[comic fan]

CBR's Behind Buffy Season 9 with Andrew Chambliss on Buffy's S9 # 3-5.

BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9: A "Slayer, Interrupted" - Comic Book Resources

BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9: A "Slayer, Interrupted"

Writer Andrew Chambliss joined us for another round of BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9, an in-depth look at the life-changing events of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" thus far.

by Shaun Manning, Staff Writer



SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #3-5, in stores now.]

Just as Buffy Summers began to find new footing in San Francisco, events unlike any she's faced before have thrown her life into disarray once more. After Buffy destroyed the Seed to save all of reality at the end of "Season 8," all magic was banished from this plane of existence, with the exception of some inborn traits such as a Slayer's power. Without the threat of evils from another dimension, Buffy hoped to establish a new, quieter life as she dealt with the fallout of her actions, but now zombie vampires ("zompires"), altered demons, and other individuals with a unique grudge have come to upset the apple cart. And then came the revelation in issue #5 -- Buffy is with child.

Welcome back to BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9, a regular feature in which we discuss the highlight reel of recent issues with the creators behind the series. Writer Andrew Chambliss joins us for the first time to talk about the Slayer's choices, her shifting cast, and what to look for as the season rolls on.



CBR News: Andrew, welcome to BEHIND BUFFY SEASON 9! I'd like to start with a bit of "big picture" discussion for this season. When "Season 9" launched, there was very much a sense of starting a new era in Buffy's life, and now we're starting to see more concretely what this phase will entail. After eight seasons -- one in comics -- why was it essential to make this leap now?

Andrew Chambliss: I think for everyone involved -- Joss, Dark Horse, etc. -- this just seemed like the natural evolution in Buffy's life. Settling down, trying to figure out who she is, and what she's going to do. In "Season 8," she faced what might be the biggest thing a Slayer could face -- the creation of a new universe at the expense of our own -- that it seemed like it was time to scale things down to something a little more human-sized. It'd be hard to go bigger than "Season 8." I also think that Buffy's age played a big part in Joss' decision to try to iris "Season 9" down to Buffy rebuilding her life in a world without magic. She's in her 20s, which I think is a time when a lot of people realize that they actually need to figure out who they are and what they're going to do with their life. I also think it's a time when reality starts to set in, that all your dreams might not be possible, or at the very least that you might have to choose one over the other.

I think Buffy's got to face these questions now -- whether she can be a Slayer and have a life outside of slaying, especially because all her friends are making these decisions. Is she going to grow with them? Or is she going to be left behind trying to hang on to the way her life used to be?



One of the themes of the series so far seems to be the idea of power -- both having it and losing it. In issues #3 and #4, we get to know Severin a bit, who seems to be the manifestation of this. Though they've gotten off to a bad start, could he potentially be an ally for Buffy? Might his powers allow Buffy the thing she's always wanted?

Having power and losing it is a theme that will play out across the season. Both on the character level, and on the world level. Severin's an interesting villain -- a guy who felt cheated by the loss of his girlfriend and didn't quite understand his powers when Simone recruited him. So I think his loyalties are definitely up in the air, but I don't think that means we should expect to see Buffy and Severin kicking ass and taking names together any time soon. We will see him again this season, and I think he will have had some time to reflect on the choices he made in the first arc -- but where that reflection leads him is something that I don't want to give away.

Now, the idea of Buffy being vulnerable to losing her power is something that will definitely be in play. But it's a complicated questions because no matter how much a part of her wants to have a normal life, so much of her identity is tied up in being a Slayer. Going to Sev to be depowered wouldn't be something she'd come to easily.

As "Buffy Season 9" and its sister title "Angel & Faith" progress, we're starting to see more and more what it means that magic has departed the world. Buffy notes that Sev's power "isn't exactly magic," Angel is encountering problems with certain demon panacaea, and even the nature of vampires is changing. Does Buffy realize yet herself how drastically she's altered things, or is it left to people like Willow to spell it out for her?

Buffy is definitely aware that she's changed the world, but she's only starting to peel back the first layer of what that means. Sure, she knows newly sired vampires are now zompires, and Sev was her first taste of a villain who was operating in the magickless world -- but she doesn't know how deep these changes are going to go -- at least not this early in the season. There will be people like Willow and Koh to help spell some of these changes out for her -- but even these characters aren't entirely in the know about just how much the loss of magic is going to ripple through the world. Buffy's going to have to live in the world and see the changes happen firsthand to really understand what's happened. And some of the changes are going to take time as old power structures topple and new orders are established.

Pretty much every arc that we have mapped out for the season is based on exploring a further development of what happens when magic disappears -- right now, I'm working on an arc that's fairly demon-heavy and exploring exactly how a certain group of demons is trying to skirt this issue.



You mention Eldre Koh, the Nitobe demon who wants to be Buffy's new best friend even as everybody else is on her case. Of course, they don't even have time for introductions at their first meeting. Will they get a chance to sit down and have some coffee pretty soon?

It's funny you ask the questions in that way, because Buffy and Koh's first real sitdown does occur over a cup of coffee -- just maybe not in the circumstances we'd all expect. Buffy and Koh are going to have an interesting relationship. Koh has been locked away for so long that the world is unfamiliar to him, and he also is indebted to Buffy because she's the one who freed him -- but there's a bit of a catch-22 here because Koh's life will definitely be affected by the lack of magic. He may have his innate demon powers, but the world that he remembers -- the world that existed a long time ago when he was locked up -- was one that still had magic, and he may be thrown by the new way the world works.

Koh mentions at one point that Buffy is becoming "more difficult to find." Does this tie in to the question of her identity as the Slayer, which comes into focus in #5?

Koh's statement about Buffy becoming more difficult to find was purely a practical matter. Since she was on the run from the police, he was going to have a much harder time to find her and deliver the warning about the Siphon.

Buffy's activity as the Slayer has now gone public, which brings the police into the picture and makes things difficult for her roommates. From the writing side, how does this change the sort of things you're able to throw at Buffy and friends?

As a writer, it's fun to think of the real world consequences Buffy would face for doing what she's doing. How would the police react to a vigilante killing vampires? How would the police try to deal with vampire problems? What gray area does Buffy's slaying fall into? What happens if Slayers try to make money off their talents? The answers to these questions lead to tons of story possibilities. For instance, an upcoming storyline with Dowling came out of asking what would the police do after discovering the giant nest of zompires at the end of issue #4? Who would Dowling recruit from the Scoobies to help him learn about zompires and Slaying?

Speaking of Detective Dowling, it looks like he's starting to play a larger role in Buffy's life. Can we expect a sort of Batman/Jim Gordon relationship between the two?

