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Buffyversefantic
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Posts: 2869
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 Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Double Dutchess wrote: | | Thanks for summarizing that video interview, Buffyversefantic. I haven't had time to watch it yet, but it sounds like I need to see at least the bit where Rebekah innocently walks by only to get harassed by Scott! |
Yes,it actually is very funny.
| Quote: | | Do you mind if I repost your summary elsewhere (BuffyTube)? |
Go ahead.  Anything I write up,feel free to repost elsewhere.
I have Willow:Wonderland # 1 as mentioned before.
Here's Karios's summary/review of the issue.
http://perpetual.livejournal.com/124031.html
| Quote: | Willow #1, Summary and Review
Preview page; Willow flashes back and thinks about her mission, followed by a page summarizing her role in the last A&F arc and bringing us to the present, where she's floating with the Scythe in her mystic world, a volcano erupting in front of her.
Abruptly she falls to the ground and cautions herself to be careful. She decides to try "an old trick Giles taught me for divining arcanic concentration", which involves drawing in the dirt with the Scythe: a five-pointed star within an eight-pointed star within a circle. The next step is an offering of blood, but her eyes go dark, so she decides to play it safe and tries spitting instead. At first, nothing seems to be happening, but then an inferno rises from the circle, complete with the shapes of skulls in it, and it blazes a path for her to follow.
Some flying skull creatures attack her. She runs from them, right into the path of a giant worm thing. She falls and crawls backward away from it, trying to threaten it. In the background, a small silhouette says, "That can't be...her!" There's an explosion in the sky, and the flying creatures come raining down. The worm gobbles them up as they fall.
As she's reacting, the silhouette comes up to her, revealing himself to be a great big beast-man with horns and medieval clothing, holding a staff in one hand and the Scythe (which she dropped) in the other. He explains that she attracted the flying skulls with her fire, which in turn attracted the worm, and introduces himself as Marrak, a "fellow conjurer". He says he's from her world, but dark magic made him look the way he does. He's been visiting this dimension for years, but now finds himself trapped here. As they walk together, Willow fills him in on the end of magic, and her goal of restoring it.
He immediately starts talking about power and vengeance, telling her that she doesn't know what he's been through. He also implies that it's in her best interest to be the only witch left in the world, but she shoots him down - she's doing this for the whole world, not just herself. Naturally, he says he wants to help her with her quest, and she accepts, as he knows this world better than her. She explains that she's looking for a big source of magic, and he suggests using herself, which she says sounds dangerous.
They're attacked by another monster, this one green with lots of eyes and tusks. Marrak tries to kill it; Willow bends her efforts to binding and neutralizing it without harming it, and eventually succeeds, using the rocks on the ground to make a hex. She says it'll hold for about six hours as they get away from there, but Marrak grabs the Scythe and kills it in spite of her protests. They cook it over a fire for dinner and sleep on the ground, though Willow is looking restless and unhappy.
The next day they keep following the trail, but it gets dimmer as they enter a forest, and then ends at a pool which has Marrak really excited. He says it's more radiant and pure than any he's seen since he's been here, and maybe it's the magic source they're looking for. Willow tests it with a druidic pendant and declares it safe to drink, and they both do. Soon they're both bombarded by memories - key points in her character development from the show and Season 8 for Willow, ending with her choosing Aluwyn as her spirit guide. Marrak just says he got kicked in the face by all of his failures, and asks her again about the water.
The explanation, that the pool is a spring of memories, comes from off-panel, and then the speaker is revealed as a giant anthropomorphic caterpillar smoking a hookah pipe. Willow calls him out on his blatant similarities to Lewis Carroll's caterpillar character, and of course his defense is that Carroll got a peek at this world after too much absinthe and based the character on him. According to him, the pool isn't a source of magic, so Willow asks where they can find one, and he wants to hear her reasons.
As she's explaining, Marrak tells her that the power to change this is in dark magic, and she says she needs to say pure. The caterpillar starts talking about how light and dark can't easily be disentangled like that, but Willow is distracted by a crunching sound. The caterpillar asks if they happened to kill anything on their way there. On the next and final page, the green thing with eyes and tusks that Willow and Marrak had for dinner is back, but it's much much bigger and fiercer-looking. The caterpillar says, "You did, didn't you?"
*
I feel much the same way as I did after reading the first couple Spike issues, but less jolly with laughter. Willow's on her own in this series, just like Darkplace in his, but her new companions and background critters are a little less zany and loveable, and her character a little more self-contained. Basically, she's got to carry this whole thing herself, which could be awesome - but if it is, it's got to be because Willow herself is awesome.
What do we know and love about Willow? She's magical, but come on, isn't everyone? We can't get a whole story just by placing her in an environment that amplifies her witchiness. We've already had a lot of out there, anything-goes settings in the comics, and most of them guarantee a varied landscape and a bunch of ugly, smooshy, creepy-crawler monsters. I really would have liked to see her find a more traditional fairyland - the type with fauns and unicorns - or a well-developed sci-fi ecosystem inhabited by alien but plausible races.
But Willow's the Buffyverse representation of magic, so the setting is too. Alright. Could we maybe see another side of her too? How about her brilliant analytical mind? Why couldn't the setting or secondary characters let her show that off? Maybe with a fast-talking battle of wits, or a puzzle in the lay of the land that Willow has to solve before she can choose her path. There just isn't anything yet to differentiate this series from any of the other three, and that seems like a majorly missed opportunity.
