Brief thoughts on Buffy season 8 no 24

[shapinglight]

No gems from Comic Shop Boy today, I'm afraid, as Comic Shop Bloke tells me he's given him some time off, due to Comic Shop Boy having broken his foot in two places while paintballing. :Pets him:

Never mind. Comic Shop Bloke and I bonded over a discussion of the Watchmen movie, which we've both been to see this week (not together - I went with S and the girls). We agreed it was a pretty faithful rendition of the original story and that on the whole we were impressed. I have a few thoughts on various aspects of the film which troubled me a great deal (had forgotten about the existence of these plot points, as it's so long since I read the book), but am not sure if I want to share them. If I do, the post will be flocked.

Anyway, on to the comic, about which I really don't have a lot to say. Spoilers, of course.



I can't even do my Things I Liked/Things I Didn't Like about this issue, because the only things I liked were Jo Chen's cover, which is wonderful, as always, and the letters page, which is good for a laugh, and for Scott Allie making a twat of himself again.

No 20 (the Buffy cartoon issue) may have been the most pointless, but this issue has to be the most boring. How someone could make Faith and Giles boring, I have no idea, but this Jim Kreuger person has managed to do it. He's also given us a version of Germany based on the original Frankenstein movie (have just seen some pics of Germany on the telly, and weirdly, they've moved on from the horse and cart era and have cars now), to go with the Brigadoon version of Scotland and the Generic-Teen-Movie-Where-Brash-American-Consorts-With-Cliched-Upper-Class-Brit version of the English aristocracy, as seen in Brian K Vaughan's Faith and Giles arc.

I don't get it. If the writers of these things are too lazy even to try googling stuff for research purposes, why don't they just set all their stories in America?

That aside, Faith doesn't actually have much to do in this comic except get rescued by Giles. The villain is another Generic Stuffy Brit, who ends up as monster kibble, and the answer to whether or not the Chosen can choose not to be Chosen is revealed at last. They can't. If they do, they'll get eaten by monsters, so basically it's fight or die.

I honestly don't know how a story about Faith and Giles - two of the most interesting characters in the 'verse - could fail so badly, but it does. Not worth the paper it's printed on.

4 out of 10.

On the plus side, though, at least it merits a review, no matter how bad. The latest issue of the Angel series, Angel: Aftermath no 2, or whatever it's actually called, is so appallingly bad that I prefer to erase it from my memory.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

have just seen some pics of Germany on the telly, and weirdly, they've moved on from the horse and cart era and have cars now

That's ridiculous. Next thing you'll be telling me they can spell their own language. ;-)

[shapinglight]

Next thing you'll be telling me they can spell their own language. ;-)

Now you're being plain silly.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Germans can spell?

[kassto.livejournal.com]

It's a beautiful thing, your relationship with that Comic Shop.
:)

[shapinglight]

Heh! It's certainly one of my longer-lasting relationships.

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

Faith doesn't actually have much to do in this comic except get rescued by Giles

To be fair to Faith, Giles only saves Courtney. Faith saves herself, kills the bad guy, slays the demon, inspires Coutney to fight and rallies the townspeople behind her.


The latest issue of the Angel series, Angel: Aftermath no 2, or whatever it's actually called, is so appallingly bad that I prefer to erase it from my memory.

I'm with you 100% on that one, though. However, Forbidden Planet had also saved for me, unasked, the first two copies of 'Angel: Blood and Trenches' - have you seen those? I thought they were much, much better than 'Aftermath' or, for that matter, 'After The Fall'. Despite a fairly dodgy Yorkshire accent in a couple of places...

[shapinglight]

To be fair to Faith

Not in the mood to be fair, I'm afraid. I paid nearly £5 for this drivel.

I get the point of that last scene, after reading beer_good_foamy's review, but it was all so dull and badly done, from the stilted dialogue, cliched characters and setting to moral-heavy story, that it hardly matters. The story would not miss this issue if it were to vanish in a puff of smoke. In fact, it would improve it.

I have both issues of Blood & Trenches to read as of yesterday. It does look quite good - John Byrne is a well-known writer/artist who has been around for donkey's years, so it's quite a catch for IDW for him to do this book. I haven't read the issues yet, but did, on a quick flick through, spot a mistake, where the villain (I assume, he may not be) refers to 'on her majesty's business.' I'll have to see how I feel about the overall story. I'm very leery of stories that try to blame vampires for human evil of any description.

[liliaeth]

Byrne? That's the guy who ruined Sandman right? Long as he stays the hell away from Spike. He has a history of taking redeemed characters and turning them back into villains.

[shapinglight]

I didn't know Byrne had ever written any Sandman. I don't think he's as highly thought of as he was, and he was always a bit on the touchy side.

You needn't worry about Spike, though. I don't think he features in this story.

[liliaeth]

Not that Sandman, the Sandman from Spider-Man.

Supervillain, turns himself into sand. Was always a bit generic, thug turned supercriminal, nothing really all that special. Then he goes through some major change, his mom dies or something, and he has a talk with Ben Grimm and decides to turn his life around. He was one of the first longterm villains to actually try and reform and even became a hero. He was a reserve Avenger for a while.

Until Byrne came on the scene.

Byrne was writing Chapter one at the time, and he absolutely wanted Sandman to be a bad guy again. Partly because of his miniseries, and partly because he didn't believe that bad guys like Sandman could ever redeem themselves. Well that and because he thought the guy was cooler as a villain...

Sound familiar?

The guy ruined a perfectly good character, who was much more interesting as a reformed hero, than he'd ever been as a bad guy. It's taken years for the character to even remotely recuperate from that. And he still hasn't returned to being the great char he used to be.

