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Post by TealBox on Apr 7, 2007 21:50:19 GMT -5
Okay, I've read Issue #2 now: I felt like it was way too short, which may just be the pacing problem mentioned above. I wish they would have given a better explanation of what was going on with Amy in Buffy's room. She's there having that conversation with Xander about how to undo this thing she did to Buffy, which is just strange, and then like 5 pages later they reveal Buffy's magic experts are what's keeping Amy from fleeing. The whole presentation of it just felt strange to me.
In reply to floating feet from Issue #1, I was wondering who they were, but when I saw that no one else asked last month, I went back and convinced myself that they were just one of the people in the helicopter on the next page. However, going back again I now see that no one in the helicopter is wearing any black at all, plus the helicopter is in California, not Europe. The obvious choice for someone wearing so much black is obviously Angel or Spike, but neither of them can fly (unless this is taking place after "Not Fade Away", and something has happened to them). I can't really think of any flying characters aside from Willow (not counting the vampires from the first movie). It also can't be Amy's boyfriend, who at this point I am just going to assume is the big bad (I know that there's a high possibility he isn't). So who does that leave. Well, brand new characters, maybe a Watcher discontent with the new Slayer system. Obviously someone from the Council has to know magic well enough to fly. That's my guess for right now. |
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Post by Darkchylde on Apr 8, 2007 20:03:37 GMT -5
Anyone think Amy's boyfriend might be that guy from Gingerbread? I can't remember his name and he was only in that ep.
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Post by Charisma69 on Apr 8, 2007 23:40:47 GMT -5
I've much enjoyed episode 2.
I did however notice the pacing problems as well. It seemed like they jumped from scene to scene - which would work on television but is very confusing in a comic. Especially for someone who doesn't really read a whole lot of comics.
I was wondering if that was just me, but I guess it wasn't.
I've so lost my train of thought, a friend called when I was in the middle of this post.
Anyway, about the Buffy/Xander thing. I thought that was just something Amy cooked up for Buffy's dream state. I wasn't sure they were really together. It would be interesting if they are though.
But with the whole head falling off thing I figured it was just a dream.
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Post by GreatMuppetyNick on Apr 9, 2007 0:15:26 GMT -5
Issue 2 was leaps and bounds ahead of issue 1.
I'm not sure about you guys, but the pacing of this issue was way better than the last, which I had some issues. This one actually flowed pretty nicely, in my opinion.
And there was so much good in this issue. I liked how this issue opened up, with Giles saying "I used to be a watcher" (which I really liked, the way it paralleled Xander's "I used to be in Construction" last issue. I hope to continue to play with that the next couple of issues. ), and then changing to Buffy (with a bit of dialogue you can just hear coming out of her) and finally with Andrew.
And naked giant Dawn ... did anybody taught it was weird that she was bathing in front of Xander?? Funny, and all-insighty scene though.
The scene with Buffy and Xander though .... the question was whether it really happened, or was it all in the dream/nightmare.
I'm leaning more in the direction of the latter case, though. I don't really see it happening, but I've been wrong before.
Loved the Amy reveal, and loved the split knife. That was pure Whedon. Intrigued about Rowena too. (that's the nerd slayer who all friendly with Xander).
And of course, "I'd like to test that theory". Pure Woo-Hoo moment.
I can't wait to read issue 3, though I've actually seen a preview of the first 6 page. 
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Post by GreatMuppetyNick on Apr 9, 2007 6:09:49 GMT -5
I can't believe I forgot to mention this ...
Buffy saying "oh, balls". Throwaway line, or does it have deeper meaning? You can't argue that that was totally Spike's line.
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Post by TheMasterGeek on Apr 9, 2007 22:21:22 GMT -5
Well, I finally got the second issue today in the mail and I liked it, but I felt the way they laid out the pages were a little off. Having one panel go across two different pages. I will post my thoughts when I get home because the work computer is really fracking slow, meaning what I am typing in the input box is showing up seconds after I type it.
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Post by TheMasterGeek on Apr 9, 2007 23:22:39 GMT -5
Okay, my thoughts: Does it seem to me that Xander has lost weight since the events of "Chosen" or is his all black attire, that slimming.