Of course, part of it is that she doesn't look like Willow. I actually really like the art - I'll get back to that - but I don't think anyone who wasn't looking for it would see the Willow character there. She sounds like Willow, but given that she's alone for half the issue, she's filling it up with talking to herself and thinking a lot, and that kind of thing never really sounds like anyone to my ears. She could really use a standing reference to the show, something more than direct quotes and illustrations, as nice as those always are to see.
I don't think either of the miniseries will prove to be unimportant to the season arc. However, I feel more and more like the content that really matters, for both, will fit into a page or two, and the rest of it is just about getting to the part where they can bring out that page with a flourish. Essentially that means there's a Wonderland-style journey (boy, let's not be too obvious) to make it look like the characters are working hard to come to their conclusions, which is great, but it's pretty much the definition of filler. Willow gets attacked by a demon, defeats demon, meets a fellow traveler, loses her way, meets a fantastic creature...none of it matters at the end, so its only worth is for the sake of the story itself. You know what story did a great job with the Wonderland formula? Alice in Wonderland. How great would it be if Lewis Carroll suddenly came back to life and yanked his stuff out of the public domain?
About the art - we've still got those gorgeous covers and nobody can take that away from us. And, like I said, I still like the style of the interior art. It's expressive and vibrant and I have no problem living with it for a few more issues. I could wish that there's a little more in the way of spontaneous design, though - intriguing background details or monsters that look like nothing we've seen before. Isaacs is great with that, or I'd probably forget to look for it. A comic artist's job is many-layered, and does account for a large part of the storytelling itself.
I'm hoping hard that things will pick up in the next issue, which I will certainly keep reading, but the base level that they've set down so far isn't promising. I'm realizing now that I haven't really said anything about what we've learned about Willow and her quest, and while I probably could, it just doesn't interest me that much. It does seem like her heart is in the right place, and that she's probably going to do something incredibly naive. And that Marrak is going to either betray her, or become interesting.
Just as long as nobody starts playing croquet with flamingos. |
My own thoughts.I liked the issue.I agree it's slow moving but I think it's also in line with Spike # 1 and my feelings are pretty much the same.I think Jeff Parker has Willow voice down and i can hear Alyson Hannigan saying some of the more Willowy lines.
As for Marrak.Need to see more of him but obviously he's on the shady side and I don't think you needed Scott Allie's new interview to confirm he has his own agenda.
The art was fine with me.I really liked that splash page recounting major moments from the show.The giant worm creature reminds me of the worms from Dune.
Overall,I thought it was decent issue.Nothing spectacular but decent. |
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Double Dutchess
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Joined: 28 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:06 am Post subject: |
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| Buffyversefantic wrote: |
Go ahead. Anything I write up,feel free to repost elsewhere. |
Thanks Buffyversefantic.
BTW, anyone else having problems with this forum being EXTREMELY SLOW? |
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Shade of Pale
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Posts: 1330
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| Double Dutchess wrote: | | Buffyversefantic wrote: |
Go ahead. Anything I write up,feel free to repost elsewhere. |
Thanks Buffyversefantic.
BTW, anyone else having problems with this forum being EXTREMELY SLOW? |
Yes. It's the main reason I don't post here very much.
| Quote: | | I don't think either of the miniseries will prove to be unimportant to the season arc. However, I feel more and more like the content that really matters, for both, will fit into a page or two, and the rest of it is just about getting to the part where they can bring out that page with a flourish. |
I'm beginning to feel that way myself, especially about the Spike mini. We're only one issue into the Willow mini - and I think that this one will be more important for the season as a whole, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now. |
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Buffyversefantic
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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It's run slow for me too at times.
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/best-shots-rapid-reviews-121108.html
| Quote: | Best Shots Rapid Reviews
Willow: Wonderland #1 (Published by Dark Horse Comics; Review by Aaron Duran; 'Rama Rating: 6 out of 10): Willow is easily my favorite character in the Buffyverse, so teaming her up with one of my favorite writers, Jeff Parker, sounds a perfect match. At least in theory. In execution, Willow: Wonderland #1 is a rather disjointed beginning to what promises to be a crazy adventure to return magic to the world. The premise is strong and Jeff's natural wit plays well to Willow, but the story lacks real depth. Brian Ching's art feels more like a hindrance to the mystical elements Parker is writing. And while the book pops with vibrancy, the excellent coloring gets a little lost in Ching's undefined pencils. It's a shaky start, but one I'm willing to take another shot at. If only for more Willow.
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Buffyversefantic
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=5369
| Quote: | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow Wonderland #1
by Jennifer Cheng, Reviewer
"Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Willow Wonderland" #1 by Jeff Parker and Brian Ching follows Willow on her now-solo quest to bring magic back to Earth. The central conceit of Willow's epic quest in "Willow Wonderland" is that magic is the source of life's richness, both in artificial, creative endeavors (music), natural beauty (rainbows), sensory depth (flavors) and plain old happiness. This is annoyingly broad, ill-explained, philosophically lazy and contrary to what magic represented in the original seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." However, it props up the importance of Willow's self-appointed quest and her accompanying self-righteousness. This idea was carried over from the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel and Faith" comics, so it's neither Parker's idea nor his fault. Nevertheless, "Willow Wonderland" #1 suffers from the burden of this poor concept.