Buffy and Dowling will continue a relationship going forward. It's not that far off from Batman/Commissioner Gordon relationship. The SFPD is going to need some help dealing with the zompire population, and Dowling already has a friendship with Buffy based on his actions in at the end of #4 so he kind of seems like the natural go-between for the SFPD and Buffy. The characters also seem like a good fit in my mind because they're such interesting counterpoints to each other. Buffy is a character steeped in the supernatural who is now learning to live in a world that's lost most of its magic. Dowling, on the other hand, is a character who barely knew vampires existed until the surge in the zompire population, and now he's got to learn how to deal with them. They're both on opposite trajectories, but they both have a lot to teach each other. And I'm not just talking practicals, like how to slay or how to be a cop -- they have a lot to teach each other emotionally as well.




One of the intriguing subplots simmering away is Xander and Dawn's tiff; it's severe enough to send Xan to the couch for several issues, but not so bad that he's being kicked out (and they're still bantering). They've known each other forever, but are fairly new as a couple. How do you see their relationship at this point?

Dawn and Xander are still figuring out exactly what their relationship is. It's been a long time since either of them wasn't dealing with some sort of supernatural problem night and day so I think a lot of this season will be about the two of them figuring out who they are in this new world as individuals -- and as a couple -- so naturally there will be some friction between both of them. The tiff that had Xander sleeping on the couch is pointing to a storyline that we'll explore later in the season. It's definitely there for a reason.



Moving on to issue #5 -- the biggie! Willow and Buffy have reconciled, at least to a degree, but a shared dream-quest sends Willow on a journey with the mystical scythe to restore magic. Scott Allie has said this takes Willow out of the picture for the foreseeable future -- what was the thought behind removing her from Buffy's chessboard at this crucial moment?

This seemed like the perfect time to send Willow off -- just when Buffy needs her most. Willow would have been the first person she'd have gone to with the pregnancy news. The whole idea behind the pregnancy was to knock Buffy back on her feet -- to make her face something real in a way she hadn't before -- so having Willow off on a magical quest is really going to push Buffy to reach out to some people for help who she might not normally have considered talking to right away. We also wanted Buffy and Willow to be in a good place when Willow left, and by good place I mean a place where Buffy understands why Willow needs magic so much. I think it probably would have been too much of a whammy for Buffy to have lost Willow on bad terms and then to have found out she was pregnant. And just because Buffy is okay with Willow leaving, doesn't mean that she's not going to wish Willow were around during her absence this season.



Karl Moline stepped in as guest artist for this very personal issue. How does his visual style and direction punch up those pivotal moments with the First Slayer, Willow's goodbye, and that last page reveal?

Karl did such a tremendous job with the last page of issue #5 (not to mention the rest of the issue). It was a such a big moment -- and so important for the season -- and it seemed like something that should play with as little dialogue and as few captions as possible. So the challenge was capturing all this emotion in those two panels. The uncertainty, the anxiety, the fear, the surprise... that's a lot to capture in two panels on Buffy's face. But Karl did, and I absolutely love that last page -- I really feel like I'm inside Buffy's head in the first two panels, and then -- boom, I see what she sees in that last panel -- the positive pregnancy test!

Regarding the pregnancy, I spoke with Scott Allie about this development, but I'd love to hear your take on what this means for Buffy.

I'm not going to say too much about the pregnancy because I don't want to spoil the upcoming issues, but what I think is important about Buffy facing a pregnancy is that it's going to force her to really think about who she is, what's important to her, and what being a Slayer means. This isn't something she can run from or ignore. I also think it's something that is extremely relatable -- one of those things that so many people have been through -- that makes them reassess where they are in their life and where they want to be. I'm also not going to say anything about the father, but Spike, along with some of the Scoobies, will play a role in helping Buffy deal with all the recent events.



The First Slayer (or a reasonable facsimile) tells Buffy, "You are not the Slayer." Does this play into the power/loss of power throughline?

The First Slayer's line is definitely something that will come back to haunt Buffy this season. I don't want to give it away, but what the First Slayer is telling Buffy isn't confined to issue #5.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #6 goes on sale February 8.


ETA

Third Buffy S9 # 6 advanced review.

http://therealmcast.com/22456/review...er-season-9-6/

Review: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #6

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Dawn Cordero



In this part one of a two part story arc, Buffy has a hard a decision to make and needs guidance so she calls on and old friend who tells her about growing up with a slayer as a mom. Spike is back and helping Detective Dowling of the San Francisco PD to quell the zompire numbers and has a startling revelation regarding Buffy. Gorgeous cover by new regular cover artist Phil Noto. Written by Andrew Chambliss, art by Georges Jeanty, coloring by Michelle Madsen, still executive produced by Joss Whedon.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 Issue #6 is available on 2/8/2012.

[fireondandelion]

Thanks for the news

[comic fan]

New tweets from Christos Gage about Angel & Faith # 7.

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

ChristosgageChristos Gage

If you missed it last night, here's the preview for ANGEL & FAITH #7 Preview: Angel & Faith #7 - Comic Book Resources featuring Drusilla and a Darla cameo!
3 hours ago

ChristosgageChristos Gage

My favorite thing about the ANGEL & FAITH preview is that I now know how much it mortifies @rebekahisaacs to draw sex scenes.
3 hours ago

ChristosgageChristos Gage

BTW fair comments that the A&F flashback doesn't provide new info. I feel it tells us Angel's thought process behind choosing Dru...
3 hours ago

ChristosgageChristos Gage

...she is someone who is the opposite of what Angel/Liam was and Angelus wants to destroy that. But that may have already been clear to most
3 hours ago

[fireondandelion]

Thanks for the news

[comic fan]

More Tweets from Christos Gage.

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

farwell3dBrian Fowler

@Christosgage So, is Drusilla having been at the Mosaic "true" in A&F?
3 Feb

ChristosgageChristos Gage

@farwell3d I am trying to invalidate everything @BrianLynch ever did, so no. Kidding, it's neither ref'd nor contradicted so as you please.
3 Feb

ChristosgageChristos Gage

For ANGEL & FAITH with stuff that's not Joss-approved canon I try to stay ambiguous. i.e. Faith's Dad's name. I used "Pat"...
3 Feb

ChristosgageChristos Gage

...whereas the Faith novel had his name as, I think, George Patrick Lehane. So it could be he goes by his middle name, or ignore the novel.
3 Feb

ETA

Christos Gage tweet about current issue he's writing.

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

ChristosgageChristos Gage

Writing a massive battle between Angel, Faith and undisclosed allies vs. a hugely powerful foe. It's quite fun.
5 hours ago

ChristosgageChristos Gage

I am writing badass dialogue for Faith today to tap into that @elizadushku mojo, then sending it to the PATS who are going to WIN 37-30.
5 hours ago

[fireondandelion]

Thanks for the news!

[comic fan]

Fourth advanced Buffy S9 # 6 review.

