Spuffy vs Spangel (Sort Of)

[white avenger]

This isn't really a ship question, and it isn't really a Season 8 question either, but there's no Season 9 category here, so...

I think that most of us will agree that the chemistry between either Buffy and Spike of Angel and Spike just doesn't seem to work as well in the comics, so here's the question.

Assuming that IDW and Dark Horse could reach an agreement that would allow Spike to return to the Buffy series, would you prefer him back with Buffy (as in part of the cast, not necessarily in any sort of romantic role) or staying with Angel?

Once again, this question isn't about any sort of romantic relationship, but more about which story line that you would prefer to feature Spike.

Personally, I believe that there is much more story potential with Spike interacting with the Slayers, maybe helping train the newbies the way that he did in Season 7. He just doesn't seem to be that needed in Los Angeles in "Aftermath."

 

[caitaintdead]

I would prefer Spike to cross over to the Buffy comics and help train up the newbie slayers... Romantically though? SPANGEL! gimmegimmegimme!

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I would prefer him on Buffy, but only as I don't follow the Angel comics (and haven't found them to be as good, so given the options I'd want any of them to transfer over)

If it were a TV thing, I would prefer Spike to stay on Angel.

 

[ToShanshuInLA]

Spangel, ship-wise. I also vote for him being on Angel's series (even in a non-ship capacity) because they would likely put Buffy and Spike back together romantically if he stayed on that one and I don't want to be grossed out. 🙂

 

[white avenger]

If it were a TV thing, I would prefer Spike to stay on Angel.

As much as I prefer Buffy and Spike together, I have to agree that the interaction between Angel and Spike in Season was perfect. Angel has desperately needed someone blunt enough to tell him just how full of it he really is and strong enough to make him believe it. That interaction, though, the banter, the competition, and all of the rest, just doesn't come across in the comics as well as it did on TV.

On the other hand, Spike working with/training Slayers, even if Buffy isn't around, has the potential, no pun intended, for all kinds of great stories. (For instance, Spike and Faith teaming up for a few issues, or maybe Spike and Satsu. THAT could be really interesting, especially if they became close friends)

 

[King of Hell]

I think 2 vampires with a soul still has a lot of potential, more than just training slayers where anybody could do it.
exclusive role > generic role
so I think his place in Angel is still needed.

JW said in an interview that he's planning on merging the comics, & have just one comic series for the Buffyverse. I'm guessing he's waiting for one of the contracts to expire. my guess would be after Buffy S9. & I think that's a brilliant idea.

 

[sosa lola]

Ship-wise, Xander/Spike, but like others said, I don't follow the Angel comics, so it's better if he sticks with BtVS because then I'll be seeing him more and he'll interact with Xander. I love Xander and Spike on screen, their snark never fails to amuse me.

 

[crazysoulless]

Spike should have come back to Buffy. I say that not only as a Spuffy shipper. Spike in the AtS comics is so OOC. Even his scenes with Angel aren't what they used to be.

 

[InsaneMystic]

I'd most prefer it if he STAKED Angel and took over his comic as lead character. ^^

 

[citiegal17]

I'd most prefer it if he STAKED Angel and took over his comic as lead character. ^^

Well thing I want for Angel's character is honest consequences for his actions. Also if Joss decided to make him Twilight, and an unremorseful murder in ATS 5 he should just committ to it already. Also I hope that this whole prophetcy nonense is over soon, I really don't godlike Buffy its unnatural, and not really earned for her character, and doesn't really fit, it feels to shoehorned in. Although, Spike should hopefully be a refreshing change, hopefully they won't dumb him down like they did the other characters in this arc, like they did Willow and Giles, honestly Xander and Andrew both came off looking the smartest in the last arc. I don't even hate Angel either, and prefer the earlier versions, the current one is not very appealing.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

JW said in an interview that he's planning on merging the comics, & have just one comic series for the Buffyverse. I'm guessing he's waiting for one of the contracts to expire. my guess would be after Buffy S9. & I think that's a brilliant idea.

Could you post the interview?

I'm conflicted about that if it's true. Personally, I think Buffy, Angel, Spike, and Faith should each have their own individual titles, in addition to one which involves all of the characters. One book per month for a cast of over a dozen could never do everyone justice 🙁

The upside is that it only makes sense to have Angel & Spike actively involved with the Slayer army.

 

[King of Hell]

I've searched for it but couldn't find it yet, its one of those interviews that talk about Twilight. I'll post a link as soon as I find it.

 

[Taake]

Honestly after BtVS s7 I felt kind of fed up with Spike on Buffy, in any capacity, because in that setting to me it doesn't feel like he's Spike anymore. I don't want to see him kowtowing around Buff anymore really, so I prefer him on Angel (tv or comic format). I think his character gets more freedom there.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

This is a great question, and my answer is I'd prefer Spike back with Angel, I think. If there's any hope for redemption for Angel, I'd like to see Spike by his side, supporting him. My own answer surprises me, though. As much as I want him back by Buffy's side, there is SO much protential with Spangel. So much baggage, history, and chemistry. In my ideal universe, Spike and Angel would be working side by side, and Spike making frequent appearances in Season 9 to help Buffy out (and maybe some kissage, as well 🙂). While I like the idea of Spike training the Slayers, I like him more as his own man, with his own life and mission.