I confuddled about the nightmare part with Xander, its obviously a dream, but still why dream that part. The dream does have the line "This lint is so Scottish". I just love that line. That's my new catchphrase.
I like Rowena already, shes so sweet and geeky. There needs to be more geeky slayers.
I think the person who is giving Buffy the helpful advice in the nightmare is going to be Spike because the person is wearing black and slender, and Angel hasnt been slender in a long time.
Andrew is so fracking hilarious. His tangent was funny.
But Willow, Willow's back. And she used one of the coolest lines from the series.
Giant Dawn would be really useful against the army of the living dead, because you know, Giant.
I also find it odd that Xander was with Dawn when Dawn was showering. Maybe he was a lookout.
I liked this issue. |
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Post by GreatMuppetyNick on Apr 10, 2007 0:14:26 GMT -5
. Having one panel go across two different pages.  |
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Post by TheMasterGeek on Apr 10, 2007 0:42:16 GMT -5
I didn't know. I'm not used to comics. It's kind of jarring if you aren't used to it. And now I know.
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Post by Disgruntled Gremlin on Apr 10, 2007 1:12:00 GMT -5
Another fun little observation; having caught up on my Amy Madison history (anything to avoid studying for exams), it's occured to me that the artists's rendition of the character doesn't particularly resemble Elizabeth Anne Allen. Maybe it's her spiffy new haircut that's throwing me off, and while her new face certainly suits the character, it's not quite there in terms of accuracy.
As for Xander's new, svelt figure, the unrealistic figures are just part of the game. A more photorealistic Nick Brendon, who was naturally (and attractively, might I add) filled out by the 7th season would appear a lot less flattering on panel because of the necessary softness in the design. We should all just be glad Buff's not as busty as the grossly unrealistic action figures floating around out there.
Though black is rather slimming...
The "splash page" effect will grow on you, Kev. It can be a bit confounding to a new reader, but it's as much a part of the medium as a theme song is to TV. You should consider picking up a couple of graphic novels, get a little more of a feel for the storytelling. Alan Moore's V for Vendetta (which, thankfully, is nothing like the atrocious movie the Matrix people taped together) is a great place to start. Other Buffy/Angel comics are a mixed bag, and generally mainstream superheroe stories get bogged down in years of continuity. I have heard good things about IDW's Angel line, though, so that might be worth a look.
I do wish we'd get a few more slayer cameos, though. Surely Vi and Rona, as veterans of Chosen, should be in some kind of position of authority over the newer recruits, no? Even if it was just for a panel or two (though drawing new faces must be easier on the artists).
And who else is psyched for an image of Spike and Angel that we "won't want to forget"? I'm usually not down with gratuitous in-universe cameos, but I'll certainly make this an exception... |
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Post by TheMasterGeek on Apr 10, 2007 1:31:17 GMT -5
Another fun little observation; having caught up on my Amy Madison history (anything to avoid studying for exams), it's occured to me that the artists's rendition of the character doesn't particularly resemble Elizabeth Anne Allen. Maybe it's her spiffy new haircut that's throwing me off, and while her new face certainly suits the character, it's not quite there in terms of accuracy.
As for Xander's new, svelt figure, the unrealistic figures are just part of the game. A more photorealistic Nick Brendon, who was naturally (and attractively, might I add) filled out by the 7th season would appear a lot less flattering on panel because of the necessary softness in the design. We should all just be glad Buff's not as busty as the grossly unrealistic action figures floating around out there.
Though black is rather slimming...
The "splash page" effect will grow on you, Kev. It can be a bit confounding to a new reader, but it's as much a part of the medium as a theme song is to TV. You should consider picking up a couple of graphic novels, get a little more of a feel for the storytelling. Alan Moore's V for Vendetta (which, thankfully, is nothing like the atrocious movie the Matrix people taped together) is a great place to start. Other Buffy/Angel comics are a mixed bag, and generally mainstream superheroe stories get bogged down in years of continuity. I have heard good things about IDW's Angel line, though, so that might be worth a look.
I do wish we'd get a few more slayer cameos, though. Surely Vi and Rona, as veterans of Chosen, should be in some kind of position of authority over the newer recruits, no? Even if it was just for a panel or two (though drawing new faces must be easier on the artists).
