If you avoid season 8, Why?

[Kean]

Everyone has their own tastes and each to their own but I could name at least 5 things that happened in the show that I find much more silly/ridiculous/unbelievable and quite frankly offensive than anything going on in the comics right now.

 

[BillyidolwannaB]

But experimenting to what degree? Its a massive change from the tv show. And they keep bringing back old/dead characters. Why? Because noone can really relate to new comic characters. They're just drawings with no real personality. 🙂 still, even though i just aint feeling it, Im happy s8 exists. Theres alot of people that enjoy it, and to me thats a good thing.

 

[JCC]

Can't be bothered buying each issue, got bored of downloading it. If they release it once it has finished in a collected book like a graphic novel then I might be interested.

 

[Mumrik]

But experimenting to what degree? Its a massive change from the tv show. And they keep bringing back old/dead characters. Why? Because noone can really relate to new comic characters. They're just drawings with no real personality. 🙂 still, even though i just aint feeling it, Im happy s8 exists. Theres alot of people that enjoy it, and to me thats a good thing.

They keep bringing back old characters because they can. In S7, they wanted to revive

Spoiler

Tara

but couldn't because they had scheduling issues with

Spoiler

Amber Benson.

You obviously don't have that with a comic, so of course they abuse the hell out of that opportunity. I'm not saying I liked bringing back

Spoiler

Warren,

but I don't have a problem with the other characters coming back.


And, of course, it's a massive change from the TV show. In "Chosen", the Scoobies changed the world and they decided to take responsibility for that, so how could they possibly go back to the way they were? If Buffy S8 was on TV, it would have an entirely different feel than the other seven, too. And I'm the first to admit that the comic storylines wouldn't work on TV but since it's not on TV, I'm ok with that.

I really understand reasons like people not getting into comics or thinking the story is just too ridiculous or most others that are listed here, but "It's different from the TV show" is not a good reason. BillyidolwannaB, this is not just directed at you, I just see the "It's different" reason pop up way too much. I just don't get it.

And now I'm out of this topic since I don't avoid S8. 😉

 

[Kelsey]

I really understand reasons like people not getting into comics or thinking the story is just too ridiculous or most others that are listed here, but "It's different from the TV show" is not a good reason. BillyidolwannaB, this is not just directed at you, I just see the "It's different" reason pop up way too much. I just don't get it.

Eh, I think it's a fine reason. There are aspects that people enjoyed about Buffy the show that can't be channeled into Buffy the comics. If certain things that you love aren't there in the comics, you're not going to react to it the same way. "It's different from the TV show" seems a perfectly acceptable reason. It is different. Some people don't like it as much. It happens.

As for my reasons, I just don't like comics. I can't get into them like some people can, even for Buffy.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Buffy was the first comic I've ever properly read, Definitely a huge change from the series, but I liked it. I don't agree with this crap of leaving a story to your imagination, (don't get me wrong I love my imagination) but I didn't watch the series to get my imagination going!

But I think people just give a bad stereotype to the comics, like people saying some of the things are ridiculous or changed.
Just like the others have said before, it had to change allot, each season got bigger and bigger, so I see the progression it look as very natural.

And as for the ridiculous things in the comic,

Spoiler

like shrinking Dawn, RoboDawn

etc. What show were you watching??
Cuz the show I was watching included, People that acted like Hyenas, Buffy being turned into a Rat, the mayor turning into a giant snake and slithering around the school, before the before the building explodes, and robotic Buffy sex doll and Clem, not to mention many many more crazy things that were just as crazy as the comics!

I think because their drawn in cartoon format people look at the crazy things differently. But I've really enjoyed the comics, and I think they've kept the same atmosphere as the show did.

The only thing I would say I wasn't too happy with is the

Spoiler

Evil Willow

, cuz it felt like that was over and done with, but thats still playing out so I wouldn't be judging that yet!

 

[Kean]

BEG, slightly off topic question for ya. Where do you get your comics?

 

[Black Eye Guy]

BEG, slightly off topic question for ya. Where do you get your comics?

Forbidden Planet in Temple bar, Dublin, or there's another place around the corner which is smaller, but I can't remember the name of it, I think it has something to do with superman!

 

[Kean]

Forbidden Planet in Temple bar, Dublin, or there's another place around the corner which is smaller, but I can't remember the name of it, I think it has something to do with superman!

LOL Thanks hun. I'm looking for somewhere closer to home to get my comics from. TFAW has officially pushed me tomy limit. I think I'll check out Forbidden Planet, maybe they ship stuff down to my part of the country 😉

 

[GrimsWatcher]

I still read season 8, but I think about half of it has been pretty weak. Wolves at the Gate especially had one absurd moment after another.

