shapinglight | Buffy season 10 no 27

I've read this today. Fairly extensive spoilers behind cut.

It will surprise none of you, I suspect, to read that Buffy and Spike 'go on a break' at the end of this issue. It certainly didn't surprise me, given that Buffy spends practically the entire issue screaming and ranting at her friends, and Spike, ending with her accusing Spike of never coming up with any solutions, and maybe they should call Angel, 'who is not the type to give up when things get tough.' Needless to say, Spike doesn't take this well, but the break up (or the break, it's not yet clear it'll be permanent) doesn't happen until they're back at the apartment and have had yet another argument, this time when Buffy says she wishes everything could just be solved by her killing a Big Bad like the Master, although she knows that killing D'Hoffryn 'wouldn't fix all this.' When Spike responds (the art makes clear not in an angry way) by saying that's just not how life works, 'killing the monster, the heroic quest fulfilling the prophecy. It's no wonder children like those sorts of stories', Buffy snaps back, "Oh, like your life has been a model of dealing with things in an adult way,' and that's when Spike suggests they take a break.

In-story, I can understand why, obviously. Buffy has become pretty much impossible to live with (earlier in the issue, she has a massive go at Willow and Giles, who both have a massive go back, then she goes all BtVS season 3 Faith on a demon queen they're interrogating, and Spike has to beg her to stop hitting the woman), but as I said in my review of the previous two issues, I don't really understand why Buffy is behaving the way she is (completely off the wall and permanently in a snit with everyone, I mean), except that making her incompetent and unlikeable seems to be a given in the comics right from the start of season 8.

Okay, being smacked in the face with the evidence of that incompetence, as she has been in the last couple of issues will make anyone feel bad, but I don't remember Show!Buffy dealing with her self-doubt by whaling on her friends and boyfriend (except maybe in When She Was Bad, and FFS she was only sixteen then!)

Elsewhere, Andrew meets up with Cyber!Jonathan, who has fallen into D'Hoffryn's clutches. D'Hoffryn has promised to make Jonathan the first ever male vengeance demon, and Jonathan gets some practise in by wreaking horrible emotional vengeance on Andrew, by showing him visions of Buffy and the others saying stuff about how they don't trust him, and then of the men he's dated since coming out (including Clive, remember him?) shaking their heads about his huge lack of self-awareness and what hard work he is.

Boy, Gage has really evilled up Cyber!Jonathan, hasn't he? Mind you, I suppose Cyber!Jonathan did miss Real!Jonathan's revelation in CWDP just before Andrew killed him.

Elsewhere, elsewhere, the military fire rockets at D'Hoffryn (who in a Magneto-like way, has created a island for himself out in the middle of the ocean) only for the rockets to blow up on launch and D'Hoffryn (currently doing a sort-of benevolent dictator act) to warn them not to try it again. Willow exclaims aloud that they never gave him that sort of power from what they wrote in the book and realises he must be doing it as a result of some human's wish for vengeance. But the military types overhear her talking and decide to hold an urgent inquiry into her behaviour, from which Lake is excluded due to their personal relationship (which sounds fairly realistic actually, and may possibly leave Willow tied up in military red tape till the end of the season).

And in Anharra, Xander and Dawn turn down Lilah's offer of help and set off to find the way home by themselves. Lilah is okay with this. She put a tracker in Dawn's quiver of arrows, so if Xander and Dawn find the way back to Earth, so will Wolfram & Hart.

Nice little cameo from Lilah, and again the Xander/Dawn scenes are the best/most enjoyable in the book.

So anyway, unlikeable Buffy flinging accusations at her friends and Spike, Spike looking very sad and saying they need a break, and all hell breaking loose elsewhere. I guess there actually are elements here that do seem like the climax of a season of BtVS. We'll see. I do hope that even if Spike and Buffy break up for good, Spike won't leave town but will be there to help Buffy until D'Hoffryn is defeated (if he is) before wandering off somewhere. He's going to look like a complete s**t otherwise.

