BOOM!'s Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7

[Buffy likes Coke]

Issue #7 preview:

Spoiler!

The Scoobies may have saved Xander’s soul but it means that Willow got mixed up in magic way over her head. And that has consequences, starting with a living nightmare where Willow realizes that the sacrifice she made could mean that she’s lost something important she’ll never be able to recover.

[Buffy likes Coke]

and another cover:

[Wenxina]

That's a really cool cover... but I'm still not ready! Too soon!

[Buffy likes Coke]

I'm surprised that there's a new artist already! I guess, it could make sense if Willow's dream is most of the issue (19 pages? No way!) and they want it to have a different tone and style from the rest, but still, it seems weird. Maybe there are some issues with the art/artists behind the scenes?

[Wenxina]

I'm surprised that there's a new artist already! I guess, it could make sense if Willow's dream is most of the issue (19 pages? No way!) and they want it to have a different tone and style from the rest, but still, it seems weird. Maybe there are some issues with the art/artists behind the scenes?

The art is divided between the real world and the dream sequence, so Sas Milledge basically does the heavy lifting here. The styles are quite different, but it didn’t clash, if that makes sense.

[Wenxina]

Advance comic review: http://fanbasepress.com/index.php/pr...ic-book-review

ETA: There are mild spoilers. Also, the Xander development may be polarizing.

[master12]

Buffy #7 just useless from the standpoint of the whole buffy series development, if it were a willow special I would enjoy it more. This reboot started strong but after issue after issue it´s deflated strong too

[Wenxina]

Buffy #7 just useless from the standpoint of the whole buffy series development, if it were a willow special I would enjoy it more. This reboot started strong but after issue after issue it´s deflated strong too

I disagree that it's "useless." I think it pretty much serves as a denouement for a pretty traumatic arc, much like "Restless" did for Season 4 on the show. In a way, it ties up a couple of loose ends, and it sets up the upcoming "Hellmouth" special. Apparently that dagger that's made a few appearances in the second arc is the key to the whole thing, since we know that it's the key that Drusilla is seeking and it's gonna be in Joyce's Egyptian exhibit at the museum. It's also the same dagger that Willow used in her dream, so there's probably some significance there too, since it's unlikely that Willow has ever seen that dagger before. It's possible that she saw it in a pamphlet for the exhibit, but that's not established. Also, I think it's important that this issue focused on Willow quite a bit. For one, she's the one who lost a big deal and for another, most of the first couple of arcs have focused primarily on Buffy and Xander, so this balances things out a bit. I get that it's a bit unusual to step away from the main protagonist so early on in a series, but while it's not the most plot-centric issue, there's a lot of development that happens here which may be important going forward.

Xander's half-vampire status is a new element that Bellaire is bringing into the mythology, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet. On the one hand, I applaud not being afraid to change the fundamentals of the show's metaphysics, and changing the mythology around the siring process is daring and I'm hoping to see that it pays off. It appears that Xander is not affected by sunlight but (at least, in some capacity) drinks blood for nourishment. His soul was partially intact when he was in limbo and from my understanding, the very aptly named Soul Tie basically serves as an anchor to his soul. Now, does that mean that his soul shares real estate with the vampire demon? Is that the demon in Willow's dream? Is this siring process typical now? Spike made it sound like he did something different in this case earlier in the arc, so maybe there's more than one way to sire a vampire in this reboot? Those are some of the things that are still a bit muddy for me and maybe they'll become clearer in the future. I don't need an infodump, but some minimal exposition from Giles or someone knowledgeable (Angel, perhaps?) would be great.

[Uncannyslayer]

To me this was a huge improvement from issue 5 and 6, though I still enjoyed issue 1-4 and the pacing of the first arc more.

Buffy #7 just useless from the standpoint of the whole buffy series development, if it were a willow special I would enjoy it more. This reboot started strong but after issue after issue it´s deflated strong too

I know that some fans want Buffy to be front and center in all of the stories or want her story to move forward rapidly, but I am really happy that they are not pushing important development of core characters into character driven specials. We need the characters to become fully-fledged for them and their stories to matter, and this was a big step in the right direction, when it comes to Willow.

I have two rather big problem with the issue though:
- the development in the Xander-related parts of the issue seems to be a big cop-out. They marketed the fourth issue on 'someone making the ultimate sacrifice', which is ultimately a lie, since no-one really died, and
- why the BEEEEP is the Xander-developments happening off-page? It has been central in the marketing and should be central in the development of Xander as well. This is a big wasted opportunity, but they might make up for some of it in issue 8. I am okay with things being changed, but I want them to deal with the changes right away and make them matter.

I like Milledge's art and all the toying with layouts of the panels in this issue.
The mix between Milledge's and Lopez' art also works for me, though I don't think I will ever become a fan of Lopez and especially not of his way of drawing Xander.

[Buffy likes Coke]

You can do this, Willow. ~ Willow Rosenberg

This is a compelling, Willow-centric issue that diverges from the classic continuity in more ways than any before it.

