a lot in her life, done many things for better or for ill, but one thing she has never done is be a mother. There's a world of potential there. After all, being a parent means making impossible decisions, it means risk, it means holding a life in your hands and constantly fretting over how to do that life justice. It's all in the execution.

What do you think? Interesting development or frightfully pedestrian?


ETA

http://fandomania.com/buffy-the-vamp...-comic-review/

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #5 Comic Review

Posted by Kimberly Lynn Workman[



Issue: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #5
Release Date: January 11, 2012
Writers: Andrew Chambliss
Pencils: Karl Moline
Inks: Andy Owens
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Letters: Richard Starkings and COMICRAFT’S Jimmy Betancourt
Cover A: Steve Morris
Cover B: Georges Jeanty with Dexter Vines and Michelle Madsen
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

This issue of the Buffy comic seemed to be all over the place. We ended a dramatic arc with the last issue, though it was more with a whimper than a bang, and we’re starting up a possibly new arc this month. However, I have no idea what’s going on. There’s dreams and destinies and fairies and a twisty end that left me sad rather than excited. Another day in the life of Buffy Summers.

Going by just the cover, we’ve got Buffy in a dress comprised of haunting images of her friends and enemies, which reveals way too much of her breasts. Putting the sexualized image aside, does this mean Buffy might be going a bit crazy in the storyline? That’s what I expected, but instead we start off with fighting a zombie horde, Xander and Dawn getting turned into zombie vampires, and then the First Slayer shows up to dust them.



Fear not! It was just a dream. From a storytelling standpoint, this is the worst way to start off a storyline. I felt like the first few pages were wasted on an event that wasn’t even real. We get it, Buffy’s messed up in the head and is now weighed down with all the implications of her actions, but still it seems like she only cares in so much as it relates to her and her world. Same old, same old. Also, it looks like her roommates didn’t kick her out before, which they totally should have, so it makes me question the people she’s surrounding herself with anyway.

However, the First Slayer is not done with Buffy yet. She once again returns and tries to convey her message, albeit in a very vague way. Buffy’s kept the broken Scythe in a trunk in her room, but the First Slayer shows her a vision reminiscent of The Sword in the Stone. The Scythe sits embedded in a stone, atop a pile, guarded by a mass of zombies. Only the Slayer can remove the blade, but since the First Slayer insists that’s no longer Buffy, she’s going to have her work cut out for her. When Buffy goes on the attack against the First Slayer, she is revealed not to be the noted warrior, but a cousin of Tinkerbell. This would be the point when I started yelling “I don’t understand any of this!” And while we’re on the topic of not understanding, the artist seemed to be on a roll to see how many hairstyles Buffy could go through in one issue. I got very distracted by it and felt like there was no point in adding the variety to the panels. We know time has passed, there’s no reason to go wacky with the hairstyles to denote that.



Getting back to “Buffy’s Dreamland Adventure”, we soon find out that the power of the Scythe isn’t meant for Buffy, but for Willow. She holds the key to undoing all the wrong that Buffy has wrought. Isn’t that always the way? Buffy screws up, Willow has to step in and help her fix it. I like that Willow will have a purpose again, since her magic removal has put her in a bad place. And Buffy doesn’t have time to deal with that problem anymore anyway because she’s got an even bigger problem. She’s pregnant, but by who? Who was the last guy she had sex with? I can’t remember. I wish it was Spike, oh how I wish. However, best guess is that this is Angel’s baby. Until we find out who the real Daddy is, we’ll have to wait and see how the Slayer deals with impending motherhood. This is going to be good… in a possibly bad way.

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars


ETA 2

http://io9.com/5875350/yet-another-s...vampire-slayer



Yet Another Surprising Change Coming to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

And you thought Buffy the Vampire Slayer was out of surprises. Think again! On the very last page of the latest issue of the Buffy Season Nine comics (issue 5), a big fat bomb was dropped! Warning: Spoiler ahead!

Turns out our favorite teenager from Sunnydale is preggers! The very last image of Buffy had her holding up a pregnancy test with a positive sign. Only one question remains now, who's the Daddy? Knowing this series it's either sky sex with Angel, or immaculate conception. Our money is on the immaculate conception. Place your bets below.

[via Blastr]


ETA 3

http://scifibulletin.com/comics/revi...er-season-9-5/

Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #5



Slayer Interrupted

Words: Andrew Chambliss

Pencils: Karl Moline

Covers: Steve Morris/Georges Jeanty with Dexter Vines and Michelle Madsen

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Buffy finds herself troubled by intense dreams featuring the First Slayer in this first part of a new story arc. Perplexed by the dreams’ cryptic messages she turns to best friend Willow to try and work out what the First Slayer is trying to tell her.

The first thing that the long-time Buffy reader will notice about this issue is the change in the art. Personally, I was thrilled to crack the first page and find myself gazing upon the work of Karl Moline, one of my all-time favourite artists. Buffy fans will remember Moline for his work on the Fray spin-off series released between 2001 and 2003 as well as Buffy Season 8 and it’s great to see him make a return to the series. Moline’s work here is a treat and he brings all the energy to this issue that he brought to Fray and Season 8.

Andrew Chambliss continues to take on the scripting duties and, while this issue starts off with a fairly stock standard Buffy mystery, it ends on a very different note altogether. Goodness knows where this new plot twist will take the series. I can think of a number of possibilities, all of which present interesting ramifications for the characters.

