Buffy: Season 8 (Dark Horse Comics)

[Just Jeans]

Well, I'm slowly working my way through season 3 in preparation for the second arc of Buffy: Season 8, 'No Future For You'. I'm not in any real big hurry, though, as the August issue is a one-off ('The Chain'), but I've just finished disc four. The episode was called 'Consequences', and in the final moments Faith joins forces with the Mayor of Sunnydale.

It must be a long road from where Faith is now in season 3 to where she is by the end of season 7. Season 7 was my first exposure to the character, so while she's always been sort of an outcast persona, I had no idea things got this bad with her (I hear she does some good development in Angel as well. I really need to start getting that show.)

I'm eager to finish the season, and I'm even more eager to read 'No Future For You'.

PS: Wesley is a douche in this show. I rather liked him in season 5 of Angel, but in this he's just a bit creepy and a serious prig.

[Darth Sinister]

That was the whole point of Wesley when he was first introduced. Especially since he was originally going to die in season three, but Whedon liked him so much that he kept him around.

As to Faith, her story continues in season four's "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You?" and season one of Angel with "Five By Five" and "Sanctuary". She returns for a brief cameo in season two's "Judgment". Her redemption finally comes in season four's "Salvage", "Release" and "Orpheus".

[Just Jeans]

It's odd that Spike is on disc six of season 3. He's only in one episode that season, and really early in as well.

I've just finished disc five. Three more episodes to go, and I'll be done with season 3. So far, I'd have to say this is my favorite season. I only need to see season 4 now, and I'll have seen the entire series.

Oz is officially my favorite character in the series. I hope he turns up in Season 8, or I hope they utilize him in the Season 6 Angel comics, the way they were supposedly going to utilize him had season 6 actually been made.

I also wonder if Cordelia's death will come up in Season 8. I'd like to see how it affects the Scooby Gang, particularly Xander.

[Toejam]

Buffy'd 3rd Season was my favorite. I liked the Mayor a lot.
Faith is such a cool character, when she returns in season four and especially in Angel's "Five By Five" and "Sanctuary", she is a badass.
If you want the full scoop on Faith you really need to watch her appearences on Angel.
Wesley if probably my favorite "buffyverse" character. I hated him at first, but his growth from a strict sissy boy (in Buffy season 3) to scruffy no nonsense nametaker (in Angel season 5) was handled so well.

[Just Jeans]

I've just finished watching season 3. Excellent finale with a slightly disappointing conclusion to the Mayor's arc. I wasn't impressed with the giant snake bit, but it was nice to see the whole school pull together and fight as one.

I was gutted that Larry died. Certainly wasn't expecting that.

[Darth Sinister]

Well, there's more to the Mayor's story. Check out "Haunted" from Dark Horse Comics, by Jane Espenson.

[Alex DeLarge]

IMO, Faith's arc is the only thing in Buffy that could be confusing without seeing Angel. When Faith left Buffy in Season 4, she's still evil vendetta gal, hiding away on a truck. There are some hints at redemption, but just that. Hints.

When she comes to Angel, she's at first evil psycho bitch. Her torture of Wesley is worse than anything she did on Buffy, aside from the murders, probably. But Angel has faith in her, no matter what, and redeems her. Buffy comes to LA and wants Faith, but Angel protects her, leading to some REAL Buffy/Angel tension and dislike (which is resolved back on Buffy, in the Yoko Factor). But Faith wants to be redeemed and so she willingly turns herself in (the end of the Season 2 opener has Angel visit Faith in prison).

Cut to Angel Season 4, she's a mature, grown woman. Still a bit of a pension for violence and wild and crazy sex, but ultimately, an anti-hero HEAVILY leaning on hero, rather than the full-blown villain she was at the end of Buffy Season 3/Buffy Season 4 (and only leaves prison to help Angel get his soul back).

So that change from Buffy Season 4 to Buffy Season 7 might be a little jarring if you haven't seen Angel (but they explain most of it through exposition).

[Darth Sinister]

Oz is slated to appear in the Buffy comics, along with Riley. But odds are there won't be any references to Cordelia since "The Long Way Home" takes place well after her death. And since the Angel season six is on it's way, we'll hear more about here there than over on Buffy.

[Just Jeans]

I thought Buffy: Season 8 took place adjacent to season 5 of Angel.

[Darth Sinister]

Nope. As I understand it, it's much later.

[Alex DeLarge]

Oz is slated to appear in the Buffy comics, along with Riley. But odds are there won't be any references to Cordelia since "The Long Way Home" takes place well after her death. And since the Angel season six is on it's way, we'll hear more about here there than over on Buffy.

*GASP* :eek: I've been pretty up to date with the Buffy news! Heard NOTHING about Oz or Riley! LINK ME, LINK ME, LINK ME! :D

[Just Jeans]

Am I the only one who missed that they're considering doing a spin-off miniseries featuring "side-stories too far outside of Season Eight's narrative"? I wonder what kind of stories those could be?

I also didn't realize that the planned 25 issues has ballooned into over 50. :eek:

As for placement, according to Joss Whedon on GeekMonthly.com, the series is set a year and a half after the season 7 finale. Where would that put it in relation to Angel's last season? I've never been sure about the timing between shows.

Here's what Wikipedia say about Riley and Oz:

Whedon plans for all the popular characters to return, although the cast will be slowly introduced over the course of the series.

Riley Finn and his wife may show up, but nothing is set right now as the writers of the comic are going to start with the core characters.[10 (http://buffycomics.hellmouthcentral.com/)]

Plot outline for "No Future For You":


The second arc of Season Eight starts here. Brian K. Vaughan takes over writing duties and dives headlong into what Faith is up to -- infiltration, assassination, and nonstop Cleveland. The fugitive Slayer is given the assignment that could change her life . . . if Giles's specialized training doesn't make her want to end it first. Joss Whedon stays on as Executive Producer in this first part of "No Future for You."

Faith’s out to kill a Slayer.

Lady Genevieve Savidge is one of the most dangerous women on the planet. If she’s left unstopped, the British heiress will usher in the apocalypse. Faith has accepted Giles’s offer of an early retirement package for this gig—but the wetworks will have to wait till she’s infiltrated Savidge’s mystically protected estate.

The blockbuster Season Eight continues with multiple Eisner Award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man; LOST), the stellar art of Georges Jeanty (The American Way), and Buffy creator and Executive Producer Joss Whedon. Joss Whedon’s Season Eight Continues! View Georges' alternate cover Here (http://buffycomics.hellmouthcentral.com/covers/btvs07b.jpg).

Looks like Faith is looking to live a quiet life. At least, that's the impression I get from the "early retirement package" bit.

As per my usual, I can't stand the alternate cover art.

[Alex DeLarge]

I think Angel Season 5 started like a month after the Buffy finale (Chosen took place hours after Home) and lasted roughly one year. So... roughly a half a year since Not Fade Away? Sounds about right.
ADDED:
Regular Cover to Issue 7 (I'd say spoilers, but Jeans's avy does the job!)

http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/14/14663.jpg

AMAZING. Love it, love it, love it. Faith is gorgeous and Giles is absolutely perfect.

[Just Jeans]

I don't remember Eliza's bust being so generous in the flesh, but I'm not complaining. It is a very pretty drawing.