And who else is psyched for an image of Spike and Angel that we "won't want to forget"? I'm usually not down with gratuitous in-universe cameos, but I'll certainly make this an exception... I agree on the less busty Buffy, its better the way they have her in the comics.
I would love to read "V for Vendetta", but unfortunately, I live in the middle of nowhere now and the nearest quality comic book store is nearly 2 hours away one-way. Maybe there is something at Hastings, a mixture of Borders and Blockbuster, I should check it out. |
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Post by GreatMuppetyNick on Apr 10, 2007 20:31:02 GMT -5
As answer to DG's questions ...
In an interview with Georges Jeanty, he said that the TV Slayers (ie. Vi, Rona, Kennedy, etc.) will be showing up in future arcs, but he did not elaborate on when.
He also said that a couple of the slayers we've seen so far (Leah and Rowena, in particular) will have main parts in upcoming arcs.
Also, I thought V for Vendetta was a great, albeit different from the source, movie. I thought it captured the essence pretty well.
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Post by Disgruntled Gremlin on Apr 10, 2007 22:52:24 GMT -5
Gotta disagree with you there on the V for Vendetta film. I felt that the Wachowski bros. took the plot from a book about why democracy doesn't work, and turned it into a film that says just the opposite.
In particular, the scene with multiple V's pretty explicitly showed that Moore's devotion to anarchy was basically reduced to a criticism of the US's recent conflicts. Although there are few things that need more criticism, it wasn't in my mind the right venue to do it. Yeah, some of the message was kind of in there, but it was lost in the clutter of metaphors that didn't ever really go anywhere. For instance, changing the name of Chancellor Susan to Chancellor Sutler (perhaps if they'd actually chosen to be a little subtler, I'd go easier on the script...).
Yeah, it sort of works as a messy attempt to criticize the neo-Conservative movement, but that's kind of like using Hamlet to talk about why regicide is naughty.
The visuals were great, and I'm 100% with you that the effects captured the feel of the book, but they're really the only thing that made it any different from the mindless action flick next door, and for one of my favourite books, that just plain disappointed me...
The biggest plus, for me, in the film was that now people who wouldn't normally dream of touching a comic will get a chance to pick the sucker up from their local Barnes and Nobel.
Back to the Buffster...
I'm not crazy about having introduced the dorky-but-lovable Renee in Issue 1 just to suddenly kill her off in the second issue. Thoughts?
Another nit (I bitch because I love): the second-to-last page, which depicts Amy as sitting on the window, seems out of place. We've just been told (a little hastily) that she can't leave because Buffy's mystics have her bound there, but it looks for all the world like she's crawling out with the slayers in pursuit, as opposed to surveying the carnage from afar.
As for some of these "pacing problems" that a monthly schedule necessitates, perhaps a future trade paperback release will make some corrections. This is a pretty common procedure in the comic book world, where new material that didn't make the cut due to rigid page counts and deadlines can be inserted later to add flow to a story.
Downside is, this makes collecting the actual issues seems like a pretty big waste of $, reducing the number of people who buy monthly and increasing chances of cancellation (though that's not exactly likely for a series that's selling as well as Season 8, it could put a hamper on, for instance, a future Angel Series with IDW). Thoughts?
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Post by GreatMuppetyNick on Apr 11, 2007 0:08:09 GMT -5
Gotta disagree with you there on the V for Vendetta film. I felt that the Wachowski bros. took the plot from a book about why democracy doesn't work, and turned it into a film that says just the opposite.
In particular, the scene with multiple V's pretty explicitly showed that Moore's devotion to anarchy was basically reduced to a criticism of the US's recent conflicts. Although there are few things that need more criticism, it wasn't in my mind the right venue to do it. Yeah, some of the message was kind of in there, but it was lost in the clutter of metaphors that didn't ever really go anywhere. For instance, changing the name of Chancellor Susan to Chancellor Sutler (perhaps if they'd actually chosen to be a little subtler, I'd go easier on the script...).
Yeah, it sort of works as a messy attempt to criticize the neo-Conservative movement, but that's kind of like using Hamlet to talk about why regicide is naughty.