Though given that Gage has written him as having almost saint-like patience in this issue maybe he's due for a fall from grace. ;)

We'll see.

The letters page contains a letter begging for a season 11. The editor tells the letter writer not to worry, so I guess there really will be one. Also, someone else writes in wondering (in a rather weird sort of way) what Buffy would do if Spike died. Would she go back to Angel? The editor responds (in an outraged tone) that if Spike died Buffy would be really upset and wouldn't be thinking about getting another boyfriend for a good, long time. Whether this is apropos of anything, I have no idea, but it's a change from season 8 anyway when all Buffy missed was 'the sex'.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

sueworld2003.livejournal.com

Well it all sounds a tad more interesting then what's come before, but the whole 'Cyber Jonathan' thing I find a bit weird/disappointing. That character even at his most evil had a side to him that let you feel some sympathy for him. Sounds like it's gonna be more difficult with this version.

From:

shapinglight

Yes, this version is pretty unlikeable, and hard to square with Jonathan from the show at any stage. He reminds me more of season 6 Andrew, in fact.

From:

rahirah

I suppose they feel that because this isn't the 'real' Jonathan, they can make him as evil as they like...

From:

shapinglight

It certainly looks that way.

From:

nmcil12.livejournal.com

My take on this treatment of Jonathan is that it goes along with how CG seems to have used the characters other than the Sunnydale group and D'Hoffryn as plot devices without any real development. It's like they have little purpose other than to move his story onward. He did this with the Demon Triad, the Demon Council, Ghost Anya -IMO, just about all of them.

Cyber Jonathan can be anything that CG wants especially he was originally connected to Sculptor and why he exists at all now is because D'Hoffryn altered his reality.

From:

shapinglight

I think Ghost Anya has had some development. It hasn't always rung true for me, though.

From:

fenchurche.livejournal.com

At which point you have to wonder, why make him Jonathan at all?

From:

shapinglight

Well, I suppose for the handy Andrew connection.

From:

rahirah

I really wonder what they think they're doing with Buffy. There are so many realistic reasons that she and Spike could have broken up, there was really no need to have her act like this.

From:

shapinglight

Having re-read what I just wrote, I realise that what Spike says to her at the end might well come across as extremely patronising, but she seems incapable of seeing beyond the surface of things to the good intentions underneath.

Oh well, I persist in liking this version of Buffy more than the one in seasons 8 or 9. Unpleasant ranty, shouty Buffy is better than unpleasant keeps-her-feelings-to-herself-except-for-the-occasional-cutting-remark Buffy.

From:

rahirah

True. At least this version of Buffy does appear to realize she's being unreasonable. I think it's just that they've failed to make it clear exactly why she's so upset about, well, everything, when objectively speaking, she's handled situations which are just as bad before.

From:

shapinglight

Yes, pretty much every season ended in a hopeless situation/apocalypse and she dealt with it better than she's dealing with it here, with the notable exception of season 8, of course.

From:

infinitewhale.livejournal.com

I really wonder what they think they're doing with Buffy.

I suspect it's the whole write a character bizarrely so they can say sorry and "grow" at the end of it routine. Short of a "it's not really her" revelation, where else could they go?

From:

kerry-220.livejournal.com

I can take not so pleasant Buffy - she is familiar. But what is with Spike? Buffy yells and says cutting things and he wants to break up with her? Storm off to the pub for a drink or twenty maybe, but this? It's just contrived ( not to mention the Ross and Rachel..ness).

We're all aware how hard these two could be on each other. If this version of Spike is willing to break up because Buffy was being "mean", with everything else that is going on.. well, they have officially turned him into a cupcake

From:

rahirah

I suppose I could sooooort of see it if it's supposed to be Spike thinking that he's actually not helping Buffy? Because he was supposed to have had that Big Revelation in "A Dark Place" that he was being too clingy, or whatever. So maybe he thinks this is the mature thing to do or something. Or perhaps they're trying to show that while both Spike and Buffy are good at big dramatic sacrifices, they suck at the day to day compromises of making a relationship work? But it really doesn't work very well if that's what they're going for.