The issue opens up with a collage of Willow’s post-ritual frame of mind. It’s essentially a very real and very evocative depiction of a person suffering from depression. The art works incredibly well here, like a set of macabre selfies, it portrays a shell-shocked Willow trudging through her daily life. It’s simply jaw-dropping!

A dream sequence follows. It’s an obtuse and oneiric, spiral-y restless-esque affair. It dissects Willow in a similar way Wonderland did in season nine, though with a very different outcome, and establishes this take on Willow as a very different person from the Will we all know. Willow who is much more self-assured and probably even stronger. In her dream Willow confronts the dark side of her personality, one surrendered to the siphon. Even though the dark twin tries to ensnare her, lock away in a nightmare world, it’s not depicted as purely evil. I’m the better you, explains the dark will, the juicy part that makes you competitive, quick, and astute. In another scene, focused on Willow’s childhood, we get to see that it’s that side of Will that’s partially responsible for her friendship with Xander! Still, the doppelganger is very much a manipulative, malevolent entity, leading Willow through progressively more nightmarish scenarios. Willow rejects her darker side, reevaluating her outlook - I love my friends. I have a great life. I don’t need you. Finally, the twin turns violent and runs Willow through with a dagger. Yes, that dagger! Willow remains strong, she stands up, grabs the weapon and slaughters her dark self. The dream ends with Willow tumbling into a fiery hell pit. The entire nightmare is fascinating, especially when contrasted with the previous iteration of the franchise. Classic Willow, after years of repressing, ultimately made peace with her darker side. The modern one discards and annihilates it.

Next day Willow hangs out with Xander, talking about the nightmare. Xander’s a half-human, half-vampire now. A halfpire? He eats human food, can get a tan and presumably ages, like a human, but also drinks pig’s blood and can go all bumpy, like a vampire but aside from that, he’s still the same, fun-loving idiot he was before. Willow asks Xander if he’s OK. Xander explains that he feels lucky to have friends like Willow and Buffy and that’s enough to get him through the day, echoing Willow’s earlier sentiment. I really love the chemistry between those two, their friendship feels incredibly genuine! One more thing - the visuals. While the opening pages are fantastic the art in the dream sequence, handled by a different team, just doesn’t match the ambition of the script. It looks very rough, with bland, washed-out colors, like the artists had to work on a very short notice. It’s truly disappointing. It doesn’t ruin the issue but it certainly diminishes its impact.

A huvo? Really Xander, really?

[master12]

wenxina When I said "useless", it´s from the standpoint, that I don´t like a whole issue almost dedicated to a central character only, if that´s the case, do a separate arc, just like IDW did with angel, spike, Illyria pd : thank god I´m not the only one who did not like this issue https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/08...layer-issue-7/

[Uncannyslayer]

When I said "useless", it´s from the standpoint, that I don´t like a whole issue almost dedicated to a central character only, if that´s the case, do a separate arc, just like IDW did with angel, spike, Illyria pd : thank god I´m not the only one who did not like this issue https://butwhythopodcast.com/2019/08...layer-issue-7/

I think there is a big difference from IDW doing that with a continuation to a long-running series with established characters and BOOM doing seperate character arcs at this point.

They are still just introducing these characters so the basic character development has to happen in the core series so all readers of the core series get to know the characters, without needing to buy a limited series as well. Otherwise they may not care about these characters and their overall plot.

[master12]

Uncannyslayer I was not talking to you

[Wenxina]

Uncannyslayer I was not talking to you

Forums are a place to exchange ideas. So, even though you were specifically referring to me, others may chime in too. We weren’t having a private conversation.

[buffythecomicslayer]

the development in the Xander-related parts of the issue seems to be a big cop-out. They marketed the fourth issue on 'someone making the ultimate sacrifice', which is ultimately a lie, since no-one really died

I think the synopsis for issue #4 mentioning a sacrifice was an intentional deception, in the sense that a lot of people was already talking about Xander being sired (the covers already pointed to this), but at the same time thinking we were so smart for figuring out this secret. The "ultimate sacrifice someone from the Scooby gang must make" in reference to what happens in this issue is only revealed in the following arc, as the synopsis for issue #7 confirms: "In order to save Xander, Willow sacrificed a part of herself."

It can be a matter of personal preferences, of course, but the way they transitioned from Xander's perspective to Willow's was the story playing with our expectations, not a cop-out. His depression, vampirism, and survival are still mentioned, he's just not the focus of the second arc as he was in the first.

[Wenxina]

I think that BOOM! hasn’t been very carefully about crafting their synopses. There have been several instances of misleading statements. I think this issue was solicited with text suggesting that Buffy and Angel would have some sorta showdown. My guess is that these were written waaay long time ago, and some things have changed a bit but the solicitations weren’t changed accordingly.