Unless Parker gets truly subversive with reader expectations, my guess is that Willow will return victorious and restore magic to Earth. Thus, "Willow Wonderland" #1 gives readers a glimpse of a place with enough magic to siphon. Wonderland looks like a variation on the setting for every fantasy epic ever -- a wilderness without technology, yet Earth physics and chemistry work, there is edible food and an atmosphere with enough oxygen to breathe. Besides Willow, the other three characters are a chimera and two anthropomorphic creatures, none of which represent a giant leap of imagination. I don't expect every mystical dimension to look like Grant Morrison's "Doom Patrol," but Wonderland is very flat and mentally unchallenging, given both its borrowed name and its designated role as the deux ex machina pill that will cure Earth of its magical lack.
The action of "Willow Wonderland" is linear and also a little dull. Willow confirms Wonderland has magic and makes a very dubious ally of a fellow conjurer named Marrak. They tussle with a hostile creature, drink some abnormal water, and then meet a friendlier, more familiar character. It's a soft, decompressed beginning for any new storyline, much less one that is supposed to restore magic.
I'm divided on Parker's borrowing a name and a character from Carroll's work. It's fun, and Parker gets the voice of a beloved "Alice in Wonderland" character mostly right, but the problem with works that heavily allude to classics is that they seldom stand up to comparison, as is the case here.
Parker writes crisp dialogue and funny jokes, but oddly, Marrak and Willow have the same speech rhythms and Whedonesque sense of humor, despite their differences. Furthermore, Marrak's characterization is heavy-handed, in everything from his appearance to his simplistic motivations.
On the positive side, there's a promising hint that Parker might play around more with Buffyverse concepts of magic and morality. The single most interesting line in "Willow Wonderland" #1 is a character asking Willow rhetorically, "Tell me, do they have dark science where you're from, too?"
Brian Ching's attractive artwork has strong transitions and his drawing of Buffyverse characters strikes a great balance between recognizable faces and keeping his own distinctive line intact. Michelle Madsen's colors are also easy on the eye.
However, the pretty art and snappy jokes in "Willow Wonderland" #1 are overshadowed by the lack of interesting action or characterization, making for a weak debut.
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Buffyversefantic
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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First advanced reviews for Buffy # 15 and Spike # 4.
http://comicsgrinder.com/2012/11/09/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-season-9-15-review/
| Quote: | November 9, 2012
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #15 Review
The second and final chapter to “Billy The Vampire Slayer” rounds out for us a portrait of a new slayer. Drew Z. Greenberg’s script picks up where Jane Espenson left off last month. Both are seasoned Buffy television writers so they can be counted upon to know when a character is ready to cry, or laugh, or go into mortal combat. These are all things our hero, Billy, is called upon to do in this issue so he’s in good hands.
With great experience also comes greater ease in storytelling. Greenberg gives herself the time to allow Billy to express his doubts, his impatience and his euphoria when the time comes. One thing readers are always looking for are the quiet moments that tell us about the characters and their motivations. In the case of Billy, he seeks justice and he seeks intimacy. What if he could have both?
Well, it’s no secret that this intro to Billy is as much a love story as a coming-of-age story. That said, it’s hard not to have a coming-of-age story also be a love story. Billy’s love is Devon, a fellow classmate who is the coolest kid in high school. He’s also Billy’s watcher in charge of training him. That leads to a question. If Billy is the first male slayer, then what does that make Devon? I guess it’s a matter of protocol, right? Billy is the first to fall within the ranks of actual slayers, who are traditionally female, I guess. Anyhow, Devon and Billy get to spend a lot of time together and they like each other but Billy doesn’t know if it’s just “like” or if it’s “like like,” that sort of thing. It doesn’t matter that Devon, at every turn, helps him out and is loyal to him. Billy just doesn’t quite get it.
And then the zompires come through and, if they get anything right, it will be to finally get Billy and Devon together! Sometimes you need a zompie apocalypse meltdown to stoke the fires of love. And then, and this should not be spolier, amid the mayhem and destruction, Devon and Billy kiss. They are together and they can get their zompire fight on!
How compelling Billy will be as an ongoing character is still unclear but this was a good story and a good start. I sense we’d need some conflict to give Billy a bigger role to play. For now, welcome Billy, we’re happy to have you around.
“Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #15″ is out November 14. Be sure to visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics.
http://comicsgrinder.com/2012/11/11/spike-4-review/
November 11, 2012
SPIKE #4 Review
Part 4 (of 5) to “A Dark Place” cinches it for readers: this is, no doubt, a very well-constructed story. It inspired a bit of fan art on my part above. And what you see above is the heart of the matter: Morgan is determined to charm Spike and looks like she’s succeeding while Sebastian and Frisky scramble to do something about it! For all Buffy loyalists who wondered if Victor Gischler’s script made any sense, well, this script knows where it’s headed and makes a lot of sense. Whatever happens next, Morgan has earned her place as a Buffy character.
And Frisky and Sebastian have definitely earned their keep as they battle amongst themselves on the best way to protect their master. I will never tire of these giant insects! A sampling of a priceless exchange between the two of them: Sebastian is getting anxious and says, “Spike has become fond of the demon woman. If he discovers we plot against her, he will surely see it as mutiny.” Frisky tries to reason, “We do not plot. But we do prepare.” Call it what you will, but Frisky has been hard at work on a contingency plan and is ready to spring it into action sooner than later.