I get the feeling that things are about to get very interesting for young Buffy and it’s nice to see the series pushing the envelope and continuing to try and let the characters grow. Only time will tell where all this will lead but I for one will be following events with great interest! 8/10

Bernice Watson

[Ace Of Hearts]

Thanks comic fan!

I bet the father is a stranger/new character.

[comic fan]

CBR talks with Scott Allie about Buffy's pregnancy.

EXCLUSIVE: Scott Allie Talks Buffy's Big Changes - Comic Book Resources

EXCLUSIVE: Scott Allie Talks Buffy's Big Changes

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #5 featured a huge turning point in Buffy's life. Editor Scott Allie spoke exclusively with CBR News about this issue's events and the coming repercussions.

by Shaun Manning, Staff Writer


Scott Allie discusses Buffy being in a family way with CBR News

SPOILER WARNING: This interview features extensive discussion of a major plot point from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #5.

Buffy Summers, who has for years now fought back vampires and other forces of Hell, stared down an apocalypse or two, led an army of young Slayers and braved the horrors of a minimum-wage food service job, will soon confront a challenge unlike any she's faced before.

In "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #5, written by Andrew Chambliss with art by Karl Moline and executive produced by Joss Whedon, the First Slayer haunts Buffy's dreams, repeatedly telling her, "You are not the Slayer," demanding that she consider the significance of her broken scythe in a world without magic. These visions lead to a new quest for one of Buffy's closest allies, but in a shocking last-page reveal, readers discover that Buffy herself is in for perhaps the most challenging journey of all.

Yes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is pregnant.

Comic Book Resources spoke with Dark Horse editor Scott Allie for perspective on what this means for Buffy, her friends and her fans.

CBR News: Scott, something you mentioned in a recent CBR interview was the idea that the different eras of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" have been about the changes people experience at different stages of life -- high school, college/early 20s and now mid-twenties or early thirties. There's a moment in issue #5 where, after Buffy has been told a couple times, "You are not the Slayer," she's asked to think about what that means. Is there a sense in which this stage of Buffy's life -- even without the pregnancy -- is incompatible with what it has meant, at least historically, to be a Slayer?

Scott Allie: Those lines do connect with the pregnancy, yes. The big question she'll be wrestling with is how she can move forward in her life and still be the Slayer, now that everything for her and for the world has changed.

In talking through the arc of Season 9 with Joss, what was his (and your) thought behind introducing the pregnancy into Buffy's life now?

Buffy's trying to figure out how to take on the responsibilities of adulthood, of real life, in ways other than facing apocalypses and that sort of thing. She's had huge responsibilities on her shoulders before, and now she's facing different responsibilities. Mucking around serving coffee is part of the shock of facing real life, but she's wrestled with crappy, dead-end jobs before. Some readers expressed disappointment when they heard she was gonna be a waitress again, thinking that when we said we'd have her facing the challenges of adulthood, we were simply returning to old plotlines. But this has just been the set-up. She started in the coffee shop, familiar territory, and she'll push on from there. A San Francisco cafe is not the extent of what we're exploring with her new, grown-up life.

How does the pregnancy affect how Buffy sees herself and her role?

She'll be pondering that in upcoming issues. She has some great conversations with some key characters, including Spike, in "Buffy" #6. This has shifted her perspective instantly, of course. In "Buffy" #7, there's a fight that Spike insists she sit out of, and it does not sit well with her.

Buffy, at this point in Season 9, is estranged to various degrees from her friends and allies. Is this something likely to bring them back to her side in support or cause further divisions?

This will help bring her together with some of her nearest and dearest, for sure, but one of the other big developments in "Buffy" #5 was that Willow left the title for the time being. Not one or two issues. So the friendship that would probably deal best with this is on hold.

Aside from what the pregnancy means to Buffy as a character, what sort of challenges or opportunities does it present for Joss and the other creators from a storytelling standpoint?

Gotta leave that for the upcoming issues...

I think a lot of Buffy fans grew up with these characters, in the sense that Buffy, Willow, and Xander were in high school at or around the same time, then experienced these different life events together (though, on the fans' side, hopefully without as much mayhem). Do you see Buffy's pregnancy as giving fans who are now parents another way to relate to the character?

Absolutely. Fans anticipated this, which surprised us -- fans were seeing this coming from fairly early on in Season 9 -- and the reaction has not been altogether positive, shall we say. I think they need to see what we do with it, and see if it feels honest and relatable. Obviously that's our hope.

Fans are going to be wondering who the father is, and issue #1 put forth a few candidates. Does Buffy know, at this point?

Spoiler alert -- this will be one of the most upsetting aspects of the story, for some readers. Buffy doesn't know. Some readers will have a hard time with the idea that their hero could have gotten into this situation without knowing who the father is. She got black-out drunk in #1, and it turns out there are significant consequences. If the objection is that this couldn't or shouldn't happen to Buffy, it seems to me that that objection comes from the idea that there's something wrong with women to whom this does happen, that it is something beneath Buffy herself, and the fact that Joss and Sierra [Hahn, editor] and Andrew and I disagree with that is the reason why we think this is a viable storyline for Buffy.

We know, of course, that Nikki Wood, the Slayer immediately preceding Buffy, also had a child. In light of Buffy's pregnancy, will we be learning more of Nikki's story?

