Buffy season 8 no 25

[shapinglight]

Went down the comic shop, though sadly once again there are no gems of wisdom from Comic Shop Boy, as two friends of his were in the shop and the three of them were reminiscing about other mutual friends I know nothing about. Comic Shop Boy did manage to slip into the conversation that he'd been thinking of stripping one of these mutual friends naked and flushing his clothes down the toilet, but since he didn't actually do it, maybe it doesn't count.

Brief disenchanted review of Buffy Season 8 no 25 (with spoilers) behind cut.



While this issue is better than the previous one (it would be hard for it to be worse), I can't say I thought much of it. It contains the resolution to Dawn's storyline (so far) and to me comes across very much as dull and contains very little we haven't seen before (and far better done) in the show. Plus, it's now two months until another issue comes out and IMO this story arc of one-offs has been largely a waste of time. The only one I consider even faintly necessary to the overall story is 23, the Buffy and Andrew issue (unless the Harmony issue counts as part of this arc because yes, that's relevant too). The rest are meandering around the houses for no good reason. YMMV, of course.

Things I liked

The cover's great of course, though Kenny isn't exactly eye-candy.

The ongoing Buffy/Xander banter is quite amusing, though at times seems rather forced.

Kenny's interesting. Pity that according to Scott Allie, he won't be back. I also enjoyed Andrew's contribution to the book, which, considering I don't like Andrew, says a lot about how I feel about the rest of it.

Dawn's third transformation isn't quite as irritating as the first two, but Jeanty still manages to get her naked.

I suppose I should mention the Buffy/Dawn bonding. Yes, it's nice, and in fact, given that Dawn mentions how she feels upstaged by the baby Slayers, at least resolves something that began in the actual show (in Potential).

And that's about it.

Things I Was Meh! About

I found the Baby Slayers particularly irritating in this issue. That panel of them exercising outside the castle had me gritting my teeth and wanting to throw the comic across the room. Not sure why it provoked such a strong reaction. Maybe because they're all such boring cyphers.

'Gepetto' and the cottage in the woods just seems a rip-off of Fables. Maybe it's an homage?

Just how many castles in Scotland does Buffy own? Not that it looks like Scotland. More like one of the magic lands at the top of the Faraway Tree, a sort of primary colours kids' book Neverneverland.

As for the actual meat of the story, the resolution of Dawn's arc, or this part of it, whichever it is, firstly I can't see why it had to be dragged out so long if getting Dawn turned back to normal was so easy? And yes, there may be themes running through the story with the puppet maker and Buffy both wanting to keep Dawn safe and being shown/realising they couldn't, but I found the whole thing so facile and dull and preachy that I'm afraid I just don't care.

Judas Cradle? Oh, for f**ks's sake!

This latest arc is the worst by far. And even now it's over, the whole 'vampires are cool and trendy and everyone loves them' still remains far more tell than show and frankly, I just don't believe in it.

5 out of 10, because it's better than the previous issue and I think I gave that 4 so I have to give this a little more.

Which is still better than I would give any issue of Angel: Aftermath, a comic so truly dire both storywise and artwise, that your brain automatically expunges all memory of it immediately after reading.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

That panel of them exercising outside the castle had me gritting my teeth and wanting to throw the comic across the room. Not sure why it provoked such a strong reaction. Maybe because they're all such boring cyphers.

Or because they've been shown doing exactly that roughly 45 times by now? :-)

firstly I can't see why it had to be dragged out so long if getting Dawn turned back to normal was so easy?

Basically, the only reason I can think of is if Xander is indeed Twilight and he had some reason for keeping Dawn's secret from Buffy for 14 issues and then "conveniently" revealing it now. And hey, if that's the case, that means Allie wasn't lying through his teeth obfuscating a bit when he promised a big Twilight reveal in this issue.

I pretty much agree with your take on it. But hey, the Kafka!Dawn storyline is finally scrapped (I'd say resolved if it actually resolved anything) and at least they didn't make Kenny the good guy, so I can't complain too much.