And so the story develops in this way: We have Sebastian and Frisky, one couple at each other throats; and we have Spike and Morgan, also at quite close proximity. Thanks to the art team of Paul Lee (pencils) and Andy Owens (inks) both couples get the special attention that they require as we go back and forth. And, speaking of back and forth, this issue gives us an even deeper conversation between Spike and Morgan. They are heading down a path and they’re reaching a fork in the road. We know what Morgan would like to see happen. She is virtually drawing Spike a map.
It’s getting dangerously close to putting two and two together. Frisky seems to be on the right track but Sebastian simply won’t listen, won’t go beyond having a contingency plan in place. Frisky tries again: “And we are simply to aid this woman in gaining access to a hellmouth? Can that be good?” Just as Sebastian rebukes that statement, in a flash, we see Spike and Morgan appear from a hatch door and interrupt them. Spike wants to know what all the commotion is about. Oh, nothing, just us insects.
Moment by moment, the plot thickens as Frisky becomes more and more convinced to take action while feelings get hotter and hotter between Spike and Morgan. Well, something must come to a head! And, when it does, everyone needs to take action, some kind of action, leading us to quite a conclusion in our next issue.
“Spike #4″ is on sale November 21. Visit our friends at Dark Horse Comics.
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Buffyversefantic
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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Two more advanced Buffy # 15 reviews.
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2012/11/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-season-nine-15-sneak-review/
| Quote: | Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #15 – Sneak Review
Posted on 13 November 2012 by Nicci
** The following review while careful not to reveal any actual spoilers from this issue, it does tease the reader with hints as well as spoilers from issues past. Please feel free to purchase this issue on Wednesday. **
The Zompire menace is growing and one big question tops all others, is Billy ready? This issue reminds us of all the best the parts of being a young Slayer as Billy and Devon face the struggles and rewards in situations reminiscent of Buffy’s own young Sunnydale adventures with a perfect conclusion that all Buffy fans young and old should really appreciate.
I was very impressed on the color work this issue, particularly in regards to the flashing lights. Excellent attention to shadows and flares. Also those last few pages were boldly and brilliantly done arted by the whole team. Excellent job all around.
Devon and Billy were excellent together this issue, delivering the right dialogue for each occasion be it lighthearted or deep. If these are planned out to be long running characters, I could definitely get used to them being around. -N
http://fandomania.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-season-nine-15-comic-review/
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #15 Comic Review
Posted by Kimberly Lynn Workman
Issue: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine #15
Release Date: November 2012
Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg
Pencils: Karl Moline and Ben Dewey
Inks: Andy Owens
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
Billy the Vampire Slayer’s story continues this month and he endears himself to readers even more. It’s often the non-lead characters that I find myself drawn to in the Jossverse comic series and that’s proven true once again with the emerging storyline between Billy and his Watcher, Devon. Forget Buffy, I could just read about these two every month and I’d be satisfied.
One of the reasons I’m particularly drawn to Billy is because of his sense of humor. He’s trying so hard to be a hero, to make Devon and the rest of the world proud of him, but it’s going to take some time and some mishaps along the way. That’s okay! The boxing training scene was hilarious and heartfelt because you’ve got Billy almost getting knocked out by the punching bag in the background while Devon is so clearly gushing over him in the foreground. Their building relationship is so delicate, yet so right, that I found myself mentally urging them to get together. Aside from the Watcher/Slayer dynamic, you’ve got two young men who are trying to build a life together and find purpose in the middle of the chaos around them. Of course you’re rooting for them!
Devon is a good Watcher and he’s trying to train Billy as best as possible before throwing him into the middle of a dangerous situation. He’s also trying to look out for him because of the building love he has for Billy. He doesn’t want his friend to be hurt, much less his maybe-boyfriend, so he’s got to balance the commitment to the greater good with the commitment to the one person he cares for the most. It rings very true for both of them. And their flirting back and forth just edges them closer to possibly getting together. When they are gathering intel at the strip mall, where the zompires are hiding out, the Hardy Boys joke made me smile so much. Billy obviously thinks Devon is Frank because he was the hot one, while Devon always had a thing for Joe, and by default he’s got a thing for Billy. They’re dancing around each other and you just know they’re going to finally make that deeper connection if you wait long enough.
Despite Devon’s attempts to keep Billy safe and out of the fight for now, that choice is taken away from them when the library is taken over by zompires and Billy’s grandmother Sky is caught right in the middle of it. This is what Billy’s been training for, but Devon’s not ready to let him put himself in danger yet. Is it Watcher common sense, knowing Billy’s not yet trained enough? Or is it love for a guy who Devon has obvious feelings for? It’s a little of both, but Devon’s protective streak isn’t going to help Billy. If Devon will not stand beside him for the fight, Billy will do it on his own. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to, since Devon shows up at the library not long after Billy does and assures him that they’re in this together.
The whole matter of their relationship gets put out in the open before they race head-long into danger. Billy likes Devon, Devon likes Billy, and even if it takes Billy a bit to realize that the coolest guy in school could be interested in him, they’re finally on the same page. They are just so cute together and I want them around, fighting the good fight and going on off-duty dates, for as long as possible. I always fear that might mean death for one or the other, considering how quickly I’ve fallen for them, but for now I’ll hold onto the fact that they went in, kicked zompire *, and made it out alive and together. There’s a new Slayer and Watcher combo in town. Forget destiny, they’re making their own future… together.
Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
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Buffyversefantic
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Joined: 07 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:45 am Post subject: |
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Buffyfest is hosting a twitter chat with Jane Espenson.
http://buffyfest.blogspot.com/2012/11/wednesday-live-twitter-chat-with-jane.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Buffyfest+%28Buffyfest%29
| Quote: | Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Wednesday: Live Twitter Chat with Jane Espenson! #JaneChat
Got questions for Jane Espenson? Well you're in luck! We're happy to annouce that tomorrow night, Wed, Nov. 14th at 6:30 PDT/9:30 PM EST, Buffyfest will be hosting a live Twitter Chat with Jane courtesy of Dark Horse Comics! Whether you're wondering about her hit web-sitcom Husbands, the Billy the Vampire Slayer arc currently taking place in the Buffy Season 9 comics or something from deep in her past.
Jane has been writing for the Whedonverse stories since 1998 with some of the best episodes of the show under her belt ("Pangs", "Superstar", and "A New Man"...just to name a fabulous few) and has written a slew of comics for Dark Horse. She has also written and produced for over a dozen hit TV shows including Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Tru Calling, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Torchwood, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Game of Thrones, Once Upon a Time and many more. But you knew that!
So gather your questions and join us tomorrow at 9:30! Make sure to use the hashtag #JaneChat to join the fun.
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Drew Greenberg talks Buffy # 15 and the billy arc with CBR.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=42182
| Quote: | Greenberg on "Buffy: Season 9" #15 & Billy's Inner Strength
Writer Drew Z. Greenberg tells CBR News about what keeps him returning to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," gay vampire slayer Billy's hidden super-power, and compares and contrasts Buffy and Billy.
Jason Tabrys, Guest Contributer
In the conclusion to the Jane Espenson and Drew Z. Greenberg penned Billy the Vampire Slayer micro-arc in Dark Horse Comics' "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9," readers learn that Billy takes on "so much" because "he's... good." In reality, there is much more that guides this young man.
A normal teenager that has been marginalized by bullies due to his sexuality, Billy joins the fight against the zompires plaguing his town thanks to Devon, a classmate and the object of Billy's affections.
What is it that Devon sees in Billy that makes him think he is capable of taking on the blood thirsty undead and why is Billy drawn to the fight even when Devon tells him no? Comic Book Resources spoke with writer Drew Z. Greenberg about what makes Billy tick beyond that goodness, the consequences of being an amateur slayer and how growing up gay primed Billy for his new calling.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/assets/thumbnail.php?file=/assets/images/preview/7281e2ei14085/prv14085_cov.jpg
Writer Drew Z. Greenberg talks about Billy the Vampire Slayer rising to the occasion in "Buffy the Vampire: Season 9" #15.Cover by Georges Jeanty
CBR News: Drew, what keeps you coming back to "Buffy?"
Drew Z. Greenberg: Oh, wow. Primarily, the characters, because I love them like old, dear friends I can't wait to see again. But it's more than that: it's a certain sensibility, a set of ideals that says anyone can be a hero, even the bubbly blonde cheerleader who you think will be killed by the monster in the dark alley, or even the sweet, sensitive gay kid who's learning to fight back. I like that the world of BUFFY is one in which inclusiveness is more than just theory, it's actually made real and that we don't just end up admiring these characters who rise to the challenge; we end up liking them. (Or, in my case, loving them.)
And then there's also getting to play in Joss's imagination, which is, frankly, one of the most fun, adventurous, scary, intimidating, satisfying places I've ever been. I'll go back any time he'll let me.
How active was "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon in the plotting process for these two issues?
Joss is overseeing the entirety of Season 9 -- he hosted this star-studded writers' summit well before Season 9 started (the kind of assemblage that makes fanboys' and fangirls' heads go boom). During that summit, Joss articulated his goals for the season and the story points he knew he wanted to hit. (It was also when he invited the writers there to brainstorm ideas for specific stories, and that was where the Billy arc was born.) In addition, Joss also installed the freakishly-talented (and, by the way, all-around nice guy) Andrew Chambliss as the one to handle the day-to-day storytelling on Season 9, and, of course, Joss always relies on [Editor-in-Chief] Scott Allie and his team for editor responsibilities at Dark Horse, and they provide invaluable feedback. So Joss' presence was large and comforting. Like a body pillow.
Any plans to re-team with Jane Espenson for another batch of "Buffy" books or perhaps something else from the Whedonverse?
I would partner on anything with Jane. "Buffy" stories, other Whedonverse projects, being a team on The Amazing Race. Whatever, whenever.
The other slayers are called and chosen. Billy obviously doesn't have those kinds of mystical shackles. He took is upon himself to be a slayer. Do you worry that people might cynically dismiss the possibility that Billy would rise up because of goodness and little else? Is it more than goodness? Jane said he was special because of a "fire in his belly," but what else is there that drives this boy to be so brave?
True story: when certain people in the world suggest that being gay is a choice, the standard response, naturally, is to ask them, "How could it be a choice? With all the risk of bullying and prejudice and misunderstanding out there, with the risk of being alienated and isolated, who would choose to be gay?" And that's the right question to ask, because, seriously, straight people, when did you choose to be straight? You know you didn't, and it's exactly the same with gay people. We don't choose this, either. But you know what? I have to admit something: I would. I would choose to be gay. And here's why: even with all the unpleasant crap that goes with being gay, my experience as a gay man has also given me a sense of empathy, an understanding of justice, an awareness of what it means to be ostracized, no matter why. It's given me insight into why we must fight for the rights of the oppressed, why compassion and love actually matter as more than just intangible concepts and why it's important to embrace and celebrate the qualities that make each of us -- gay or straight -- unique. In other words, being gay has made me the human being that I am, and I like the human being I am.
