Here's my review:
I have the impression that season 8's arc was initially supposed to be season 7's arc (on a smaller scale), if it wasn't the last season. Apparently, Joss is fascinated with power and its temptations. AtS explored these problems in depth in later seasons. BtVS season 7 started with Joss-penned "Lessons" in which The First in Buffy's guise says "it's about power" after parading through looks of memorable villains from previous seasons. The episode was clearly setting up Buffy's Big Fall... except you can't end the show with your protagonist at its worst -- and the idea was scrapped as soon as SMG refused to commit to another season.
So, the "it's about power" idea had been developed in season 8 - and the result is fascinating, if a bit too controversial. Buffy undergoes a trial by power - and fails it. She makes terrible mistakes because she lets her heart make decisions for her. Because she's not a general by nature. She's a soldier. She is *manus*, a hand. She can lead into a fight but she can't lead into a war. It doesn't paint her neither negatively nor positively - it's just a fact. It takes a certain type of personality to sacrifice people for the greater good and to plan casualties in advance. Any society needs such people to survive. Buffy, Faith, Spike aren't generals. Angel, Giles, Wesley are.
In the end, all of them are screwed by power and by historical processes. Because in Jossverse once you start making deals with your conscience, you can't stop. Evil engulfs you, and your fall is inevitable.
Season 8 may beat season 7 by the number of the loose ends. Joss says in his letter that he changed his plans for season 9 in the middle of season 8 (according to Allie, it happened around #28), and it shows. It's still unclear if Angel has saved the world at a terrible price or he has almost ended it because of his gullibility. What circumstances forced Buffy to rob a bank? Why has she created a semi-military organization in the first place? How much of space-frak was her free will and how much glowhypnol's influence?
But, apparently Joss thinks it's not important. The big picture doesn't interest him as much as characters' journeys. Or maybe it's his way to provide as much controversy as possible.
So, after all the trials we're back to the beginning in character dynamics: Buffy is an outsider; Willow is a nerdy girl who's good with computers; Xander is their loyal friend; Spike will most likely take Giles' role. The excesses of season 8 are over; we're back to lean and mean storytelling Joss excels at.
The issue itself is very good. The dialogues are stellar and Jeanty's art is expressive and full of nuances. One of my favorite details is the calendar with a Golden Gate picture next to the window with a grim urbanistic view. They live in San-Francisco and see its landmark on a picture. Very typical for people with 9 to 5 job.
Jeanty nails Buffy's facial expressions; his Buffy is older and wiser, but she's still the Buffy we know.
The issue has many subtle references to the former events of the show. Buffy dealing with three attacking not-slayers is very similar to the scene of the training in the first arc. Simone - a new agent of chaos - shoots general in the head the way he shot Ethan Rayne while roses on Giles' coffin are sad callback to "Passion".
Giles leaving all his possessions to Faith has caused a controversy - but, to me it's a perfect ending of Giles and Faith's story. It's apparent that Giles has written his will when Buffy still had her castle and Faith was homeless. Faith becoming a rich heiress bookends nicely her face-off with Gigi in NFFY and, on larger scale, her underdog situation in previous seasons. Faith inherits Giles' flat and estate, but Buffy inherits the title of The Slayer (since the other slayers don't want to be called slayers.)
Dawn pretending having wild animal sex with Xander to drive Buffy off the couch is comedy gold. I may have a one-track mind, but I immediately imagined a scene in season 6 when Buffy invited Spike in Casa Summers; they woke up Dawn with their shenanigans, and here's her little revenge.
The biggest surprise is Willow's breaking up with Kennedy somewhere off camera. Why didn't Joss show us how it happened? Probably he wanted to leave it open to interpretation - it's hard to say if Kennedy was really planning to leave Willow, or it happened because Willow has plans to bring back Saga Vasuki and doesn't want Kennedy to be around. Or because she doesn't want to get her hurt.
Xander/Dawn happy family life makes me uneasy - I caught myself on the thought that the payback for their bliss will most likely be horrific. But - who knows? - maybe Joss will keep them happy for a while to make Buffy more miserable.
Faith helping Angel to redeem himself is a great move; there is a great potential in their interaction. I can't wait to see them in season 9.
