More thoughts about the web comic

[shapinglight]

Have to say one thing for this Buffy web comic – it’s the first time for a long time that I’ve found myself over-thinking anything to do with the Buffy comics in general (possibly something to do with the beautiful art. Doubt I’d be feeling the same if Jeanty had drawn this).

Unfortunately, the more I think about it, the more there is that makes me go, hmmm!



Thing is, once I got over the initial squee! at the Spangel-ness of it, I of course found myself thinking about the context in which it happens, which is in Buffy’s nightmares.

This led me to two places, first of which is a touch of irritation with people who were upset by it. I mean, come on. Fair’s fair. Both Bangel and Spuffy got enough in the show that both groups can claim to have won (or at least drawn) and they need only watch their DVDs if they want to see it all again. Spangel ‘shippers, despite whatever Joss said in his episode commentaries for AtS season 5, got an unfinished sentence from Spike in AtS’s penultimate episode, and that’s it. So yes, I was a little peeved that some people couldn’t get past their ‘shipping preferences and be pleased for us, especially considering that many people aren’t reading the comic, don’t consider it canon, and even in the comics ‘verse it’s not even real. Buffy’s dreaming it.

Then I sort of shrugged. This is just Joss, I thought. It's his way. He’s poking fun at the two major ‘shipping groups here, and using Spangel to do it, while poking fun at the Spangels too, and 'shippers will be 'shippers and they want what they want.

And then of course I reached an even lower place (and I’m not the only one, it seems, see ruuger’s post) where I suddenly got quite annoyed at the way the Spangel in this scene was presented. This is Buffy’s nightmare, as I said, so apparently Spike and Angel preferring each other to her is one of the worst things she can think of. Also, before she sees them, she sees the arch-misogynist Caleb who reminds her that she’s just a ‘dirty girl,’ in contrast to the ‘clean boys.’ Then I realised that you could, if you so chose, interpret this scene to mean that Joss is portraying male homosexuals as nasty woman-haters (some are, no doubt, but so are many straight men), or at best making them into a big joke.

Then I thought – nah! Not his intention. This is all about Buffy and her state of mind, but that just led me back to, is Spike and Angel getting it on really the worst thing Buffy can think of? She didn’t seem so anti the idea in Chosen. Then I thought, well, Joss should be a bit more careful, and I felt grumpy, and lost my squee entirely. :(

Oh well, no doubt Joss would be thrilled to think people were taking his work apart with a fine toothcomb looking for hidden meanings the way they did with Restless. Shall just have to cling to the knowledge that in the end all the wild speculation about that episode was just that; speculation. And it won’t stop me nabbing some icons, because we may never get to see Jo Chen draw Spike and Angel again.

Cheese. It was all about cheese.

Comments

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Well, I did say I thought that wasn't really Joss's intention, just that you could read it that way if you so chose. Also, I highly doubt that Joss has read any BtVS fanfic. It could lead to legal complications, so I'm told.

Sorry, I didn't mean to put words in your mouth. Sometimes I write before reconsidering how I'm sounding.

I don't know about the fanfic. It must be hard to resist to never ever have a peek (who would know) and even if he doesn't I'm sure he's heard about some of the genre conventions and knows how slash works.

I take that as Joss doing his usual fence-sitting.

Yeah and I'm ok with that, but to have Buffy expect love from them, yet just returning it with need was weird. But I'm probably overinterpreting.
(which fortunately I now have time for)

Must nab that icon when I get home. It's very pretty.
Do that, Stormwreath made it. I have to find one of grumpy morning Buffy, she's so wonderful.
God, the whole thing is so pretty. It'll never get into my head how this ends up the web bonus and Jeanty is what's in the printed books. It's deeply deeply wrong.

[elisi]

I have to find one of grumpy morning Buffy, she's so wonderful.
Here ya go! :)

It'll never get into my head how this ends up the web bonus and Jeanty is what's in the printed books. It's deeply deeply wrong.
Amen.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Heee :) thank you. I have to free some icon space

[shapinglight]

Oh, I'm sure Joss knows what slash is. No doubt about that. Given his rather stereotypical view of gay men, though, I doubt he's actually read any (unless it's femslash).

I suppose you could put the Buffy returning love with need part down to the nightmare scenario, but perhaps uncharitably, I think it's because Joss just doesn't want to put the 'l' word in her mouth.

It'll never get into my head how this ends up the web bonus and Jeanty is what's in the printed books. It's deeply deeply wrong.

I agree, though have to say the more I look at Chen's Spike, the less he looks like Real Spike.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure Joss knows what slash is. No doubt about that. Given his rather stereotypical view of gay men, though, I doubt he's actually read any (unless it's femslash).
Or he only read badfic slash, sadly there's enough of that around too.


I agree, though have to say the more I look at Chen's Spike, the less he looks like Real Spike.
Could be because she drew both of them more in a bishonen way, making them look a bit softer and adrogyne. Also because Spike's eyes are emty in that big panel. Spike's eyes are usually full of emotion but here they are void of any, but i think that fits with the dream scenario.

[shapinglight]

I suppose so, but to me that doesn't even look much like Spike's face.

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

It'll never get into my head how this ends up the web bonus and Jeanty is what's in the printed books.

Because Chen's style is incredibly detailed, meaning it's also incredibly time-consuming. I bet it took her as long to paint those three pages as it takes Jeanty to draw an entire 22-page comic. We'd still be waiting for issue 4 to come out if she was the interior artist... (Or, she'd have to massively simplify her style in order to work more quickly.)

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

That's true of course, but with a team that does the coloring for her and if she simplified her style a bit, it would still be incredible. Her interior artwork for her own comics is and she's very versatile.

Naturally it couldn't all look like the covers but still pretty brilliant.

Also I desperately want this on paper not just on a screen, I like to hold my comics in my hand

I think the main reason that she's not doing more interior art is that she doesn't want to, because it would leave no time for all her other projects and cover arts (and probably not get paid as well)