Buffy #34 - summary and thinky thoughts
"And that's the universe' grand plan? Giving Buffy superpowers so she can have destiny sex?" (Xander Harris, carpenter extraordinaire, who, due to Anya's and Spike's absence, assumes the role of snarky truth-teller). Thanks, Xan.
flake_sake 's has a snarky and funny review on B/A Kama-Sutra; shadowkat67 speaks about metaphors and feminist readings; 2maggie2 dissects Buffy/Angel subversion; and local_max ponders on an inevitabte paradigm shift during transition from TV medium to comics.
ETA: new reviews and meta
Twilight thoughts by rahirah; Retcons and rewriting the verse by shipperx; Joss Whedon, Pessimist by mabus101; It's not a fantasy. Everyone knows it by kairosimperfect (warning: not Spuffy-friendly, especially in comments); lusciousxander's positive review of issue 34; positive review by Stormwreath; "Universal Force=Writer" bythedeadlyhook; The Medium Is the Message by Ravynnia; Similarites to Wagner's Ring by DorothyFan1; The Rorschach Picture Test - How we interpret Media from Mona Lisa to BTVS by Shadowkat67. a2zmom thinks that Buffy understands that to save the world she needs to join with Angel in every way possible.
.
*******************
Summary:
So I'll just expound bare facts and give my spoilery thoughts.
Giles returns to his role of an exposition guy and says a lot of cryptic stuff that more or less boils down to Xander's line about destiny sex. Giles: "...among watchers, the last time they thought this was happening, back in the 1680's, thirty watchers took their own lives in fear. [...] It's everything they warned. The Universe... The Universe is answering. [...] Nature isn't wasteful. It doesn't put anything in the ecosystem that it doesn't need." Long story short, the slayer has been created by the Universe to balance the existense of demons and vampires. As long as there was only one slayer, the balance was kept. As soon as Buffy has created the slayer line, the balance was destroyed. And now the nature strikes back. "However much Buffy and Angel might love or miss each other, what Buffy's experiencing right now is the pull of something far more ancient, far more powerful and far more destructive than anyone in this omniverse has ever felt before. If the universe is smart enough to create vampires and slayers to balance each other out, isn't it also possible that, well, that the universe is also smart enough to have a far bigger plan for them? [...] They're an evolution. A protection for what's coming. Indeed, my predecessors, the cultists who took their own lives, they called it the next step up the metaphysical ladder. [...] This isn't just the earth's reaction. It's how the earth gives birth to a new reality. "
Besides, turns out Buffy is speshul. Because she sleeps with the undead and because she has created the slayer line. Giles: "For thousands of years, The Universe has been watching, waiting to find one slayer. Just one who measured up to its test. [...] She gave this world a new breed. A new evolution. And this is the universe's reward. The power that will let her reach the next step of the ladder. It's the power to survive The Twilight."
Angel is also speshul because he's a speshul girl's boyfriend. Willow: "He's the Yin to her Yang. [...] Angel's the piece we were missing. Sure, Buffy shared her power but when it comes to her place in the slayer history books, I'm pretty sure that's not the only thing she was first to do. [...] Vampires. Humans infected by demons. Just like slayers. Buffy's meant to make that connection. That's the universe's grand plan."
Buffy/Angel as a couple are also speshul because they - I quote - "are the best of their kind. The first of a new kind."
Alas, there's a catch. "When they truly become? We humans won't matter at all. And do you understand how quickly the ancient demons and magics will come pouring back in?"
To prove that theory, Buffy/Angel banging pierces a hole in our dimension and creates a portal raining demons. Giles confesses that he was looking for "a totem - an item that could stop them if they grew too powerful. I know it sounds horrible. But what I was searching for. I needed to know how to kill a god." (The next panel shows the scythe). "But look around. It's too late now. Twilight is here!"
On the last panel post-coital Buffy and Angel find themselves in a dimension resembling Pandora in "Avatar". "Welcome to Twilight" Angel says.
*******************
Thinky thoughts.
So basically, mother Nature uses Buffy and Angel to get rid of humanity. Right?
According to Willow, Buffy and Angel can't resist what happens to them. "She should be staking him right now. She did it once to save the world. Now the world won't let her. It isn't just reacting to what they're doing. It's urging them on." To put it simply, they're possessed. They're not morally responsible for what they're doing. At least one mystery is resolved: how Dark Horse intends to return their joint property to IDW undamaged. Angel is not responsible for the Twilight actions. He keeps his hero status. A lot of sexy brooding will be the only consequence of his actions in Twilight's mask. After Twangel revelation I suspected that they'll excuse his behavior as "doing it for the greater good", but "possession" is also a valid excuse.
