We're doing a lot of reading this week. I couldn't fit it all into the thread title, here are the readings: "Predators and Prey" + "Safe" + "Living Doll" + Short stories "Harmony Bites" & "Vampy Cat Play Friend" from MySpace Dark Horse Presents! (contained within the P&P TPB).
Predators and Prey
It's Buffy -- and Andrew -- on a mission in Italy . . . together! Awkward? Yes!
Since Harmony's television stunt, the ensuing of general vampire-love from the masses, and the destruction of the Scotland base, operations at Slayer headquarters have been somewhat strained. Rogue Slayers - -Simone and her gang -- have not been helping Slayer-civilian relations with their attacks against the military, bank robbing, and occasional snitching at Hot Topic. Now, Andrew has a lead on how to gain intel on Simone's plans . . . but he has to go to Italy -- now! With Xander and Willow busy holding together their Slayer legions Buffy seems to be the only one with an open schedule to act as Andrew's backup. Hours of travel . . . just Buffy and Andrew . . . Really?
Drew Z. Greenberg, veteran of the Buffy TV show as well as Dexter and Smallville, and current writer on The Clone Wars, teams with series artist Georges Jeanty and executive producer Joss Whedon.
In an amazing one-shot issue, the esteemed Jim Krueger -- whose works include Avengers/Invaders, Earth X, Justice, and multiple original series -- fleshes out the go-to girl for dirty deeds, Faith, and her new partner, Giles. After her last thankless escapade, where she put a stop to Buffy-hunting Slayer and kindred spirit Lady Gigi, Faith decided that though she's determined to be finished with bloodshed, she's not ready to leave misguided Slayers (like Gigi) with nowhere to turn. Fast-forward to the present . . . bloodshed still abounds, and the Faith-and-Giles team is still finding out what it really means to help those chosen to slay . . .
Doug Petrie, formerly a writer and director on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series, joins Buffy Season Eight with "Living Doll." The spell little Dawnie got whacked with by the Thricewise demon she angered just keeps . . . evolving. First, she's a giant; then, she's a centaur; now, she's a . . . what?! Buffy, ever busy saving the world, will finally have to take action regarding her little sis when Dawn's mysterious disappearance makes it a priority. At least, she better be in some sort of danger, or Buffy's going to kick her butt for wasting precious time acting like an attention-seeking teen -- which is what Dawn is, after all.
Doug Petrie, artist Georges Jeanty, and executive producer Joss Whedon tackle Buffy Season Eight #25.
Harmony Bites is a supplemental e-comic featured in MySpace/Dark Horse Presents #18. It is a tie-in to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight issue #21, Harmonic Divergence, in which vampire Harmony Kendall becomes the star of a reality tv show, Harmony Bites, after being photographed biting actor Andy Dick.
Written by Jane Espenson and pencils by Karl Moline.
Vampy Cat Play Friend is a supplemental e-comic featured in MySpace/Dark Horse Presents #19. It is a tie-in to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight issue #22, Swell, in which Slayers Satsu and Kennedy must do battle with Japanese vampire cat dolls.
Written by Steven S. DeKnight and illustrated by Camilla d'Errico.
P&P:
-Nice story, doesn't really grab me or anything. I've always liked Andrew, and it's nice to see him take responsibility for his ignoring of Simone. Of course, Rona did too.
-I liked Andrew's reference to Giles' D&D status, heh-heh.
-Simone is scary, I'll give her that.
- Andrew: "Now that I've met Angel, I have to say Spike was so much edgier, you definitely traded up, I'm totally Team Spike." This does not surprise me at all since he had a huuuuge crush on 'ole Spikey. Remember when he first saw him in ATS season 5:
"Spike? It's you. It's really you! My therapist thought I was holding onto false hope, but... I knew you'd come back. You're like... you're like Gandalf the White, resurrected from the pit of the Balrog, more beautiful than ever. Ohh... he's alive, Frodo. He's alive." & he's crying & touching & hugging Spike all at the same time
-Buffy: "Yeah, you're part of the family. Get used to screwing up for good reasons". Ain't that the truth.
Safe:
-Overall, I do like this issue. It's a good continuation of the Giles/Faith interaction in NFFY.
- One of my favorite bits of dialogue in the entire season:
"Oh, my God! You're her! You're Buffy!"
"She's calling me names, G."
- Love Courtney's "God, you guys are like my parents". And we do get that "partner" vibe from G/F, not a romantic one (at least IMHO).
- So, we never see Duncan Fillworthe in the TV show, right?
- I like: "What is it with Watchers and keeping Slayers in libraries?" and "This relaly obvious trap feels like a trap". Faith's dialogue in this issue is great.
- Interesting thoughts on vampires from Fillworthe: "Children are pure need...not unlike vampires. The vampire is regret personified."
- He knows where to hit home to Giles: "Your Buffy! Think of what she's done to you! I remember when the teacher died. The one you loved. She died because Buffy ignored you and loved a vampire. Jenny Calendar?"
Massive foreshadowing to #39 of course, where Giles is killed in the same way by the same person.
- "What is the loss if a few disillusioned Slayers have to be sacrified for the lives in this town?" This has always been the Council's company line. Giles has always thought differently (well, at least since coming to be Buffy's Watcher).
- "That was your last meal, Octobitch" 🙂
Living Doll
-Xander: "and I don't mean the underrated Christian Bale movie". Rescue Dawn: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462504/
- What's the Wolverine glove?
-"Hey, check me out, now I can hate myself in British." Heh-heh.