Advance Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #6 : The News Stand - The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

Advance Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #6

An advance review of the newest Buffy book!

Credits & Solicit Info:

Story by Andrew Chambliss
Art by Georges Jeanty, Dexter Vines
Colors by Michelle Madsen
Cover by Phil Noto, Georges Jeanty

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.

Review:

After the direction that season eight of Buffy went, I personally wasn't looking forward to season nine. However, I'm glad I picked it up; and to the disappointed fans, I seriously recommend picking up the first trade when it's out to see what I'm talking about. For those disillusioned by the last season, the current storyline is much more grounded than its predecessor. Instead of following the slayer army and big crazy monsters, the focus returns to the Scooby Gang. Between the new Buffy volume and Angel and Faith, the Buffyverse is firing on all cylinders; and this sixth issue of the latest season is no different. A warning to those who want to be surprised about Buffy's major life developments- there will be spoilers, so don't read any further if you want to be surprised.

This issue primarily deals with the fallout from the shocking development of last issue, i.e. Buffy is pregnant. The issue jumps back and forth from Buffy's life in the present, and Nikki Wood's life in the past. We learn that Nikki was one of the few (if not the only) documented case of a woman who gave birth to a child while being the Slayer.

The issue's writer, Andrew Chambliss, does a great job of showcasing the similarities and differences between Buffy and Nikki. The most striking difference is the amount of support in their lives; while Nikki was essentially alone, Buffy has her friends and family. The issue also shows how ill prepared for "real life" Buffy is. Sure, when it comes to slaying, she's the best there is, but everyday things? Not so much.

Another good thing is the treatment of Nikki's son Robin, whom longtime fans will recall from the last season of the television show. Buffy uses him as a resource in this predicament- and if anyone would know what it's like to be the child of a Slayer it'd be him- and the execution works well. I won't spoil the whole ending, but the last page has a cliffhanger I definitely did not see coming.

Georges Jeanty's artwork is amazing, as always. The characters all clearly resemble the actors from the show, yet there is enough of his personal style in it to make them his own. He does a great job of conveying the emotions the characters are experiencing, yet at the same time he can still depict amazing action sequences.

Overall, the Buffy comic FINALLY feels like the television show. The intimate focus on only a few characters is what makes Buffy great, and this issue was no exception. It's also great to get some more development of both Nikki and Robin Wood. I look forward to seeing where the story goes.

For those of you who were turned off by Season 8, I urge you to give Season 9 a chance. This issue in particular was the best so far- I definitely recommend it.


ETA

Buffyfest has major details on the next arc of Buffy Season 9(issues 8-10).The covers we've seen already.

http://buffyfest.blogspot.com/2012/0...on-9-news.html

Monday, February 6, 2012

[Spoilers] Exclusive 'Buffy' Season 9 news!

A couple of interesting tidbits here but please click away if you're spoiler sensitive!

We have it on good word that the Buffy Season 9 #8-10 arc will be called "Apart (of Me)" and will be written by Andrew Chambliss and Scott Allie with Cliff Richards as artist!








1)So the next arc which is issues 3-10 is called,"Apart (of Me)"

2)Scott Allie is co-writing the arc with Andrew Chambliss.

3)Cliff Richards is the artist on this arc.

[Ace Of Hearts]

Thank you comic fan!

Ringer homage/parody!

Cliff Richards is the artist on this arc.

Awesome! Nothing against Jeanty, the guy has some serious talent but Richards draws most of the BtVS characters flawlessly imo.

[indigo sunrise]

I'm more excited for tomorrow's issue than I've been for anything in a good long while really can't wait!

[comic fan]

Fifth advanced Buffy S9 # 6 review.

ADVANCE "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #6 Review: Mother or Slayer? - Whedonopolis

ADVANCE "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9" #6 Review:
Mother or Slayer?



The last issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 left us with quite the cliffhanger, and this issue does not disappoint. While readers desperate for details of how Buffy ended up in her predicament will be left wanting, writer Andrew Chambliss continues his stellar performance as the current Buffy scribe, while artist Georges Jeanty flaunts the amazing talent that got him the job! Talk about a dream team!

MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

The Good

Mommies, Daddies, and the return of Nikki Wood! I can’t go into too much detail, but, while writer Christos Gage is currently exploring fatherhood in the Angel & Faith series with the return of Drusilla and the appearance of Faith’s father, Chambliss almost seems to be writing a companion piece that explores both slayerhood and motherhood. While I’m not sure it’s a coordinated effort on Dark Horse’s and the writers’ parts, it makes the two series feel that much more intertwined and real. Chambliss also seizes this opportunity to bring back Nikki and Robin Wood, which is a great move. The unique relationship between Nikki and Robin is something that was barely touched on in the television series, and this chance to dive back into that meaty territory will be much appreciated by fans. And, who doesn’t love a reappearance by that badass slayer from the ‘70s, Nikki Wood? Finally, the ending to this issue is almost as big of a cliffhanger as last issue, and it literally made me freeze in place when I read it. It’s bold, it’s challenging, and a good number of fans may be outraged, but, once again, I’m happy to see that Chambliss and Whedon are not playing it safe this season.

Vampire with a space ship. Spike has a short, yet hysterically brilliant, scene involving his bug-ship and Detective Dowling. I love it when they make me laugh out loud!

The Bad

Nada. This book is that good. You’re reading it, right? RIGHT?!?!?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #6 is out in comic book shops on Wednesday! Do not miss this one, Scoobies!

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


ETA

CBR interview with Scott Allie on Buffy S9 # 6.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=36854

Scott Allie On Making "Buffy" Bold

As "Season 9" of Joss Whedon's fan favorite franchise continues, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tackles new emotions through her pregnancy, new villains with "zompires" and new mysteries surrounding Spike, Willow and the gang, says Scott Allie.

by Kiel Phegley, News Editor


"Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9" #6 is on sale this week.

After a "Season 8" that left many fans reeling from cosmic whiplash, the major theme of Joss Whedon's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9" from Dark Horse Comics was to tighten the focus of the fan favorite franchise on the core cast of monster killers and their emotional status. Now half way into its first year, the core "Buffy" book is already simmering with major moves including an unexpected and mysterious pregnancy for Buffy Summers and a potential mutilation for the girl around the corner if the solicited covers provide any clue.

But through it all, Editor Scott Allie promised that the mission has not changed. Though the stories in "Season 9" may make for hot topics, the bold tone the book is striking will continue to ask the question of "How does this feel?" even as it juggles plots both personal and adventurous.

"There's been a Herculean effort to keep the story moving on multiple levels across this first half of 'Season 9,'" Allie told CBR News in advance of this week's issue #6. "It's kind of crazy, and we said that the rule going in here was that we were going to take it back down to a more intimate level – getting away from the more cosmic craziness of 'Season 8' and making it more personal again. When people saw the cover with Buffy getting her arm ripped off, everybody went nuts and thought we were violating the mission, but that's only one part of what's going on.