Next issue spends a lot of time with Nikki's son Robin, and flashing back extensively to Nikki herself. This was one of our earlier decisions about Season 9, at the writers' conference a year ago, that we'd bring Nikki and Robin into [the story] to help inform Buffy's perspective about motherhood. Having Nikki on the cover of the next issue confirmed readers' suspicion that Buffy would get pregnant, and that she would talk to Robin about it. We could have avoided putting Nikki on the cover, just like we could have avoided putting the hacked-off arm on the "Buffy" #8 cover, but we got tired of trying to keep all the most provocative stuff off covers, and decided that there were some surprises we had to keep for the insides, and some that were worth putting out there.

Anything else you can tell us about what's coming up for our girl?

She's making a career change, which I'm happy about. On Free Comic Book Day she gets out of San Francisco for a while. And Xander and Dawn's subplot will start picking up a bit before "Buffy" #10. Buffy's clearly having to redefine herself this season, and that's not an easy thing to do, but she has another twenty issues to do it. This story won't end where it began.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #5 is on sale now.


EXCLUSIVE: Regular series artist Georges Jeanty returns in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" #6 (Panel from #7)


1)This seems to confirm what I suspected about the circumstances of Buffy's arm loss.

2)This also seems to confirm that Buffy got knocked up at the party in issue 1 and adds weight IMO that it's the neighbor Heinrich.That's what Scott thinks will upset people.That it was due to druken sex that Buffy is blacked out on and she doesn't know who the father is.

Another review of issue 5.

Buffy The Vampire Slayers Season 9 #5 Review

Buffy The Vampire Slayers Season 9 #5 Review

Posted by Maria Selke
January 12, 2012



You are not the slayer.

What They Say:
Buffy’s dreams have become all too real lately as she deals with a magicless world. She’s still fighting creatures of the night, as Willow and Xander grow distant and nightmares plague the Slayer. But something is telling Buffy that there is more to her dreams than meets the eye . . . and that her greatest fears may yet become reality!

The Review:
Buffy's dreams are haunted by people from her past as the first slayer desperately tries to get her attention. But what important messages do those dreams need to impart to the slayer? Can Willow help her decipher the message?

Everything about this issue worked for me. The guest artwork by Karl Moline (the artist from Fray) fits exceptionally well with the dream style storyline of this issue. His simpler lines, mixed with the intense way he draws the character's eyes, made a perfect match for this issue. It's not often that I notice a character's hairdo, but Buffy's braids were adorable. His rendition of the first slayer and the spritely fairy like creature were also impeccable.

I loved the fact that Willow became a bigger part of the story in this issue, because I missed her. Her friendship with Buffy is one of my favorite relationships in the series, and Willow's intriguing mix of power and pure geeky adorableness is so appealing. She takes on a very important task in this issue, and I'm excited to find out how Willow's new storyline will develop.

Without being spoilery, (that's a real word, right?) the surprise ending both excites and concerns me. It definitely brings in a whole new dimension to the world of Buffy. That could go amazingly well, or it could spiral off into absurdity. My faith in the storytelling skills of the team leads me to believe that I'm going to enjoy the direction the tale will take. You really need to read this story and find out for yourself what Buffy discovers.

In Summary:
Slayer Interrupted is the perfect opening for the next piece of the tale. We get the beginnings of Willow's quest to restore magic to the world as well as a new source of conflict for Buffy. The surprise ending was a real smack in the face, yet tied the story neatly back into the first issue of season 9. Yes, it could go poorly, but the willingness to take a risk to tell a story that hasn't yet been told is one of the things I love about the Buffyverse. I'm all in, and the only really bad part about this issue for me is the fact that I have to wait until next month to hear what happens next.

Grade: A

A tweet from Angel & Faith writer Christos Gage.

https://twitter.com/#!/Christosgage

Christosgage

So after reading the latest Buffy issue I have to ask: was Connor at that party? Because, y'know, it's kinda in his wheelhouse...
16 hours ago

[comic fan]

First advanced review for Angel & Faith # 6.

Review - Angel & Faith #6 Daddy Issues Part 1 | BAMFAS.com :: Entertainment*Gaming^Food-Music+Life

Review – Angel & Faith #6 Daddy Issues Part 1

By Jenny – January 14, 2012



Script: Christos Gage
Art: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Dan Jackson
Cover: Steve Morris
Alternative Cover: Rebekah Isaacs with Dan Jackson
Executive Producer: Joss Whedon
Published By: Dark Horse

This issue begins with Angel following his highly trained nose which is detecting the smell of blood. He knows that smell is never good and in this particular case it’s beyond not good. Flashback to Giles as a youth who is attempting to pass his Watcher final alongside a group of kids gathered together expecting a powerful vampire who, instead meet a crazy dangerous and powerful Lorophage demon with disastrous results. Meanwhile, Faith is knee-deep in her own problems as she continues to work with her small group of Slayers. As one of the Slayer trainees almost stakes a human (he claims he’s a vampire) Faith begins to see a pattern and a potential problem. A vampire named “Mother Superior” seems to be going around town wreaking havoc, however she’s not actually killing or siring anyone so there’s not a lot of justification to slay her. Faith takes her concerns to Angel. Angel who has been reading the Watcher Files, begins to wonder if the Lorophage demon is rearing its ugly head and takes his concerns to Alasdair Coames. Angel and Faith search for “Mother Superior” and end up finding her in a church/vampire club (what town doesn’t have one of these?). I won’t reveal who she is for the sake of the three people who have tried to stay spoiler free. Faith also has a surprise waiting for her when she meets up with her Slayers!

