Stephen Tempest wrote:
> By request...
Thanks you, Sir, may I have another...?
>
>
> Issue 8.13 was... interesting. I can certainly agree that some parts
> of it are pure crack!fiction - but then again, so was the episode 5.01
> 'Buffy vs Dracula' in the first place. There's also some solid
> characterisation and plot development, and one of the scariest threats
> to our heroes that we've yet to see. Scott Allie even makes some
> thoughtful and interesting comments on his letters page. And Renee's
> changing expressions all through the comic are simply adorable...
Not to mention, actually readable.
>
> However, before going into the main review, let's come to a screeching
> halt. Let's look at the one line in this comic that hit me right
> between the eyes. About halfway through, we get this:
>
> DRACULA: These powers you speak of-- they're part of the ancient
> magics. I risked my very soul to attain them. I am their worldly
> guardian.
>
> Dracula has a soul? Like Angel and Spike? Now, it's possible that this
> was a slip of the pen by Drew Goddard, and will be retconned out of
> existence in a later issue. Or it could be that Dracula is talking
> about an evil, demonic soul, not a human one.
Or, he's just being his usual over-dramatic self.
>
> 1) Xander and Dracula exchanged letters? Say what? Seriously, somebody
> needs to write a fic in the form of these letters to tell us what they
> said. I do like the shout-out to the original Dracula novel.
> 2) Anya is mentioned, and the fact that Xander grieved for her is
> acknowledged. That should hopefully please a few people.
You're kidding, right? We'd have had to see Xander actually rending his
clothing and putting sack-cloth and ashes on his head to demonstrate
enough mourning for some of those people.
> 3) Dracula really is living in Transylvania.
Who says you can't go home again?
> The next scene at Slayer Central does more to showcase Buffy's
> authority - not to mention her charisma and cult-leader status among
> some Slayers. Aiko is (was) clearly an extremely competent and capable
> Slayer, but she's also apparently a Buffy fangirl overwhelmed to be
> finally talking to her idol face to face. And then there's Buffy's
> treatment of Satsu - which to my eyes is pretty out of order. I don't
> think I'm alone either - Willow seems pretty pissed off at Buffy's
> curtness, and concerned for Satsu. The other Slayers seem to be
> looking quite shocked as well. Satsu is raising a genuine concern and
> coming up with a good suggestion, and Buffy not only refuses to
> consider it, but slaps her down for daring to show initiative.
Yeah, that was a way-over-the-top reaction for her best fighter, the one
she was previously suggesting might be her successor.
> Turning back to Dracula, Xander and Renee, there's already been some
> controversy about the Dark Master (Bator)'s racism (the references to
> 'Moors', 'Orientals' and 'filthy yellow swine'.) In the original book,
> Dracula was certainly a believer in the racial superiority of
> Transylvanians over all the lesser races who tried and failed to
> conquer them. Frankly, to me his attitudes seem pretty much like a
> (slightly exaggerated) version of the sort of views that were
> considered perfectly acceptable a hundred years ago, anod they're
> intended to show how out-of-date and out-of-touch Dracula has become.
> (Plus, of course, to help us remember that he's not a good guy).
Let's also remember that Dracula (the real one) spent pretty much his
entire life butting heads with the Turks (and even spent some years as
their prisoner,) with whom the Moors were allied and supplied the
Turkish army soldiers. Can you say, "Damn, that dude can hold a
grudge," boys and girls?
>
> Question: is Dracula calling Renee a 'Moor' as just an old-fa****oned
> word for a black person, or is this proof that her ethnic origin is
> actually from the Maghreb region?
I don't think he'd have any way of actually knowing that for sure, so
I'd guess the former.
>
> So as well as black helicopters, the Slayer organisation also has C-5A
> Galaxy trans****t aircraft at its disposal. For the record, those
> things cost in the region of $160 million each... that's an awful lot
> of diamonds to steal. And I still want to know who's piloting the
> things.
If you've got the wherewithal to buy the plane, you can probably afford
to buy the pilot, too (probably for a lot less than it cost to fill the
plane's tanks, these days...)
> Willow's conversation with Satsu is a (controversial) highlight of the
> comic. Given her look of concern earlier, I'm pretty sure Willow has
> sought out Satsu deliberately. Her words seem to be friendly advice
> and sympathy to comfort Satsu, or at least stop her getting hurt
> worse; but I think she's also trying to defend and justify Buffy's
> actions.
Doesn't she usually?
> The end of this conversation is one time when I do wish we could hear
> the actresses speaking the dialogue.
I did that in my head. And, dammit, I *really* wish I didn't have to do
that, because I could *so* hear AH's Willow saying those lines!
> Is Willow being pushy and
> inappropriate, or is she being mischevious and cute?
It's Willow. About six of one and half a dozen of the other, of course.
> Without tone of
> voice it's hard to tell. However her facial expression does seem
> conspiratorial, and while Satsu looks shocked, it does look to me like
> shocked-laughter rather than shocked-and-offended. And she's leaning
> in towards Willow in the next panel. I'm thinking giggly girly
> conversation, not uncomfortable prying.
Yeah, "I'm not telling you anything!" is not the first thing I'd think
of saying if someone pissed me off asking for intimate details. "Mind
your own f***ing business!" would be more like it.
> Remember, this is the Willow
> who pressed Buffy for "Details!" about her first night with Parker,
> and enjoyed her "vicarious smoochies" with Buffy and Riley.
>
> I'm pleased to see it confirmed in canon that Willow has often thought
> about having *** with Buffy,
For all of those in denial (you know who you are,) just let me say, "I
told you so." Or would that be crass? Who cares, let me say it, anyway.
> and slightly disappointed to see it
> confirmed that she doesn't have first-hand knowledge of the
> experience. :-)
I never really expected that she did.
>
> Okay, serious question. Can anybody remember any episodes of the TV
> show where Sarah Michelle Gellar made a "high pitched squeal" like the
> one Willow describes? Just for research purposes...
With TV suits being what they are? Not a chance. (Actually, I don't
remember whether there was *any* sound during any of Buffy's "gettin' it
on" scenes. I think it was covered by the soundtrack. Which means I
need to pull out my DVDs and do some research of my own, because it's
clearly been too long since I had a Buffy-thon.)
>
> I do wonder if there's a part of Willow that's a bit jealous, so she's
> making it clear to Satsu that she's got nine years' intimate knowledge
> of Buffy. Also, since I think about these things way too much, I'm
> wondering if Willow has ever heard Buffy have ***.
It occurs to me to re-watch "Where the Wild Things Are" and see if
Willow was ever outside Riley's room. Beyond that, I'd be pretty sure
she *has* at some point. (Note to self: Research item #2.)
> The reverse is
> certainly true, since Buffy had the bedroom just the other side of an
> internal partition wall from Willow and Tara in season 6 and Willow
> and Kennedy in season 7,
And we know that Willow at least was rather vocal...
> but Buffy would surely never have brought
> Spike up to her own room in season 6. Maybe when they were roommates
> in season 4 Willow would pretend to be asleep when Buffy got back from
> a late-night patrol feeling hungry and *****? (There's a plot-bunny
> there, if a plot-bunny for a PWP isn't a contradiction in terms. A
> ****-bunny?)
I'll be in my bunk (oh, come on, you know you all were thinking it...)
--
Rowan Hawthorn
"Occasionally, I'm callous and strange." - Willow Rosenberg, "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer"
|