"With this current storyline with Buffy discovering her pregnancy, we're exploring a young woman who thought the fate of the world was resting on her shoulders – and maybe it actually did – and taking it her story back to human issues but some of the biggest issues anyone can face. We want to have a good action adventure, pot-boiler, sci-fi story rolling out because that's what 'Buffy' is. But we also really want to make it about her as a young woman – a human person finding herself and redefining herself. So splitting the focus between what's happening with the zompires and the cops and what's going on with her personally is a tough balancing act, but I think everybody from Joss to [series writer] Andrew [Chambliss] to me and Sierra [Hahn, my assistant] all understand what purpose the whole story is serving."

One under-discussed aspect of the series in the wake of the controversial pregnancy move has been the so-called "zompires" – newly turned vamps who are mindless killing machines due to the destruction of magic on the earth. In issue #6, reformed vampire Spike will take a proactive approach to battling this threat – something that's indicative of his expanded role in "Season 9."

"At one point, Joss and I were walking around Santa Monica talking about what titles could comprise 'Season 9.' At that point, we didn't know that 'Angel & Faith' was going to be the name of one of the books. We talked about a Spike book, and Joss said, 'I don't think so. I think he's more fun in Buffy's book,'" Allie said. "And he was right. Spike and Buffy are really fun – the way they play off each other, the way they butt heads and the way they're emotionally involved. Whether they're romantically involved or not, it's pretty intricate and interesting. While a lot of Buffy's friends are busy doing other things right now, Spike's going to be the guy who's there to talk to her and to have her back in a fight and all those other things that she needs. So it makes sense to give him a fairly prominent role for what she's facing on both fronts."

The editor noted that the mindless vampires weren't the only change coming due to the end of magic, but they would be one of the most prominent ones for a variety of reasons. "There's more dominos to fall, but the zompire thing is here to stay – if not permanently at least for a long time," he explained. "When we had the writer's summit, we spent a good chunk of that day talking about what the loss of magic means. We spent all sorts of time coming up with cool ideas. We had a million interesting conceptual ideas about what's going to be cool about this world with no magic in it, but one of the things we came around to was that we could fill book after book after book with 'This could happen. Nobody's written a really good song' or whatever. But that would take the focus away from the personal. So there were a lot of possibilities for how to demonstrate the changing world, but we didn't want to focus on that. Zompires are different. Other things are different that I think readers understand will be explored in terms of what exceptions exist to our rules and what they are. All of that remains in play, but it remains in play because we didn't want to do a five-issue series just explaining what's different. We wanted to play with the characters and their relationships.

"We're trying to keep what's different about the world consistent between 'Angel & Faith' and 'Buffy,' and in the side series like the short piece Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg are writing for us, we went 'Oh no!' because we realized they had been out of the loop and not actively engaged since the summit. We had to tell them 'This is what's going on in the world now. This is where the Slayers are at and who Buffy is in relationship to other people.' We laid that all out for them, but I'm glad there wasn't more to explain about the difference in the world. It gets a bit tedious after a while."

Of course, while Buffy confronts the emotional fallout of her pregnancy – and readers can find more about that particular turn in this previous CBR piece – her friends are strangely absent from the series. While fans know that Dawn and Xander have their own relationship problems to deal with right now, Allie said that the rest of the wayfaring Scooby gang cast have their own reasons for being absent. And those reasons are another of the many ways "Season 9" stands apart from "Season 8."

"It's going to take a little bit before we reveal what's going on with Willow," the editor said. "You're not going to see her in issue #6 or 7, and it'll be a while before we really know what's going on with her. I think the fun of doing 'Season 9' is what we can do different from 'Season 8' and play with different structural things. So having Willow depart in issue #5 and not immediately answering that is hopefully a big part of the dramatic tension of the season."

Allie did reveal that fanboy-ish friend and newly central cast member Andrew Wells would also see his day in the spotlight arrive. "Andrew is going to come back into focus pretty soon and have a significant role to play. Everybody who writes any of this stuff LOVES Andrew. He's great to write, and he's great to write when he's in the mix. When I wrote my arc in 'Season 8,' he would only poke his head in here and there. But once you get to write a few pages with that guy, he's great, and the writers are always looking for good, useful ways to throw him into the action. He gets a pretty good role in the next arc."

Catch the next phase of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9's" new direction with issue #6 tomorrow, and stay tuned to CBR for more behind the scenes looks into the series.

[Ace Of Hearts]

Finally, the ending to this issue is almost as big of a cliffhanger as last issue, and it literally made me freeze in place when I read it. It’s bold, it’s challenging, and a good number of fans may be outraged, but, once again, I’m happy to see that Chambliss and Whedon are not playing it safe this season.

Now I'm actually curious about it.

Thanks for the info comic fan!

[comic fan]

Fuill spoilers for Buffy S9 # 6 by Maggie.

BuffyForums

Lots of interesting stuff in this issue. It's hard to process.

The first three pages are the ones we had for the preview. Nothing really redeems that clunky line from Nikki.

The segue was exactly as predicted, to Dawn asking Buffy who the father is. Dawn has come riding to the rescue with PJ and snacks to see Buffy through the crisis. In their conversation there's no hint at all that Buffy feels like she was raped or whatever. Just irresposible. Dawn's not worried about it either.

Buffy says that it had to have happened at the party because there was no other action lately. She gives Dawn a list of who she could remember: "It's a little hazy, but Riley, who's married. Andrew, whose name I'm not sure why I'm saying. Root, who doesn't shower. Tumble, who showers infrequently. The shut-in neighbor, whose name I can't remember. And then there's Spike." Dawn: "Is a vamp baby daddy even possible." Buffy: "Normally, I'd say no... but since I destroyed the seed, the vampire rule book is being rewritten." Buffy goes on to say those are the guys she knew at the party, and that no matter who it is she's on her own. Dawn gives her a big hug and says she's got her and Xander. Buffy wants to know how to get a hold of Willow. Dawn says Willow's cell was disconnected. Buffy decides to call Robin.

Comments: This scene was practically written to address all our discussions this last month down to the Willow cell phone question. As already mentioned, rape is a non-issue. Spike is not off the list of potentials on account of being a vampire.

It's great seeing Dawn being so loving and supportive. Buffy looks rueful through the scene.

We cut to Spike and Dowling going out zompire hunting. Spike arrives in his ship and has to start by explaining that not all vampires have space ships. There's a segue box "you must have some idea who the father is..."