Believe me, that's the last guy you want anywhere near a beloved reformed character. Whether it is Angel, Spike or Faith.

[shapinglight]

Not being a follower of Spiderman, I didn't know any of that, so thanks.

Don't worry. I don't see him turning Angel into a villain in this short series (only 4 issues) and as of this moment, there are no rumours about him going anywhere near Spike, so I think we're safe.

[quinara]

I thought this issue might throw up something interesting for the characterisation of Giles in my plot_wout_porn fic, but it seems there was a great big nothing of interest...

I'm amused by the fact Buffy seems to now be set in a world where the Slayers have futuristic technology, but Germany hasn't heard of the telephone!

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I'm amused by the fact Buffy seems to now be set in a world where the Slayers have futuristic technology, but Germany hasn't heard of the telephone!

Well, going by the arc where the castle was blown up and everyone in New York was oblivious, Scotland hasn't either.

[quinara]

Point.

[shapinglight]

but it seems there was a great big nothing of interest...

That's probably giving it too much credit.

I'm amused by the fact Buffy seems to now be set in a world where the Slayers have futuristic technology, but Germany hasn't heard of the telephone!

:snorfle: Agreed. Apparently, in Europe, we still use pigeon-post.

[quinara]

Apparently, in Europe, we still use pigeon-post.

I suppose it is a rather elegant way of relaying one's correspondence.

*rolls eyes*

[shapinglight]

Exactly, and of course if we ever came across a computer we'd be terrified of it.

Which is canon for the show, in fact.

[quinara]

I know I have to look at the future through the gap between my closed fingers.

[deird1]

I don't get it. If the writers of these things are too lazy even to try googling stuff for research purposes, why don't they just set all their stories in America?

That's the thing. I do more research for a 1000-word fanfic than these writers seem to be doing for a professional comic.

[shapinglight]

I do more research for a 1000-word fanfic than these writers seem to be doing for a professional comic.

Same here. Really, if someone is too lazy to do the research, they should just write what they know.

It's like they forget people outside America read these things.

[2maggie2.livejournal.com]

No comic boy either? Gah, it's been a bad week in the Buffyverse. Anyway, we're on the same page about this one. And Faith/Giles friendship was my favorite thing about season 8.

[shapinglight]

No comic boy either?

No. :( Very sad. He'd taken himself and his plaster cast down south for a friend's party.

And Faith/Giles friendship was my favorite thing about season 8.

I liked it too, and in this we learned precisely nothing about it, except that Faith (in the style of a bad fanfic writer) has taken to calling Giles 'G.'

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this issue blew. Worst issue of Season 8 imo. At least with #20, while it didn't move forward it had a quaintly entertaining air.

I honestly don't know how a story about Faith and Giles - two of the most interesting characters in the 'verse - could fail so badly, but it does. Not worth the paper it's printed on.

Sing it! I said the exact same thing. How does someone manage to make Giles and Faith boring? Oh wait, I know! By completely disassociating the real Faith and Giles with paper cutout Krueger!Faith and Krueger!Giles.

The latest issue of the Angel series, Angel: Aftermath no 2, or whatever it's actually called, is so appallingly bad that I prefer to erase it from my memory.

Yep, exactly! *nods*

I managed to restrain myself from blasting the entire thing, but I did do a rundown of Giles dialogue and mocked extra hard in my post (http://angearia.livejournal.com/16215.html).

[shapinglight]

Worst issue of Season 8 imo

I'd have to agree, though I found 20 pretty pointless and irritating too and hated the cartoon-y art.

I was expecting better of this artist too. His work on 10 (?) was pretty good. But the art's pretty dire as well.

I'll read your post now. Have been avoiding other people's reviews until now.

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

have just seen some pics of Germany on the telly, and weirdly, they've moved on from the horse and cart era and have cars now

*sporfle* OMG, I noticed that, too. At first I thought it was some kind of spoof and was supposed to be funny, especially when the old gal dressed like Cloris Leachman's Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein showed up to take the girls to the library. I kept waiting for frightened horses to neigh off-panel.

[shapinglight]

I kept waiting for frightened horses to neigh off-panel.

Hee! Also, as beer_good_foamy said in his review, the villagers at the end should definitely have been armed with pitchforks and burning torches.

[(Anonymous)]

Bwaha, some of them DO have pitchforks! *looks* I count two, and others are wielding guns -- either of which would be completely useless, unless the tines and bullets are made of wood. And the men are all wearing 19th century-style beards. No lederhosen or alpine horns, though. *tsk* Yodel-lay-DEE-hoo!

[shapinglight]

Are you BGF who forgot to log in or someone else?

Anyway, Anonymous Poster, you are quite right. There are definitely at least two pitchforks. although sadly no flaming torches (which would have been a lot more useful than guns). Good on the Germans for (half) remembering tradition.

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

Imagine I missed #24 release date and found that it's out only after reading your post!
And it appears I didn't miss anything.
What a shame - to make Faith&Giles issue so boring and pointless. A pity, I was really looking forward to it. Sorry about your disappointment. :(

I hope Jane's issues will do better!
But what with Dollhouse still being sub-par and Buffy-8 losing me and Angel:ATF ending, I feel Whedonverse burn-out at the moment. There's still Gunn, Dru and Spike issues to look forward to, but they are so far off...

[shapinglight]

24 really wasn't good, Nata. Faith and Giles could have been swapped with any other character and you wouldn't have noticed the difference. What a waste.

Sorry you're not enjoying Joss stuff at the moment. Haven't seen Dollhouse yet but certainly don't feel any great enthusiasm for it. And I mostly don't like the comic either, which is sad, though this issue is exceptionally poor.

Oh well.