The visuals were great, and I'm 100% with you that the effects captured the feel of the book, but they're really the only thing that made it any different from the mindless action flick next door, and for one of my favourite books, that just plain disappointed me...
The biggest plus, for me, in the film was that now people who wouldn't normally dream of touching a comic will get a chance to pick the sucker up from their local Barnes and Nobel.
My biggest fear with the book was that they'd take out stuff that would make V gray, like Eve's inprisoment, etc.
I guess I was happy enough that they left that in.
I'm not crazy about having introduced the dorky-but-lovable Renee in Issue 1 just to suddenly kill her off in the second issue. Thoughts??
I never thought that she had died until I've heard people comment about it. She was stabbed, somewhere, sure. They never said it was fatal.
After all, the number of times Buffy was stabbed and lived to see the day ...
Downside is, this makes collecting the actual issues seems like a pretty big waste of $, reducing the number of people who buy monthly and increasing chances of cancellation (though that's not exactly likely for a series that's selling as well as Season 8, it could put a hamper on, for instance, a future Angel Series with IDW). Thoughts?
Eh, that problem existed way longer before Buffy. Many people were worried about it, but I trust in the dedicated comic buyers (ie. me ;D ) . Besides, not everyone can wait months for something they're following avidly. |
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Post by Disgruntled Gremlin on May 8, 2007 20:00:51 GMT -5
[pink]New Buffy week! Wooot! To any skeptics left out there, this really is the real deal. For a project that ought to be dull, alienating and overwritten, Buffy Season 8 continues to feel...well, like Buffy season 8. The third issue really tied up some of the confusion in issue 2, and reading the three in a row as a whole feels a lot more naturally paced than individually.
What's really blown me away, though, is the impressive continuity muscles that Whedon is again flexing. A brief (incomplete) catalogue of the subtle references thrown in for the truly obsessive fan...
Issue 1:
Buffy's actions in Italy are (thank God!) explained away (The Girl in Question)
The Government is aware of the existence of magic (Season 4)
Amy Madison is now an enemy of the gang (Season 6, The Killer in Me)
Issue 2:
Andrew explains that no Slayer carries a gun in reference to Tara's death (Seeing Red)
Dawn's fear of being replaced by a new army of Slayer Sisters (Season 7)
Dawn's abandonment issues and identity crisis (Season 5-6)
Buffy saying "Oh, balls!" which she could've only picked up from Spike (Season 6)
Xander telling Buffy she is the dark (Seasons 5-7)
Buffy making wishes in hopes of reaching a Vengeance Demon (The Wish and subsequent episodes)
Xander's and Amy's natural banterful chemistry (Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered)
Satsu trying to "kill the head" on the zombies (The Zeppo)
Willow saying "I'd like to test that theory" (Two to Go)
Issue 3
Ethan Rayne, his worship of chaos magic, and his absence since the fourth season (Hallowe'en and subsequent episodes)
Buffy's prophetic abilities (Welcome to the Hellmouth and subsequent episodes)
Willow almost destroying the world (Grave)
Catherine Madison's use of dark magic (Witch)
The dream sequence was chock full of references:
- Buffy's days as a carefree ditz (Becoming Part I)
- Giles' "Vampyr" book (Welcome to the Hellmouth)
- The words "Buffy & Angel 4 Ever" (The Prom)
- Buffy, Willow and Xander's graduation photograph (The Freshman)
- The gang standing at the edge of former Sunnydale (Chosen)
- Buffy discovering Joyce's body on the couch (The Body)
- Angel, Dawn, Faith, Joyce, The Master, The Judge (?), Caleb, and Joss Whedon's heads all appear
Amy's time as a rat (Gingerbread through Season 6)
Andrew's homosexuality (Season 6)
Kennedy returning from a quick, mystical death (Bargaining)
The Initiative (Season 4)
Warren Mears being skinned alive (Villains)
WHOO!
That's a hell of a lot of throwbacks to the good ol' days. Rather than seeming gratuitous, though, these little moments are subtle enough to reassure that this is indeed the same ol' Buffyverse. Can hardly wait for June... [/pink] |
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