The Giles flashback is great, he’s such an awesome, interesting character and getting these little glimpses into his past is always intriguing. Giles’ flashback really provides some insight into how he evolved into the Giles we know and love. This entire issue was fantastic, “Mother Superior” will definitely provide some great storylines and she’s always a great addition. The somewhat lost in the shuffle Faith visitor (because of Mother Superior) will be super intriguing and it should give us some unexplored insight into Faith. Everything about this issue was spot on, the art as usual is wonderful, the dialog is great and the story is really shaping up to be amazing. I love where this series is going and I can’t wait to get there!

Release Date: January 25th, 2012


Mother Superior = Dru
Faith's visitor = her dad

[Ace Of Hearts]

Thank you comic fan!

[comic fan]

Georges Jeanty tweets about finishing a Drusilla cover.

https://twitter.com/#!/KabaLounge

Georges Jeanty@KabaLoungeReply

Just saw the inks on the Drusilla cover. Looking good. Can't wait for you guys to see it!


So should we take this to mean that Dru will be showing up in Buffy's book after the upcoming Angel & Faith arc?

[amy2345]

Boy these two series are getting very interesting.

[comic fan]

Georges Jeanty made another tweet today.

https://twitter.com/#!/KabaLounge/st...09580888760320

@KabaLoungeGeorges Jeanty

@SlayAliveForum yes. There will be several covers with Drusilla. They're looking good so far.
3 hours ago via HTC Peep

Sounds like Dru will definitely be involved in a arc on Buffy after Angel & Faith.

[comic fan]

Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #5

Writer: Andrew Chambliss
Artist: Karl Moline (Pencils) Andy Owens (inks)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Reviewer: Henry Higgins is My Homeboy

Adult Problems…

I love BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER; I found it in high school, and while my passion for the series has been cooled slightly by age, it's still one of the television series that I'll occasionally do a run of. After the bombastic opening to the new Buffy run, Chambliss and Moline take a step back and take time to look at the new status quo. And while it's well done, it brings natural comparisons to things such as "Restless", which are still slightly stronger.

Writing: (3/5) This issue reads as the new status quo, setting up numerous storylines to follow up on. To communicate these beats, Chambliss takes the typical Buffy route of the dream state. And there in lies the problem: for a universe that utilized the prophetic dream so well in the past, I found this one lacking. The dream is a little obvious, and its message is clear from the onset if you're paying attention. It's an unusually inconsistent dream, and it's slightly dull. While featuring the return of a character from earlier in the series is a nice touch, the dream itself is never that impressive. It does hint at the disappearance of Willow, which could go either way in terms of interest, but it leaves too much open.

Something that has to be said for Chambliss, though, is he knows how to write these characters; Buffy and Willow sounds perfect, and they're featured primarily through the issue. The two have their familiar banter down, and rarely has the conversation in these stories sounded so like the original show. The scenes with them just talking reads brilliantly.

Art: (4/5) This series has always had good art, and Moline is definitely a good choice for the run. The opening scene, which features a barrage of vampires advancing on Buffy, Xander, and Dawn, is utterly fantastic looking. It moves well, and flows just as an action scene should. The quieter scenes between Buffy and Willow are well done as well, resembling their original actresses while remaining colourful and unique. If there're any problems, it's some of the inconsistencies that stand out. Sometimes, the faces just seem weird and out of place. But for the most part, it's a solid issue, art wise.

Best Moment: The opening fight scene.

Worst Moment: The dream leaves the reader disappointed.

Overall: (3/5) A solid issue, if disappointing just because one sees "Buffy vision time" and expects more.


Preview Pages For Buffy S9 # 6,"On Your Own Part I of II."

Preview: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #6 - Comic Book Resources

EXCL PREVIEW: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #6

Courtesy of Dark Horse, CBR presents an exclusive preview of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #6, by Andrew Chambliss and Georges Jeanty and new cover artist Phil Noto.



The uptick in the zompire population has the SFPD on Buffy’s trail again—but this time, they need her assistance. However, Detective Dowling must settle for a little help from the bleached-blond vampire Spike, as Buffy has become distracted by a rather personal problem that will lead her to Robin Wood.










ETA

Some New tweets from Christos Gage.

http://twitter.com/Christosgage

@Christosgage H'much did Alasdair know about Angel? That he's a vampire and Twilight and killed Giles? The "sorry for your loss" was weird.
18 Jan via web

ChristosgageChristos Gage

@ordinarycollege I think the fact that Angel was Twilight and killed Giles has kind of spread through the supernatural community.
18 Jan

@ordinarycollegeAlexander Brownie

@Christosgage So the "I'm sorry for your loss". Was he not letting on that he knew Angel killed Giles, or just being really understanding?
18 Jan via web

ChristosgageChristos Gage

@ordinarycollege He doesn't hold Angel responsible, due to knowing a lot about magic & how powerful the Twilight entity was.
18 Jan

ChristosgageChristos Gage

@ordinarycollege There are a wide variety of feelings about Angel/Twilight in the supernatural community, BTW...Alasdair represents just 1.
18 Jan

[fireondandelion]

Thanks for the news!

[comic fan]

Second Angel & Faith # 6 advanced review.Spoilerish

Comic Review: Angel & Faith – Daddy Issues Part 1 | Toonari Post - A News Mash Up!

Comic Review: Angel & Faith – Daddy Issues Part 1

WARNING: This content contains spoilers.]

