timetravellingbunny

It seems that everyone is posting their views on the latest development in Buffy season 9 - it''s mostly lot of anger and outrage at Buffy being put in that kind of situation by the writers, or, from the other side that it OK with the storyline, vehement denial of the disturbing consent issues. My view seems to be unusual. I've been ambivalent about this from the start, but I haven't been for or against the storyline - I am withholding my judgment until I see how they deal with it. It may be awful or great. But I am willing to give more credit to Whedon and Dark Horse than most people are doing.

There's one thing that is certain: it's a horrific, traumatizing scenario - ( read it under the spoiler tags. )

But awful, traumatizing things have happened in BtVS before, since season 1. Which is why I'm not on principle against the storyline. But it's the attitude in some corners of the fandom that has been making me furious. It hurts when some people are completely, aggressively dismissive and keep insisting that it's really not that bad at all, don't make a big deal out of it. ( Read how the fandom and some of the staff has been making me see red. )

Where I differ from most people on both sides on the fence is that I don't think that Whedon and Dark Horse are necessarily unaware of the consent issues. ( These are my current views. )

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Music: Dissolved Girl - Massive Attack
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/17714.html

The new issue of Angel & Faith, guest-starring Harmony and Clem, despite being a fun comedy issue, includes some serious considerations, including one big and significant retcon of events from #35 of season 8, which has upset many people who see it as an attempt to whitewash Angel for his actions as Twilight.

Ironically, many at the same time believe that the retcon doesn't make Angel as Twilight look any better, or even makes him looks worse.

So is it really whitewashing then? Or just an attempt to make more sense of Angel's motives and characterization in season 8, which this retcon does do? I'm not going to try to guess what the writer's intention was. Instead I'm going to look at just the issue itself.

It's possible to look at Angel's interactions with Harmony as an attempt to whitewash Angel and show how awesome he is. But... if we assume that this is the intent, it really doesn't work - except for people who were already thinking that Angel was the hero just because he had "good intentions" and thought he was saving the world, because "the end justifies the means".

In fact, I think that, out of the last 6 issues Angel has been in (counting #40), this one makes him look the worst and shows him as someone who still needs to learn from his mistakes.

Christos Gage is either a really good writer, or he's a very naive writer who writes simple stuff that comes off as wonderfully subversive by accident. I don't know, and I won't try to guess.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: contemplative
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/16325.html

I should have really posted one of these reviews a month ago, and the other 2 weeks ago. In fact, parts of the text here is what I posted back then and in the meantime on BF and other forums. I intended to expand those into real reviews and post them on LJ and Dreamwidth, but due to a combination of being really busy and getting distracted with other stuff (and maybe some laziness), I never got around to it. So why now? Well, because it's the last moment, Angel & Faith #4 is going to be released soon ,and 'm the kind of person who does everything at the last possible moment - but I still get it done.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: geeky
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/14436.html

There's very little discussion on LJ or any of the Buffy/Angel forums I frequent about the comics that Dark Horse has published in the past that are set in the Buffyverse universe, while not being a direct continuation of either of the two shows. .

If Wikipedia and Buffy Wiki are right, they are canon. Well, Fray (definitely canon, due to the crossover with season 8) and the compilations Tales of the Slayers (with characters that are referenced in "The Chain") and Tales of the Vampires (at least one story is referenced/followed upon in season 8) seem to be.

In fact, Dark Horse have actually continued to release comics like this during season 8, only now they were loosely putting them under the season 8 banner - like "Tales of the Vampires: The Trill" one-shot and the web-comic "Carpe Noctem", both of which would work as a part of another Tales of the Vampires book. Or for that matter, "The Chain", which despite being a numbered issue, would fit in the Tales of the Slayers (except that it's better than most stories in that book).

So, have you read any of those comics, and did you like them? Would you like to discuss them?

( Read my thoughts and impressions )

Current Mood: geeky
Current Music: Marina and the Diamonds - The Outsider
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/13984.html

This issue seems to be real opener of the season, the one where the plot and themes of the season are really introduced (which is something that happened in BtVS seasons 2,3,4 and 5, where the season premiere was character-driven and either dealing with fallout from the previous season, or it was s standalone hinting at future character issues, while the arcs and main characters of the season were introduced in episode 2, 3 or even 7: When She Was Bad / School Hard in season 2, Anne /Faith, Hope and Trick in season 3, The Freshman/The Initiative in season 4, Buffy vs Dracula / Real Me and No Place Like Home in season 5).

The issue is great in plot and introductions, and just OK in characterization. I liked the previous issue better. It was more layered, while this one is mostly straightforward and occasionally too on the nose, as when Buffy’s narration includes lines like “What does the real world have against me, and why doesn’t it want me to live in it” when she complains that everyone is having a “normal life” but her. Issue 1 conveyed that by showing her desperately trying to think of any possible careers she might have, or by that “everyone is making out except Buffy” panel. Some things are already feeling a bit too repetitive: Buffy wishing for a normal life and complaining she can’t have one; Willow complaining about the Seed; Spike warning Buffy that something dangerous is coming for her.

I would probably like this issue better if so many of the revelations of this issue weren’t things that have already been guessed and discussed long time ago on various forums, thanks to writer interviews and released covers and solicitations.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: contemplative
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/13021.html

My belated thoughts about Angel & Faith #2 (that I didn't post before for no other reason than that I didn't find time for it).

I'm more ambivalent about this issue than about #1, because there are things I really loved, and some things I was bothered by - in the sense that they show how the series might go wrong. However, it all depends on how the series is developed later.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: pensive
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/12719.html

So, finally, after a long wait, three preview pages, lots of craziness in the fandom caused by spoilers and a couple of weird early reviews and people's general tendencies to read their own preconceptions and obsessive peeves into the text and several really bizarre quasi-controversies with some things blown way out of proportion, I finally read the first issue of Buffy season 9 and liked it, though it's not as impressive as #40.

I'll add some belated thoughts about the first issue of Angel & Faith, which was out 2 weeks ago.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: geeky
Crossposts: http://boot-the-grime.livejournal.com/11156.html

Entries tagged with dark horse

My stance on the developments in the Buffy comics

Thoughts on Angel & Faith #5 - "In Perfect Harmony"

Buffy season 9 #3 and Angel & Faith #3 - very belated reviews

The 'other' Dark Horse Buffyverse comics: Fray, Tales of the Slayers, Tales of the Vampires

Buffy season 9 #2 - "Freefall" part 2

Angel & Faith #2 - "Live Through This", part 2

Buffy S9 #1 "Freefall" and Angel & Faith #1 "Live Through This"

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February 2015

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