Buffy Issue 7 review...yup, I'm doing a review...
So I'm a little late doing this review. Can't help it. I'm seriously busy as of late. So let me jump right into it!
As we know issue 6 ended with Buffy deciding on getting an abortion because she found out she is pregnant. She asked Spike to go with her because she needs his support. She might have asked Willow if she had been available, but I do think she still might have turned to Spike in the end because of his staunch support of her in the past.
We start issue 7 with Buffy's roommates. They are making yet another decision on letting Buffy stay or not. Obviously they talked about it before and immediately on finding out Buffy is a slayer their gut reaction was to kick her out. Now, with zompires roaming about and having rethought about it, they want her stay. I agree somewhat with a lot of people on the interpretation that this is to show that people will accept Buffy the slayer and that Buffy is over thinking their reaction. Here they want her stay when she thinks they want her to go. However, they made it plain before they wanted her to go. I don't think it's really fair for Buffy for them to be so wishy washy with their decision. They stereotyped Buffy and I do feel that Buffy does have point about being treated or looked at as an outsider. But that doesn't mean that being an outsider is a bad thing nor the end of the road. The roomies changed their mind. They have their reasons, society will come to accept you...eventually. If you can accept yourself of course. (And being roomies with a Slayer is dangerous...obviously, so I understand the roomies too.)
Buffy in the mean time is moving in with Spike (yay!) for the time being. I'm a little confused on this because when did going to the clinic become moving in? I'm happy that Buffy can move in with Spike when she needs a place. She really does need the support he can give her at the moment. But everything of course is taking a toll on Buffy. She looks tired, sad, and a bit lost. Her thoughts on failing at normal are current with the past issues in season 9 where she still craves normalcy. I do think she is idealizing 'normal' but at the same time most humans crave normal, or what they consider normal. Buffy's normal doesn't mesh with reality, there is normal for her and she should pursue it, but not the normal she thinks is normal. This goes back to my stereotype idea, just because someone puts you into one doesn't mean you've failed at life. To me this is more about Buffy accepting herself and the life she has than her seeking normalcy. Basically she seeks acceptance, and right now she thinks she'll get acceptance from the outside world when really she should accept herself. Power from within yo.
Spike even called the doctor for her! He made the abortion appointment for Buffy, moved her bags into her room and probably helped her pack. He's there for her 100% right now because he knows she needs him. But I feel that here there is a bit of longing. And we know from issue 6 he's finally coming around to admitting he still loves Buffy. I'm under the impression that he's been in his own denial mode a la Buffy regarding his feelings because well, as Dowling said, Spike's scared of hurting her...and he's probably a bit worried about being hurt too. I do like Spike asking Buffy if she's sure about the abortion. I do also feel there is a bit of longing in Spike for her to not go through with it, maybe he likes the idea of raising a child with Buffy or that if she had the baby they could be family. I think Spike is looking out for Buffy and making sure she doesn't make any decision that she could regret later. It's a big thing and there lots of reasons to ask that question.
Oh, HI Bug Ship! Nice to see you in the BG...I have wondered what the citizen's of San Fran think of that weird blimp that's always floating in the sky 24/7...I mean, something that big could easily be seen from different parts of the city.
As for the scene regarding Dowling and Chueng, not much to make of it. I originally thought that there was a little hint that Dowling could be the new gay character...I'm doubting it now, but I don't dismiss it quite yet.
Back in the Bug Ship, Buffy is putting away her clothes while Spike is watching...her ass? Oh, no, he's eyeing those pink shirts...he has a thing for pink you know. He'll probably now help Buffy pick her outfit...getting her in pink as much as possible...I mean, the buffybot was Miss Pink... >.>;
As for the Spuffy, I loved the little exchange. It was very cute and to me intimate. I know that sounds weird, but this banter comes easily for them and I think it's something they enjoy with each other. As for their conversation, well, it's a hit and miss for me. Buffy is still wanting acceptance, or normalcy. Running away with Spike to have a baby, well, she would be doing what she thinks is needed. She thinks Spike as a father, and not knowing if he still has feelings for her not, she wanted to have family with him. But now she thinks it wouldn't work? Why? She claims that if was looking for normal she wouldn't run away with Spike. She's not looking for normal if she's running away with Spike, she's just trying to provide for her future child. I don't think she meant it to come across as crass as it did, but I do think she wasn't thinking about what it really meant when she said what she said. I'm going back to this accepting thing...Buffy doesn't know if Spike has feelings for her. Running away with Spike when he's not in love with her, well, that wouldn't work would it? And moving in with him just reminds her that he isn't in love with her, that isn't not the same as it was in Sunnydale...and if she was to provide her idea of normal for the child, Spike probably wouldn't work out (in her mind) because he isn't normal...because he's not going to accept her and love her the way she wants, because he's dead and in order to gain that acceptance from society, she shouldn't be with a vampire right (never mind they are pretty much accepted in society now, hey, they are in the media as the new big thing right?)
Buffy is pretty much having this huge cognitive dissonance going on, because Spike can be pretty normal. He's more human than some humans...I mean, he's only a vampire by technicality.