We cut to Nikki and Crowley. Nikki doesn't know who the father is, when she blows off steam she doesn't always collect names. Crowley warns her that if she goes through with this she'll only hurt the child. He's patching up her wounds from battle during this conversation. Nikki says she got strength from the baby. Crowley says she shouldn't put that burden on a kid. Segue to Robin.

Robin tells Buffy that it was a hard life. He hardly got to see his Mom. She came home late and he was always worried about the time she wouldn't come home. One night she didn't come home. Buffy says "the night Spike killed her." Buffy says it's obvious what she should do. Robin says he doesn't think so. He thinks Buffy should consider having the baby.

Shift to Nikki battling vampires and Crowley helping her with the battle. She wants to know why he's out patrolling. He wants to know why she is. She says it's the mission. He talks about arrangements he's made for her to get away and that he'll cover for her until she decides to give him to a family who could provide him with a better life.

Shift to Spike and Dowling. Spike's wearing a police vest. He starts to give Dowling vampire lessons. Dowling wants to know about him and Buffy. Spike tries to avoid the question, but then answers: "I tried to kill Buffy, I failed, I had a chip implanted in my head so I couldn't, I had a thing with a robot Buffy, then I had a thing with the real Buffy, I got my soul back, and Buffy and I went our separate ways."

Dowling they're going to have to schedule another ride along (to hear the whole story). Dowling wants to know if Spike and Buffy still have a thing. Spike "Buffy only comes to me when she needs dark. Why you asking? You fancy her? Cause there's nothing I'd like more than to see her with someone like you. Clueless about things that go bump in the night." Dowling says Buffy shouldn't date a cop because of the bad stuff he'd bring home. Spike says Dowling's the one who should be worried about on that score, not Buffy.

Cut to Robin and Buffy. Buffy wants to know why Nikki didn't give Robin up for adoption. Robin says that Nikki could have walked away from slaying. Cut to Crowley and Nikki where Crowley is explaining how Nikki could walk away. He's set her up with passports and such Nikki beams down at baby Robin and says they're going to be a family.

Buffy wants to know why Nikki didn't take that out. Robin says she did, for a while, but she couldn't overcome the urge to slay so they ended up back in NY. Buffy can't figure out why Robin would encourage her to have the baby. Robin says that Buffy had doen so much as a slayer, and that's why he thinks she can handle it. The difference between her and Nikki is that Nikki shut people out, but Buffy has people who'd help her. Buffy tells Robin she won't do the baby by herself.

Cut to Spike getting a text from Buffy. Dowling drives him over. On the way Dowling wants to know whether Spike is going to tell Buffy how he really feels or keep bottling it up until Buffy is too old to care. Spike pretends to not know what Dowling is talking about. Dowling says he can read people, and he knows that Spike isn't over Buffy and that he's just not telling Buffy how he feels because he's afraid he'll hurt her.

Spike and Buffy at the pool.

Spike (off screen): Everything Okay?

Buffy: How was the ride along?

Spike: Dowling's a good bloke. If a bit nosy.
(He crouches beside her) Buff... there's something I need to tell you.

Buffy: Can I go first? I need to say it before the words disappear. I want to do something. And I think it's going to be hard. So I was hoping you could help me.

Spike: Anything for you, luv.

Buffy: Spike -- I'm going to have an abortion.

(Spike is knocked back on his arse)

Spike: You're pregnant?

Buffy: Robin told me how Nikki tried to run away from slaying after he was born. I thought I could do what she couldn't. I thought I had everything that Nikki didn't. Dawn, Xander, Willow. You... I was ready to ask you to run away with me. But then I realized... I'm barely able to hold onto a job. I live with roommates who are about to kick me out. And I can't even hold my alcohol well enough to remember who got me pregnant. I can handle the slayer stuff. I can do what Nikki couldn't. But everything else? I'm not ready. At least not now. It's not the slaying. It's me. Will you come with me when I do this? (Close up of Spike with tears in his eyes).

(Spike stands up and then reaches out a hand to lift up Buffy)

Spike: Yeah.

***
On all of that, I'm prossessing....

I thought about the Xander omission. But that'd be unbelievably harsh given that his name doesn't come up in the context of Dawn being super-supportive of Buffy. I honestly hope they don't go there. Also, unless Buffy is a heck of a liar, she had sex at the party, and that doesn't seem likely to have involved Xander.

The case for Spike as Dad is as follows: They open the door with the explanation; there's at least one segue from who's the daddy to Spike; Dowling diagnoses Spike with being afraid of hurting Buffy; Spike's reaction at the pool is consistent with being devastated to learn that he did hurt Buffy (by getting her pregnant during the sex she can't remember). Them having had sex, but then Buffy not remembering it is also consistent with Spike's resolution to keep his distance. She made it clear at the end of #1 that she didn't want to be reminded of anything that might have happened.

Not sure how I'd feel about it if it was the case.

I'm on the fence about whether Buffy goes through with the abortion. I agree with King that it's a heck of a lot of work to set up something that wouldn't seem to be a part of the larger story going forward. It also doesn't fit the scenario that seems to be being set up with Buffy losing an arm going into a battle Spike has warned her off of. (Why else would he be protective like that). OTOH, that USA article reads like abortion is a happening thing. So who knows. I'm pro-life. But this is the poster case for why abortion is considered to be a good thing. It'd be kind of weird for Joss to write Buffy choosing to have a baby in this scenario if he's strongly pro-choice.



Interview with Joss about the issue.

Comic-book Buffy faces her biggest challenge: Pregnancy – USATODAY.com

Buffy the Vampire Slayer faces her biggest challenge

By Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

After years of tackling vampires, demons and assorted "big bads" on TV and now in comic books, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is facing something else extremely daunting: pregnancy.

In the latest issue of Dark Horse Comics' Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, in stores today, Buffy weighs the life of being the "chosen" Slayer against the life she's about to bring into the world. After some soul-searching with the son of another former Slayer, Buffy decides to have an abortion.

There were two key aspects to discussing the hot-button issue, says the comic's executive producer, Joss Whedon: It had to be portrayed as a difficult decision for Buffy, and it had to be treated with respect on the creative side.

"It's not something we would ever take lightly, because you can't. You don't. It's not an easy thing for anyone," he says.

The Buffy TV series, which ran from 1997 to 2003 and starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, became a cult hit and fostered a ferociously loyal fan base in its seven seasons before vampires became all the pop-culture rage.

In two "seasons" of Buffy comics, Whedon has continued the story lines from the television show. But the previous Season 8 issues were too "comic-booky and overblown" for his tastes, so when Whedon and series writer Andrew Chambliss began breaking down stories for the current Season 9, they decided to return to the mission statement of the original TV show, which was to follow the story of a woman at important points in her life.

"Buffy was always about the arc of a life, and it wasn't ever going to be one of those shows where they were perpetually in high school and never asked why," Whedon says. "It was about change. So there's never a time when Buffy's life isn't relevant."