(And - the universe as the Big Bad? Seriously?)
It's unclear for how long they were possessed. Was "the world urging" Buffy to rob the bank? I think we'll never get the definitive answer because Joss excels in creating texts that generate the biggest amount of wank. Those who want to see B/A as Edward/Bella on steroids, there's plenty of evidence that they're pre-destined Love Eternal. Those who want to see Cordelia/Connor on steroids, there are many clues that it's just an ugly manipulation.
I admit that I'm confused and can't figure out when a character is possessed and when he (she) is not. My take is that Angel's happy "Welcome to Twilight" signals that he's still possessed. From my POV he acts unnaturally. From my POV. But from Metlzer's POV? I wish I knew.
Then, there is a panel where Willow explains to Warren the awesomeness of Buffy and Angel's true love. Willow. To Warren. Who killed Tara. Does it mean that Willow is not herself of it simply means that Meltzer doesn't know who Warren is?
No, seriously. Imagine a fanfic with the following dialogue:
"But why's Angel get a reward?" Warren pouts.
"Because he's the Yin to her Yang," Willow explains patiently.
"Now, there's the fantasy," Warren says, sceptical.
"It's not a fantasy!" Willow enthuses. "Everyone knows it."
Imagine angry feedback you'd send to the author, accusing him of writing Willow out of character. And then - suck it up. Because it's canon now - Willow chummy with Tara's murderer.
And what about Giles? Instead of warning Buffy about danger he hides the truth from everybody and plans to kill her. Is he possessed too? (Is he possessed with Dumb Plot 101?) I wish I knew.
So far, I abstain from judging current development of the slayer mythology. The exploration of an evolutionary leap, as fascinating as it sounds in theory, is very hard to pull off, because, simply put, we're too human to assume a super-human being's POV. Hence such twist usually results in kitchy, superficial "we are gods!" type of stories. I admit, there are brilliant works, like The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, Childhood's End by Arthur Clark, and especially my fav, The Time Wanderers by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky - but they're very rare. My guess is that Joss was inspired by Alan Moore's Promethea - a comic about a New-York college girl who embodies the powerful entity known as Promethea whose task is to bring the Apocalypse.
Frankly, I doubt that Joss plans to follow that route seriously. First of all, Buffyverse is human-centric (humanity is always THE reference point). Joss won't turn his feminist icon into a god who doesn't care about anybody. Besides, BtVS an ensemble show, while an exploration of an evolutionary leap usually focuses on a single protagonist's (a)moral choices. So I think the the idea of an evolutionary leap has been introduced only as an excuse for a pornfest to be quickly discarded as evil and unnecessary. And we're back to Xander's explanation: the universe' grand plan is giving Buffy superpowers so she can have destiny sex.
Hopefully, "the meat of the story" will be about averting the universe' grand plan, not embracing it. Whatever Twilight is, we know it needs protection - it's vulnerable. There is a mojo that can stop it - most probably the scythe. That's where the story will eventually turn.
So far, Joss had managed to pull off the impossible on the PR level: to have the cake and to eat it. He delivered everything without giving anything. He gave B/A shippers beautiful covers and a lot of reaffirmations of B/A being the chosen couple of Jossverse. But their sex, as usual, leads to catastrophic consequences, so they have to return to their high school status quo: they want but they can't. Cue teenage angst and sales raise.
About Spike and Spuffy. Dark Horse was hyping B/A so heavily that my expectations were next-to-zero. They were so low that I actually enjoyed the crumbs we were given. Looks like DH doesn't want to alienate Spike fans completely, so they added a panel where Buffy and Spike fight a monster with a card "soon". Willow's mention of "Buffy's truest loves" is accompanied by a small panel with Angel and Spike: Angel at the front, Spike in the rear.
I'm 100% sure that there won't be any romantic developments on the Spuffy front. Last year Joss, asked about Buffy and Angel, promised that "they're going to have sex for three issues straight. Nothing but porn. [...] Spike will appear in two of the three issues." Apparently, he was serious. I guess #34 is the first porn issue.
My prediction is that in #35 Buffy and Angel will continue f@#$ing in their pandorian paradise in more daring poses while Giles will continue his exposition. Spike will enter and see B and A in the throes of passion on the last panel of #35 -- and then Joss will leave the fandom to stew for 4 months. Then, in September, we'll get the last porn issue. I won't be surprised if it will feature Spuffel threesome with some ridiculous explanation like Spike has to sexually transmit them some magic essense - not unlike Giles has done to Willow in "Grave", but in NC-17 way. After doing the deed Spike and Angel will return to Los-Angeles (in #36 or 37), and the last arc will be about averting the apocalypse and about Buffy winning Scoobies' trust back.