Speaking of season 9, I'm very curious about Joss' plans. We know that he has "completely changed his plan for season 9" around #28 - i.e., the arc about slayers trying to renounce their power and live a peacefull life in a Buddhist monastery. In issue #40 we see Simone starting her personal vendetta on Buffy; maybe season 9 will be dealing with the remains of the slayers who become dangerous for humanity.
On the penultimate page we see a fairy from the underground kingdom in The Chain. So, magic still exists there. I wonder it the fairy's appearance signifies that there will be more of her story in season 9. As fas as I remember, fairies lay eggs in human ears; knowing Joss love for subversion, I won't be surprised it fairies will be depicted as distant cousins of Alien Queen.
We also see a mysterious man in red sunglasses. The most interesting theory so far is that it's a young Giles - Ripper. As bizarre as it sounds, it's a very Jossian idea. Do you remember Giles and Spike on the swings in "Restless"? If Spike can turn into a Buffy's new unofficial watcher, then Giles turning into a sexy obnoxious punk would be an awesome way to keep the balance. [Okay, I admit, sometimes I have weird fantasies].
Shipping matters:
It's interesting how season 8 has managed to piss off both shipping factions. Bangels have lost their moral superiority. Now, if a Bangel calls Spuffy shippers "rapist lovers", they could easily strike back by recounting all Angel's crimes in season 8, including the dubious consent issue because of glowhypnol. While Spuffies have lost their aesthetic superiority. They can't argue anymore that Bangel is a juvenile romance: post-season 8 it's a complex, controversial and adult story. (But, to me, Spuffies have another artistic advantage: our couple is great in both grand Jossverse genres - tragedy and comedy - while Bangel belongs to tragedy only.)
So, it's up to every shipper to decide if the glass is half-full or half-empty.
On one hand, Buffy admits that "boinking Twilight" was a betrayal and she "can't even look at Angel"; and Spike "is not invited" into the apartment where she lives.
OTOH, Jossverse is ultimately about redemption, and it means that eventually Buffy will forgive Angel. Apocalypses are dime a dozen in Jossverse and Bangel is the signature couple of the franchize. (Willow tried to end the world too, and was redeemed practically immediately.) That said, judging by #40, next season will be very Spuffy-friendly. I have the impression that writers will never leave Spike out of the equation and keep the triangle going forever.
So, after all the fuss we're back to the standard status quo: Buffy has feelings for both Spike and Angel, but can't be with neither of them. She can't be with Angel because of Giles' death (another plot device since the curse doesn't exist in this new magic-less universe) and she can't be with Spike because he believes that she only loves Angel, and she's too burdened by her guilt to dissuade him.
I like that Joss sets up Spike as Giles-cum-Angel of season 1. In #40 he is not the exposition guy he was in #36-37, but a pretty guy in white shirt who patrols Buffy's window, with fire escape playing the role of their traditional backporch.
The biggest problem with any Spuffy development in season 9 is that it's very hard to invent a good torture for them. How to evoke a lot of pain and misery from two people who are frighteningly close to becoming a Dawn/Xander redux? Because in my mind they are. We were explicitly told that Buffy still has romantic feelings for Spike (she daydreams about Spuffy sex in a Joss-penned scene in #37). Since Buffy is the protagonist, Spike is and will always be all.about.Buffy - at least, on BtVS. There is no major outside obstacles (like a curse) and no big character-driven barriers. He doesn't feel beneath her anymore: he's a local Han Solo while she's in disgrace. Their UST is practically palpable. Spike parks his ship on Buffy roof again and again, tries to just be there for her. She teases him about Harmory (jealous much?), throws in very telling non-sequiturs ('why did we ever break up?") and becomes a terrible klutz the moment the situation begs Spike to hug and comfort her. She's having regular Spangel nightmares. She feels unworthy - but, of course, Spike thinks differently. They only need to make a small step toward each other.
It's a paradize for ficwriters, but it's too tame for Jossverse. To make Spuffy ship dramatically viable, Joss has work to hard to find a radical new way to make our favorite blondes utterly miserable and heartbroken because of their feelings.
But I believe in Joss' sadistic genius. He'll find a way to make Spuffy angstastic again.