The likeness of Eliza looks slightly older -- and she looks really good in the dress, it's something I would have liked to see her in on the show -- and the likeness of Anthony Head is spot on.

The cover art for this series has been absolutely stunning.

[Lance Lives]

I agree that Oz is probably my favorite character from the whole series. 5th season era Spike is a close second.

I really wish I could get the whole comic series in one day and read it all at once. The dvds have ruined me, the wait is a killer.

[Spade]

I agree James the cover art for the comics has been great.

I absolutely love the new comics. I just need to catch up on them, I'm a little behind.

Take care and God bless.

Spade

[Just Jeans]

I really wish I could get the whole comic series in one day and read it all at once. The dvds have ruined me, the wait is a killer.

It's going to be a real killer of a wait if the news about them extending the series past 50 issues ends up being true. At 50 issues, that's at least a 4 year wait for the series to run it's course, possibly longer if they produce more. :X

I'll be nearly 30-years-old by the time this series ends. :shock:

[Darth Sinister]

Well, there's so many different ideas, that the possibilities are endless. Though I think Whedon will go for a definative end point for this season and then, depending on how he feels, goes for a season nine.

[Lance Lives]

I used to read X-Men all the time when I was younger and it didn't seem like no time at all would pass between issues, but now it's very different. I don't know about anybody else, but I personally don't feel like much happens in each issue of the Buffy book. It's great stuff that happens, but four issues just to basically START a story is pretty wild.

[Darth Sinister]

That's common in today's comic industry. What would normally be covered in one or two issues, now takes four to six to eight.

[Just Jeans]

Four issues to cover what would be 45 minutes worth of show seems fair enough to me. But then I only recently got into comics (because of Buffy and The Gunslinger) so I'm out of the loop on what it used to be like.

As for the season 8 thing -- didn't they say they were dropping that tag line with issue 6? I've read that they're going to add a subtitle to it and drop "Season 8" from the name, which is due in part to it ballooning from a 25 issue mini into over 50 issues.

[Darth Sinister]

Starting with issue six, the comic's true title would debut. I'm thinking it'll be "Twilight."

[Darth Sinister]

Joss Whedon has confirmed that plans for a "Ripper" TV Movie produced by the BBC seem to be moving forward once more. And that he has plans for season nine of Buffy.

[Alex DeLarge]

Oh, man, that would be awesome. They'll probably mine the British acting scene, so it'll be nice to be like, "Oh he's off Torchwood! She was great on Doctor Who! I loved her in Life on Mars! It's the Dead Ringers guy!" :p I wonder if this'll affect Tony Head being the narrator of the next season of Doctor Who Confidential or if it'll change again...

[Just Jeans]

I think it's become a tradition to change the narrator for Confidential each year.

I can't wait for The Ripper special. I hope it might spawn a series. That'd be awesome.

[Alex DeLarge]

Joss said he and Jane Espenson and a bunch of people had came up with a plot outline for a 6 episode season. Sounds good to me (maybe even get it bumped up to 8, like Life on Mars)!

I wonder if we'll get any references to Season 8 (subtle ones; remember, this is "THE CHARTER IS GOD; DO NOT BLASPHEME AGAINST THE CHARTER" BBC we're talking about...) since Giles plays a pretty big role in that.

[Just Jeans]

Given the BBC charter, I'm not sure how The Ripper (special/series) could reference the events in Buffy at all. Well, a reference would probably work fine, but they couldn't require you to go buy Buffy in any form, et cetera.

I wonder if any of the other cast members from Buffy or Angel will turn up in Ripper?

[Spade]

I hope we get some old cast back.

Man I'm really excited about this show.

Take care and God bless.

Spade

[Darth Sinister]

I'd expect a reference like a reference to the fact that Ethan Rayne could wind up getting his head blown off one day. Or something.

[Lance Lives]

Anybody got the new one yet? It's that one off. It's kinda cool I think. It's basically about what it would be like to be one of the girls posing as Buffy.

[Alex DeLarge]

I adored the Chain. Best issue yet. Very poignant and powerful. It's said that if Buffy would have had a televised season, this would have been one of Joss's yearly ones that he directs and that's definitely true. He really put his heart and soul into this one.

Oh, and the Andrew/Vi commercial is BRILLIANT.:D

[Lance Lives]

Yeah, the commercial was my favorite part. It's also good to see how Giles is fitting into everything.

[Toejam]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x216/toejam67/Buffy_8.jpg

The last few Buffy Covers have been Badass.

[Spade]

Got to love that pic.

[Darth Sinister]

And here is issue nine.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-issue-9-f.jpg

[Just Jeans]

I just finished reading The Chain. Really good issue. I don't think it's the best there ever was, but I think it would have been a brilliant televised episode. That commercial with Andrew was by far the funniest thing in the comics yet. :lol:

[Lance Lives]

Yeah, I love Andrew, I just got done watching season 6 and am a few episodes into 7 and he's just as funny as ever, if not more.

[Lance Lives]

The new issue is great. The whole training thing is kinda cliche I guess, but it's really done well and I still like Faith. Good to see more Xander too, making Snake references and everything.

[Darth Sinister]

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/406px-Anywhere_but_here.jpg

Issue ten finds Buffy and Willow encountering a demon who shows them a vision of the future, forcing them to look back to their past. Meanwhile, Dawn confides in Xander about what caused her to become big.

[Spade]

I need to catch up, the last one I read was The Chain.

[Lance Lives]

I really hope that issue 8 is still on the shelves because I've yet to get it. I really need to catch up, I'd kick the shit out of myself if I missed an issue.

[Rick]

I've picked up all of the issues for my g/f (and myself to read of course, but she's a much bigger fan than me) but missed #7. For some reason it sold out faster than the others.
So when I picked up #8 I just asked the owner if he could order #7 and he said "sure". I even got the original cover, not the alternate, when it came in with his next shipment.
If it is sold out it shouldn't be any trouble for your comic book guy to order you one up.

[Darth Sinister]

Issue eight is out right now. So you should still be able to get a copy.

[Darth Sinister]

Cover to issue 11.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-issue-11-.jpg

[Lance Lives]

Well, I just hope that I make to a store in time to get it. I don't live close to any stores that sell comics at all, much less a comic shop. There was one, but it went out of business. I think I'm going to the mall this Monday so I'll pick it up at Waldens which is where I've gotten all the others if it's still there.

[Lance Lives]

Just picked up issue 10 at the mall today. The Faith storyline has been wrapped up and I think it was a good one. It looks like the main villain has finally revealed itself. Bummed to see Buffy and Giles on the outs though.

[Darth Sinister]

Well, to be fair, Buffy would not approve of killing another Slayer unless it was necessary.

[Just Jeans]

The situation with Genevieve and Roden was not entirely unlike the situation with Faith and the Mayor. I don't see why Buffy would have been opposed to killing Genevieve anymore than she was opposed to gutting Faith.

I'm eager to see where things go with Twilight.

Oh, and I have to admit I geeked out when I saw the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler. That made me grin big time.