I don't think comics need to be over the top, some writers restrain themselves and have a lot of dialogue and little action. It can be done, and I think it's an excuse to say otherwise. Issue 31 was great because it had very little action and had a great conversation between Buffy and Xander. Just talking. It was lovely and better than seeing werewolves fight tanks or a giant robot stomp around Tokyo.

I don't see the comics as canon anymore. That stopped at issue 12 for me. And lets be realistic, if Joss makes a movie (doubt this would ever happen and doubt Gellar would ever commit), he'd throw season 8 out the window. I enjoy the comics more when I see them as non canon personally, because if I considered them canon I'd go crazy with frustration over where it has gone. So I can understand those that have no desire to read it. I get it.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

And lets be realistic, if Joss makes a movie (doubt this would ever happen and doubt Gellar would ever commit), he'd throw season 8 out the window.

He's also said that the season 8 story (in general) is in fact where he always intended to go next... whether as a movie or a comic. He said he never would have done the comics at all if he hadn't given up entirely on the possibility of a movie. He would have saved the story for the movie, if there was still any hope of one being made. Which there isn't.

And, as I always do, I'll point out again how liking or not liking season 8 has nothing to do with its canonicity. Joss wrote/produced it, so it's canon. Saying it's not is like a Red Sox fan saying "the Yankees aren't really the World Series champions," or a Republican saying "Obama didn't really win that election." Canonicity is objective, not subjective.

But everyone is free to enjoy or ignore season 8 as they wish, of course.

 

[BillyidolwannaB]

And lets face it, its not like a movie is gonna happen. So, as the Buffy saga goes, this is it. And i know i've made fun of s8. Funny thing is, i'll probably end up buying it. Yeah theres some things that i dont like about it(i dont know, i just assume) But Joss, whichever way you look at it, is a phenomenal writer. It kills me that theres a Joss Buffy story going on that i'm missing out on.

 

[GrimsWatcher]

Andrew, you really seem to be back on board with the comics again after that Twilight reveal. You were pretty upset, more upset than anyone I've seen on any of the message boards.

I understand the canon issue and if the creator says so, fine. But to me I just don't see it as the true continuation anymore. It's just how I feel. That could change by the end of season 8, but there's so many things that have driven me mad, more than anything that has happened on the show itself.

Now would I rather the comics exist than not exist? Absolutely. And issue 31 kicked the new year off nicely. I just like to see the comics at this point as a what if.

Also Andrew, I'm pretty sure Whedon originally wasn't going to go so big scale with season 8. Then he was reading a Superman comic and changed his mind and went over the top crazy with it. Didn't he say that in Wizard Magazine?

 

[AndrewCrossett]

Andrew, you really seem to be back on board with the comics again after that Twilight reveal. You were pretty upset, more upset than anyone I've seen on any of the message boards.

Yes, I was, and I'm not thrilled now either. I'm pretty passionate when it comes to the Buffyverse... maybe more than I should be. But I've gone through the stages of grief, and I realize that I just have to take a deep breath and trust Joss. He's taken us this far with his awesome story, I've just gotta give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

I understand the canon issue and if the creator says so, fine. But to me I just don't see it as the true continuation anymore. It's just how I feel. That could change by the end of season 8, but there's so many things that have driven me mad, more than anything that has happened on the show itself.

Now would I rather the comics exist than not exist? Absolutely. And issue 31 kicked the new year off nicely. I just like to see the comics at this point as a what if.

That's fine... it's just the throwing around of the terms "canon" and "non-canon" that irritates me. Kind of a pet peeve. Words mean things (and that's the only Rush Limbaugh quote you'll ever hear from me), and many, many people are using the word "canon" to mean something it doesn't.

---------- Post added 01-15-2010 at 12:20 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-14-2010 at 10:21 PM ----------

Revolver agrees: it isn't what's "really" happening to Buffy because nothing is "really" happening with Buffy.

Hence the quotation marks.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

For me, the show ended with Chosen really. I keep up to date with what happens in the comics, with things like the identity of Twilight, but I have never had and never will have any intention to read them. It's not got anything to do with the format or anything really. If this was how the show had continued on television, with these plot lines, I think it's safe to say I would have stopped watching. So I have no problem with the fact not reading them is the same as not tuning into the latest season, because I probably wouldn't be. It's just not Buffy for me and even though it might officially be canon - it isn't for me.

If the thing I love most about a show is taken out of the equation, I lose interest pretty quickly because it doesn't provoke the same feelings and emotions. And I know the format has nothing to do with it because my favourite show ever just started a new season without the two people that made the show for me and, like with season 8, I've tried it but there's too much missing and rather than stay involved half-heartedly, I'll just stick with what I love. 🙂

I get what you're saying. A lot of fans feel the same way.

