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Date Posted: 09:49:15 09/10/07 Mon
Author: Age
Subject: Re: Another Look Spoilers Part 12
In reply to: Age 's message, "Re: Another Look Spoilers Part 11" on 09:47:39 09/10/07 Mon

Note also on the Women’s Movement pages of issue two there is an expansion in the number of panels from one at the top to many at the bottom, especially on Buffy’s training page, reinforcing what she says about the exponential nature of their power. From the standpoint of what they are instituting, the rigidly controlling government, i.e. from the point of view of the page as a static thing, this represents the top down government. From the point of view of movement, these same panels represent the movement away from the centralized power in the one at the top to the side by side panels of a more egalitarian society of individuals.

Andrew’s page is slightly different due to the repetition of the top ring panel becoming dark representing the slayers/citizens at the top going back down into the basement, so to speak, to be protected by a father figure. Note that the bottom panel is to the right, leaving to the left white space because this is the colour of the teacup on the title page, with the idea that if they go back towards the left, in the regressive direction, it’s to the oblivion of perfect behaviour, squeaky clean, white. This repetition of the white colour occurs also on Buffy’s training page and when she’s on the bed being sacrificed. From the standpoint of the Women’s Movement it represents Buffy, women, the individual, taking ownership of their own protection as Buffy wears the white (of the teacup) shirt. It may even be a reference to the women at the time burning their bras as a symbol of emancipation, i.e. it’s a white shirt, not white cups. From the standpoint of the direction she, as government representative, is taking them it represents how she’s covering herself with the white for protection until she’s almost completely covered in her sacrificial nightgown during Amy’s attack.

Note that the title page of issue two has another meaning in regards to the young slayers’ training as a metaphor for giving the next generation a ground/capability to stand on their own two feet as adults within a human society together, as the panel at the top of Andrew’s page represents. The quiet relaxed yet ritualized moment of British afternoon tea gave me the idea that it represents the imparting of the value of calm self discipline as a way of self governing. That the moment we see (Giles just before he starts the training) represents what he has in mind to teach the slayers. On the next page, we see the young slayers, all at sea, as it were, a jostled sea of power, unfocused and undisciplined, and certainly not relaxed. Their having been activated is the same metaphor as Buffy’s was for the adolescent thrown into a world of greater responsibility. On the page after that, where Buffy, exuding calm and focus, has taken over the training, the sea has changed to ground on which the focused slayers stand together, not yet in a disciplined way, but together. They are as their position on the page suggests still in left field. On Andrew’s page, they’ve learned the value of calm self discipline and can bring that to their lives and to an equal and caring society as represented by the circle of slayers at the top, where the grounding they’ve been given as symbolized by the training will enable them to rise and get up on their own two feet, yet together as a society as well. The cityscape that Giles is looking at in the title page may then represent a vision of the achievement that co-operative work can bring. Also, on the next page the tipping of the image in his direction shows the focus of the slayers on him, but also gives the impression that he’s ‘laid back’, relaxed, but still focused on his job which is to make use of the empowerment of these young ladies by having them work together. His drinking of the tea symbolizes his intent by making use of the tea, rather than letting all that liquid power go to waste as the slayers in the top panel do. Note also the tipping puts Giles and the slayers on an even level, showing how the scales have tipped towards the feminine and towards a more level society. Note that on Andrew’s page the circle is on the right, implying again the women having moved from the left, from the manmade structure in darkness on the left, the nightmare of authoritarian rule.

Also, on Voll’s complex pages look at the phallic nature of his raised finger. In the first panel of the desert page, there is a dead tree stump as phallic symbol. From one point of view this represents what the male (might) approach alone will bring; from Voll’s point of view, it represents what the feminizing culture has done to men, killed them off. Note there is a regressive movement in the opposite direction from the way we read as we move back to the left in those three panels of the desert to the company building, back to the manmade structure representing the male (might) dominated society that’s gone underground.

In issue two when Buffy’s being eaten and fried in her nightmare, the pain is emphasized by the panels appearing on a slant to suggest cuts or slashes. The crucifixion image by the large demon that she knows, because she symbolically created it, reinforces the male imagery through the nails as phalluses. Her wish not to fall, i.e. to be protected is what creates the demon that brings more pain.

Dawn in issue two where she is bathing may also represent Buffy’s attempt to ‘drown’ her own personal life in favour of getting the slayers ready, but that aspect of her has become too big.

The tea that Giles drinks on his training page in issue two occurs after the Women’s revolution in which they showed the value of the feminine, of emotions. Had Giles drunk the tea on the title page before the top panel depicting the revolution the act would simply have been consumption of power to maintain order; but because it comes after the revolution panel, it also means the internalization of the value of the feminine, and the tipping of the images, the tipping of the scales away from a male dominated society, (where the tipping of the images also makes Giles and the slayers seem like they are on the same level, which is what the movement is about,) and towards a society in which the feminine is valued as represented by Xander’s saying that he’s got all his sisters in him. It is Giles’ drinking of that tea which is a representation of the beginning of the feminization of males, with Xander the result.

This tipping of the images on Giles page in issue two can also be interpreted as the attention of the young scared slayers who are pouring their attention on his training as if he were the centre of gravity.

Okay, that’s it for the analysis of the comics. The following will look at an episode of the X-Files and the metaphor of ‘Heroes’ Spoilers.

Incidentally, when I first saw the title panel in issue two with Giles and the teacup, I was reminded of the episode of ‘The X-Files’ in which Mulder unrolls a genie and gets three wishes. For his first, Mulder logically asks for peace on earth, but is horrified to find that the genie removes every other human and animal from the planet, much as all the people have been removed from the title panel, except Giles himself, i.e. all potential attack has been eliminated. For his second wish, also logically and this time somewhat urgently, Mulder takes back the first wish. Now, having been burned the first two times, Mulder sets about during the rest of the episode to create an ironclad wish that will bring peace on earth, but without the unwanted destructive side effects. He discovers, to his dismay, that there are too many variables, and decides to use his third wish to release the genie who used to be a human being until she made the wish to be a person of power, ironically, being made completely powerless to wield that considerable power for herself. The episode ends with a happy woman, the individual, sipping coffee at a corner bar. Of course, that episode’s theme is similar to what Joss Whedon is exploring in his works, with Willow’s attempt to kill everyone in the sixth season finale to bring them peace virtually the same act. And, the use of aliens from above in the series is similar to Joss Whedon’s alienated human beings trying to get above the dangers of the earth.

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