[Darth Sinister]

Buffy only wanted to kill Faith to save Angel's life and later because she switched bodies with her, violating her and her friends as she did. That's why she authorized sending Slayers with Andrew to recover Dana, instead of having her killed. Giles knew that Buffy would take issue with killing a Slayer, especially now. Giles didn't even make the effort to try and redeem her like they did with Faith. And Faith went along with it, without much of a fuss. Now, Buffy didn't know that Faith didn't want to do it once she got to know Genevieve. But the fact that she was willing to do it in the first place, didn't sit well with Buffy.

[Just Jeans]

Nothing Faith does sits well with Buffy. I liken Buffy's feelings about Faith to Xander's feelings about Angel -- Faith and Angel simply can't be redeemed in the eyes of those who have their minds very firmly made up. Faith is right, in a way. So long as Buffy is around, Faith is always going to be the bad guy.

[Lance Lives]

I agree Jeans, that's one reason Buffy will always be my least favorite character.

[Just Jeans]

She's pretty much my least favorite character, too. I don't hate her, and I sometimes sympathize with her (for example, in season 3, after she comes home from LA, I think it's really unfair the way her mother and friends gang up on her, especially Xander) but, on the whole, I find her to be the hardest character to like in the show. I liked some of the bad guys more than I liked her.

[Lance Lives]

I agree, I really like both the Mayor and Spike more than Buffy if we're talking about villians. But then again, as I said I pretty much like all the characters more than Buffy. I guess I could say that I like Buffy more than Maggie Walsh, which just shows how much I hate that character.

[Just Jeans]

How about Riley, then? :D

[Spade]

How about Riley, then? :D

Oh God don't mention that idiot :eek:. Here is a poster I made for Riley :

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b159/drm6181/Riley.jpg

[Just Jeans]

In fairness, he's only lame because none of the writers gave a toss about using him in an interesting way. He was utterly wasted, and his relationship with Buffy was wasted. I admit, I got interested when he started letting vampires feed on him, but that only lasted null-point-two seconds.

[Spade]

True he was completely wasted. The way they wrote him made him one of my least favorite Buffyverse characters. Honestly its hard for me to find a character I like worse from either show.

[Lance Lives]

Yeah, you guys are right. The coolest thing Riley did was get his ass kicked by Angel.

[Spade]

Yeah, you guys are right. The coolest thing Riley did was get his ass kicked by Angel.

I completely agree.

[Scarecrow]

I liked Riley. Honestly. And the Initiative arc. It was a decent storyline and his struggle between what he's been taught and duty and with Buffy was well done. Only after did he seem a little wasted, they should have developed him more, the writers failed him. He had an interesting arc with vampires which should have been developed, not abandoned.

It also hurt Xander, who after S2-Willow, started working better with a male characetr his age. His banter with Oz was great and early S5 he started developing a relationship with Riley (love the wrestling scene!)... without a male he actually got on with, he was often elft hanging.

So yeah, I'm pro-Riley. :p

- Scarecrow

[Just Jeans]

Season 4 is the only season of Buffy I haven't seen in full. I've seen scattered bits and pieces -- Hush, Restless, and some stuff before, after and in between -- but I'm pretty well up-to-speed on Riley's character. He reminds me of Rick from Friday the 13th part III -- a hunky jock who is about as interesting as a plank of un-sanded wood. I agree about Xander and Riley, though. I liked watching them in scenes together.

Had Joss decided to make Xander gay rather than Willow, I think he could have stolen Riley from Buffy. :p

[Spade]

Season 4 is the only season of Buffy I haven't seen in full. I've seen scattered bits and pieces -- Hush, Restless, and some stuff before, after and in between -- but I'm pretty well up-to-speed on Riley's character. He reminds me of Rick from Friday the 13th part III -- a hunky jock who is about as interesting as a plank of un-sanded wood. I agree about Xander and Riley, though. I liked watching them in scenes together.

Had Joss decided to make Xander gay rather than Willow, I think he could have stolen Riley from Buffy. :p

There were some episodes where Riley's character was alright, but not many IMO.

Wasn't it Joss's original intention to make Xander gay, but he switched it to Willow when Seth Green left the show?

[Just Jeans]

According to Joss in one of the commentaries, he spent a lot of time trying to make up his mind. He said he laid in clues that could be read to mean that Xander was gay, but he did the same with Willow, too. Ultimately, he decided to go with Gay Willow rather than Gay Xander (I think the decision was partially inspired by the Willow vampire that turned up from time to time).

[Spade]

According to Joss in one of the commentaries, he spent a lot of time trying to make up his mind. He said he laid in clues that could be read to mean that Xander was gay, but he did the same with Willow, too. Ultimately, he decided to go with Gay Willow rather than Gay Xander (I think the decision was partially inspired by the Willow vampire that turned up from time to time).

I loved Vampire Willow.

[Lance Lives]

I suppose that I kinda am a fan of the Initiative story line, but not the character of Riley. They gave Spike his chip which made for some interesting stories, but other than that it didn't really have much of a lasting effect on the show.

[Darth Sinister]

I suppose that I kinda am a fan of the Initiative story line, but not the character of Riley. They gave Spike his chip which made for some interesting stories, but other than that it didn't really have much of a lasting effect on the show.

Ah, but it has with the "Twilight" storyline, so far.

[Lance Lives]

You got me there sir. I wonder when the new issue will be available, I'd hate to miss one.

[Just Jeans]

Anywhere But Here was a good issue. I'm not surprised to see that Willow harbors some resentment toward Buffy over Tara's death. I'm surprised it never came to the forefront sooner, to be honest. On the plus side, at least it keeps Kennedy out of the picture.

[Natman]

I liked the Initiative storyline. Riley as a character has grown on me, but I do think that he wore out his welcome awful fast. He was absolutely right. He may have loved Buffy, but she never really loved him. She wanted a normal relationship and chose him, even though that didn't turn out that normal. As Spike said, "girl needs some monster in her man", and Riley just didn't have it. He might be too human for her. At the end of the day, Buffy needs to be with a guy who can tap into her darkness, like Angel or Spike. She never shared that connection with Riley.

I'm currently taking a college course on Buffy, and while it's amazing, I'm constantly pointing out things (subtext or text) that even the professor missed, which doesn't always go over that well.

[Darth Sinister]

Pick up "Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling In Sunnydale". Lots of subtext.

[Natman]

Haven't actually read that one. Just read through "Sex and the Slayer" which is a really interesting depiction of gender in the Buffyverse.

[Lance Lives]

Anywhere but here is probably my favorite issue so far. I loved it...finally more about Dawn!

[Darth Sinister]

Get ready for your first look at issue #16 by Jo Chen, who did the first nine issues and the first two trade covers.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/normal_buffy16-chen.jpg

I'm doing it this way so as not to spoil those who wish to be surprised. Please don't change it.

Buffy vs Fray!

[Scarecrow]

I hope to get the paperbacks some time, are the out in the UK?

- Scarecrow

[Lance Lives]

Never mind. Edited for stupid question.

I need to get issue 11 and quick!

[Darth Sinister]

I hope to get the paperbacks some time, are the out in the UK?

- Scarecrow

I dunno. Try Dark Horse Comics's website.

[Lance Lives]

Got issue 11. Haven't read it yet though. I suppose I should go do that.

[Toejam]

A lot of people are having coronaries over Buffy having sex with Satsu.(in issue #12)
I was pretty surprised as I thought that was shot down last issue, but people need to calm down.