Season 9 finds the character in her early 20s with no idea what she's doing with her life and in free fall while everybody around her seems to be maturing, finding direction and setting up their adult life.

Living in San Francisco with all the magic cut off from the world and zombie vampires lurking in the city, Buffy learns she is pregnant — with the unknown father possibly one of the guests at a wild party at her place — and in the new Issue 6, she confides in the anti-heroic vamp Spike of her decision to have an abortion.

Chambliss says Buffy's choice was something that grew organically out of the story. "Given the specifics of Buffy's life at this point in the season — facing a new kind of vampire threat, barely able to keep a job — it seemed like it would be dishonest for Buffy to not at least entertain the question of whether she should keep or end the pregnancy."

Whedon had never thought about a pregnancy story for the TV-show character. In comics, though, he has license to do more with magic and creatures, and it has given him the chance to be "a little more on the nose in the grounding of our characters."

Whedon points out that Friday Night Lights is one show that recently tackled abortion with the proper respect. And he concedes there's a little bit of a political jab in the Buffy story line. It's not that women should be on one side or the other, he says, but that people have to make this decision and talk about it.

"It offends me that people who purport to be discussing a decision that is as crucial and painful as any a young woman has to make won't even say something that they think is going to make some people angry."

Though the director of the upcoming movie The Avengers jokes that even he gets tired of staking vampires after a while — "Who wouldn't? Well, apparently all of America wouldn't" — Whedon loves the edgy aspect of horror and fantasy that allows him to discuss things in a way that also removes him slightly.

"I don't tend to write straight dramas where real life just impinges," he says. "But because I don't, when I do it is very interesting to slap people in the face with just an absolute of life."


ETA

Full summary of Buffy S9 # 6 by zianna

http://slayalive.com/showthread.php/...9366#post89366

OK, here's the summary

The issue begins with the flashbacks that we've seen from the preview pages. Nikki is fighting a vampire. We're in New York in 1973. Nikki is weak and the vampire is ready to kill her. It can understand the sedatives and it can also smell the blood of someone else, it knows that Nikki is pregnant. But that was his mistake, talking about her baby and threatening both of them only gave Nikki the strength she needed to fight back and dust him. Nikki's watcher comes, telling her that she shouldn't have done the cruciamentum. But Nikki is all about the mission, that's what's important, and all the slayers do it on their 18th birthdays. She shouldn't be am exception to the rule just because she's pregnant. The vampire threaten her baby and that gave her the strength to fight it as she tells her watcher. But she's still not sure what she'll do with her pregnancy.

We then go to Buffy herself. She's with her sister talking to her and telling her the news. Buffy has no idea who the father is but Dawn asks her to narrow it down by giving the list of the potential fathers. But the problem is that list has everybody who was at Buffy's party in #1. Dawn believes that maybe it wasn't that night, but Buffy is clear about it. She hasn't had any non-slayer action lately, she got pregnant the night of the party when she blacked out. Dawn is very supportive, she understands that people do stupid things while getting drunk, besides she herself ended up a giant, a centaur, a doll and she asks her sister if she remembers being alone with someone at the party. Buffy tells her about all the people she remember being alone with, Riley who's married, Andrew that she can't be sure why she even thinks about his name, Root who doesn't shower, Tumble who showers infrequently, the neighbor whose name she can't remember and Spike. Buffy is very surprised when she hears Spike's name, but Buffy tells us that with the seed now broken every vampire rule we've known is bing rewritten. And those are only the guys she knew at the party, so she understands that she's on her own. But Dawn is very supportive hanging her and reminding her that she got her and Xander. Something that reminds Buffy of Willow, but Dawn says that her mobile was disconnected last time she tried to call her and she offers to stay with her and miss her courses until they figure it out but Buffy has another plan and she makes a call.

Dowling is at the embarcadero waiting for Spike who arrives with his spaceship, something that leaves Dowling speechless. He has a lot to learn about vampires but of course not all vampires have a spaceship, as Spike tells him. But let's leave them for the moment and go back to 1973 where Crowley asks Nikki about the father telling her that maybe the father can raise the baby. But Nikki has seen a lot of bad stuff and when she blows off the steam, she doesn't ask for names. And if she goes through it she'll end up hurting the baby. On the other hand though, that baby gave her strength to fight the vampire and kill him when she was powerless so maybe that baby is her reason of fighting. But as Crowley says, if she puts that burden on the child, it will always blame her.

So we return to present time and we see Robin himself talking to Buffy. He doesn't have any easy answer to give her. But all that Buffy wants is to know what's like to grow up and to have a slayer as your mother. So Robin tells her. He knew about demons and vampires when other children of his age believed in the tooth-fairy. He was closer to Crowley than he was to his own mother. And if he was lucky, she'd take him to patrols or else he had to wait for her to return, if she would return again. And waiting for her was hard and it always took longer than he expected, but she always came back until the night that she faced Spike and he killed her. Buffy is sad, she understands what she has to do, Robin grew up resenting his mother for what she did to him. But surprise, Robin actually reminds Buffy that he is alive and there talking to her because Nikki decided to have him. He believes that she should consider giving birth to the baby.

Back to Nikki. She's fighting vampires, killing most of them but one. Thank God her watcher is there to help her and he dusts the one that almost kills her. Two more vampires attack, each of them getting dusted by Nikki and her watcher. It's the first time that he follows her to patrol, and it's because she's pregnant. He has trained himself so he can help her. He can't believe that she went out to patrol, he has rented her a cabin to stay there, but for Nikki only the mission counts. Nikki is worried that the council will find out about her pregnancy when there will be nobody to fight the vampires. But her watcher assures her that he'll cover for her until the baby is born and that the council will never know about the baby until Nikki decides to give him to a family so he can grow up safely.

Back to Spike and Dwoling who obliges pike to wear a strait jacket. After all, it's the department's policy. And he wants to know more about vampires than already been dead as Spike informs him while wondering why he must wear the strait jacket. Dowling wants to know how to dust vampires and wants to find a nest so he can practice. But Spike is clear about it, he's not even close of being ready to even see a nest. They can wait for something nasty to come and feed itself and then they'll attack. So, Dowling unable to dust a vampire and wanting to know more, he asks Spike how a vampire is a slayer's friend. Since he must learn everything about them, it's obvious that this kind or relationship between Buffy and Spike surprises him. In just a cloud Spike tells him about their story, he wanted to kill her, he failed, he had the chip, he had a thing with the Buffybot, a thing with the real Buffy, then he got his soul and they went separate ways. And Dawling asks him if they still have something going on, and Spike replies that Buffy only goes to him when she wants something dark and wonders if Downling fancies her. There's nothing he would love more than seeing her with a guy like Dowling who has no idea about what's going on during nights. Dowling believes that dating a cop is not the best thing, he have seen so many things and bringing them home is not the best thing. But Spike informs him that he has seen nothing compared to Buffy, there is nothing that Dowling has seen that Buffy can't handle it. Probably Dowling is the one that won't be able to handle it.