The life of a parent is never easy with children running amok, killing every which way and surviving murder attempts. The Angel and Faith series has always featured the paranormal, world-saving duo of Angel and Faith Lehane. In ‘Angel and Faith: Daddy Issues, Part One’, the concept of fatherhood is exemplified through the relationships that Angel and Faith experience. The challenges that a father must face to teach his children life lessons will come back to haunt Angel in the most challenging of ways.

The storyline was created by Christos Gage while Joss Whedon famously handles executive producing duties. The artwork is, as always, excellently done by Rebekah Isaacs. It is her artwork that is prevalent throughout much of the Angel and Faith Series. With colors by Dan Jackson and letters by Richard Starkings as well as Jimmy Betancourt of Comicraft, this Angel and Faith release is as good as expected in a series that is gaining serious momentum. Steve Morris was responsible for the cover, while Rebekah Isaacs handled the variant cover.

Faith Lehane has always been the most rebellious Slayer of any that have come before her in the series. Thus far, she has stuck by loyally with Angel as they try to bring Giles back from the dead. Her sharp wit and impulsive nature make her quick to anger and practical to a fault. Yet, there is another emerging side to her character not often exhibited and, therefore, makes the character of Faith that much more complex.

In Angel and Faith #6, Faith takes on the role of mentor for a younger group of Slayers, giving them the benefit of Faith’s experience. This is a decidedly different role for the normally taciturn Slayer as she reminds one young and passionate slayer that sometimes a crazy guy is just a crazy guy and not a Vampire. She flashes back to her early Slayer days when Buffy failed to prevent Faith from staking a human she mistook for a Vampire.

There is often a warring argument inside the mind of a parent, one between protecting their children and preparing them for the real world as they grow up. Rupert Giles experiences his father’s choices in a very specific way when he and a young group of Watcher Trainees are sent out on a mission to take down what was reported to be a single vampire. A Watcher is not strictly a hunter of Vampires by definition, but is instead a trainer of Vampire Slayers. However, the resulting chaos and bloodshed put a young Rupert Giles at odds with his own father and the Watcher’s Council.

The recounting of Rupert Giles’ experience with his father and the Lorophage Demon leads to several other startling discoveries by Angel, as the Vampire with a soul reads through Giles’ journal. The city of London has never been a favorite of Angel’s because the memories of the horrors he committed still linger in his mind today. His search to bring Giles back continues as the Watchers’ journal guides him like a compass on his path to redemption. In this way, Angel has a mentor, or father figure, in Giles even while trying to bring the man back to life. The lessons and information in Giles’ journal have been instrumental to the storyline of Angel and Faith thus far.

Yet, what issue about fatherhood would be complete without a personal blood relation to both Angel and Faith themselves. The surprise inclusion of Faith’s father, on his search to find his daughter, is sure to spark the interest of fans. The possibilities of what the inclusion of Faith’s biological father can mean for the series is overshadowed only by the inclusion of Angel’s daughter, Druscilla. Fans of the Buffy universe will remember that Druscilla is the not quite sane Vampire sired by Angel for the purpose of specifically torturing a pure and innocent girl into decadent insanity.

The fear is palpable as it rips through Angel when he finds out that following Giles’s journal to hunt a demon leads him on a path to reuniting with Druscilla. There are questions that plague fans regarding Druscilla; most mainly wonder if this insane Vampire seductress is actually insane or a masterful actress. No one really knows and in a series like Angel and Faith, knowledge is power.

The sixth issue of Angel and Faith is out for pre-order now and will hit local store shelves near the end of January. This issue is filled with surprise guests as well as the usual variety of violence and mayhem. The story seems to be gearing up for a big showdown as Angel and Faith continue to try and save Giles in a world without magic. How will Giles continue to affect Angel and Faith? How will Druscilla and Faith’s father factor into the story? All of them are good questions that will hopefully be answered in the next issue of Angel and Faith.

[fireondandelion]

Thanks for the news!

[comic fan]

Two More Angel & Faith # 6 reviews.Spoilerish.

Angel and Faith #6 Comic Review | Fandomania

Angel and Faith #6 Comic Review

Posted by Kimberly Lynn Workman



Issue: Angel and Faith #6
Release Date: January 2012
Writer: Christos Gage
Art: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Dan Jackson
Letters: Richard Starkings and COMICRAFT’S Jimmy Betancourt
Cover: Steve Morris
Alternate Cover: Rebekah Isaacs and Dan Jackson
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Flashbacks to young Giles, a mysterious vampire using mind control, and a few long-lost relatives coming out of the woodwork. It’s an exciting time in the new issue of Angel and Faith. Going by the cover, I was expecting this to be a Ripper issue or maybe Angel raising a younger version of Giles from the dead. That wasn’t quite what transpired, but I can’t say I’m disappointed because the twist ending made up for everything. Things just got more interesting.

Starting off with a Douglas Adams shout-out and going right into a mention of Ray Davies and Rod Stewart was a bit tiresome. I mean, we get it. Highgate is where the famous hang out, dead or alive, so I didn’t see the need to go name-dropping. But, thankfully, it was over quickly so we could get to the exciting bit of the scene — ritual mass murder. Yes, it seems that someone is making people crazy, as evidenced by not only this bloody scene, but also the averted non-vampire attack that Faith had to help break up. It seems the new “it” vampire, Mother Superior, is behind it all. Find the leader, you’ll stop the crazy. At least, that’s what they’re hoping.