-Good job Andrew with the undercover op!
- I love how this ends, with Buffy & Dawn reconciling. I don't expect that peace to last forever, but I do like where they are at the end of this.
Honestly, I have very little to say about Harmony Bites or Vampy Cat. You guys know how much I liked the earlier Harmony issue. Although I do wonder something about the Harmony Bites "advertisements". She says "I've been toying with the idea of making a pact with the forces below and tapping into some very dark energy at the world-destroying level". Now it could just be Harmony & her over-exaggerating ways, but I wonder how involved Twilight is with her, and vice versa. I just don't remember from my former reading, so we'll find out as it goes along.
-The characters keep talking about how the slayer army is "family". This keeps getting emphasized, yet I don't get that feeling from the goings-on at all.
-Ragna spider demon? I really hope I don't need to see a picture of that!!
-"Very festive hair." Andrew is always good for a laugh!
-A steel web - that's actually kind of cool.
-I can't see Buffy ever using the word "salient". Ooo, Andrew, not a good idea to be messing with demon stuff. Why is he in charge of a slayer cell in the first place...???
-And now they magically have a power boat. Mmmm, k. And how do Buffy and Andrew plan on taking on a whole bad slayer cell by themselves?
-Bahahaha, Andrew's a Spuffy. For some reason that doesn't surprise me...
-Simone reminds me of Faith in S3: "When are you going to get this, B? Life for a Slayer is very simple -- want... take... have." Sorry kids, having super powers doesn't put you above the rules & regs. And why does Simone want to wage war? And on WHO exactly: evil demon world or just man kind? To accomplish WHAT?
-Why in the hell are they FENCING?
-Seeing Buffy with a gun is slightly disconcerting.
-I get the plan of letting the Ragna go, but couldn't Simone's wicca just zap it some place else?
-Awww, annoying as he is, I'm glad Andrew is all accepted now. 🙂
I guess I don't have anything else to add. It wasn't horrible, but didn't do much for me. The whole good slayer/bad slayer thing has been done. Meh.
---------- Post added at 02:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:08 PM ----------
Safe
-"Ow!" Hahahahahaha
-Yikes, this blondie is like Buffy back in LA...
-Ooo, they are answering one of my big questions: What happens when one of these new slayers doesn't WANT to be a slayer?
-Didn't take Courtney much to be reinspired to be chosen.
-Sooo....the Council is back in action now? And they're protecting the slayers in this town? Huh. Ahhh, there are two members left.
-Little bit confused about why Faith is seeing things...oh, ok. Demon. Of course.
-Lame way to bring up Jenny's death - and why teh heck would Giles tell the Council about taht, anyway? I'm not quite following Duncan's source of ire. He's angry at slayers that didn't want to be chosen and fight? Because they "let" vampires overtake that town? Obvisouly he's off his nut, but why would he think it's ok to sacrifice one life for another?
-"We don't let people die. Not even the crappy ones." And that's what separates a person from a true hero. 🙂 (See "The Gift" and Angel S2...)
-To Faith's one lesson "Aim for the heart" I would like to add Buffy's "Don't die."
I am still liking Faith and Giles working together! I wonder why there were so many vamps in that town to begin with. Not a bad issue all around.
Yes, but it has to be explored- the Scythe spell activated thousands of girls. Not all of them are morally upright nor (as Safe demonstrates) do all of them want to be Slayers.
Safe
-To Faith's one lesson "Aim for the heart" I would like to add Buffy's "Don't die."
Yes, but it has to be explored- the Scythe spell activated thousands of girls. Not all of them are morally upright nor (as Safe demonstrates) do all of them want to be Slayers.
QUOTE]
Oh, I know it had to be dealt with. You get all kinds with a spell like that. I just felt like we were back in S3. I was happy that my question about the ones who don't want to be in a slayer army were doing. Hopefully more of them don't get dead, though!
---------- Post added at 03:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------
Living Doll
-Dolls creep me out. I don't even really want to read this issue.
-Creepy old guy with creepy dolls that talk. Awesome.
-Dawn having horse sex. Thanks for the visual, Xan Man.
-Buffy's Wolverine hand is kind of an odd choice for vampire slaying. Seeing how it's metal and all...
-So, Dawn's that doll? CREEPY! And all the other dolls are terrifying, too.
-Who is Cradle? Just some annoying wanna-be slayer killer? Pretty lame.
-Why is there always this talk of Dawn never having anyone to talk to and everyone being all worried about it? She alienated herself!! Plus, she's surrounded by girls - seriously, she can't find ONE confidant at all?
-Uh-uh. Xander let the cat out of the bag!
-I love Buffy in her stocking caps. 🙂
-Can Buffy really hear Doll Dawn yelling for her? She must have a teeny tiny voice right now...
-Awww, the gross demon to the rescue. All he wanted was an apology. Yikes, nekkid Dawn!
-Really, Dawn walking hand-in-hand with a demon. That she was dating. Really.
-Good to see the Summers gals being sisters again, I must say.
Love all the Andrew in this one.
Really like how seriously he is taking his role as a Watcher. He really has come a long way.
Plus I got everything in his geek speech. Made me happy! 😀
Safe
"This really obvious trap feels like a trap."
Love Giles cleaning his glasses.
I am so disturbed by this chick snuggling up with that tentacley thing thinking it's her parents.
Living Doll
Xander TOTALLY dresses up as Wolverine for fun.
Andrew has a Yoda totem! Of COURSE he does. 😀
Dawn: "Crap on a stick."
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