Back to Buffy and Robin. Buffy wonders how come Nikki didn't give him for adoption. Robin informs us that Nikki put up walls with everyone she came contact with. And after he was born, Nikki couldn't stay with a guy more than 2 weeks. And it would have killed Nikki to stay away from Robin but all she had to do was to stay away from slaying. When Nikki gave birth to Robin, she told her watcher that she didn't want to go back to slaying. And Crowley promised her that he'll deal with the council. We learn that Nikki had been already a slayer for 3 years until the moment she gave birth and most of the slayers don't last half that long, that she'd killed countless vampires and saved thousands and Crowley told her to walk away and do that for her son. Crowley gave Nikki new passports and tickets to take her son and go away to start her family. For a while she lived with her son in South America and in Mexico but only for a year or so. She went baqck to New York because she couldn't stay away from slaying. And some time passed before Robin realized why his mother wasn't coming back the nights...she was patrolling. She was a Chosen One, just like Buffy is. She couldn't ignore her calling no matter how hard she tried. But as Robin tells her, Buffy isn't Nikki. She has done things that Nikki hasn't, she has saved the world many times, she has raised Dawn when her mother died, she led an army and he believes she can raise the baby. There is a big difference between Nikki and Buffy, and that's that Buffy let people help her. And Buffy smiles at him. Before saying goodbye, Robin gives her a final advice not to raise the child alone if she decides to keep it. And Buffy promises not to.

Back to Spike and Dowling. Buffy sends a text to Spike and he wants to go to her asking Dowling to drive him. Dowling finds the chance to tell him to talk to her about his feelings before Buffy gets too old and it's too late for them. He understands that Spike isn't over her, something that Spike tries to deny telling him that he's over her ever since they first had sex in "Smashed" and brought down a house. But Dowling is a cop and he understands people. He knows that the only reason why Spike doesn't admit his feelings is because he's too scared of hurting her. But he also reminds Spike that Buffy is a big girl and she can handle anything, Spike told him that about her just some minutes before.

So Spike goes to Buffy's place and finds her at the pool. She has her legs in the water and she looks sad..she' thinking. She asks him how were things with Dwoling, Spike says he's a nice guy but he's nosy. Spike decides to talk to Buffy about his feelings, but she wants to start talking first before the words disappear. She wants to do something very hard and she asks his help. And Spike promises her anything she needs. What she wants is to have an abortion, news that totally surprise Spike. Buffy thought that she could do what Nikki couldn't, she thought that she could walk away from slaying, she thought that she had everything that Nikki hadn't, Dawn, Willow, Xander, and Spike. She was ready to ask Spike to run away with her. But the problem is that she is not ready for a baby yet. She is the best in slaying, but when it comes to real life, she isn't. She can't hold on to a job, her roommates are ready to kick her out, she can't control alcohol and the proof of that is that she got pregnant because of it and she can't remember the daddy, she is not ready for a baby. The problem is not the slaying, the problem is her. And with tears in her eyes she asks Spike to go with her to have an abortion and to be there next to her. And Spike tearful, gives her his hand helping her to stand up and says "Yeah".

To be continued.


ETA 2

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/08/buffy-abortion/

Buffy And Abortion

Written on February 8, 2012 by Rich Johnston

USA Today reports that in today’s issue of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 from Dark Horse Comics, Buffy shares her newly discovered status as a pregnant woman with her family and friends. She presumes that the vampire on-again-off-again lover Spike is the father, although there’s some plot-purposeful indecision about that. And hey, it may just turn out that there’s some mystical energy inside her or something. I’m sure there’s plenty of supernatural oddness to come.

But more controversially, the comic explores her decision to have an abortion.

The preview that USA Today show isn’t that reflective of the whole issue however, the article talks about the decision process. In the comic, we see Buffy talking to her friends, and indeed the child of a previous slayer, and the decisions she makes after talking it through with as many as she can.

Of late, mainstream comic books have become a lot more comfortable with topics including race, gender, homosexuality, drug use and all manner of topics that may once have been problematic. Abortion, however, is not a topic that’s come up of late, especially not a protagonist deciding to have one. For all their progressive changes of late, I don’t expect, even in their future fantasies, to see Betty or Veronica going to the clinic on the cover of Live With Archie. Today’s Wolverine and The X-Men also has a pregnant Kitty Pryde, which is handled in a very different fashion.

But it remains a major debating point in America, And in an Election Year in the USA, it’s just the time for abortion to become a hot trigger topic again. And for Buffy The Vampire Slayer to try and at least explore some of the complexities that accompany such a decision when it’s away from the media spotlight.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #6 is published today. Comics are courtesy of Orbital Comics in London, UK. They are currently exhibiting the original art of Mary Talbot and Bryan Talbot’s Dotter Of Her Father’s Eyes.


There's panels from the issue over at the link for those who haven't read the issue yet.

ETA 3

Another article on today's issue.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com...-latest-issue/

Buffy Makes Controversial Decision in Latest Issue

In today's "Buffy: Season 9" #6, the Slayer deals with her pregnancy head on and confronts a topic readers have been debating since last issue’s big revelation: whether Buffy will have an abortion.



When Editor Scott Allie told Comic Book Resources that Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 would take Buffy’s story “back to human issues … some of the biggest issues anyone can face,” fans knew he was alluding to her mysterious pregnancy. But with Issue 6, in stores today, the Slayer deals with her new situation head on, answering a question readers have been debating since last issue’s big revelation.

Spoiler warning: The following addresses a major plot point from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #6.



Following some serious soul-searching, Buffy confides to Spike that she’s decided to have an abortion, a subject creator Joss Whedon assures will be treated with respect in the Dark Horse series.

“It’s not something we would ever take lightly, because you can’t. You don’t,” Whedon, executive producer of Season 9, tells USA Today. “It’s not an easy thing for anyone.”

Abortion is a very personal decision, continuing the shift in focus from what Allie has described as “the more cosmic craziness of Season 8” to the more human elements of Season 9. That move has been emphasized by the deliberate paring-down of Buffy’s supporting cast, leaving her with just one person to confide in: popular vampire anti-hero, sometimes-romantic partner Spike.

“Given the specifics of Buffy’s life at this point in the season — facing a new kind of vampire threat, barely able to keep a job — it seemed like it would be dishonest for Buffy to not at least entertain the question of whether she should keep or end the pregnancy,” writer Andrew Chambliss tells the newspaper.



