Discussion of 8.13 "Wolves at the Gate Part 2" - Released 04/02/08 (Dark Horse)

[Buffy Summers]

When confronted by Xander about the Japanese vampires, Dracula realizes the group has stolen his unique powers, and commits to help out of pride. Meanwhile, Buffy is preparing an all-out assault against the vampires, who have been spotted in Tokyo by the slayer Aiko. The vampires spot Aiko's surveillance and set an ambush: the female vampire Kumiko uses the Scythe to magically revert Aiko into a regular, helpless girl, and the vampire leader Toru then kills her.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_Season_8

 

[Buffy Summers]

I loved that last scene with the Tokyo vamps and Aiko. 🙂 Andrew and Dracula were both hilarious as well.

 

[white avenger]

I loved the way that Dracula was portrayed in this arc, even though it was somewhat out of character from how he was portrayed in Season 5. I would love to have seen more of the details of Xander's time spent with him and how their friendship, bond, or whatever it wound up being, developed and grew.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Yeah an explanation as to what went on with Drac and Xander during that time would be interesting.

He was so different to the Drac from the show, but it also still seemed like him oddly.

I LOVED the line "Tell your moor to watch her tone, manservent", "watch your tone moor"
I genuinely laughed out loud and it was kinda the highlight of the arc for me!

 

[VisionGirl]

I loved the way that Dracula was portrayed in this arc, even though it was somewhat out of character from how he was portrayed in Season 5. I would love to have seen more of the details of Xander's time spent with him and how their friendship, bond, or whatever it wound up being, developed and grew.

I find this info when we did our re-read 2 summers ago:

So, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolves_at_the_Gate has this to say about this arc:
"Writer Drew Goddard previously worked for the television series' last season, penning numerous episodes such as "Selfless", "Conversations with Dead People", and "Dirty Girls". In Buffy comics, Drew had previously written the Dracula story "Antique" for the canonical Tales of the Vampires, which depicts Dracula as a man tormented by his aging and loneliness. "Wolves at the Gate" makes reference to "Antique", and Xander's previous enthrallment by Dracula, when Xander comments to Renee in Part I that, "sometimes when I get around this guy, I start acting... wonky."

Goddard had chosen to use two of his favorite characters in the story, Andrew Wells and Dracula. Dark Horse editor Scott Allie comments that Goddard would be the preferred writer should Dark Horse decide to do an Andrew miniseries.[2]"

I had no idea that you can view the comic "Antique" in its entirety free on DarkHorse: http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/Previews/11-756?page=1

 

[white avenger]

The way that Dracula was portrayed in this story reminded me of the way that he was portrayed in Fred Saberhagen's book "An Old Friend Of The Family"and several sequels. As a totally ruthless man, certainly the last one in the world who you would want as an enemy, but also the friend who you could depend on totally if things ever got nasty. Saberhagen's Dracula fed almost exclusively on animal blood,with the major exception being the blood of his enemies,and,as nearly as I can recall, became a vampire through what he described as a "supreme act of will" (in other words,he simply refused to die when his enemies ran him through with various sharp objects and buried him in an unmarked grave) rather than by being bitten by another vampire.

 

[Robb Stark]

All of the Xander/Dracula/Renee stuff was hilarious. THIS is how Dracula should have been on the show, if they had ever brought him back (and racist Dracula was pretty funny too).

Just a side note, but did anyone else realize that the necklace the evil vamp is wearing on the last page is the Batman logo?