Buffy season 10 no 25 & 26

[shapinglight]

These came out while I was away so everyone who is interested has probably already read them. But, since the next one comes out tomorrow, some brief thoughts behind cut.



I can't really remember what events happened in which issue, but I suppose it doesn't matter. My main thought when I got to the end of them was, so D'Hoffryn is the Big Bad? What a surprise. Not.

I also felt a bit irritated that, out of nowhere (because wasn't it established in the show that she's not the Key any more but just human?) Dawn is suddenly all-powerful.

On the other hand, the Xander and Dawn in the demon dimension scenes were the best (and best written) scenes in the two issues, so I'm not complaining that hard about Dawn's Keyness. Xander teaching the Anharra demons about sloping roofs and doing his Dr Mike act on them was hilarious, and sort of cute.

As for the other characters, I'm really not sure what Spike and Buffy are supposed to be arguing about, but it's plain as plain they're going to break up before the season ends, and Gage appears to be tying himself into knots to make it not Spike's fault at all. I'm really not sure why. Buffy, meanwhile, comes across most of the time as angry bordering on hysterical. I'm not sure why this is either.

Okay, I get that she had to make the decision to leave Dawn and Xander in Anharra, but as she pointed out to Spike, Dawn is an adult. She has the right to make her own decisions. Xander too.

Maybe Gage is harping back to the way Buffy (temporarily) went catatonic in season 5 of the show when Glory got hold of Dawn, and has forgotten that by the end of season 7, Buffy told Giles she would sacrifice Dawn in a heartbeat to save the world? In other words, Buffy's a grown up Slayer now. She would not go to pieces just because Dawn was in danger. She would pull out all the stops to save Dawn, sure, but she wouldn't lose sight of the big picture.

What I'm really trying to say, I suppose, is that Buffy and Spike's disagreement (whatever it really is) all seems a bit contrived, and I don't like the way Buffy's being written while it's happening. But then the comics writing Buffy's character so as to make her incompetent/unreliable has been pretty much a given since season 8 started.

Anyway, 27 comes out tomorrow, so we'll see.

On a lighter note, anyone else notice that Mini!Giles is dressed like Rupert the Bear in no 25?

Comments

[double_dutchess]

Agreed with basically all of this. But I hope the contrivance is because it's all a mislead and they're not actually going to break up.

I hadn't noticed Giles' Rupert Bear inspired fashion choice -- I will have to look at that issue again to see.

[shapinglight]

I hadn't noticed Giles' Rupert Bear inspired fashion choice -- I will have to look at that issue again to see.

Sorry. I meant no 25. But he even has the scarf. It's cute. ;)

[double_dutchess]

You are right, I see it in the preview pages now. Well-spotted!

[shapinglight]

;)

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

I'm not a Xander fan but I do like this comic version of him teaching the demons and counseling them.

I'm not sure what is going on with Spike and Buffy but if this is how they are going to break them, it seems kind of lame and contrived.

I didn't know (or didn't remember) that the new issue comes out tomorrow. Yay!

[shapinglight]

Having read the next issue now, I'm just glad it wasn't for any of the reasons Gage invented in the Vicki/Harmony mess with Buffy/Spike's heads issue.;)

[teragramm.livejournal.com]

I know there break up is inevitable and if this is how it happens, it's not so bad. I was really afraid Spike was going to do something stupid and there would be no turning back.

Spike did say to take a break and Buffy hasn't said yes yet..... so maybe there is still some hope. (Or am I just wishful thinking?)

So who do you think Lilah was talking to on the phone? Lindsay maybe?

[shapinglight]

I was really afraid Spike was going to do something stupid and there would be no turning back.

No, he hasn't done anything like that - though if he leaves town while things are so bad and Buffy and the others are really struggling, he won't look at all good (even though if he stays it will be rather a reprise of Angel's protracted leaving in BtVS season 3).

So who do you think Lilah was talking to on the phone? Lindsay maybe?

Could have been - or Holland Manners, maybe? Her boss at W&H anyway.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Dawn & Xander settling the demon prairie is by far the most fun. There was one instance of hand-waving about her not being the Key anymore on the show, but no real explanation. The fact that she was fading away in the last "season" strongly indicated that there was still a mystic component to her. It would have been nice if Buffy had some sort of melt down about how "this wasn't supposed to happen anymore", but that missed opportunity seems minor compared to the other continuity problems.

Everybody was sort of dim with the D'Hoffryn stuff. As you know, I like him and have made a tragic romantic backstory for him, but he has always been extremely canny. At least Buffy's intuition was telling her "no", so that's one part of her characterization that still consistent.

It's frustrating, because they are doing so much better than the last couple of "seasons", but still missing the mark. *sigh*

[shapinglight]

It's frustrating, because they are doing so much better than the last couple of "seasons", but still missing the mark. *sigh*

Yeah, principally with Buffy herself. She isn't perfect and I don't want her written as perfect but at least semi-competent would be nice.

As you know, I like him and have made a tragic romantic backstory for him.

:) I like him too. He's one of these minor characters like Ethan Rayne who punches above his weight, as it were. At least Gage is making better use of him than Joss did of Ethan. Looking back, what a waste!