Unless, of course, Joss pulls another rabbit from his hat. We'll see.
I wonder if SMG and DB have already seen it. I'd love to see their reaction.
flake_sake 's has a snarky and funny review on B/A Kama-Sutra; shadowkat67 speaks about metaphors and feminist readings; 2maggie2 dissects Buffy/Angel subversion; and local_max ponders on an inevitabte paradigm shift during transition from TV medium to comics.
ETA: new reviews and meta
Twilight thoughts by rahirah; Retcons and rewriting the verse by shipperx; Joss Whedon, Pessimist by mabus101; It's not a fantasy. Everyone knows it by kairosimperfect (warning: not Spuffy-friendly, especially in comments); lusciousxander's positive review of issue 34; positive review by Stormwreath; "Universal Force=Writer" bythedeadlyhook; The Medium Is the Message by Ravynnia; Similarites to Wagner's Ring by DorothyFan1; The Rorschach Picture Test - How we interpret Media from Mona Lisa to BTVS by Shadowkat67. a2zmom thinks that Buffy understands that to save the world she needs to join with Angel in every way possible.
.
*******************
Summary:
So I'll just expound bare facts and give my spoilery thoughts.
Giles returns to his role of an exposition guy and says a lot of cryptic stuff that more or less boils down to Xander's line about destiny sex. Giles: "...among watchers, the last time they thought this was happening, back in the 1680's, thirty watchers took their own lives in fear. [...] It's everything they warned. The Universe... The Universe is answering. [...] Nature isn't wasteful. It doesn't put anything in the ecosystem that it doesn't need." Long story short, the slayer has been created by the Universe to balance the existense of demons and vampires. As long as there was only one slayer, the balance was kept. As soon as Buffy has created the slayer line, the balance was destroyed. And now the nature strikes back. "However much Buffy and Angel might love or miss each other, what Buffy's experiencing right now is the pull of something far more ancient, far more powerful and far more destructive than anyone in this omniverse has ever felt before. If the universe is smart enough to create vampires and slayers to balance each other out, isn't it also possible that, well, that the universe is also smart enough to have a far bigger plan for them? [...] They're an evolution. A protection for what's coming. Indeed, my predecessors, the cultists who took their own lives, they called it the next step up the metaphysical ladder. [...] This isn't just the earth's reaction. It's how the earth gives birth to a new reality. "
Besides, turns out Buffy is speshul. Because she sleeps with the undead and because she has created the slayer line. Giles: "For thousands of years, The Universe has been watching, waiting to find one slayer. Just one who measured up to its test. [...] She gave this world a new breed. A new evolution. And this is the universe's reward. The power that will let her reach the next step of the ladder. It's the power to survive The Twilight."
Angel is also speshul because he's a speshul girl's boyfriend. Willow: "He's the Yin to her Yang. [...] Angel's the piece we were missing. Sure, Buffy shared her power but when it comes to her place in the slayer history books, I'm pretty sure that's not the only thing she was first to do. [...] Vampires. Humans infected by demons. Just like slayers. Buffy's meant to make that connection. That's the universe's grand plan."
Buffy/Angel as a couple are also speshul because they - I quote - "are the best of their kind. The first of a new kind."
Alas, there's a catch. "When they truly become? We humans won't matter at all. And do you understand how quickly the ancient demons and magics will come pouring back in?"
To prove that theory, Buffy/Angel banging pierces a hole in our dimension and creates a portal raining demons. Giles confesses that he was looking for "a totem - an item that could stop them if they grew too powerful. I know it sounds horrible. But what I was searching for. I needed to know how to kill a god." (The next panel shows the scythe). "But look around. It's too late now. Twilight is here!"
On the last panel post-coital Buffy and Angel find themselves in a dimension resembling Pandora in "Avatar". "Welcome to Twilight" Angel says.
*******************
Thinky thoughts.
So basically, mother Nature uses Buffy and Angel to get rid of humanity. Right?
According to Willow, Buffy and Angel can't resist what happens to them. "She should be staking him right now. She did it once to save the world. Now the world won't let her. It isn't just reacting to what they're doing. It's urging them on." To put it simply, they're possessed. They're not morally responsible for what they're doing. At least one mystery is resolved: how Dark Horse intends to return their joint property to IDW undamaged. Angel is not responsible for the Twilight actions. He keeps his hero status. A lot of sexy brooding will be the only consequence of his actions in Twilight's mask. After Twangel revelation I suspected that they'll excuse his behavior as "doing it for the greater good", but "possession" is also a valid excuse.
(And - the universe as the Big Bad? Seriously?)