I liked the flashbacks we got with young Giles in 1972. At first I thought it was the beginning of the Ripper days, as Philip was in the group, but that wasn’t the one that raised Eyghon it seems. However, we did get a chance to see Giles and his Daddy issues play out explosively. I understand where he’s coming from. He didn’t ask to be a Watcher, it was thrust upon him at an early age as his destiny. Watchers and Slayers, I guess neither can escape what they’re meant to do. But I do hope we get some glimpses at Giles’s Ripper days. I enjoyed that bit of his history the most.

Back to the present, we’ve got two issues to deal with. Number one, there’s a guy sniffing around the pub for information on Faith’s whereabouts. At first I thought it was a bad guy, meant to take her out, but it seems that it’s her father just wanting to reconnect with his little girl. I wonder how that meeting will go, when he finally catches up with Faith. But we can’t worry about that at the moment because there’s a bigger twist to deal with. Faith and Angel do indeed track down Mother Superior and it’s someone we all know well. Drusilla, in her most glorious form, is back in the game. But unlike before, when she was not in her right mind, she’s sane again. That means she’s tremendously dangerous. I cannot wait to see the blood running in the streets as a result of this. We are in for a wild ride now!

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars


Dru's sane?Hmm,I now do wonder if we might get a nod to the IDW Spike miniseries and Dru being left at MOSAIC?Could MOSAIC have cured her of her insanity?

Oedipus, Elektra Got Nothing on Angel and Faith � Horror Haven Reviews

Oedipus, Elektra Got Nothing on Angel and Faith

Review by Shaun Daniels and Edited by Sharon Wong



Angel & Faith #6 Written by Christos Gage, Art by Rebekah Isaacs, Colors by Dan Jackson, Covers by Steve Morris & Rebekah Isaacs and Published by Dark Horse Comics

Just about every family has a black sheep so it’s probably safe to say that Faith is the black sheep in her family even though we’ve never seen her family…that is to say until now. After a 2011 New York Comic Con teaser by writer Christos Gage and artist Rebekah Isaacs, we finally get to meet Faith’s family in the form of her father. The aptly titled arc, “Daddy Issues,” is more than just a reunion of Faith and her dear old dad but an examination of all of the characters in Angel and Faith, alive, dead or undead, and their relationships with their dads/father figures.

Angel, in London’s Highgate area, normally known for its ritzy inhabitants, is in the middle of an investigation that mirrors one from the past. That investigation was conducted by none other than Giles, the man Angel wants to resurrect. It centered around a group of teenage Watchers-in-training, led by the Watcher himself, who were expecting a vampire but instead were slaughtered at the hands of a lesser known demon who drinks juices from its victims’ heads. Giles, the lone survivor of the incident, didn’t take too kindly to his father, whom he feels fed him and his students to the lions. Angel and Faith find themselves currently investigating what may be the same demon, which also hibernates for decades at a time. With magic being of short supply and clues starting to add up, it appears that this normally solitary demon might be working for someone, or rather something, influencing the demon. Mother Superior, the mysterious vampire figure that seems able to influence vampires and humans alike, becomes a person of interest. Angel and Faith set out to confront Mother Superior, who turns out to be no stranger to Angel and may have her own daddy issue with him. [SEMI-SPOILER ALERT!] The issue ends with a couple of Slayers in a bar being asked questions by a man claiming to be Faith’s dad.

Gage is layering this issue with the dynamics of father figure relationships even though the only one explored in this story is that of Giles and his father from the ‘70s. This tumultuous relationship between a young Giles and elder Rupert will undoubtedly be the vehicle for the exploration of the relationships in this arc. With this start, it looks as if Gage will be juxtaposing Giles and his father against Faith and her dad, Angel and his sires, and finally, to that of Giles and Faith. The writer also shows his mastery of the writing craft with the way he uses the flashback of Giles and the young Watchers (we call dibs on writing that spin-off). Instead of dumping the flashback in the story, he throws in dialogue about Angel reading Giles’ journal with that little bit of dialogue justifying the presence of the flashback and not just being a McGuffin.

Isaacs definitely stepped up her art in this issue. By no means has her artwork on the opening story arc been anything than her best, but her two-issue break from the book seems to have given her time to recharge. As always, Isaacs continues to capture the essences of the characters without making them look like carbon copies of the actors who played them on the TV show. The standout scene is in the opening where a doctor/nurse performed unnecessary surgeries on unwitting patients at a senior housing complex.

Put aside your own daddy issues for this book. After all, your problems probably don’t compare to the crazy **** these characters have put each other through.


From Jane Espensons's twitter.

Twitter

befo@befo13 22 Jan 12
@JaneEspenson Are you still writing Buffy? Please say yes, I beg, heart in my throat and stomach in my trousers. Wait...ew.

Jane Espenson@JaneEspenson @befo13 yep.
Working on a Buffy comic.
22 Jan 12

Back in the summer,Scott Allie confirmed that Jane And Drew were teaming up around the middle of season 9 for a arc focusing on this gay male character.As hard as it is to believe but we are now going into issue 6 of both series(tomorrow for Angel & Faith and two weeks for Buffy)which means we'll be six months/the first quarter of the way into season 9.And the creative team is probably about five or six issues ahead of us as far as writing and penciling the issues.I think last week Chris Gage mentioned he was in the middle of writing issue 11 for example.So the creative team should be at or nearing the mid point of the season.So it sounds like Jane Espenson & Drew Greenberg could be starting on their issues.


ETA

5th Advanced review for Angel & Faith # 6.