From:

kerry-220.livejournal.com

That will work if the next couple of panels have Buffy saying something like "Are you kidding me? I get snippy and you're going to bail?" Spike responds "Oi! I'm trying to be Mature(TM) and not too Clingy(TM)". To which Buffy would resort to the time honoured fist/nose scenario and Spike would COME TO HIS SENSES!!

Aargh. I miss Brian Lynch.

From:

rahirah

Me too. I know was widely hated by LJ Spuffy fandom, but I always liked his stuff, and thought he was able to strike a good balance between Spike's prickly exterior and gooey center. Gage seems to be able to do one side or the other, but he doesn't seem to be able to combine them. And Lynch always seemed to have a comprehensible emotional arc for Spike in his stories. Even if not everyone agreed on whether it was a good arc or not, you could tell what it was.

I mean, I don't hate Gage, and I think he's actually trying, but I think he has a better grasp of Angel and Faith than he does of Spike or Buffy.

From:

nmcil12.livejournal.com

I totally agree with you on Brian Lynch - This Spike, it's like he is trying so hard to be this New Souled Spike and to fit into the new Family Vibe that CG created particularly in the earliest part of the season. Now we have all that family goodness and focus being torn apart as the contrast. I expect that we will see them all come back together again having been forced to see how right Spike is about all this family feuding and blame will only lead to their losing this all important fight against D'Hoffryn.

I will be very surprised if Ghost Anya does not come into play a significant part in the near future. I think that one of the main reasons that Buffy is acting in this Total Bitch Mode is connected to the vengeance wish and not only to the extreme anxiety and guilt over having to leave Dawn and Xander behind. It's a pretty realistic depiction of how people often react under this kind of extreme emotional distress.

Willow had a harsh reality check with how the military turned against her and followed their own agenda and way to dealing with the D'Hoffryn attack.

Giles had an even harsher reality check with the Faeries - he did not want to grow up and leave the I Wish realm either and he wanted to escape his misery over having to live as a hybrid of New and Old Giles having to share one body.

The reality and position of the Faeries was harsh and shocking but also from their perspective - they are looking out for their own world and interests. Again - SAD but also terribly realistic of how our own world functions.

From:

kerry-220.livejournal.com

Did I miss a vengeance wish?

From:

nmcil12.livejournal.com

From:

red-satin-doll.livejournal.com

Buffy's comments when the wish was granted were that she could do nothing but think about Dawn and getting her back (paraphrase) and with how literal vegence demons and their granting of wishes can sometimes be - my interpretation is that this is one of the elements that is causing Buffy to be so bitchy and causing her focus on getting Dawn and Xander back.

That would make a lot of sense actually - but I don't know that's what Gage is intending. It would be better than "CG really thinks Buffy is that much of a psychopath." Otherwise I don't know what to do with this "portrayal" of Buffy. She can be a bitch, but a 24/7 raving, screaming, murderous psycho? Really?

I'm not sure if it's mean to be ironic that Spike is the one taking a break because of Buffy's suddenly-OTT behavior, when all season the presumption was that it would go the other way around.

From:

infinitewhale.livejournal.com

She can be a bitch, but a 24/7 raving, screaming, murderous psycho? Really?

Not to mention, when she is it's usually reactionary.

But comics Buffy is a psychopath. Remember when she was going to kill the demon just for annoying her in S9 and Willow had to talk her down?

From:

nmcil12.livejournal.com

That wish is worded so peculiar with the results because Willow and Buffy are talking and Willow states that with all the powers they gave the Council they should be able to handle the Mistress and the Soul Glutton on their own. Buffy's wish is "I wish they could. I wish they'd just wipe them out without bothering us. Because all I can think about is getting Dawn back." she finishes with "but somehow it's never that easy, is it? Anya grants the wish now.