[Bunny Hearts]

Overall I really liked this issue. Some of the more divisive things, like an entirely Willow-centered story, I'm very happy with-- comics are a different format than a TV show, and while it may be possible to cut between different characters in one issue and offer insight and development to all, to cover a deep dive like this requires more space than just a few pages. Your mileage may vary, of course, but personally I really like getting to spend some time really digging into something like this, especially because it's placing emphasis on what a big thing this is (and laying track for upcoming events as well). One of the things that's always felt rushed in the previous comics is the sense of weight and impact of important emotional turning points like this, in part because either so much else was going on in terms of driving plot forward, or because of having to divide time out to other characters and what's happening with them. In a 45-minute TV episode it's easier to do that with, but a 30-page comic, it's a lot harder, and when issues come out once a month, that leaves a lot of speculation time and what feels like a need to propel things forward at a faster rate to keep things moving ahead enough to keep people interested.

Speaking for myself, I know that I can get really involved in my own expectations when I'm both engaged with the material and given time in between episodes/issues/what have you. Sometimes I can find myself disappointed with something because it didn't go the way I anticipated; sometimes it's just a matter of taste in terms of what I find more interesting, but sometimes I come around to it once I get out of my own head and look at what the creator/s are trying to do and can take in the story for what it is, instead of what I wanted it to be.

This is what's happening for me with the half-vampire Xander development. I was pretty excited about the idea of one of the primary Scoobies getting vamped so early in the story-- I had no idea where they would take things after that and I was very here for finding out. So the direction they actually went with it was a bit of a let-down, since it didn't up-end the status-quo the way I was anticipating for several months. But after getting used to it, I'm back to being really curious about where they're going with it and also what we might see in terms of new ideas to the universal lore going ahead, too. The idea of a half-vampire is intriguing, I'm very interested to see what emotional repercussions it has for Xander and Willow (he has part of her soul now, and in a way, the darkness of his depression has now spread to her as a result-- what this means for her Dark side and her ultimate story arc is very up in the air and I like that they're putting this up front now so we know we're not just getting a re-hash of the same arcs from the original show). We're not getting season 2 with Xander instead of Angel, which I'm glad about, and the implications set down here, not just for Xander and Willow, but also Spike (choosing to spare Xander) and Angel (witnessing Drusilla draining a teenager and choosing not to intercede), Buffy, Giles, and Jenny, plus seeing what's up with Robin and Cordy and how they're going to fit into everything-- are exciting because I don't know what they have planned. I like that we're really going off-road and off expectation here. Do I wish the solicits would be less misleading? Oh yes; generating false expectations for the sake of upping sales can backfire when readers get disappointed with what's really happening and can really do a disservice to the creative team and what they're working to make. What's actually on the page is really enjoyable and there's clearly been a lot of thought put into the decisions they've made, so I hope it finds a solid readership base.

[buffythecomicslayer]

I think that BOOM! hasn’t been very carefully about crafting their synopses. There have been several instances of misleading statements. I think this issue was solicited with text suggesting that Buffy and Angel would have some sorta showdown. My guess is that these were written waaay long time ago, and some things have changed a bit but the solicitations weren’t changed accordingly.

I'm sorry if I'm being insistent, but neither the solicitation, the press release, the preview, or the product description for issue #7 mention anything to do with Angel. Maybe you're mistaking it with Hellmouth #1? It's been even established by the editor that the miniseries is "where they finally meet face-to-face for the first time".

[Uncannyslayer]

I think the synopsis for issue #4 mentioning a sacrifice was an intentional deception, in the sense that a lot of people was already talking about Xander being sired (the covers already pointed to this), but at the same time thinking we were so smart for figuring out this secret. The "ultimate sacrifice someone from the Scooby gang must make" in reference to what happens in this issue is only revealed in the following arc, as the synopsis for issue #7 confirms: "In order to save Xander, Willow sacrificed a part of herself."

It can be a matter of personal preferences, of course, but the way they transitioned from Xander's perspective to Willow's was the story playing with our expectations, not a cop-out. His depression, vampirism, and survival are still mentioned, he's just not the focus of the second arc as he was in the first.

Just to clarify since I was being really vague...

What I find to be a cop-out is not the change to Willow's perspective, I am referring to Xander's half vampire status. He did not die. He did not really become a vampire. Nobody made 'the ultimate sacrifice', which would normally mean sacrificing one's own life, at least that is the only meaning I have ever seen to that phrase.

And from a story-telling perspective I am not okay with such a major development happening off-page. I think it is completely fine that they are doing a Willlow-centric issue, but not dealing with the Xander side of things for three issues after having him bit and then dropping bombs is not good storytelling to me. As I have said they may solve this issue later on, but it is a sore spot in the storytelling , at least for now.

[Wenxina]

I'm sorry if I'm being insistent, but neither the solicitation, the press release, the preview, or the product description for issue #7 mention anything to do with Angel. Maybe you're mistaking it with Hellmouth #1? It's been even established by the editor that the miniseries is "where they finally meet face-to-face for the first time".

I think you’re completely right in pointing out that I may have conflated information from elsewhere in this regard. I try not to do that, but in this regard, it appears that I have, so thank you for pointing that out.

ETA: Did a bit of digging and I’m thankfully not losing my marbles yet. There was a copy of the synopsis that mentions Angel in this issue: http://slayalive.com/showthread.php/...to-Boom/page15 See post #289.