ADVANCED "Angel & Faith" #6 Review: Fathers & Daughters - Whedonopolis

ADVANCED "Angel & Faith" #6 Review: Fathers & Daughters



The second arc of Dark Horse’s Angel & Faith series starts this week with Issue #6, written by Christos Gage and with art by Rebekah Isaacs, and your friendly, neighborhood Comic Book Slayer has an advance review for his Scooby gang! I’m proud to report that both Gage and Isaacs are at full force in this issue, as the Angel & Faith series continues to jockey with Buffy: Season 9 for the title of best Whedon comic of 2012!

SPOILERS BELOW

The Good

Rupert Giles scores ten points for Gryffindor! I won’t spoil too much, but we get a fantastic flashback scene in this issue that takes place during the ‘70s, when a young Rupert Giles was enlisted in the Watcher’s Academy. While it’s always enjoyable to see Giles reappear in the comics, Gage crafts a particularly engaging scene that fits amazingly well into the known Buffy/Angel canon. This one little flashback is so perfect, it left me wondering...where the hell is my Watcher’s Academy TV show, Joss? It’s this ability to seamlessly blend the comic world of Angel & Faith with the TV series we know and love that makes Christos Gage my personal hero.

Familiar faces for Angel & Faith. I can’t really say much here, but I will say that if you dig hard enough through that internet thing out there, you should be able to come up with the identities of the special surprise guests in this issue. There are two of them, just so we’re clear! (Pssst! They’re on the variant covers!)

The Bad

Angel reads Douglas Adams? Really? Every now and then, a bit of dialogue that Gage writes for Angel doesn’t feel right to me. In Issue #5, it was the Raymond Chandler reference that had Angel reminiscing about how much he liked to play detective, with beautiful woman walking through his door. In this issue, it’s Angel’s confession about his love for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Does this really seem like something Angel would pick up? I know he has had some oddball passions (Manilow’s “Mandy!”), but this just seems too geeky for the Angel I know.

Angel & Faith #6 is a must-buy, Scoobies, and it’s out in comic book shops on Wednesday! Don’t miss it!

’Till the end of the world,
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer

[comic fan]

Zianna's full summery for Angel & Faith # 6.

Spoilers Angel and Faith #6: "Daddy Issues" Pt 1 - News, Reviews and Discussion - Page 3

Here's the summary.

The issue begins with Angel in Highgate Cemetery. Douglas Adams is buried there and Angel has come to pay his respects. He had found :The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in a dumpster back in the 80's which had helped him from committing suicide back then. But something else was there as well, Angel can smell the blood, but unfortunately it's gone now. And the blood trail leads him to an area called Holly Lodge Estate where elderly people live in public housing.

A policeman stops Angel wanting to know what he wants there and Angel says he wants to visit a friend. They go inside together while the policeman informs Angel that nothing usually happens or has happened lately, but as they open the door of an apartment the stench is unbearable. So they find a man who has killed at least 3 elderly people, standing on top of them saying that they had the disease but now he has cut it out. And then he tries to help Angel and the policeman too by trying to kill them. Angel fights back and knocks him unconscious. The policeman impressed by his fighting skills then tells him to step back since it's a murder scene and asks him if he knows any of the dead. But Angel says no because he doesn't think the one he's looking for has been there for a while.

So then we go back to a flashback from the 70s. Again in the Highgate Cemetery. Young Giles together with 4 other young people, all wannabe watchers, are training. They seem eager to complete the task and kill a vampire and Giles is the only one that wants to be careful about it. Only a girl seems to agree with Giles and his tactics, but before they finish talking on how they should look for the vampire and how to kill it, the vampire appears in front of them. But Giles realizes there is something wrong with that vampire and before he has the time to talk to the others, one of the boys named Philip attacks the vampire. But it's not a vampire, nor a man, and Giles' instincts were right. It's a Lorophage demon, much much stronger than vampires, which uses its proboscis and needle-like fingers to draw any sustenance from the minds of his victims. It's a fatal process. Basically the creature feeds on its victims traumatic experiences. And those wannabe young watchers have plenty of those. Traumatic experiences from being locked up in rooms with starving vampires or from peering into hell dimensions as part of their training. And the demon kills all the young watchers one by one, reaching up to Giles at the end. And Giles feels the process, he starts remembering all his traumatic experiences including the very last one which was watching just some seconds ago one of the young watchers, a girl, getting killed by the demon, a girl that he had never found the courage to ask her out. And now Giles is gonna die, first go utterly mad and then die. But just before his end, 2 older watchers come and attack the demon and save Giles' life. They've been watching the young ones by distance evaluating them, only a few seconds behind them, which were enough for the demon to slaughter the young ones. One of them is Giles' father and even they are no match for the demon. But the demon had already fed itself and it was sated so it run away from them. And that was the day that Giles' innocence was perished.

Next we find out that Giles' relationship with his father was very tense only to be made even worse by the events of that night. Giles blames his father and calls him a murderer, telling him that he had sent them to their death. His father says that it was a tragic event that the Council's intelligence was faulty about. Giles tells him that they weren't ready for it but his father replies that nobody is ever really ready for that job and that the specter of death is part of the life that they were chosen for. And we find out that Giles basically never really chose to become a watcher, that life was chosen for him at the age of 10 when he was asked to start studying horror and death together with latin and geometry. But the father insists, the supernatural road is their heritage, their destiny and they must serve it. But young Giles has already made up his mind and he decides to run away from all of that and follow his own path. But unfortunately he was hardly done with magic and death, but those events will be recount in due course.