With that in mind, I think the story of Billy, ultimately, is the story of a young man who spent his whole life feeling like an outsider, but who gains from that experience a determination, a certain resolve to make the world a better place than the one into which he was born. Put in simple mathematical terms, being gay plus growing up in his particular circumstance helped make Billy into a hero. Billy's experience opens his eyes to what must be done in ways maybe others would never see. So yes, I think it's more than goodness, though the goodness helps. And the best part is, if Billy can come out the other side determined to make the world better, maybe so can any young person who sees injustice and prejudice in their life, too.
Are we bound to see other slayers like Billy? Other slayers that aren't equipped with slayer strength?
Well, that's an interesting idea. I don't know of any plans for more amateur slayers, but I suppose anything is possible.
This is obviously a story about Billy finding his place in this world. He's finding acceptance, and not just as a slayer. Was there ever a thought to deal with the other side of Billy's embrace of slayerdom? The possible consequences, or the lost youth and normalcy that Buffy dealt with when she was his age? If there was, were you concerned about scraping away the overall positive message or bungling the analogy?
You know, every character is unique. I don't think Billy had the childhood that Buffy had: I think Billy's living situation is an indication that Billy had to grow up pretty quick long before the zompires showed up in his town. So embracing slayerdom means something different to Billy, because Billy's in a different place when it happens. Specifically, in Billy's case, his embrace of slayerdom is almost a mirror image of Buffy's process -- it allows him, like Buffy, to find his real purpose, but unlike Buffy who came to realize her skill set had a price, Billy gets something of a payoff for his years of already feeling isolated (a scenario much more well-suited, I think, for the short-story format of Billy's two-issue introduction).
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Buffyversefantic
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Buffyversefantic
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:32 am Post subject: |
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I got my copy now of Buffy # 15,"Billy The vampire Slayer part II of II."
First here's Kairos's summary/review of the issue.
http://perpetual.livejournal.com/125154.html
| Quote: | Buffy Season 9 #15, Summary and Review
Going to keep it brief this time. Billy and Cute Devon train and flirt for a few pages, but as they're about to have that all-important conversation about their feelings for each other, there's a news broadcast and Billy finds out his grandmother is in a zompire hostage situation at the library. The boys have the inevitable argument about whether to go save her, which comes to its inevitable resolution when Billy storms off to do it himself and Cute Devon follows and meets him at the war zone. They have their feelings conversation (and first kiss) in between the whole duck-and-run, dust-the-zomps action. They rescue Sky.
The line that Billy has been pondering about "the right way to fight back" is finished at the end of the issue by Buffy, who says, "...is to remember you are not fighting alone. Even when it seems you are." She and Dowling (that's Dowling, right?) are standing on a rooftop in San Francisco with Billy and Cute Devon. She welcomes him to his new team and gets ready to take him patrolling, and he muses about finally finding a place to belong.
*
This is actually the first time in my memory that New Comic Day has meant two purchases for me: the other one is Saga, and I knew well in advance that it was going to be much better than this issue of Season 9. I tried to offset the inevitable disappointment by reading this one first, but the Dark Horse app failed me and I was stuck with a fresh reminder of how good comics can actually be.
That little summary I just wrote really isn't missing anything. There are a few witty lines and inoffensively sweet moments, and I can't say the action is sub-par except inasmuch as how many times have we seen a character stake a vampire in this series or defeat a zombie in another series, a lot, that's how many. Billy and Cute Devon are like a pair of Care Bears; they're cute, pure-hearted, and laden with important messages of love and tolerance, but you don't read comics about them, because you're an adult and they're freaking Care Bears.
If I had any doubts about whether Jane Espenson was adding to the Buffyverse or just using it to place a public service announcement where it would reach a lot of eyes, this issue erased them. The plot was nothing - nothing - just an entry-level set-up for action and drama, way below Espenson's proven writing capabilities. The only thing that made it new was the sexual orientation of the characters, and the only thing that tied it into the rest of the series was Buffy's appearance at the end.
And speaking of which, that hit a nerve too. I admit I was glad to see her, just because it was getting near the end of the book and I thought they weren't even going to bother. ("Coming next: another issue in which Billy does some traveling and fights more zompires and learns more about himself and his true destiny and oh yeah then he meets Buffy!" I'd tear up my copy. And it's a digital one.) But in a way, the Buffy we know still wasn't there. Aside from one line about how she's needed to remember lately that she's not alone, everything she said was in service to Billy's story - and it wasn't even the kind of service that moves the story along.
I know it was too much to hope for Buffy to have an objection to Billy calling himself a Slayer, even a knee-jerk, quickly discarded objection, but it would have been nice to see a little discussion about the novelty of the situation. Or maybe a warning that he was taking on a huge responsibility and she wasn't going to be able to watch his back all the time. Anything but this cardboard affirmation schtick. I don't mind seeing Buffy from a newcomer's perspective once in a while; Season 8 #5 is still probably the only universally loved issue of the comics and that's in part due to the new way it made us see the main character. But Buffy as a hardened general isn't new, and neither is Buffy as a compassionate leader. There's no glaze over the last few pages - she's pretty much directly speaking to gay teens and other readers who feel like misfits, telling them they're not alone and they belong. Forget the fourth wall, there's not even a third, and the second one's looking a little shaky too.