[Darth Sinister]

Wow. Didn't see that coming.

[Darth Sinister]

Joss Whedon talks Buffy. (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=149216)

And he does address what happened this issue.

NRAMA: With this story, there’s a large character step for Buffy here in that she takes another Slayer as a lover. Was that your plan originally, or something Drew included in his story?

JW: What it was is that I had introduced the character and the dynamic that one of the Slayers was in love with Buffy, and we went to the place that we often will of - it would be fun to see her dancing around it a little bit: “I am pretty lonely, she is pretty hot, and she really likes me. I trust her, we’re all out here, I’m an open-minded gal…and did I mention that she really likes me?”

We thought we could have a little fun playing with her thinking about that, and Drew took the point of view that it plays a lot better if it just happens.

NRAMA: And any thinking about it has to come after the fact…

JW: Right. Rather than just being coy about it, and the whole “will they/won’t they?” Just have it happen, and then have them be coy about it. Awkwardly, nakedly, coy. Have all the silly fun of the French farce where everyone runs into the room, and then have the genuine emotion of “Did I use this person? Did I manipulate this person?” And they’re both thinking that. They’re both wondering if they’re going to get hurt or if they’re going to hurt the other person, and whether or not they should have done it. Not due to any moral reason or anything. It’s not a huge life change for Buffy. She’s not gay. Sexuality is a spectrum. Many of us have experimented in our youth – that’s what youths are for.

So we knew it wasn’t going to be a giant character shift – it was just going to be nice fodder for Buffy to be going through something besides feeling lonely and disconnected and having the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was nice for something nice to happen to her, and then for her to get kind of awkward about it.

Yeah – we liked the arena, and it was Drew who pushed for it just to happen. And I liked to not have to go “In the next issue…the kiss which proves she’s heterosexual!” like they do on TV. I like that it all just happened.

NRAMA: Which meant that there was not much build up to it in the issue or even in the series…

JW: Not really. When we decided that it was going to happen, and that there was going to be a standalone issue before it, I instantly went in and wrote the standalone story to tee everyone up so it wouldn’t be completely out of character. Anyone who read issue #11 would go, “Oh yeah – this could actually have happened,” not “Wow – these guys must be desperate….or desperately lonely.”

NRAMA: Speaking of that standalone issue and the purpose it served, do you feel almost a…responsibility for these types of moments, that you have to have a hand in them?

JW: Yeah – as I said, it’s my job to make it coherent, and to facilitate whatever people have planned, within the confines of whatever it is that I have planned. In this situation, it is my responsibility to fill in the cracks and make sure it all flows. I encourage people to go off on side tracks. But for #11, it just fell out that we had the extra issue in the line up, and started wondering if we needed one issue after the story, or one before Drew’s arc. Both the dictates of the artists’ schedule and the publishing ended up that it had to come before so it was a situation where I sat down with Drew and asked him what he needed. I knew what I planned to do, but we could work it out together so the one flowed into the other.

[Lance Lives]

Damn! I just read a spoiler I wish I hadn't of....

[Lance Lives]

Okay, got the issue involving the spoiler. I guess it was kinda weird but like Whedon said it kinda flowed with the last issue and Buffy's character.

[Just Jeans]

Just finished reading issues 11 and 12.

Not keen on Buffy having sex with Satsu, nor do I think it really jives with the character we've known for the last seven and a half arcs. Not that I have a problem with girl on girl sex in theory, I just can't envision Buffy doing it, not even in her current state of mind.

Having said that, it did lead into one of the funniest sequences thus far in Season 8. I would have loved to see the scene with everyone walking in on Buffy and Satsu played out on TV. :sniffle:

PS: I think Twilight is Riley. I might be completely wrong, but he is a government agent, and Twilight seems to share their goal of wiping out the Slayer army.

[Rick]

I was thinking the same thing as you Jeans when it came to twilight.

[Just Jeans]

The gag where he almost pulls off his mask is what makes me think it must be someone who long term fans are familiar with, and I think it'd be neat if it was Riley. It'd be the most interesting bit of development for an established character thus far.

[Lance Lives]

Wow, I'd never thought about that Jeans but it could be interesting.

[Natman]

Whedon did say Riley will return so, God, that's a serious possibility.

[Geddy Peart]

I know you guys have moved on from talking about the Buffy/lesbian thing, but I just read the Times article on it and I'm curious to know what you guys think about it.

Do you guys think it's just a gimmick to sell comics, something to keep people reading?

Also has Sarah Michelle Gellar commented on it, do you guys think she even cares? I mean she did make the character what it is.

[Alex DeLarge]

I think it makes sense in the context of the story. It doesn't upset me as much as Renee's death. When I read that, I was like, COME ON. Yes, we get it by now. "If you're in love in the Whedonverse, it will end badly and probably in death!" But it's been done and commented on by Whedon so many times that by now it's fricking ridiculous; you're expecting it by now. Not to mention, even if this was the first time, it was the by-far poorest of them because it happened way too soon.

Buffy and Angel: two seasons worth of development. Xander and Anya: five seasons worth of development. Willow and Tara: three seasons worth of development. Wesley and Fred: two and a half seasons worth of development (even if they only "got together" one episode before her death, the potential of a relationship was a big point of the past two seasons). Xander and Renee: 14 issues. Whaaaa...?! That's barely half a season for Christ's sake!

IF she remains dead and doesn't get resurrected or shown to survive, I'll be saddened because not only did Goddard and Whedon do something we all expected, it killed the potential of a cool new character, which I fear S8 might do. Besides Satsu, get rid of anyone NEW who might be interesting to bring back old series character #47. Anf if that happens, I'll be a lot more upset with that than what private parts Buffy goes after.

[Rick]

At a recent Buffy reunion all of the cast were on the panel and one of them told Sarah that Buffy was had sex with a nother girl and the first thing she said was "she's with Willow?"
That was the extent of her reaction.
Aside from that I think it sort of makes sense for the story.
According to Whedon Buffy isn't gay, it was about making a connection which I can understand. I don't think it'll turn into standard Buffy relationship, but it may make for some interesting conflict when and if she does find a new guy (or an old one comes back into her life).

[Geddy Peart]

At a recent Buffy reunion all of the cast were on the panel and one of them told Sarah that Buffy was had sex with a nother girl and the first thing she said was "she's with Willow?"
That was the extent of her reaction.
Aside from that I think it sort of makes sense for the story.
According to Whedon Buffy isn't gay, it was about making a connection which I can understand. I don't think it'll turn into standard Buffy relationship, but it may make for some interesting conflict when and if she does find a new guy (or an old one comes back into her life).

I was just curious, since a lot of actors will take what happens to a character they've played very seriously.

Also, I get the whole encounter was about Buffy finding a connection but at the same time doesn't it make her look a tad pathetic? I read she's lonely and has no one to love so in the absence of a man she's settling for a younger girl who's crushing on her.

Come to think of it, it sounds like they've made her a more human character in that sense.

[Alex DeLarge]

Yeah, I think it's perfectly in-character with the girl who went after a soulless vampire who was in love with her, just for emotional support in Season 6.

But again, I think it's kind of sad, because this SHOULDN'T be the controversey. Renee's death should be a much bigger deal than whoever Bufy decides to sleep with.

