VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3], 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 17:05:50 06/19/07 Tue
Author: fresne
Subject: "The Long Way Home" (What has come before, and what is here now)
In reply to: KdS 's message, "Buffy S8: "The Long Way Home" (#1-4)" on 13:51:16 06/18/07 Mon

I've been thinking for a bit about the Buffy comics.

Trying to think... what I think about them.

So to position myself, I do believe that there are comics that rival any other great work in any other medium. In part because it's possible with placement of images and words and the scattered flow across the page to communicate some truly fascinating concepts. The image of Stalinist Superman in "Superman: Red Sun" with the poster admonishment that he is watching you. The moments of identity reveal in "The Watchmen." That moment in "Sandman: Doll's House" when the visual perspective re-orients across the page (changing art style in blinks) as the dreamer begins the dream. There are others. But those that lotus rise from the muck and above the surface of my consciousness to find their way to this post.

And I would put Buffy as one of the truly great works of art to unfold. I need-wise must, or I shouldn't have spent time on posting. And yet, you hit on some of my unease with the comic.

I had thus far been telling myself to wait until the end of the arc, because I wouldn't judge an episode by the material between commercial breaks. And yet... we reach the end of the 1st arc and I find I don't quite know what to think.

Makes posting hard, and yet, I must, I must.

One of the things I always fascinating about the show was that each season ended on a strong note (melancholy perhaps, but strong). And each opener in its way commented upon the resolution. Made things problematic in its way. S1's almost death to beating the Master's bones for our bread. Angel's S2 descent is answered by S3's Anne-ial hellbound hurting heart. S4 destroys high school and S5 enters into the larger world of college. The same (classes) and yet different (college). And S5, ah S5 sacrifice most glorious into... a myriad of interpretations. S6 pulls out of the grave and S7 descends to become.

And so we are here we are at S8. And as I type it, I can see the ways it reflects on the previous season's glorious icing spread of power on the dough of baking girls. Girls falling from the sky. And yet, okay, it's odd...

I suppose in part its not just that this is a transition from one medium I like to another, but that we are transitioning to a truly larger world. I want to see, not just rogue (or rouge) slayers, but Slayers that genuinely have differing valid points of view. There is a certain strain on a story about a large group, any large group, that isn't there on a community of friends. Especially in a story that is about the utopian concept of a ladyship (well, their not fellows) of women, and some few men.

I don't really mind the return of Warren, the skinless vision of the past, it just feels last season done. The military threat does feel Initiative redux. And yet, I don't know if I'd judge a season on a episode. What I want/need is what JLU S3 (or is it S1 - so hard to tell with the JL to JLU numbering) pulled off so incredibly well. A military threat to our heroes that has a point. A plotline in itself was inspired by "Kingdom Come".

Hmmm... Actually, I like redux in a series. When characters return to some earlier point, but they have risen on the gyre and perspective plays its usual large / small tricks.

I love the concept of the Slayers against the World (which translates the freakishness of high school into the freakishness of geekdom in a non-geek world), except I would like to see the Slayers against the world. In all the aspects of what that means. And not from some one lone General. They've become a minority of powerful, which I always find fascinating. Whether it's X-men or knights on horseback.

No really my problem is that thus far I really like the comics, but I haven't fallen in love with them, and I'm trying to make sense of it in context of my "Joss is My Master Now" t-shirt. Especially given my love of what he's doing with his X-men arcs. It's all very hmmm...

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

  • Re: Buffy S8: "The Long Way Home" (#1-4) -- Doug (Phlegmatic), 19:55:00 06/19/07 Tue
  • Twilight -- KdS, 07:42:56 06/20/07 Wed
    Forum timezone: GMT-8
    VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
    Before posting please read our privacy policy.
    VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
    Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.