If the reasoning here is that Buffy has become enough of a mythical hero to give this message the power it needs, that's great, and in spite of everything that's happened in the comics I think she just might be at that point. Go ahead and let her speak. Just learn from the classics - when Spider-Man talked to his young readers about the dangers of molestation, he did it in ads between the pages, not within his own adventures. The Buffy of the past two arcs feels phony, as if I could snap her apart with my hands. Until she's real again, I can't learn from her. |
My own thoughts on the issue.I thought it was decent,not great but not terrible.About the same as last issue.Like I said last issue.I think Billy and Devon have potential but i feel this story took place in the wrong place.The arc IMO should of been a One-Shot titled Season 9 Tales of the Slayers:Billy.After that,than bring them into the next arc of Buffy as part of her team with Dowling which seems to be the plan.The last page with Buffy would of been a perfect capper to a One-Shot lead in.
I liked the art especially the Buffy appearance at the end although I tend to like Karle Moline's work usually anyway.
I thought this arc was better than "Guarded" but misplaced although both arcs were still sort of eh for me overall. |
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Buffyversefantic
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.diamondbookdistributors.com/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=53&s=712&ai=128227
| Quote: | Cover and solicitations to Buffy Season 9 Vol 3
The Chosen One has a new lease on life, courtesy of… Kennedy?! In a bold move to give disenfranchised Slayers a meaningful societal role (with pay), Kennedy recruits Buffy to act as bodyguard for high-profile clientele. But unlike the other recruits, Buffy struggles to abandon her Slaying instincts and looks for demony threats where none lie (much to Kennedy’s dismay). So it’s only natural that her first job is to protect a tech mogul who just so happens to be running from demon assassins! Then, guest writers Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time) and Drew Greenberg (Warehouse 13) show a new kind of Slayer emerging in a small town about to be contaminated by the growing zompire epidemic!
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Buffyversefantic
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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Zianna posted some spoilerish images and brief summary of Spike # 4.
http://www.buffyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19015&page=2
Quote from the issue.
| Quote: | OK I'll post here but give me some time, I'm using the mobile to type.
Preparing some coffee and coming back.
In the meantime, I give you those lines by Spike
"I am not some empty vessel that you can just pour all expectations into. I don't exist just to give you purpose. To be your achievement. I've got my own problems, my own life, I don't need--"
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Brief summary
| Quote: | OK after the preview pages the bugs inform them that they're arriving at the Easter Island. Morgan says that the statues were built by people trying to warn anyone about the place etc,etc, not getting into details.
Once on the land, Spike and Morgan go at the outside of the spaceship, watching the land from above. She then makes her move, telling him that being close to him is like an aphrodisiac, she can't just turn off what she is. She is attracted to leaders, to strong men. And that's what he is. She doesn't want to go home anymore, because she's found him. And the best part is that he's immortal, unlike all those human leaders that she'd served, they can be together forever and do anything. She's playing her mojo and it's working. While Sebastian and Frisky watch. Frisky insists on taking action ASAP, Sebastian orders the rest of the bugs to put Frisky in the brig.
So, she kisses Spike, he kisses her, but he opens his eyes while kissing and he looks at the page of the magazine from #1, which reminds him that that's not real. (In the meantime they had gone back and they are now inside the ship, in the solarium). With Buffy it was up and down and frustrating but it was real, and he cherishes every moment of it. That drives Morgan mad and she slaps him. It's the first time in 3000 years that somebody turned her down. And since her services are no longer needed, she says she'll go back to her dimension. Spike tries to talk her out of it telling her that there is no way to open the Hellmouth without any magic or any shard, and then he realizes that Morgan actually had found a shard before he met her.
He demands to know where the shard is and to give it to him and he's mad because she fooled him to get her there. He grabs her arm, she gets angry and all in demonic form and attacks him. The fight starts. Sebastian watches that, orders a liftoff, Frisky out of the brig, and to go and help Spike. They had built a kind of machinery which threw toils on Morgan to capture her and then electrocute her. But that wasn't enough to keep her. She escapes, throws herself on the window, breaks it, and flies down to the surface. Spike orders the bugs to follow her back on the land.
Morgan gets back on the ground and she vomits. A tiny little piece of the seed also comes out, and she's ready to crack open the Hellmouth.
CONTINUED.
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ETA
ETA
Here's another pic from the issue from ubi4soft
http://www.buffyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?p=646040&posted=1#post646040
I can't post the image but it's a shot of Spike saying(To Morgan) about Buffywhile smiling wistfully:But a part of me cherishes every moment I've spent miserable over her |
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Buffyversefantic
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| Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2012 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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Spike # 5 delayed.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ScottAllie
| Quote: | Scott Allie
. @Stoneybridge22 Sadly, yes--Spike #5 is late. Very sorry for this. We don't have a final release date at this time, will announce ASAP.
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I have my copy of Spike # 4 and will post my thoughts soon. |
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Shade of Pale
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| Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2012 1:21 am Post subject: |
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| I liked the issue, though I'm not sure that Spike's character development hasn't just been to bring him to where he seemed to be coming out of the IDW series. He's stepped forward because he took a bit of a step back in Season 9 ? I thought that Morgan would be a shade more morally ambiguous than she appears in this part of the story. I mean, threatening to rip the bugs' legs off, opening a Hellmouth all seems standard villainy. They never really explain why she wants to go home, beyond lack of purpose, which might make her seem more sympathetic, although they could still deal with this in issue 5, admittedly. I suspect that at least some of the story will be related to Spike 'crossing over' to Angel and Faith, hence Spike checking the bars on his mobile phone. Maybe the shard, which Morgan vomitted might have some significance. |
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Buffyversefantic
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| Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2012 9:46 am Post subject: |
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Hope everyone here in the U.S. had a nice Thanksgiving.I got Spike # 4 on Wed. but with holiday activities the last two days,I just didn't have much time to read my comics other than a quick flip through until late Wed and Thursday with it being Thanksgiving day,I didn't really have much computer time to post any of my thoughts on the issue unti l now.