*sigh*

This is a tough question.

Could this really be true? One comic for the whole Buffyverse? That would sure fix all of our continuity issues.

 

[GrrArghx]

I think after the years he spent pining over Cecily, then Drusilla, and finally Buffy, Spike deserves to be his own man.

 

[white avenger]

This is a great question, and my answer is I'd prefer Spike back with Angel, I think. If there's any hope for redemption for Angel, I'd like to see Spike by his side, supporting him. My own answer surprises me, though. As much as I want him back by Buffy's side, there is SO much protential with Spangel. So much baggage, history, and chemistry. In my ideal universe, Spike and Angel would be working side by side, and Spike making frequent appearances in Season 9 to help Buffy out (and maybe some kissage, as well 🙂). While I like the idea of Spike training the Slayers, I like him more as his own man, with his own life and mission.

*sigh*

This is a tough question.

Could this really be true? One comic for the whole Buffyverse? That would sure fix all of our continuity issues.

As I said at the first, I also believe that in a TELEVISED Season 6, Spike would have been better on ATS, if for no other reason, to kick Angel back out of his brooding corner every time he retreats into it. (You might say with Buffy, Spike's a sidekick, and with Angel he's more of an a**kick) That might not have to be done very often anymore, but that was what Cordy was so good at before she went away. Now Angel needs someone else to keep him focused. But that, again, would have been on a nonexistent TELEVISED Season 6, where the chemistry between the two would play a major part in making it all work. IDW doesn't seem to have a clue about how to develop the characters that way. Angel and Spike in the comics just doesn't work, at least for me.

Dark Horse seems to have a somewhat better grasp of the Buffyverse than IDW does, and I think that they could carry off a Spike/Buffy partnership much better, or maybe Spike/Faith. Spike/Satsu could be developed into something really interesting as well. We don't necessarily have to have a smoldering romance with ANY of those couplings, just a Spike more consistent with what James and Joss created together. IDW has illustrated that they can't do it. I want Dark Horse to get a chance.

As for a single "Buffyverse" comic, incorporating all of the characters in a single plot line, I think that it would just be too many people trying to contribute their part, resulting in no single character ever getting any recognition at all. Either that, or you would have to have a comic book the size of a major novel in order to have space to allow for all of the action.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

As for a single "Buffyverse" comic, incorporating all of the characters in a single plot line, I think that it would just be too many people trying to contribute their part, resulting in no single character ever getting any recognition at all. Either that, or you would have to have a comic book the size of a major novel in order to have space to allow for all of the action.

I find it hard to believe that Brian Lynch is the sole comic author capable of writing for the Buffyverse without Joss looking over their shoulder. Assuming there are more authors out there, I see no reason why the Buffyverse couldn't be turned into a franchise like the Justice League, where each month group and individual adventures are published with a shared continuity.

Obviously I wouldn't want 500 books every month like DC or Marvel, but I'd love a rotating schedule of 5 (1 book per week).

Buffy - 1st week
(with Buffy narrating, but often involving her whole team)

Faith - 2nd week
(with Faith narrating, and probably a small team of 2 or 3. Probably Giles, Andrew, or Robin as her partner(s) in any given mission)

Angel - 3rd week
(with Angel narrating, and the standard dynamic of Angel Investigations that we've seen for 5.5 seasons)

Spike - 4th week
(with Spike narrating, and probably a small team of 2 or 3. Anyone from Illyria, to Andrew, to Gunn, to Dawn, George, or Lorne would be fair game for his current partner(s) in a mission)

Scoobies - 5th week
(the Buffyverse equivalent of the Justice League or Avengers books, involving any and all of the major Buffyverse champions, with rotating narrators, but probably Buffy, Angel, Spike, Willow, Xander, or Giles, more often than not)

If we count all of the dubious miniseries, there are at least that many books being published in a given month, but this way we'd have a unified continuity, and honestly, better stories. And it's not like this is an especially innovative concept, it's just doing what DC & Marvel do, on a much smaller scale. The "Batman" character alone has that many titles published per month. I think there are enough stories in the entire Buffyverse to hold a candle to Dick Grayson (the current Batman).

 

[white avenger]

I find it hard to believe that Brian Lynch is the sole comic author capable of writing for the Buffyverse without Joss looking over their shoulder. Assuming there are more authors out there, I see no reason why the Buffyverse couldn't be turned into a franchise like the Justice League, where each month group and individual adventures are published with a shared continuity.

Obviously I wouldn't want 500 books every month like DC or Marvel, but I'd love a rotating schedule of 5 (1 book per week).