It's unclear for how long they were possessed. Was "the world urging" Buffy to rob the bank? I think we'll never get the definitive answer because Joss excels in creating texts that generate the biggest amount of wank. Those who want to see B/A as Edward/Bella on steroids, there's plenty of evidence that they're pre-destined Love Eternal. Those who want to see Cordelia/Connor on steroids, there are many clues that it's just an ugly manipulation.
I admit that I'm confused and can't figure out when a character is possessed and when he (she) is not. My take is that Angel's happy "Welcome to Twilight" signals that he's still possessed. From my POV he acts unnaturally. From my POV. But from Metlzer's POV? I wish I knew.
Then, there is a panel where Willow explains to Warren the awesomeness of Buffy and Angel's true love. Willow. To Warren. Who killed Tara. Does it mean that Willow is not herself of it simply means that Meltzer doesn't know who Warren is?
No, seriously. Imagine a fanfic with the following dialogue:
"But why's Angel get a reward?" Warren pouts.
"Because he's the Yin to her Yang," Willow explains patiently.
"Now, there's the fantasy," Warren says, sceptical.
"It's not a fantasy!" Willow enthuses. "Everyone knows it."
Imagine angry feedback you'd send to the author, accusing him of writing Willow out of character. And then - suck it up. Because it's canon now - Willow chummy with Tara's murderer.
And what about Giles? Instead of warning Buffy about danger he hides the truth from everybody and plans to kill her. Is he possessed too? (Is he possessed with Dumb Plot 101?) I wish I knew.
So far, I abstain from judging current development of the slayer mythology. The exploration of an evolutionary leap, as fascinating as it sounds in theory, is very hard to pull off, because, simply put, we're too human to assume a super-human being's POV. Hence such twist usually results in kitchy, superficial "we are gods!" type of stories. I admit, there are brilliant works, like The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, Childhood's End by Arthur Clark, and especially my fav, The Time Wanderers by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky - but they're very rare. My guess is that Joss was inspired by Alan Moore's Promethea - a comic about a New-York college girl who embodies the powerful entity known as Promethea whose task is to bring the Apocalypse.
Frankly, I doubt that Joss plans to follow that route seriously. First of all, Buffyverse is human-centric (humanity is always THE reference point). Joss won't turn his feminist icon into a god who doesn't care about anybody. Besides, BtVS an ensemble show, while an exploration of an evolutionary leap usually focuses on a single protagonist's (a)moral choices. So I think the the idea of an evolutionary leap has been introduced only as an excuse for a pornfest to be quickly discarded as evil and unnecessary. And we're back to Xander's explanation: the universe' grand plan is giving Buffy superpowers so she can have destiny sex.
Hopefully, "the meat of the story" will be about averting the universe' grand plan, not embracing it. Whatever Twilight is, we know it needs protection - it's vulnerable. There is a mojo that can stop it - most probably the scythe. That's where the story will eventually turn.
So far, Joss had managed to pull off the impossible on the PR level: to have the cake and to eat it. He delivered everything without giving anything. He gave B/A shippers beautiful covers and a lot of reaffirmations of B/A being the chosen couple of Jossverse. But their sex, as usual, leads to catastrophic consequences, so they have to return to their high school status quo: they want but they can't. Cue teenage angst and sales raise.
About Spike and Spuffy. Dark Horse was hyping B/A so heavily that my expectations were next-to-zero. They were so low that I actually enjoyed the crumbs we were given. Looks like DH doesn't want to alienate Spike fans completely, so they added a panel where Buffy and Spike fight a monster with a card "soon". Willow's mention of "Buffy's truest loves" is accompanied by a small panel with Angel and Spike: Angel at the front, Spike in the rear.
I'm 100% sure that there won't be any romantic developments on the Spuffy front. Last year Joss, asked about Buffy and Angel, promised that "they're going to have sex for three issues straight. Nothing but porn. [...] Spike will appear in two of the three issues." Apparently, he was serious. I guess #34 is the first porn issue.
My prediction is that in #35 Buffy and Angel will continue f@#$ing in their pandorian paradise in more daring poses while Giles will continue his exposition. Spike will enter and see B and A in the throes of passion on the last panel of #35 -- and then Joss will leave the fandom to stew for 4 months. Then, in September, we'll get the last porn issue. I won't be surprised if it will feature Spuffel threesome with some ridiculous explanation like Spike has to sexually transmit them some magic essense - not unlike Giles has done to Willow in "Grave", but in NC-17 way. After doing the deed Spike and Angel will return to Los-Angeles (in #36 or 37), and the last arc will be about averting the apocalypse and about Buffy winning Scoobies' trust back.
Unless, of course, Joss pulls another rabbit from his hat. We'll see.
I wonder if SMG and DB have already seen it. I'd love to see their reaction.