The Long Way Home, part 1
OK I wasn't going to do this (detailed breakdown / response) but I can't help it: I LOVE THIS COMIC SO MUCH. I have read it five damn times. Every time I don't have anything to do, I read the comic. Just now, I read it again. I have both covers. Why? Because I LOVE THIS COMIC SO MUCH. So here's the play-by-play:
"The problem with changing the world..."
If I know my Jossbone, that first page is the mission statement for the entire 30-issue arc.
Satsu the Vampire Slayer
As previously indicated, I am in love.
The Summer of Georges
Holy sweet fuck do I love the art in this book. I didn't think I was going to dig it but Jeanty pretty much nailed what needed to happen here: facimiles of the actors close enough that you can pick up a bit of their personality, but not those stupid screencap photocopies they do over at IDW. And the colouring... oh the colouring. This is the most beautiful use of colour I've seen in a non-Laura Martin comic since Fray.
The floating boots
No theory. It looks like Spike, so clearly it's not Spike. I'm thinking about it.
The army guys
Hate the army guys. Also if Riley (or Team Riley) doesn't get reffed real soon I'm going to be pissed. Because how could the American government be this excitable about the Slayer without at least one of them saying "Oh yeah there was this thing this one time..."
Giant Dawn
It's amazing that something I was spoiled on so long ago still prompted me to burst out laughing when I flipped to the double-splash. It is my very favourite double splash, possibly ever, or possibly this month. Man, giant Dawn is crammed into that double splash. Because she's giant. Too giant, even, for a double splash.
BuffyHogwartsScotlandSoliloquoy
Love the two-page internal rant. Love it clean off. Favourite part of the whole shebang except that it's too damn short. Actually the whole issue is too damn short. It's tantalizingly low-key in the way that Buffy premieres usedta be when they was on the tee vee. And a three week "commercial break" just sucks. Plus, looks like I'm going to be in British fucking Columbia when issue #2 comes out. Timing is everything in this life.
The rat
Always hated the rat. Hope she's not the Big Bad.
The rat's boyfriend
I'm presuming the other foundling from the Sunnydale pit is some horribly decayed remnant of Adam. Why? Because that would be cool. If it all turns out to just be some mangy stray turok han I'm going to be really disappointed.
Bring me my
Faith, Kennedy, and big lumpy Giles. And Clem. And... did they kill Skip? Didn't that dweeb Wesley put a bullet to Skip? If not, bring me my Skip.
Comments
I have a feeling that Ethan Rayne is going to make a return. Either as Amy boy-friend (she's one to date another magician) or possibly as the big bad who I think we saw a hint at floating in the air. Either way, I think that the floating feet, whoever she/he is, will be the big bad of Season 8.
Posted by: Matthew Fabb | March 22, 2007 12:59 PM
Hmmm... hadn't thought of Ethan Rayne. And if Bootsie is the Big Bad, then I'm thinking CLONE OF ANGELUS. Nah... that's crazy.
Posted by: tederick | March 22, 2007 1:58 PM
It'd be cool if somehow it was Jonathan...
don't know how, but hey...Hellmouth.
Posted by: King Mob | March 22, 2007 10:21 PM
We probably also have to accept the fact that it might be someone we haven't met before. But that's no fun!
Posted by: tederick | March 23, 2007 7:26 AM
Well, now that Whedon has pushed the issue count pass 50 issues, I think the big bad is going to be someone new. It's a long enough story that I just figure that it will be a big epic story, which excludes minor characters like Ethan or any pre-existing characters. The First Evil is pretty big, but I can't see a return so soon after just being defeated in season seven.
Also I think Joss might end the series off with literally wrapping up the Buffy universe (at least in present day), with the incident that is described in flashbacks in Fray (all the demons, vampires and magic getting sucked out of the Buffyverse).
Also can I say HOT DAMN 50 ISSUES and it may even yet go higher!!!!
Posted by: Matthew Fabb | March 24, 2007 5:17 PM
Yeah, 50 issues is INSANE. I can't believe what I'm reading here!
Whedon has said that one of the reasons he wanted to return to Fray was to tie up the seeming discontinuity with the end of demonkind in the 21st century as depicted in the flashbacks. I fully expect whatever nut of the idea was in play when he said that, is what this season is driving toward.
But even though we've always assumed it's Buffy who closes the doors to the demon dimensions, there's no reason it has to be, especially with 1800 other Slayers (and a whole century of time) out there to do it.
Posted by: tederick | March 24, 2007 6:59 PM