Buffy - 1st week
(with Buffy narrating, but often involving her whole team)

Faith - 2nd week
(with Faith narrating, and probably a small team of 2 or 3. Probably Giles, Andrew, or Robin as her partner(s) in any given mission)

Angel - 3rd week
(with Angel narrating, and the standard dynamic of Angel Investigations that we've seen for 5.5 seasons)

Spike - 4th week
(with Spike narrating, and probably a small team of 2 or 3. Anyone from Illyria, to Andrew, to Gunn, to Dawn, George, or Lorne would be fair game for his current partner(s) in a mission)

Scoobies - 5th week
(the Buffyverse equivalent of the Justice League or Avengers books, involving any and all of the major Buffyverse champions, with rotating narrators, but probably Buffy, Angel, Spike, Willow, Xander, or Giles, more often than not)

Then you're basically suggesting, not one single issue featuring everyone, but a group of interrelated issues, featuring various assorted characters, all operating in the same time line. The main difference from what we now have would be that they are all simply published by the same company (Dark Horse, hopefully). I obviously misunderstood. That might work, but without "Joss looking over (all the writers') shoulders, or at least having significant input and control over the entire thing, regardless of the skills of the writers involved, quite a few people, myself included, wouldn't consider that to be canon, therefore not actually any more part of the actual Buffyverse that some of the better quality fan fiction.

 

[King of Hell]

I find it hard to believe that Brian Lynch is the sole comic author capable of writing for the Buffyverse without Joss looking over their shoulder. Assuming there are more authors out there, I see no reason why the Buffyverse couldn't be turned into a franchise like the Justice League, where each month group and individual adventures are published with a shared continuity.

Obviously I wouldn't want 500 books every month like DC or Marvel, but I'd love a rotating schedule of 5 (1 book per week).

Buffy - 1st week
(with Buffy narrating, but often involving her whole team)

Faith - 2nd week
(with Faith narrating, and probably a small team of 2 or 3. Probably Giles, Andrew, or Robin as her partner(s) in any given mission)

Angel - 3rd week
(with Angel narrating, and the standard dynamic of Angel Investigations that we've seen for 5.5 seasons)

Spike - 4th week
(with Spike narrating, and probably a small team of 2 or 3. Anyone from Illyria, to Andrew, to Gunn, to Dawn, George, or Lorne would be fair game for his current partner(s) in a mission)

Scoobies - 5th week
(the Buffyverse equivalent of the Justice League or Avengers books, involving any and all of the major Buffyverse champions, with rotating narrators, but probably Buffy, Angel, Spike, Willow, Xander, or Giles, more often than not)

If we count all of the dubious miniseries, there are at least that many books being published in a given month, but this way we'd have a unified continuity, and honestly, better stories. And it's not like this is an especially innovative concept, it's just doing what DC & Marvel do, on a much smaller scale. The "Batman" character alone has that many titles published per month. I think there are enough stories in the entire Buffyverse to hold a candle to Dick Grayson (the current Batman).

that would separate the characters, & would lead to boring & unfulfilling arcs, & almost no character interaction, I think one issue a week is good, but they should just go with the flow, one arc you see Angel & Faith somewhere in a demon dimension, & one arc you see Spike & Dracula in Tibet.

like this:

Issues #22 & 23 focuses on Spike & Angel fighting the immortal
Issues #24 & 25 Faith & Buffy are fighting a huge demon
Issues #26 & 27 they meet up somewhere, & they continue the main season arc
Issue #28 Faith & Giles find a rogue somewhere
Issue #29 Connor shows up, which leads to an interesting plot

this way they can cover 1 season every year with at least 40 Issues. of course the possibilities of every character in the Buffyverse in the same comic series would lead to endless storylines. I always wonder how would Connor fit with the other Slayers. he's a Quor-toth graduate, after all.

 

[white avenger]

that would separate the characters, & would lead to boring & unfulfilling arcs, & almost no character interaction, I think one issue a week is good, but they should just go with the flow, one arc you see Angel & Faith somewhere in a demon dimension, & one arc you see Spike & Dracula in Tibet.

like this:

Issues #22 & 23 focuses on Spike & Angel fighting the immortal
Issues #24 & 25 Faith & Buffy are fighting a huge demon
Issues #26 & 27 they meet up somewhere, & they continue the main season arc
Issue #28 Faith & Giles find a rogue somewhere
Issue #29 Connor shows up, which leads to an interesting plot

this way they can cover 1 season every year with at least 40 Issues. of course the possibilities of every character in the Buffyverse in the same comic series would lead to endless storylines. I always wonder how would Connor fit with the other Slayers. he's a Quor-toth graduate, after all.

I would love to see something like that happen, but I doubt that we would be able to get an issue a week when we can't even consistently get one issue a month now. And regarding how many artists and writers who may be involved in the project, that would tie up a tremendous amount of manpower in what is essentially a single story line. On top of that, Joss would have to be involved in order to assure that the whole thing would remain canon, and I seriously doubt that he would be able to devote as much time to this kind of project as would be required, unless he dropped everything else that he is currently working on.

I know that DC has done it several times, like their various "Crisis On Earth..." arcs, and "The Death/Return Of Superman," but those were done over a couple of months, not a weekly series running for a full year at a time. I can't see Dark Horse, a smaller publishing company, being able to pull it off and retain any sort of decent story/art quality.

If they ever could manage to pull it off, though, you can bet that I'll be right there buying every single issue.