[Darth Sinister]

That is the result of living in a world where homosexuality is a hot button topic. It doesn't bother me that Buffy slept with Satsu, since it opens up new angles to be explored. Anyway, yeah, Gellar found out and was a bit surprised. But she's long since over Buffy that she doesn't feel protective. And as Whedon said at the convention, if there was to be a reunion film, then if need be, he'd trump "Twilight" in favor of the film. Meaning he'd disavow it as canon. Thus Gellar wouldn't have to worry about it.

[NiteMare Shape]

yeah, I need to start reading this book again, I fell off around the time Faith came back, and just haven't been able to keep up. Luckily, my comic store has all the back issues as well...I better hurry up, I got some ground to make up

[Lance Lives]

The Faith arc was actually my favorite so far, though the current one is pretty good to. I was pretty shocked to see what happened at the end of the newest issue, 14.

[Just Jeans]

Speaking of Issue 14, has anyone else had problems finding Wolves at the Gate, Part III? It's been out since May 7th, but I can't find it anywhere. :meh:

[Darth Sinister]

Nope, I got mine on Saturday. Here are the covers in case you're somehow missing out.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-issue-14-.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/buffy-14.jpg

[Lance Lives]

Yeah, I got mine Saturday too.

[Just Jeans]

I'm not missing out, they're just not there. I've been to Hastings, Books-A-Million and Alan's. Nadda. :meh: I hope maybe they'll be in stock when I go to Longview on Monday to see Indiana Jones.

[Darth Sinister]

Hmm...interesting. They've must sold out quickly at those stores or they didn't order any or enough.

[Lance Lives]

Sometimes it seems like they don't get them right when they're supposed to, because I've ran into the same situation Jeans. It sucks too because it's like at least an hour and a half in any direction to get to somewhere that has comics around here. I got my issue 14 at Books A Million so I'd try there again if I was you Jeans, maybe they'll finally have 'em.

[Just Jeans]

Crisis avoided -- Hastings suddenly had a whole stack of Wolves at the Gate Part 3 last night (and as an added bonus, they suddenly had the first three issues of the new Dark Tower arc in stock). Huzzah!

I'm going to read Wolves at the Gate Part 2 and 3 tonight. I'll post back when done.

[Lance Lives]

I've really been enjoying this current arc. I can't wait to see how it is resolved.

[Just Jeans]

I've been enjoying this arc so far, but I saw Renee's death coming a mile away. As soon as this arc began, and as soon as I read the description for issue 4, I knew it would happen.

[Lance Lives]

I've been going into each issue blind, I don't want to read any info on 'em before I buy 'em.

[Lance Lives]

I loved the wrap up of Wolves at the Gate. It was awesome to see Dracula go badass for once. I hated his episode of the show so it was cool to see him get a good scene.

I wonder if that was really the end of Buffy's lesbian "phase"? I could see it going either way.

[Darth Sinister]

And now, the moment we've been waiting for.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o170/darth-ermac/Whedon/normal_buffy16-chen.jpg

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Twilight-The Time Of Your Life".

Also, the cover for "Wolves At The Gate" trade. It will feature issues #12-15, as well as issue #11.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/BuffyDracula.jpg

[Toejam]

I enjoyed Fray when I read it in TPB.
I'm excited to see what as been going on since the series ended,
especially concerning Harth.

[Lance Lives]

So can I get this Fray trade anywhere still, because I fear being lost when this new arc starts? I looked through two of the Buffy Omnibus' at the book store night but it wasn't in Volume 1 or 3.

[Darth Sinister]

"Fray" is available in trade paperback. You can purchase it from Dark Horse Comics or your local comic shop. "Fray" will not be collected in the Buffy Omnibus collections, since it's only about Fray and not Buffy.

http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/11/11750.jpg

[Lance Lives]

This whole thing kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This is supposed to be a continuation of the series, now I, a fan of the show, will be lost because I never read the earlier comics. I mean, if it's up to par with the series so far I'm sure it'll be good, but I just don't think that a comic to show crossover would ever happen and I think this kinda weakens the whole "Season 8" thing. Not to mention Whedon saying he would disown the whole series to do a movie, which I admit would be awesome.

[Darth Sinister]

Yeah, but Whedon knows that the odds of a film, theatrical or DTV are beyond realistic. WB and Fox are not desperate enough to play ball. Several key players are either getting too old or feel to distanced to carry on. So right now, the comics are where it is at. As to tying into "Fray", that was always going to be the plan if he had gotten to do the three TV movies that he wanted to, a few years ago. "Fray" is its own entity, when it was written. Joss created it as his first venture into writing comics. But because he was knee deep in Buffy and Faith stories, he created Fray as a means of telling a story without stepping on the toes of "Buffy" and "Angel". The success of this and his involvement in "Tales Of The Vampires" and "Tales Of The Slayers" lead him to revive both shows as a comic series. The Buffy Omnibus collections do not really reflect the continuity of both shows. Mainly because the first two years were written before he had laid down some ground rules regarding continuity and what they should do. From late in 2000 through 2004, the stories took place between seasons that had been completed. But most of them would not be canon and only a few were written by writers from the series, such as Douglas Petire and Jane Espenson. Hell, "Wolves At The Gate" tied into a previous comic that you didn't read. "Tales Of The Vampires: Antiques" was written by Drew Goddard, which is the story where Xander went to stay with Dracula following "Chosen" and before "The Long Way Home". "Antiques" was referenced in the second part of WATG. See, without having read that one issue, you were able to read four issues and not have any trouble at all following along. The only thing you need to know is this.



-A Slayer with the help of magickal allies, fought a host of demons and vampires early in the 21st century. When the fight ended, all of the demons were banished. Only the vampires remained. The Slayer who was there that day, was pulled through the portal and lost. Magick vanished that day.

-No Slayer was called for 200 some years.

-The Watchers Council became a shadow of its former self. All of them were insane and fanatical.

-Much of the Earth is a wasteland. Trees are virtually non-existent in many areas.

-Vampires exist, hidden in the lower levels of many cities and are called lurks.

-Melaka Fray is the first Slayer to be called in years, but she does not have the gift of visions in her sleep like past Slayers.

-Fray has one brother, deceased and one sister who is a cop. She is a theif and a damn good one. For the most part. Fray lives in New York City.

-Fray's only weapon is the Scythe, which was given to her by a demon named Urkkon who handled her training.

-Fray has fought and defeated the vampire lord who is in charge, but she did not kill him.

-Fray found a journal detailing bits and pieces about her predecessors past adventures, including Buffy Summers.

-Cars fly, because you've gotta have flying cars.

[Alex DeLarge]

This whole thing kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This is supposed to be a continuation of the series, now I, a fan of the show, will be lost because I never read the earlier comics. I mean, if it's up to par with the series so far I'm sure it'll be good, but I just don't think that a comic to show crossover would ever happen and I think this kinda weakens the whole "Season 8" thing. Not to mention Whedon saying he would disown the whole series to do a movie, which I admit would be awesome.

As someone who GREATLY prefers comics as a medium to film (it can portray BOTH the in-depth character thoughts of prose and the bright and powerful visuals of film/television), I hope that he doesn't do a film then! Season 8's been AMAZING. I love Buffy but it had a great 7 seasons. I'd prefer Whedon just stick to new projects or if he's going to return something, go to Firefly/Serenity which only had 14 eps and 1 movie.

