Buffy season nine discussion thread

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Turtletrekker, Mar 9, 2011.

  1. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I can totally see Giles coming back as Zombie Giles with his head slightly tilted and what not (forcing Angel to kill him again) I just think this is a bad idea, as you say, we've been told time and time again (shown too) this is not a good idea. It'll be interesting to see what Willow thinks of this (or if she's even told of this) during her team up. I just see this entire attempt as Angel trying to make it up to Buffy by bringing back a father figure to her, he knows how important Giles was to her, and the impact of what he did affected him so much he went into a catatonic state it the end of the season IIRC. Again making up for killing Giles. Instead of accepting what he did (no matter how he did it) he is looking for a way to escape responsibility. This is going to be interesting indeed to see how it all comes to fruition.
     
  2. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Wow...this I think is the longest this has been inactive. I didn't manage to check out the Free Comic Book Day Buffy issue and I think I missed an issue of Angel and Faith. Also the first arc of season nine is released in TPB Jul 17. The first volume of the hardcover comes out I believe Jun 5, the second volume is listed for September on Amazon Canada.
     
  3. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Just finished reading Angel and Faith #10...I loved this issue. Yet another peak at how a possible "Ripper" series would have gone IMO. We're introduced to Giles' great aunts who have used magic to keep themselves young and beautiful. It would seem that "Ripper" comes from them who joke that Giles should have been named that instead of Rupert. It also was interesting that the two sisters had different opposing views on Angel's plan of resurrecting Giles, in private. The last panel was awesome though!!! Can't wait for next month.
     
  4. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Is no one reading this any more? Just finished reading issue ten and wow. I think I'm a little bit confused finally. I thought they were going to be more grounded than last season and we've seen bits and pieces of that, but this arc was complex as almost anything from last year even Twilight was not as complicated as this was. I guess they're still continuing to leave Spike and Buffy up in the air, which kind of disappoints me. Nice to see though things resolved and Buffy back to her old self. Wonder what the message from Kennedy was about? Maybe about Willow visiting Faith and Angel?
     
  5. DevilEyes

    DevilEyes Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I can tell you what the message was about, since the solicitations and interviews have already spoiled it. It explains why Buffy quit her job at the cafeteria.
    Kennedy will offer her a job as a bodyguard. She's running a new security agency that employs Slayers. The next arc is called "Guarded", and Buffy is finally going to start using those Slayer powers to make a living. With Kennedy as her boss...

    I haven't been particularly delighted with either titles in season 9, Buffy or Angel & Faith. I don't ike the way Gage writes Angel's character, he seems like a cardboard dark hero that we're supposed to admire as noble because he feels guilty, and the excessive whitewashing/ignoring of his season 8 actions is bugging me, especially when the introductory text insists that killing Giles is his biggest crime and all he needs to feel guilty about.

    When it comes to Buffy, I think that neither Chambliss nor Allie really know how to write her character - they seem more comfortable writing Spike, Dowling or Koh - and the writing for season 9 has been mostly flat and not as funny or layered, since 9.01, which was the last issue written by Whedon, and the best so far. She's been too passive this season, and too opaque about her feelings (Buffy is not too verbally expressive in that area, but on the show we had SMG's acting to make up for it). In this issue she's a passive sounding board while Spike talks about their relationship, just as she was in 9.07; she's a passive sounding board while the other Buffy and Simone talk. She's just been reacting, and not reacting, to things happening to her, instead of making decisions and doing things. (The only two decisions were the abortion, and now quitting the job.) She's had people take her body away (in S8 it was Kitty Twilight and Angel, and this time it was Andrew, literally). She really hasn't looked anything like a strong person or a strong character or a great Vampire Slayer - she's never been as weak both as a person and as a character as now.

    Season 6 and 7 dismantled Buffy and then built her up again as more mature self-aware person. Seasons 8 and 9 so far have been all about dismantling Buffy and taking everything and (almost) everyone from her - the building up part hasn't started yet. I hope it does start soon and that this is what the rest of the season is about.