You say you don't bother to read the comics, but you do keep up with what's going on. I'm curious how you feel about recent developments; Twilight's reveal? Dander? Bander? When you say if this was the story on TV you'd have stopped watching, what do you mean? What storylines have been most offensive to you? I ask this because I too have have serious issues with S8. I have considered not reading them at times, but I feel I need too because they are considered canon.

---------- Post added at 09:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 PM ----------

Please can we keep this thread spoiler free or use spoiler tags around the spoilers.

Yeah, I agree. I just saw that spoiler and I'm pretty upset about it.

---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 PM ----------

and I for one couldn't stand to know the story was continuing and I was missing it.

This is exactly how I feel. Even though I may not agree with everything that has been going on (and how could I, anyway?) I still feel the need to read the comics simply because they exist. I love this universe Joss has created so much, and it's characters mean so much to me, that I'm just happy their stories are still being told, no matter what format they're in.

Plus, I like comics, anyway. I never had an issue with the medium. My biggest issues with S8 have been my complaints of how everyone who is dead is brought back, and that I have felt at times that the story was a bit far-fetched and silly at times.

Yes, I was, and I'm not thrilled now either. I'm pretty passionate when it comes to the Buffyverse... maybe more than I should be. But I've gone through the stages of grief, and I realize that I just have to take a deep breath and trust Joss. He's taken us this far with his awesome story, I've just gotta give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

I feel the same way, Andrew. Or at least I'm trying too. Believe it or not, this past week had been really hard on me, what with what's going on in the fandom and all. It's definitely affected my everyday life, and caused me discontent. I tend to get really passionately into the things I love too, and it probably isn't healthy, lol.

We, you and I - many of us here - are true fans. We care very much about this fiction, and the fact that we get angry and upset just shows how devoted we are. If Twilight had been revealed, and our responses were, "Whatever" then yeah, that would have been a different story. We all freaked out because we care so much. And I think that's a good thing.

 

[Kean]

Joan and Andrew your not alone the excessive caring of this verse. I had a little bit of nervous breakdown when I heard the news (which is evidenced my frequent and somewhat erratic posting in the season 8 forum). 😛 😉

The thing is that being this invested puts you through the wringer. The lows can be devastating but when it's good it's amazing. 🙂

 

[CrystalW187]

I was reading the comics, and I stopped around #24. Without spoiling with any of the specifics, I just didn't like where the story was going. I mean, the Potentials were annoying enough in Season 7; why would I want to continue to read about them? I've enjoyed After the Fall much more - I think it's much better at staying true to the tone of the original Angel series.

But these spoilers I've been hearing about Season 8 intrigue me, and I might be convinced to pick the comic back up. I've just got to find a comic book store around here that has the latest issues...

 

[LyteHouse]

As I said, this country is really, really lame. Once I asked them can they order comics from amazon because they do that with books, but they sad they don't have it in stock. I'm gonna go this month again to ask.

I'm not too sure if this kind of thing is frowned apon around here, but there are loads of places you can download all of the issues so far for free.

When season 8 is complete, I hope it gets re-published in a nice hard-cover collection for me to keep on my shelf next to my DVD boxset.

But in the meantime, I kinda have to rely on downloads.

Because I'm tight. =/

 

[Wilder Midnight]

Initially I avoided reading Season 8 mostly because the nature of comic books are that things unfold at a much slower pace than that of a tv series. I don't think following things on a month to month basis has the same kick as an episode.

So of course i waited and I got all the trades and back issues all at once and it was awesome.

 

[Stakesteak]

When I first heard about Buffy S8 being in comic book format I was pretty upset. From personal experience, I have found comic books in general to be a cheap medium that tries to milk as much money from people as possible by offering only the smallest slivers of plot advancement in each issue in order to keep people buying issue after issue as they stretch a story over months if not years that could have been told in a much shorter time in another medium. I wish that Joss could have just taken the time necessary to flesh out what he wanted to say in S8 and release it all at once as a graphic novel or two.

Despite my reservations about the format, I have still tried my best to keep up with the story and I must admit that I didn't like where the story was going. The events that have been depicted are so absolutely extreme and unbelievable that it's impossible for me to relate to the characters as I did to the TV series. With the comics, the writers were pretty much able to go nuts which I don't believe was a good thing as when a writer is without restriction, they often succumb to the temptation of writing for themselves. A lot of the events depicted in the comic give me the very strong impression that the writers had certain ideas that they were really fond of and adapted the story to fit them whereas it should be the other way around and the story should be the driving force.

I also feel that bringing back the characters they did showed a lack of creativity as rather than expand the Buffyverse with new characters as they did each of the first seven seasons, they instead revisited completed story arcs with played out characters and inadvertently erased a lot of the meaning of past events.

Now despite my misgivings about the comics, I can't argue with the fact that they are canon as Joss is the man in the driver's seat. I am also very happy for those who enjoy them and I must say that recent issues have me very interested to see how it ends!