(BTW, a "comics to show" crossover with Fray ALREADY happened. The scythe in Season 7 of Buffy appeared in it first.)

And Sinister, I doubt you'd even have to know all THAT. I'm sure all will be explained in the comic itself.

[Lance Lives]

Hmmm, that's cool about the Xander and Dracula comic story, I'll have to read that if I can find it. The thing about the scythe is that it's possible Joss introduced it in the comics and then thought it was so cool as to use it in the actual show, though I don't see that as the same as having a character crossover. I just really need to find that Fray trade, they don't have it at the Borders I go to.

[Lance Lives]

When is the new issue supposed to be out? If it's out now or really soon I'll stop by the mall before I go watch Batman Thursday.

[Darth Sinister]

It came out last week. I picked my copy up on Saturday.

[Lance Lives]

Damn, doesn't look like I'm gonna be reading that Fray trade before I read the new issue. Oh well. I'll be picking up the new issue one of the times I see Dark Knight this weekend.

[Darth Sinister]

Don't worry. You only see Fray at the start and end of the issue. The rest is a flashback leading into it.

[Lance Lives]

Aw good, just got done with the new issue and there was nothing confusing. I hope I can get that trade.

[Darth Sinister]

Okay, news about the rest of this season.

Buffy Season 8 will finish up a crossover with characters from Whedon's former comic series Fray, then Jeph Loeb is coming on for a single issue that will pick up on a "couple of things they weren't able to do with Buffy." After that, Jane Espenson, who was a writer for the Buffy television show, will kick off a five-issue arc featuring stories by the show's TV writers. In the story, Buffy's world goes public. "Vampires become common knowledge and it changes everything for the Slayers," Allie said. Following that arc, Espenson comes back for five-issue arc featuring Oz. Then Brad Meltzer will be writing five issues before the series wraps up.

[Lance Lives]

Hmmm...does that spoiler tag ruin the rest of the season? If so I really don't want to read it.

[Darth Sinister]

There were a couple of spoilers. But mostly it talks about who is writing next. Jeph Loeb has a standalone issue. Then there is a five issue arc by various writers from the show. Jane Espenson will then follow that up with a five issue arc, before Brad Meltzer does his arc and then Whedon finishes it off.

[Lance Lives]

How many issues should this season run approximately? I'm too spoiled by watching shows episode after episode on DVD now that I really want to see where this is going, but I should probably just apprectiate the goodness while it lasts.

[Darth Sinister]

It'll last 40 issues. It was originally set for 22 issues, but then Whedon decided to open it up in case other ideas came along. After that, we'll hear about when season nine starts.

[Alex DeLarge]

The return of Dark Willow? Hmm...

[The One and Only]

Has anyone been reading the letters page to Buffy:Season 8, and noticing the groundswell of support for the return of Marci the invisible girl from the Season One episode Unseen ? As those who watched the episode might remember that a classmate of the Scoobies named Marci(played by Clea Duvall). Who was basically unnoticed by by everyone else. And thanks to the constant outpouring of mystical emimnations from the Hellmouth, poor Marci turned completely invisible. And like H.G. Wells' Invisible Man and Kevin Bacon's Hollow Man, Marci went as coo-coo as a bag of rats in a burning meth lab. Then proceeded to take her rage on the one whom she felt responsible, Cordellia Chase. Finally ,after terrorizing Cordellia, and the Scobbies, Buffy stopped her before she could perform some armchair reconstructive surgery on Cordy. Then just as she was captured by the Slayer, two men in black promptly took her into custody. At the end of the episode, Marci was "seen" being lead into a classroom full of other invisibles. And under the supervision of the government, were all being trained to be assassins. Since the government has looked at Buffy and the Slayer Army as possible terrorist threat that needs to be nipped in the bud. I'm honestly surprised Marci and her friends have yet to be deployed. Anyone else interested in seeing this happen ?

[Lance Lives]

Is issue 18 out yet? My copy of issue 17 says it's due out on August 6th but that's when 17 came out I thought.

[Darth Sinister]

Yeah, it came out Wednesday.

[Lance Lives]

Thanks.

Is anybody else kind of disappointed in the interior artwork for this series? At times it seems way too cartoonish for my liking.

[Alex DeLarge]

Nah, compared to Angel: After the Fall where you can't understand what's going on half the time, the interior of Buffy has really been fantastic. Sure, sometimes it's been cartoony and sometimes the characters look nothing like they do on TV, but they always make clear who is who and what is going on.

[Darth Sinister]

It's not that difficult to figure out Angel.

[Lance Lives]

Has the interior artist changed on Buffy since the beginning? Because I seem to remember thinking that the characters looked a lot like their TV counterparts but now....not so much.

[Alex DeLarge]

It's not that difficult to figure out Angel.

The character Angel? Yeah. The comic in general? Meh. That was an exaggeration but I think it does have extremely confusing artwork.

Yes and no. Like the writers, Georges Jeanty is the "Joss Whedon" of the comics. He did the first three arcs (Long Way Home, No Future for You and Wolves at the Gate), issue 11 and will do sections of issue 20. But other artists did Issue 5, Issue 10 and this arc. This arc, specificially (Issues 16-19), is done by Karl Moline, who drew the original Fray.

[Lance Lives]

Ah, I knew it seemed like the art had changed. I can't wait until this Jeanty fella is back.

[Darth Sinister]

The cover to Buffy #21.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/BUFFY2-21-FC-FNL.jpg

[Michellemabelle]

Nice to see Harmony will be back. I'm wondering who Twilight will turn out to be.

[The One and Only]

I'm surprised to see Harmony back in the pages of Buffy. One mainly because I thought since she was a part of Angel Dark Horse couldn't use her. And the other was that I thought she was busy in LA as Angel's secretery at Wolfram & Hart when Season 8 was going on. Also I'd still like to see how Buffy and the Scobbies react to Angel basically running Hell's Los Angelas branch of it's law firm. We only got Andrew's take on it, and Angel when he tried to contact Willow through Giles to restore Fred. And Giles wasn't cooperating looking at the way Angel tossed that phone into the wall.

[Natman]

I thought they could use characters who originated on Buffy and went to Angel no problem, and even said they would at some point. Technically they could bring in Spike and Angel, but they don't seem to be doing that.

It's a little like when the two shows were on different networks, but Angel could still get in a guest appearance.

Also, considering that season eight is about three years after the end of Buffy, it would be after the end of Angel too.

[Michellemabelle]

I thought they could use characters who originated on Buffy and went to Angel no problem, and even said they would at some point. Technically they could bring in Spike and Angel, but they don't seem to be doing that.

It's a little like when the two shows were on different networks, but Angel could still get in a guest appearance.

Also, considering that season eight is about three years after the end of Buffy, it would be after the end of Angel too.

Season 8 takes place in '04.