Back to the issue, Buffy's words piss off Spike as he takes it as a rejection. Their past is pretty heavy, so of course he would take this in the worst possible way (even if it was crass, unintentionally of course)...and he still has those insecurities too. Don't think that will ever change. He's mad because this is just a reminder of how things haven't changed with them, even though he died to save the world, even though Buffy told him she loved him, even though he came back last year like a knight in shining leather to save the world yet again...but no, he's thinking it's not enough to change things between them at this point...that he's still just dark place for Buffy to run away to when things go badly. And while there is nothing wrong with being a supporter, in being a dark place to escape to, there does need to be a balance in any relationship. And Spike wants that balance. I don't blame him...he doesn't get to see Buffy smile a lot...and I'm sure he rather see her smile than get nothing but her tears.
Buuuut? Dowling needs his help...zompires are taking over...a building of some sort...I lack San Fran knowledge to know where this is. A bunch of cops have been killed and only two detectives are sent to help...or a bunch of cops were sent to help two detectives with a horde of zompires...this is where is got a bit weak for me. Though I can see this as the police not having a clue on how to handle the supernatural and thinking Dowling and Chueng plus some backup would be enough at this point.
Spike swoops in to save the day...but not before telling Buffy to stay out of the fight while pregnant. I didn't like how he said it, "Until you don't go through with it, you persona non slayer." He's already assuming Buffy isn't going to go through with it, but he is right...she can really get hurt if she miscarries during the fight, and her careless attitude is a bit...unsavory. They are both idiots here to me...and one of the reasons I ship spuffy, cause really? When they are idiots they are idiots together...but tend to better each other in the end. Their dynamic is hardly ever boring.
RIP Chueng...you will be missed...and will probably be delicious (I'm going to hell).
Spike goes grrr when he joins the fight. He sure is jumping from high places lately isn't he? First issue 1 (the balcony), then issue 4 (from the building), issue 6 from his ship, and now here...hmmm, jump around people? JUMP JUMP!
I do love him mocking the zompires with his own growl, but Spike is quickly overcome with the horde...I mean he's already dead (oh wait, how many reminders is this now that he is dead? Not normal?) so why would he be a good zompy snack?
Buffy of course is watching from the ship getting pissed and determined and all rallied up for the fight. Dowling is freaking out...he's a newbie detective who's partner just got eaten, so freak out is OK for me (he did try to go after his partner but couldn't when he was surrounded) here. This is all action packed and perfect for the genre which I think works well with the character interaction from the prior pages. A good mix of action and drama makes me happy.
Buffy swoops in to save the day, helping out Dowling, while he makes the time to comment about Spike being in love with her...um, that is a bit out of place...but not too left field to not fit. Dowling has been assuming about Spike and Buffy since...probably issue 4. I can see him questioning Buffy's obviousness to one) get his mind off the fight and two) because he's probably shocked by Buffy's reaction. Now some have considered this the start of a Dowling Buffy romance...but I'll get back to that. Currently I'm seeing friendship here more than romance. Dowling has twice rebuffed the idea, curtailing it to Spuffy. Once at the end of issue 4, stating that his actions saved Spike and in issue 6 when talking to Spike. Currently he's acting like a cheerleader and well, he's pointing out the obvious, being a truth-sayer if you will.
So Buffy now goes to rescue Spike, she kills 5 out of the 6 that surrounded him, while Spike probably killed the last one. They work well together, but more so in the fact that Spike's good distraction and a good damsel to rescue (gender reversal to the max y'all!!).
Now we have the big spuffy moment...which I loved, again! Buffy asks Spike if it's true that he is still in love with her. I think this shows that she was under the impression that he didn't love her anymore and to me I'm nodding my head at it because it makes sense with her behavior towards him since season 8. She was clueless about it. I don't blame her though. Being Buffy, she thought she knew Spike and this Spike wasn't acting like the Spike in love she knew. He was gone for a few years...adjusting to his soul, being a hero. He's changed, he's different. She only knew him for the first year after he got a soul, which only told her enough about him to realize that he was champion. I think she missed the part where he tries to be too damn noble and selfless when it comes to her...and just in general. I agree with Andrew Chambliss when he said that Spike can be the most selfless and selfish character in the series. Because that's human, that's who we all are. And Spike seems to be the poster boy for human, even though he's a vampire.
Spike doesn't say it directly, but instead sticks up for himself. I think it's good that he is doing so and I really liked "Are you really gonna make me say what everyone else already figured out?" It's very Buffy for her to admit to weak spots and for her to look so down trotted to the news. She isn't sad that he still loves her, she's sad that missed all the signs and thought well, look at season 8...she thought he left her because she was dirty girl, that he didn't love her, that her love was poisonous. That she thought he thought he was above her. I think those thoughts are going through her head at this moment when listening to Spike. She's silent as he talks, listening to him and thinking about probably her past thoughts.