As I understand it - correct me if I am wrong - there are now two wishes being acted out - Ghost Anya's and Johnathon's vengeance which D'Hoffryn is feeding off -

Buffy's total obsession with a literal application of her wish could be seriously effecting her - especially in combination with her emotional state. Buffy is feeling an enormous amount of guilt and Spike also makes that comment about how either of them could have allowed Dawn to stay behind. But really there was no other option at that point.

Buffy bringing Angel and throwing him with her harsh and demeaning remarks to Spike makes everything even worse since Angel and Buffy are directly connected with having made this all happen with their Great Space Frak.

From:

infinitewhale.livejournal.com

You know, when I first saw this cover for 29

http://www.comicbookresources.com/imgsrv/imglib/0/0/1/BUFFYS10-29-FC-FNL-4x6-8161f.jpg

my mind immediately went back to this from S8

http://img163.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=46185_wish_122_122lo.jpg

which restarted the old Comics Are the Result of an F'ed Up Wish theory again. It would explain virtually everything.

But in all likelihood, like S8, it's just grasping at straws as as always, WYSIWYG.

From:

shapinglight

Blimey, I don't even remember that bit in season 8.

I must have repressed it better than I thought.

From:

shapinglight

I'm not sure I agree. I think that generally he's acting more mature here. Through most of the book he grits his teeth and gets on with it rather than taking the 'storming off to the pub' course of action. I think by the end he's just had enough.

From:

rebcake.livejournal.com

Urgh. I wish the comics weren't so revisionist, while at the same time being so much retread. Isn't this the S4 (Yoko-fy the Scoobies), S6 (everybody is horrible to everyone), S7 (everybody turns on Buffy) beat that we always get? Except that now Spike is the voice of calm reason? When did that happen? And Jonathan is not recognizable at all, either by action or artwork. D'Hoffryn looks cool though.

I'm pretty tired of Giles not ever learning, although his fairy friend may have set him on a better path without meaning to.

I'm glad Lilah is back. So much better than the other liaisons.

Oh, and other than the Jonathan thing, the art this issue is gorgeous! Whoever is doing the color is v. v. good, too.

From:

nmcil12.livejournal.com

I mostly liked the issue and the artwork was outstanding - some wonderful renderings of Buffy and all the characters. Colors were excellent and I loved the Steve Morris cover. So dislike the interpretations of the series by ML -

Maybe I'm missing something but I think the majority of readers are not the youngish crowd and her style seems very infantile to me. My "wish list" for next season would be to have the artist Will Conrad do the next season Buffy books. There is something to be said for continuity and keeping Rebekah Isaacs but the artwork over on the A&F, IMO, has been outstanding.

Guess we can go with the Johnathon is the explanation for why D'Hoffryn is not doing the Natural and Strategic killing of his adversaries - he has to feed of Johnathon's vengeance wish power source. I'm not sure how I feel about this retcon - it feels so wrong to me that all this time D'Hoffryn and his vengeance demons were depicted as the super powerful beings and now it's down to having to feed off human's emotions to access some of their powers, if not all of them. I don't like it, but it works and it, IMHO, is one of the big flaws of how this writer approaches the comic books. He uses the characters other than the Sunnydale Group as plot devices that do little but service where he wants to take his story.

Edited Date: 2016-05-19 07:35 am (UTC)

From:

shapinglight

My "wish list" for next season would be to have the artist Will Conrad do the next season Buffy books. There is something to be said for continuity and keeping Rebekah Isaacs but the artwork over on the A&F, IMO, has been outstanding.

Have to disagree with this. I think Isaacs' style suits Buffy better than Conrad's would, and his laziness over doing research for the London setting really irked me. At least when Isaacs was doing A&F she made an effort in that department.

From:

shapinglight

In other words, a bit of a mixed bag really. ;)

From:

lusciousxander.livejournal.com

I liked the artwork a lot.

I liked Spuffy in this issue - I enjoy couples having issues and fighting. Loved Spike's reaction when Buffy mentioned Angel - well drawn and captured.