ETA 4

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

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #6 Comic Review

Posted by Kimberly Lynn Workman



Issue: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #6
Release Date: February 2012
Writers: Andrew Chambliss
Pencils: George Jeanty
Inks: Karl Story
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Letters: Richard Starkings and COMICRAFT’S Jimmy Betancourt
Cover A: Phil Noto
Cover B: Georges Jeanty with Dexter Vines and Michelle Madsen
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Can a Slayer be a mother? And more importantly, is Buffy even ready to welcome motherhood? She’s got a lot of thinking to do and even more soul-searching before she can come to a decision. It’s going to take a lot of support, but maybe the path has already been chosen for her.

When last we left our Chosen One, Buffy had just discovered she was pregnant. And now she’s got to figure out what to do about it. There has been a Slayer who had a child before, and that would be Nikki Wood. So, this issue we got some great flashbacks to mirror Nikki’s story to Buffy’s. Three years before Spike killed her, Nikki was a Slayer who was pregnant. Not a safe option in her line of work, but she was a determined woman who knew what she wanted. It didn’t matter that she was unaware of the father, this was her child and she could take on the responsibility. However, she didn’t have to carry to burden alone because her Watcher, Crowley, was willing to support her for whatever she needed.

Like Nikki, Buffy is clueless as to who the father of her baby is. She’s got it narrowed down to the house-warming party, but there were a ton of guys there and a period of alcohol-induced blackouts, so it’s anyone’s guess who got her pregnant. But Spike’s on that list of potentials and I am screaming in hopes that he’s the father. Their love story is so tragic. Both love and care for the other, but are hesitant to admit it. While a child being brought into the world filled with supernatural threats isn’t ideal, it would make me so happy if that were to occur. A Slayer and a vampire mated is one thing, but to have those roles served by Buffy and Spike would be glorious.

At the moment, Spike’s doing a ride-along with Detective Dowling, trying to teach him the art of killing zompires. And it’s not the training that was as important that night as was the bonding. Yes, Dowling and Spike bonded! At first Spike was trying to convince Dowling to get with Buffy because the detective would be good for her. My favorite vampire was willing to sacrifice his own love and step aside to see Buffy with someone who would be safe and not bring home even more evil than she’s already forced to deal with. This is why I love Spike. He’s a good man.

But Dowling saw through Spike faster than I would have given him credit for. I was amused at Spike’s short-version recounting of his and Buffy’s relationship. It’s hilarious when you condense it that much, but the truth shines through. Buffy keeps coming back to Spike when she needs darkness, or so he thinks, and Spike keeps holding onto Buffy because he still loves her, even if he won’t admit it out loud. With a little prodding from Dowling, Spike’s finally at a point where he might be able to admit it to the woman he loves. And, so, with a call from Buffy sending him running, he’s at the point where he can make the admission if given the chance.

While Spike was doing his patrol, Buffy’s been busy herself. Who’s the one person she could go to for advice on being a Slayer and being a mother? Robin Wood, Nikki’s son. He knows better than most the sacrifices that one has to make as a Slayer and what consequences there are for trying to balance motherhood and destiny. What surprised me, though, was that it was Robin who was trying to talk Buffy into keeping the baby. Here’s a man who lost his mother to the dangers of being a Slayer, who saw her escape for a year only to be drawn back by her calling, and yet he thinks Buffy is strong enough to have a child. Unlike his mother, Buffy doesn’t have to do this on her own. She could make it work, and I believed that she knew that, too. And, yet, the dangers of the fight were what weighed on her mind the most.

As we end this issue, there were a number of revelations made. Just as Spike was ready to admit his love for Buffy, she tells him that she’s going to have an abortion and needs his support to help her through the process. Spike was literally knocked off his feet. Buffy’s pregnant. She doesn’t think she should have the child. Where does that leave the two of them? I get Buffy’s reasoning for her choice, but I want it to be Spike’s baby and I want them to do this together. They deserve the chance. We’re left to wonder whether she will go through with the abortion or if something will come up to force her to change her mind. Perhaps it is indeed a Slayer/Vampire child and is protected because of that, but we’ll have to wait until next issue to find out for sure.

Rating: 4 / 5 Stars

[fireondandelion]

Thanks for the news

[comic fan]

Another article

Buffy Considering Abortion? | The Mary Sue

Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #6 Covers A Big Issue, in an Anti-Twilight Way [SPOILERS]

by Jamie Frevele | February 8th



a Very Special Issue of Dark Horse‘s Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic, the titular ass-kicker makes a very serious decision about her future: she considers having an abortion. Is this proving to be an easy decision for her? Of course it isn’t. And this plotline is a good look at everything Twilight got wrong in Breaking Dawn, when Bella refused to end a pregnancy that was literally killing her, but then it all turned out okay in the end, because of vampire magic. Yeah. Buffy knows that’s not real, and that there are actual consequences to consider when this happens. SPOILERS after the jump.

Something that always seems to be missing from the abortion debate is a rather key element: the woman who is pregnant. People who oppose abortion believe that the health of the unborn child comes first, and many think that women think nothing of the fetus growing inside of them and come to the decision to end their pregnancies as easily as they’d get rid of a pair of shoes.

We all know this is very, very far from the truth. And that’s something that Buffy ponders in Season 9, issue #6 in the comic continuation of the series. For one thing, she is uncertain of the father, but is leaning towards Spike. But as she says in the panel below, if she can’t even pull herself together enough to figure that out, then that’s just one reason she shouldn’t become a mother right now.



However, this was not the whole story in issue #6. She also speaks to Robin, whose mother Nikki was another Slayer. And when Nikki found herself pregnant, she made the decision to raise her baby. And, as Robin points out in the panel up top, he wouldn’t be here today, sitting in front of Buffy as a friend, if not for that decision.



This is such an important part of this story. Many of the people who subscribe to the “baby-killer” myth of abortion do not consider that women weigh their options repeatedly, and it is gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and not at all easy. Imagine the added emotional layers of a woman impregnated after being raped. But many don’t seem to think the woman’s feelings are a factor in this.

And that’s what is wrong with Bella’s pregnancy in Twilight: Breaking Dawn. Sure, she chooses to continue her pregnancy. This was her decision, as she told Edward when he asked her to get an abortion, and she was sticking with it. But was she considering her own health? Clearly not. Was she considering the fact that this demon baby inside of her was actually, physically killing her? No — what Stephanie Meyer did was tear Bella apart from the inside, repair her with vampire magic when she was near death after the gruesome birth, and then it was all okay in the end. In other words: “See? It all turned out okay! We fixed you! And now you have a baby and you’ll be with Edward forever!”

tl;dr — What Buffy goes through, despite the supernatural aspect of her life, is what most women go through when they consider abortion. What Bella goes through is what it seems anti-choice people think might happen. In their dreams.

(via Bleeding Cool)

[Ace Of Hearts]

Thanks for the info!