[Darth Sinister]

"Twilight" actually takes place in 05 and apparently has moved into 06. This is evident when Buffy talks about Daniel Craig as James Bond. And yes, Dark Horse can use the Angel characters because they all ultimately belong to Mutant Enemy and Fox. Dark Horse and IDW are only licensing the use of the characters, but both are in agreement that characters can crossover if Whedon wants them to do. This is why Angel and Spike appeared in Buffy's dream in issue three of Buffy, the Scythe was seen in issue 6 of Angel and Slayers were mentioned throughout Angel. While Harmony was last on Angel, Jane Espenson had an idea for her and so she's been moved over to Buffy for the duration.

[Lance Lives]

I've still yet to find issue 18, am I the only one?

Also, it will be good to see Harmony, I was always a fan of hers, but this whole deal of trying to keep up with when this takes place in respect to Angel is getting confusing.

[Darth Sinister]

You must be. I've found my copy the first week of the month. So far, Buffy seems to come out the first week of each new month. As to the timeline, it's not that difficult. It goes "Not Fade Away", "First Night", "Spike: After The Fall", "Angel: After The Fall", "Aftermath", "The Long Way Home", "The Chain", "No Future For You", "Anywhere But Here", "A Beautiful Sunset", "Wolves At The Gate", "Time Of Your Life", "After These Messages...We'll Be Right Back!" and "Harmonic Divergence".

[Lance Lives]

Okay, I know that I'm usually the one who ends up being the last one to find the newest issue for whatever reason, but I have been everywhere and have yet to find a new issue in what seems like FOREVER. Did they take a month off or something?

[Rick]

I hear the latest issue was delayed, but i don't know why or by how long.

[Darth Sinister]

It's out this coming week.

[Lance Lives]

Okay good, and we are talking issue 19 right? Because I haven't seen an issue other than that Dawn as Horse cover in ages.

[Darth Sinister]

Yes, issue #19.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-issue-19-.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-issue--1.jpg

[Lance Lives]

I finally got the new issue but haven't read it yet. I was thinking about reading all the issues over again, but haven't decided yet.

P.S. I'm glad I got the badass painted Willow cover for 19 and not that terrible looking cartoon one. That's a nice belt buckle there Buff. Yeesh.

[Darth Sinister]

Well, since "The Time Of Your Life" has just concluded, it's probably okay to go back to the beginning and read. I noted that Twilight is in issue one.

[Darth Sinister]

Coming up we have Jane Espenson, Drew Greenberg, Steven S. DeKnight, Jim Kurguer and Douglas Petrie each writing an issue of Buffy, with Petrie handling a turning point with Twilight.
ADDED:

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/BUFFY2-22-FC-FNL.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/BUFFY2-23-FC.jpg

Also, the cover to "The Time Of Your Life" trade.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/BUFFY2V4-4X6-SOL.jpg

[Lance Lives]

Okay, I have issue 20 but haven't read it yet, but at the end of issue 19 is that supposed to be Angel?

[Darth Sinister]

No, that's Agent Riley Finn.

[Lance Lives]

Oh hell...I need to go back and re-read this whole series.

Oh, and issue 20 ruled.

[Darth Sinister]

The Dark Horse panel from the New York Comic Con.

Shifting the focus to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy editor Allie talked about how vampires’ becoming public has upset the status quo of the series. Harmony gets a reality show, Harmony Bites, he said. Over the next few months, the popularity of vampires will be making life harder for Buffy and friends. The arc Predator and Prey finds the Slayers becoming the prey.

“With Joss on Dollhouse, it’s been hard to keep on track,” Allie admitted. “We’re taking the month of June to get the title caught up. The regular monthly won’t come out in June, but Buffy fans have been asking for side-projects, and they’re getting one in June.” Becky Cloonan will be writing a Tales of the Slayer one-shot for June. Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon will be contributing covers to the special.

The June-shipping Tales of the Slayer will be in present timeline, and although Joss Whedon doesn’t write it, “everything is going through him.” Creative team and stories were approved by Whedon, and the comics have “more of his fingerprint than the old Buffy comics.”

“Eventually,” Allie said when asked who Twilight is.


Although the Buffy and Angel comics are totally unrelated, Allie told fans that Dark Horse has the rights to use characters from any series. However, he “can’t tell you” if readers will see Angel in Buffy.


Because Whedon is doing “that stupid Dollhouse thing,” Allie joked, there will not be more Serenity comics in the near future. Whedon is doing everything he can to keep Buffy coming out on time. “He edits every script, looks at all the art, checks the colors. Doing serenity would be the same level of commitment.” Dark Horse fully intended to do more Serenity, but they will not go forward until Whedon has the proper time to devote to it. He mentioned Sugar Shock and Fray as other Whedon properties that will be seen again when Whedon has more time for comics.

[Alex DeLarge]

"EAT THEIR #%&@ING OVARIES!"

Oh...

My...

:eek:

[Darth Sinister]

Yeah, that was funny.

[Darth Sinister]

Next up is "Retreat" featuring the return of some old and familiar faces. By Jane Espenson.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-issue-26-.jpg

The cover for "Predators & Prey" TPB.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/buffy-season-8-comic-book-tpb-issue.jpg

"Tales Of The Vampires" #1, a one-shot for the month of June.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Darth_Ermac/Whedon/buffy-tales-of-the-vampires-2009-on.jpg

[Lance Lives]

The cover for retreat is fantastic. I was kinda getting out of this for a bit, but I think it's getting even better. I'm really glad I still haven't missed an issue.

[Darth Sinister]

There's only one more arc after "Retreat" and then we'll have the season finale.

[Darth Sinister]

On Dark Horse Comics official website, Whedon and Jo Chen are doing a short Buffy story featuring the return of a few familiar faces. Check it out.

[Darth Sinister]

The identity of Twilight is revealed in issues 33 and 34.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/BuffySeason8_34.jpg

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/BuffySeason8_34Alt.jpg

Buffy editor Scott Allie will talk to Angel editor Chris Ryall to make the two books gel.

IDW has released this teaser for Spike.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/1263244886.jpg

[Natman]

Wait... what? I was hoping to wait for the big reveal and not have it be spoiled, but ok. there I go.

Anyway, has there been a new issue since Retreat ended? If there is, I haven't seen it anywhere.

[Darth Sinister]

The book was off for the month of December, to allow everyone to catch up. In it's place was a one-shot issue starring Willow.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/BuffySeason8WillowAlt.jpg

After that is issue 31, by Whedon, which comes out today.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/BuffySeason8_31.jpg

Then issue #32.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/BuffyS8_32.jpg


Dark Horse editor Scott Allie speaks of what happened. (http://www.darkhorse.com/Zones/Buffy) It was not supposed to be revealed yet. CBR has an interview with Joss Whedon discussing how this developed in light of "After The Fall".

[Lance Lives]

Must admit that I was surprised by the reveal. REALLY fucking glad I didn't read any spoilers. Are any of the things listed above spoilers?

[Darth Sinister]

Yeah, my spoiler was the revelation of who Twilight is. Now the major question is why is he doing this? The revelation was leaked out early by accident on the part of Diamond distribution. This won't affect Angel's monthly series too much, since there's still time between "After The Fall" to "The Long Way Home" for this to be set up. Scott Allie, who is the Buffy editor is working with Angel editor Chris Ryall to work out the logistics. This was the plan before Whedon decided to work with Brian Lynch and IDW to produce "After The Fall". The real question is why. It's either Angelus from the future, Angelus separated from Angel or Angel's working an angle even though he's crossing lines that he wouldn't do unless he was Angelus.