    I'm really confused about the whole robot business now. This is a question I asked Scott Allie for his Q&A, his answer should come soon, probably tomorrow:

    Hi again. I have a question about the "other" Buffy - let's call her Buffy Body, the one who lived in the suburbs (as opposed to Buffy Mind, the one in the robot body). Before this issue, I assumed that Buffy Mind was the "real" Buffy, while the other one was someone/something else in her body. But, she seems to be a sentient person of her own in this issue. How is that possible if she was just a programmed mind put in Buffy's body? Are we dealing with Artificial Intelligence? If Buffy Body is a developing person of her own, entirely different from Buffy, I'm not sure if it's right to merge her and Buffy Mind together.

    Or did Buffy Body have something of the real Buffy in her? She says she's found the drive and fire in her that's all Buffy; is that the result of having Buffy's Slayer essence and her physicality? Was Buffy split in two, so that she needed to be put back together (with a merge of two minds) at the end of 9.10?


    Regarding Spike & Buffy, Spike is getting his own 5-issue mini-series that starts in August. This has been announced since before 9.10 (Dark Horse spoiled that Spike was leaving in 9.10). If you don't mind spoilers regarding which characters may or may not be in the rest of the season:
    Allie has confirmed that Spike will be back in Buffy's title at some point this season, and hinted that Willow will be back at some point, too.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2012
  6. Ethros

    Ethros Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I do but tbh I don't really care that much anymore. With early Season 8 and Angel: ATF I used to go all the way into the city purely to go to the comic store and get my latest fix.
    Now I just go whenever I happen to be in town- and get a few issues at once. As to be honest I'm not in much of a rush to read them anymore.

    As you say, the end of Season 8 was just a wtf, and though they promised to calm it down for Season 9 it doesn't look like they have IMO.
    A&F also hasn't really gone anywhere for the 9 issues I've read, seems to be very water treading to me.

    I would probably just wait for the TPBs to come out but Dark Horse take sooooo long to release them. At least with IDW the tpb would be out probably one month after the last issue came out, with Dark Horse its like six months (Buffy #5 came out in January, the TPB of 1-5 isn't even out till July)
     
  7. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm still enjoying both books but I understand both points being made. As for the Cage criticism, I totally get that. Didn't he say at the start that he never watched the series before outlining his pitch or something? Yet he nails Faith's characterization perfectly. As I've stated throughout the thread before, I don't like where Angel is being taken and I agree that his brooding guilt and obsession (let's call it what it is) about resurrecting Giles is not a sound mission in my opinion. I've been constantly critical of it. They need to hurry up and resolve this arc and move on to something else. Perhaps Willow's visit will nudge that forward, but I doubt it. Angel seems hellbent on restoring Giles and not acknowledging his actions. Not impressed with the Kennedy reveal, but I suppose it could be interesting.
     
  8. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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  9. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I really don't like how they teased us with Spike and Buffy this arc and then basically took it away. I know he says in the interview that we will see some kind of ramification from their parting later on in the season, but nothing is going to satisfy the shipper in me than bringing them together.
     
  10. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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    You ARE familiar with Joss Whedon, aren't you? ;):lol:
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2012
  11. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Indeed. Still doesn't mean I'm any less disappointed :) Hopefully the season will get back on track. I get where people have been coming from that it feels off and disjointed compared to last season which had actual flow to it. There was cohesiveness at the start of this season with the first arc, but that was a roller coaster of an arc.

    Spike mini preview and interview.

    http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=39258
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2012
  12. timothy

    timothy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well good news is that both:

    Buffy freefall graphic
    Angel & faith graphic

    Are aviable in preorder for the nook color yes.
     