[shapinglight]

Or because they've been shown doing exactly that roughly 45 times by now? :-)

Have they? I think I must have expunged that from my memory too. :)

I think we're probably supposed to think that it was Dawn herself who was preventing them from turning her back. That would have made sense given that apparently the whole thing was a bid for Buffy's attention. But even so, it doesn't explain why Buffy and co left it for so long when breaking the spell was so easy.

As for Allie, he says a lot of things that turn out to be not what people expected. This time, he said there was more stuff coming up for Dawn and he was pleased/proud (can't remember which) with the story they had for her, so maybe 2maggie2's speculation will turn out to be right? though have to say, if it is, I shall be quite surprised, since in this series, usually things are exactly what they seem.

Kenny wasn't the good guy, no, but somehow or other Petrie managed to make it all Dawn's fault, or did I misunderstand that bit?

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Kenny wasn't the good guy, no, but somehow or other Petrie managed to make it all Dawn's fault, or did I misunderstand that bit?

I got that distinct feeling too - especially with Kenny's statement that what she did was much more painful - but at least she ended up dumping his abusive ass. If they'd ended up getting together (I'd say "back together" if they'd ever been shown together before this issue), it would have made Twilight (the book, not the villain) look like a healthy relationship.

[shapinglight]

If they'd ended up getting together (I'd say "back together" if they'd ever been shown together before this issue), it would have made Twilight (the book, not the villain) look like a healthy relationship.

:snorfle: Mind you, I agree. My daughter made me watch Twilight the movie last weekend, and the beautiful Edward may be a horrible, controlling stalker but at least he didn't actively abuse Bella.

Incidentally, I think Xander-as-Twilight looks more and more likely - not because it's likely per se, but because there just aren't any other viable candidates (though no doubt someone somewhere right this moment is theorising that because Xander said 'bugger' he is really Spike in disguise and when Twilight is revealed as Xander, Xander will also be revealed as Spike. Or something).

[quinara]

no doubt someone somewhere right this moment is theorising that because Xander said 'bugger' he is really Spike in disguise and when Twilight is revealed as Xander, Xander will also be revealed as Spike. Or something

Oh, but that would be cracky enough to be sheer class. If only because it would turn the claims of UST from the Banderites (are they still doing that?) right on their head. And for a moment, before I started crying, it would make me laugh.

[shapinglight]

Oh, but that would be cracky enough to be sheer class. If only because it would turn the claims of UST from the Banderites (are they still doing that?) right on their head.

It would, wouldn't it, and yes, they are still doing it. Probably, we're supposed to believe that Xander picked up this dreadful Britslang from one of the baby Slayers (we know she's meant to be Scottish because she has red hair and says "Aye," instead of 'yes,') because he spends so much time nursemaiding them.

[quinara]

*rolls eyes*

I wonder how long it will be before we get Renée's replacement...

[shapinglight]

I had thought they were going with Xorn (or Dander, whichever you prefer), since Xander seemed to spend such a lot of time with Dawn, especially when she was naked, but there's not been so much of that lately.

[quinara]

Maybe it’s because Dawn is 'normal' again.

[shapinglight]

And Xander is a demon magnet! Of course. Forgot that.

[quinara]

Can't have him breaking out of that character trait...

[2maggie2.livejournal.com]

though no doubt someone somewhere right this moment is theorising that because Xander said 'bugger' he is really Spike in disguise and when Twilight is revealed as Xander, Xander will also be revealed as Spike. Or something).

Indeed, on the Bangel thread at DH. Though to be fair it's not that Xander IS Spike; it's that something weird is going on to jumble all the characters up. Faith is Buffy; Buffy is Faith; Xander is either Faith or Spike... I have no idea where that's all supposed to go -- but someplace important and meaningful for sure.

[shapinglight]

Indeed, on the Bangel thread at DH.

But of course. They never let us down, do they? Can always be relied upon to come up with an insane theory that includes a heavy dose of Spike bashing just for the sake of it. And I'm sure if they could find a way to shoehorn in some Cordy bashing too, they'd do it.