The issue continues with Faith. She's in downtown London together with 2 other slayers who are fighting a vampire while Faith takes care of a girl that has been biten by the vampire. She'll be alright, the bite wasn't deep. At the meantime Nadira is ready to dust the vampire, but right before, Faith grabs her hand and stops her telling her to take a better look. He is not a vampire, but he is human, and Nadira almost killed him. The man says that we wanted to be sired and he asked for it, but since this is against the rules she didn't sired him so he decided to sire himself (LOL!) and took a bite on her. Faith tells the girls to call the police and an ambulance. Nadira feels so guilty that she had almost become a murderer, only to feel even worst by saying that in front of Faith who has already been there, done that. But Faith knows that the only reason that she saw that coming tonight and that she was able to stop Nadira, is actually because she has been on this road herself and she had done the same mistake. But Buffy didn't stop her in time. But Faith has dealt with it and payed for it and now she has used her past mistakes to actually save a life.

So Faith changes the conversation asking the girls if they know who is "she" that didn't agree to sire the guy because it's against the rules. Nadira days that probably is the "Mother Superior" and when she rejected to sire him that drove him over the edge and suggests to go after her. But the third slayer says that the Mother Superior hasn't broken any of Harmony's rules. Nadira replies that they are vampire slayers and that's what they do, kill vampires, and asks if it's illegal to kill a vampire that follows the rules. And we then learn from Faith that it is still a gray area, but killing a vampire that follows the rules will only result in starting a war. What they need is a reason to kill her and since most vampires come with skeletons in their closets, Faith now is on to that.

Next we find Angel and Faith training on the rooftop of Giles' residence. Faith tells him about Mother Superior while they train. Angel has heard of her, she attracts goth crowd like flies but she obeys the rules. Faith adds that she stays out of sight and she doesn't use her real name. Angel tells her that many vampires pick a different name when they get turned, it's a kind of tradition in some bloodlines and he doesn't seem eager to deal with it. But Faith draws his attention when she mentions that she thinks that Mother Superior is up to something since she has already run into 2 different nut jobs that tie to her. Not totally crazy people, more like too much drunk people who don't give a damn about anything, not even their lives or the lives of other people. And Angel has met one of them as well. Faith surprised tells him that she thought that his only mission was to bring back Giles. But Angel adds that it's kind of related, the last entry in Giles' diary that was talking about the Lorophage demon, he checked it with the watchers' files and found out that the demon has hibernation cycles. They sleep for decades and then wake up to feed themselves when "the stars of the old ones who birthed them align" which means now.

They go together to Alasdair telling him about the Lorophage demon. He says that this kind of demon is possible to cause an epidemic of madness but unlikely at the same time. There were cases that the victims went completely mad from all the traumatic experiences that were forced to surface but very rarely and only when the attack has been interrupted. The Lorophage demons prefer to drain every drop of their victims' brains and by that they kill them. Faith disagrees bringing Giles as an example, who has survived a Lorophage demon's attack and didn't die nor went mad. But Alasdair adds that Faith has no idea of his days as a Ripper and what he did and how he used magic. Faith still disagrees saying that being young and stupid doesn't make one crazy. Before things go worst between them Angel interferes wondering why the demon leaves the victims alive. Faith's theory is that the demon is being controlled but Alasdair says that Lorophage demons are resistant to magic. So Faith corrects her theory saying that maybe the demon is hypnotized by someone....by a vampire, as Angel adds. And Alasdair tells them that if the theory is correct, that means that this is a serious threat and they must put aside whatever else they are working on and focus on that. Faith kind of angry tells him they got it and they leave the house.

When outside, Angel asks her why she behaved like that, since they went to him to ask for his help. But Faith just thinks that he talks too much like every old guy. She has asked the girls to check a little bit and Daphine texted her that the newest residents of Arkham Asylum, people who had lived through very traumatic experiences and would be the perfect meal for a Lorophage demon, have all gone mad and gotten obsessed with Mother Superior. But what Angel doesn't understand is what does a vampire gain from making people crazy. And there is only one way to find out. Daphine informed Faith that Mother Superior lives in a deconsecrated church that was turned into a nightclub . And they decide to go and find her to end all this.

They attack going inside the church, asking the crowd, human groupies and minor vampires to take them to Mother Superior. But the crowd attacks and the fight starts. But Angel doesn't have the patience for that, and most of all, he hated churches since they bring back to him very bad memories. Nuns used to be his specialty, torturing them, killing them, and he had a vivid imagination. One could say that that was Angelus, but Angel remembers everything and Angel knows what Angel did and how good that made him feel. And some of his worst memories are from his time in London. So, wanting to end all this fighting, he knocks on a door trying to find Mother Superior, telling her that "it's time for confession, you go first, Mother Superior, it starts by "Bless me..." But before he finishes he sees Drusilla inside the room sitting on a throne, being worshiped by her minions telling him that she knows what comes next. After "bless me" it comes "Father...isn't that right?"

Meanwhile somewhere in a pub, a man approaches Nadira and another slayer who have a drink. He knows they are slayers and he is looking for Faith. Nadira tells him that they have never heard of her, but even if they had, why should they tell him? And the man replies that he has the best reason in the world, because he is her daddy.

Angel thinks that there is something not usual with Drusilla. She tells them she became somewhat nostalgic, a girl that almost became a nun so she decided to set her shop in a church. And the more things they change the more they stay the same. And Angel understands what is not right with Drusilla. She is sane!

End of issue 6.

I'll keep adding to this post throughout the day.