  13. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Finally read "Angel and Faith #11" and oh wow this was the issue that I've been waiting and hoping for quite some time now. Easily the best issue of the book since the opening arc. Really had a sense of the actual series in this issue. Willow finally airing out the issues that I have had with Angel since this book started along with knocking his plan as Twilight was awesome, yet still not having a problem with it due to her own agenda in restoring magic. Seeing Connor and Gunn again was awesome. Connor has no likeness of Vincent Kartheiser whatsoever unfortunately but that's okay because Gage wrote him as a bad ass. Nice to see Gunn as I mentioned as well as well as the updates on the rest of Team Angel. I hope the name dropping of Kate means that we could possibly see her again in a future issue. Can't wait to see this arc unfold.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2012
  14. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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    ^Agreed. I'm glad that Willow's absence from Buffy didn't mean the the character would be gone from the narrative completely. Between this and her upcoming mini, she will be well represented.

    Between the main books and the announced minis for Spike, Willow and Drusilla (still officially listed as "delayed", not cancelled), "Season 9" is starting to have a real "Comic book universe" feel to it. Which is, of course, entirely appropriate.

    Gage, not Cage.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2012
  15. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I don't know why I do that lol.


    Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Nine #11: This issue was alright I suppose. Seeing Kennedy again and having the role reversal of her being Buffy's boss was okay. Didn't really enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Angel and Faith. It just isn't as fun as that book is for whatever reason.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2012
  16. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Dark Horse: Joss Whedon goes this evening. I'm assuming that Joss will discuss Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Nine and Angel and Faith. I'm not sure if there is an addition Scott Allie panel/presentation but then I'm been behind on my SDCC tracking LOL.
     
  17. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Here is the Dark Horse: Joss Whedon presentation. Kind of a bit of everything here, didn't really focus or discuss anything specific to Season Nine or Angel and Faith. He was asked if he would be writing any issues, and he basically said he trusts those who have already been writing (so I gather that was a no, he's really busy right now lol). When asked about more Fray, he replied "Ummm...sure." and mentioned that she was very much part of the universe now (referring to the crossover no doubt from last season). I hope this means we could get more Fray. I really enjoyed the five parter last year. He also confirmed more Firefly/Serenity comics and talked briefly about the sequel to "Dr. Horrible".

    http://www.newsarama.com/comics/sdcc-2012-dark-horse-joss-whedon.html
     
  18. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Just finished reading Angel and Faith #12..."Family Reunion" has been awesome so far. As I stated last issue, this crossover has felt most like an episode of the series. Connor takes centre stage as we learn about his time in Quor'toth (yeah I probably spelled that wrong) and the cliffhanger was awesome! This is finally starting to get really good again.
     
  19. DevilEyes

    DevilEyes Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Who knew when we watched the show that Connor would one day be the most likeable and most responsible character in the cast of Angel, Willow and Faith? ;)

    So if Connor's family has lost their fake memories, does that also mean that the Scoobies have lost their fake memories of Dawn? What about Dawn herself? Did she keep her own fake memories or does she also remember them as a movie she saw? I suppose not, since that would be even weirder/more traumatic, and she's seemed normal.

    With Willow's warning about people becoming a darker version of themselves in Quor'toth, I bet we'll see something like that with Angel, Willow (who's totally bullshitting when she says her magic is protecting her from that - WTF? Since when does it work that way, magic certainly didn't protect her from darkness before!) and Faith... Lots of potential for conflict! It's good to see Faith express doubts in Angel's behavior instead of blindly worhiping him, but why doesn't she just tell him that to his face, instead of looking for allies and gossiping about him? And the Connor/Angel relationship is far too harmonious now - something bad is bound to happen soon!
     
  20. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I think there was a cover with a tease of Dark Willow right? Faith has told her problems that she has about his plan to his face, in the first arc, he ignored her and dismissed those problems. He's also asked her to trust him several times, and she has...but it's clear she doesn't. She hasn't exactly been able to confide in anyone about this until Willow. What does one do when you confront the person and they don't listen?