Buffy had needed his help and Spike was going to keep silent, help her and then go on his way, out of her life. Which I found strange. He mentions that he is going to go back to the wild black yonde...which is space? Away from dog races? And Manchester United? Running away from Earth and people and connection Spike because Buffy doesn't love you???? I don't like that. I realize Spike doesn't connect deeply to a lot of people. He only really connects with just a few, but he does enjoy the company of others. He might not connect with them but he needs endless, mindless chatter, even if it comes from Harmony. Spike right here is looking much like a mirror of Buffy. Wanting acceptance, but not seeing it. He sees it only through Buffy. He says he wants normal, but in the same breath he says he'll leave for space? Was that trip with the bugs that special to him? Could he live his life traveling the stars just with bugs? Does not having 'normal' with Buffy really mean that he'll run away from Earth? That's not going to help him. He can't have his life ride on Buffy's acceptance. He loves her and wants to be with her. He wants a life with her, and he needs to realize a few things before he can really do that. One of those is that if he wants what he thinks is normal, he should go out and get it for himself, not wait for Buffy to give him the nod of WIFELY approval (OK, I had to add that...that GIF set from 300 was just awesome lol).
So I think this issue really, really has a lot of depth here and shows that both Spike and Buffy kind of need to learn the same lesson in a way. And it's funny, because I think they will learn that lesson and grow, and mature and become better people...TOGETHER. That's what I'm seeing. Not romance, but growth and understanding about themselves. That is what I get from that ROCK statement, that together they'll realize that their acceptance, their need for normal? Probably just a need to accept themselves, for who they are, and make the changes they need to make in their lives to better themselves. Love youself yo!!!
Hi there Mr. Zompy man...EAT MEH ARROW!
This all leads us to the big reveal, WTF shocker...that being Buffy's a robot. A few things in the low down...thing ish thing. I think Buffy's soul/conscience is in the bot and I think Spike (heartbroken) does not. I think Spike thinks it's just a bot.
This FACE:
He just spilled his guts to and almost kissed (and I do think they were going to kiss, he took his cues from Buffy and silent, long gazeful Buffy probably meant the OK to him)...a bot. Not Buffy. He's a sad panda.... I could be wrong here and he realizes it's really Buffy...however I think he'll think it's only a bot until they talk to Andrew.
At first read I hated it. This reveal after the spuffy just enraged me...but the more I thought about it the more I realized the metaphor. All the spew about accepting yourself? Buffy isn't in her body, she's not in her body, she's just her mind or soul or whatnot...her essence. Self reflection due to out of body experience. She'll have to face herself and learn about herself, this is really all about coming to terms with yourself. I don't think this is about pregnancy or not having control of your body to make an abortion decision. I think this is about the core of Buffy. The pregnancy is a catalyst for self reflection. Buffy understands that she's not in a place to raise a child, she's barely in control of her life. The pregnancy scare forced her to start really thinking about the future and her life currently. The sad part is that being the slayer did steal her childhood, and forced her to think she would die young. It's not fair to her, none of this is...but just because you might die tomorrow doesn't mean you ignore today. Carpe diem? I suck at Latin. Though I think after dying twice it's hard to think you won't die tomorrow...so why bother?
And this lastly brings me to idea of zompires. They have their bodies but not their minds, while Buffy has her mind but not her body. I think there is a bit of connection here in metaphor, though it's a bit shake-y at the moment, I think somewhere there is a message that you can become a zompire if you let yourself be sweep up in life. Vampires are always meant to be metaphor for the shit in life right? Zompires are just another metaphor I think for sheepishness, following along and not really thinking about your place in life, just going with the follow and well, being mindless. Buffy, you have your mind! Be mindful and win back your body and your wonderful self!
On a side note, I want to apologize for the my weird speculation on Spike being the dad if Buffy was pregnant...if she ever really was I do think he would have been. And I still think we'll be getting back to issue 4 and the almost drainage. (Which makes me think about Slayerhood...if Buffy was a bot during issue 4 and Severin drained her but when he stopped...what if that part of her Slayerness went into Spike? What if by accepting Spike she accepts her Slayer side and destroys the Slayer rape metaphor by sleeping with Spike to get that back...not that she would know, but the act of accepting him, yada yada...too weird?)
Possible Buffy bot swap times...I'm currently heavily leaning on the night of the party, if not between 4 and 5 or 5 and 6...more likely the party though. Veriti posted the panels of Andrew and Buffy talking at the party in issue 1 and if you pay attention to their hands....Andrew hands Buffy a drink, sneakily...!! o.O)
OMFG...I talked a lot...sorry! ^.^;;;;;;
Oh! DOWLING romance with Buffy! I forgot this. Basically, after Spike declaring his feelings to Buffy, for Buffy to get with Dowling would be not very nice if she has feelings for Spike. That should be a big sign for Spike to just move on...and at this point with Spuffy I wouldn't expect anything less from Spike. If Buffy gets with Dowling after this I can only see it as her trying for normal and rejecting Spike...and well, it's just too messed up for me to get behind the idea. Kind of like the final rejection for me in regards to Spike, and just really really not very nice. Buffy should reject Spike outright before getting with Dowling and let Spike move on. If Spike stays around...then he's being an idiot...and glutton for punishment.