The teaser for Spike just confirms it's not him and gives us his opinion on the matter.

[Lance Lives]

Though he could of course be lying, he does make it clear that it's Angel and not Angelus.

[Darth Sinister]

Something that I've been thinking of in "After The Fall", it was said that Angel would play a large part in the apocalypse. That he would become human and then a vampire again, at which point he would be just as evil as Angelus, only with his soul still in tact. Thus if this is a future Angel, it could be that version of him.

[Lance Lives]

Well, that sounds about right. I've been kinda lost on what's going on with the time travel to be honest but I guess I'll need to get caught up on After the Fall now. I've been meaning to check out some of the TPBs.

[Darth Sinister]

Start with "Spike: Asylum" and "Shadow Puppets", before going into "After The Fall". They play a part in the storyline.

[Lance Lives]

Are those available as TPB or are they one shots or what Darth? I wanted to read After the Fall from the beginning but just never picked up any of the issues and honestly didn't care much for the art.

[Darth Sinister]

All "After The Fall" stories are collected in trade. There are currently five volumes and "Spike: After The Fall'.

[Natman]

Anyone else keeping up with this? The last shot of the last issue really hit the fanboy in me. There's only one character who really needed to be in season 8 and, up to this point, was not. So frustrated that I have to wait until maybe September for the final arc to begin.

As we're moving into the final arc of the season, I just want to say that I have followed season 8 all the way through, the only comic I've collected monthly, never missing an issue, and there was no point where I did not feel it was not exactly where the show needed to be going. I think because of the transition of medium and the gap between the seasons, there was more of a risk doing season 8 to begin with. Because of this, I think this is one of the truest tests of the Buffy crew's storytelling capabilities to date. And, with that shot of the last issue, I am thrilled to see the old gang back together.

[Deathscythe]

The only Buffy season I saw when it a current show on TV was Season 6.

This year I have been going through the entire series thanks to netflix, I just started Season 7. Should I go with Season 8 after 7, or should I watch the Angel spinoff first.

BTW, my favourite Season is 3. The Mayor cracks me up every time.

[Michellemabelle]

I'd suggest going to Angel next. And then try reading Season 8 and Angel: After the Fall.

[Darth Sinister]

You need to watch Angel as it fills in a lot of gaps and picks up on storylines that lead into the comics for both series.

In August, Dark Horse will release a Riley Finn one-shot detailing how he got involved working as a double agent. It's by Jane Espenson. Meanwhile, "Last Gleaming", the final arc by Whedon will start in September.

The trade cover to "Twilight" and the standard cover for Riley.

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/Buffy_Riley.jpg

http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/BuffySeason8V7.jpg

[Lance Lives]

Anyone else keeping up with this? The last shot of the last issue really hit the fanboy in me. There's only one character who really needed to be in season 8 and, up to this point, was not. So frustrated that I have to wait until maybe September for the final arc to begin.

As we're moving into the final arc of the season, I just want to say that I have followed season 8 all the way through, the only comic I've collected monthly, never missing an issue, and there was no point where I did not feel it was not exactly where the show needed to be going. I think because of the transition of medium and the gap between the seasons, there was more of a risk doing season 8 to begin with. Because of this, I think this is one of the truest tests of the Buffy crew's storytelling capabilities to date. And, with that shot of the last issue, I am thrilled to see the old gang back together.

I too have been following since issue number and haven't missed an issue. I always get them as soon as they come out but don't always read them right away, hence why I'm just now finishing number 35. I agree that the last panel of the issue was a great reveal. So, there aren't gonna be any new issues till September? That's a bummer.

[Natman]

There's going to be a Riley one-shot in August, and the season finale begins with the issue after that, so the next real issue comes out in September, yeah. But I've been told the Riley issue will cover a lot of what's been going on behind the scenes so far, like how he came to be a double agent for Buffy.

[Lance Lives]

So, what's the deal with the motion comic? Anyone else heard about this? Entertainment Weekly has an sidebar about it in the new issue and I wonder exactly what it will entail. I know that the first edition cover issues 1-19 (I think) and that it will eventually be available on DVD. I really wish they would go the full nine and animate it.

[Michellemabelle]

I'm wondering if they'll get the actors to do their voices as well. At least they should try getting Giselle Loren for Buffy.

[Natman]

I'm betting Giselle would do it.
ADDED:
Of course I said that before I realized it premiers TOMORROW.

[Darth Sinister]

Depends on what Dark Horse chooses to do. Most of these motion comics don't have any major voice actors involved.

[Darth Sinister]

The Big Bad of Buffy Season 8 has been revealed this week. (http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/darth-kronos/Whedon/1283531968.jpg)

Number 2. (http://i51.tinypic.com/efjkpd.jpg)

"Here endeth the lesson."

[Alex DeLarge]

Season 8 is ridiculously bad. I take a look at the new issues, just so I can tell my friends who hardly believe it.

Buffy and Angel get superpowers and create a new reality by fucking? Spike has a steampunk ship with giant bugs? The Master holds the key to it all with some Seed thingymajiggy? You're making this up!

Hilarious.

[sickboy]

Season 8 is ridiculously bad. I take a look at the new issues, just so I can tell my friends who hardly believe it.

Buffy and Angel get superpowers and create a new reality by fucking? Spike has a steampunk ship with giant bugs? The Master holds the key to it all with some Seed thingymajiggy? You're making this up!

Hilarious.

I thought that was a joke so I looked it up on wikipedia... and horrifyingly it's true!
I'm glad I dropped this after issue 7. Seems like it's completely lost the plot.

[Natman]

It's no more hated than seasons six and seven (and, oh wait, four and five) were, and I liked those too. So maybe that's why I'm unable to see what's so very terrible with this. Also, we haven't been given the entirety of the plot yet, none of those details pointed out are really confirmed, so we should probably hold off the bashings until we actually know all of what's going on and why.

[Darth Sinister]

No, it hasn't lost the plot. The plot is in "Fray" it was revealed that a Slayer with the help of a few magickial friends managed to banish all of the demons from Earth into a hell dimension, but the Slayer was lost as well. As a result only vampires remained and no Slayer was called for 200 years. In "The Time Of Your Life", Buffy visits Fray's future and sees what will come down the line, which we were told was important. In "Twilight" and now in "Last Gleaming", it's been revealed that Buffy and Angel have been manipulated into bringing this future to pass.They were given the power that they have in order to facilitate this, but also to counter balance the imbalance Buffy and Willow created in activating all of the Potential Slayers in "Chosen". It should be noted that Whedon said early on that he was going to do the things that he could never do on television. Flying characters and flying dragons for instance. Los Angeles in a hell dimension. Traveling to other countries. Dawn's transformations. He would've done these things had the animated series come to pass. You can see evidence of that in the promo reel that was created and is on Youtube.

[Lance Lives]

I definitely wouldn't consider season 8 terrible, just confusing some of the time. I think that I've forgotten just about as much as I've retained from reading issue to issue. I really need to do a re-read but I just haven't set aside the time for it.

[Darth Sinister]

Preview of #37. (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=6451&disp=table)

[Darth Sinister]

Buffy season nine begins in August.