I'll keep it short but I enjoyed the issue and get the lesson Spike is learning in this mini.I think we saw him learn some of this towards the end of Angel but as Scott Allie has admitted,there has been a bit of regressing in order to go forward.
Most figured the direction Morgan would go in although I won't rule out some redemption next issue or I also wouldn't rule out her being a ongoing foil either.
Overall,a good issue.
Here's Karios's summary/review of Spike # 4 too.
http://perpetual.livejournal.com/126523.html
| Quote: | Spike #4: Review etc.
Preview pages. Bugs plot, being wary of Morgan. Spike and Morgan talk in the solarium and Morgan starts digging about Buffy.
It quickly turns into flirtation - actually, she's pretty much propositioning him - but they're interrupted by the ship approaching the other Hellmouth, which it's revealed is on Easter Island. As they land, Morgan resumes her seduction routine, telling Spike that she misses existing for somebody else. Spike lights a cigarette. The bugs argue some more and Sebastian has Frisky hauled away and locked up for disloyalty.
Morgan senses Spike's need and it's like an aphrodisiac for her. She decides that she doesn't need to get back to her own dimension if he's her purpose, and leads him back into the solarium (though it's night now). He resists on the grounds that he doesn't exist just to give her purpose, then stops, appearing to have a revelation. Morgan compares the way he feels about her to the way that Buffy must have felt about him, and says Buffy made a mistake turning him away. She keeps up the pillow talk, offering him power, and finally draws him close enough for a kiss. It's a romantic moonlit moment, but then he sees the beer ad from the first issue, and breaks away, apologizing. He gives her the it's-not-you-it's-me speech, claiming he prefers what he had with Buffy because it was "real".
She slaps him, insulted that he's refusing her, and says she's going back to her plan to return home. Spike says it would be a bad idea to open the Hellmouth even if she could, and then suddenly realizes that she's been stuck on it because she's had a shard of the Seed on her the whole time. He asks, she denies, he threatens, she goes demon, she attacks, he vamps out, they fight. The bugs, having released Frisky, come to the rescue with an electric net cannon. They ensnare Morgan, but the zap doesn't knock her out and she rips through the net and then crashes through the solarium window.
The ship pursues her as she flies out to the giant heads, but it's nowhere in sight when she crouches and coughs up the shard. On the last panel she turns human again and says, "Let's crack open a Hellmouth."
*
Taking into account of course that my expectations for any part of Season Nine aside from Angel & Faith haven't been that high, this issue wasn't too shabby. The subplot of Morgan was essentially resolved - there's a lot we don't know about her, and she's on the loose now, but Spike's feelings about her won't be conflicted anymore. He made his choice before she went bad, which is Buffyverse for "It's over no okay now it's REALLY over." And of course he learned a valuable lesson along the way.
Hm...what exactly was that lesson...well, I already had a problem with his beer ad logic, so I'm not satisfied with the reasoning that what he could have with Morgan would be false and therefore undesirable. It's true, of course, but it's flipped around: Spike decides how he feels about sensations based on their source, rather than understanding the source by examining how it makes him feel. I have a hard time explaining this to other fans, but this is one way in which I identify with the character quite a bit. I've been known to savor my misery just because the misery feels justified and therefore real, satisfying an internal need that people like Spike and me have for self-validation. The problem, as we're seeing now, is not only that misery should not be savored, but that Spike's feelings about Buffy are all about Spike, not Buffy.
The conversation took its most interesting turn when Morgan bluntly compared herself to Spike as he was in relation to Buffy. She's totally right, though I didn't realize it until she said so. Buffy doesn't exist to give Spike purpose; it's a fine thing to have someone adore you, but Buffy isn't the type to stand there and accept adoration if she can't return it, no matter how much Spike might think he benefits from that kind of relationship. The parallel fails when Morgan says Buffy was wrong to turn him down. Spike isn't an incubus; Buffy's need couldn't sustain him, and he couldn't offer her anything beyond his devotion.
So, perhaps he understood that, and that's the valuable lesson he learned. If he doesn't get past the romanticized view of his heartbreak, I'm not sure what point the miniseries will have as far as his character development, but there's one more issue left to go. Anyway, I'm probably not reading it the way they intended. His revelation will probably be more along the lines of "I'm awesome and I don't need a girlfriend!", which is fine. One way or another they've got to connect the story to the rest of the season and put Spike in a new place, which can only be a good thing.
You know, I read Morgan's backstory in the last issue with an arched eyebrow, but I kind of like the way it was expanded in this one. All of a sudden it made sense that she was independent but missed her old job. A succubus who devotes her entire being to a man isn't a metaphor for a woman who does the same thing - she's a contrast. There isn't any kind of human in the world who isn't complete without serving another human being. Morgan shows us what it would be like if there was, and she shows us in a way that's kind of chilling.
I'm over the bugs. You? |
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