"Buffy" issue 6 review

[moscow_watcher]

I've got the impression that, contrary to the title "No Future For You" future belongs to Faith. The issue screams "Faith spinoff".


Summary:

Faith the Vampire Slayer arc starts with Faith slaying in Cleveland. She gets a phone call from her ex, former director Wood, who asks her to take care of the kids whose mother has become a vampire. Turns out the kids have also been sired so Faith has to dust them. She returns into her small and dilapidated apartment utterly frustrated and miserable to find Giles waiting for her.

Faith informs him wants to retire, but she can't do it because she hasn't a passport or any other papers. Giles proposes her a job after which she could call it quits forever. She has to kill a rogue slayer, Lady Genevieve Savidge, "wealthiest and most-protected heiress in the British Isles" because Giles' sources predicted that if the girl won't be stopped, there will be another end of the world.

Seems that Genevieve also has a watcher (well, kind of): wizard Roden, who encourages her darkness and provokes Genevieve to kill a slayer. Genevieve is genuinely shocked when she sees that the girl is dead, but Roden tells her not to worry: "his boys" (flying demons) will take care of the body. Roden seems to be a mighty wizard, and he is carrying a book with New!Initiative logo on the cover.

Giles explains that there is no way to attack Genevieve directly so Faith has to impersonate an aristocratic debutante and infiltrate Genevieve's inner circle. Giles teaches Faith the rules of etiquette. She has a weird gallucination of a man (a vamp) calling her a whore and she stabs Giles in the arm with a fork (weird moment; hopefully it will be explained later on).

Meanwhile Buffy and Xander have a funny interlude in their Scottish castle. Muscled, fit and manly Xander punches a bag while Buffy ogles him. He mentions his sparring sessions with Renee but quickly adds that he and Renee are just pals. He mentions that Giles in "incommunicado" for several weeks now. Buffy tells him that she has nightmares of "things" chasing her and, before swallowing her, declaring "The queen is dead".

"Long live the queen" - echoes the beast at the background.

Faith and Giles arrive in London (which, for a change, is identified not by Big Ben but by Doctor Who and Rose in front of their phone booth). Obviously, Faith has mastered her English manners as she now speaks like Spike, using the word "sodding". Then again, Giles, seeing Faith in the designer dress, suddenly starts to talk like Faith, saying that she looks "five by five"...

Analysis:

The fish-out-of-the-water set-up is classic and is considered better suited for comedic purposes. The analogy with My Fair Lady is obvious. But No Future For You strives for a dramatic storytelling. Faith-Giles banter is huge fun, but the story is grim and controversial. Two mentors set their respective charges to kill Slayers. Will the darkness of the material clash with whimsical mood of the set-up? So far, fun and darkness go hand in hand without becoming jarring.

Obviously writers "rewound" Faith the way they rewound Spike for AtS season 5. In 2003 Spike turned into a "BtVS season 4 character" as soon as he has crossed over to "Angel". Today Faith is rewritten in a very similar manner, as a "BtVS season 4 character" - bitter, lonely escaped convict who doesn't have a purpose in life.

stormwreath has interesting meta dedicated to Faith's character development. I basically agree with him - Faith's current problems are nothing but a plot device. Lonely, desperate hero is much more compelling than a character who has everything under control. Problem is, Faith has always been more compelling than Buffy - for that exact reason. And I suppose Vaughn has a reason to enhance her status.

The first thought I had when I finished the issue was about the possibility of Faith spinoff. I can't shake off the impression that Vaughn is using this arc as a "test-screening" of a possible long-running franchise.

Faith is clearly positioned as a Campbellian Hero at the beginning of the Journey. Her voyage from Cleveland to London and her current mission could be the Crossing of the First Threshold; at least all requisite elements - The Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Supernatural Aid - are present. Faith's hallucinations might be another indication: they may be introduced as a convenient plot device (similar to Buffy's dreamspace) and, at the same time, a mystery she has to comprehend. The theme of slayed family (OK, vampire family, but still) may be a prologue to Faith's psychological journey of self-discovery and, maybe, partial re-establishment of family bonds with Scoobies. I remember reading a spoiler that Faith will face her mother's past; her first lines in the issue obviously confirm it.

Could spinoff potential be the reason Faith's isolation from the Scoobies? I suppose so. After all, writers could make Faith accept this mission even if she wasn't that desperate and lonely. But if Vaughn was zeroing in on possible spin-off when he was writing this mini-arc then he had to keep Faith more or less apart from other characters.

Vaughn could be a good writer of Faith spinoff. He confessed that he loves Faith more than Buffy and it shows: Buffy's presence in the issue boils down to expository stuff and Xander-ogling.

Speaking of ogling, Bander vibes become louder with every issue. The Buffy\Xander scene screams "shippy". They may talk about Renee and Giles, but it's not talk, it's set-up that matters. Buffy and Xander could discuss their problems in the library or armury or anywhere else where the writer doesn't have a chance to disrobe the character.

Seasonal arc development is frustratingly absent in this issue too. Of course, the secret of good storytelling is story being a bit ahead of the reader to make him gasp in amazement. But in this case the story is too much ahead. Or behind. Obviously the events of issue 6 happen after the events of the first arc which has ended with a lot of questions; yet nobody mention (even in passing) anything related to The Long Way Home. Does Buffy keep general Voll a prisoner in her castle or she has let him go and continue his nefarious deeds? Did she and her friends researched the archives of the New!Initiative and found out who they are and what they conspire? Does Giles know about the events of the first 4 issues? Is Dawn still a giant? What happened between Willow and Kennedy?

Obviously something kept happening to the characters all this time, but we're not allowed to know. Then again, it's "comics timeline", which means that time doesn't exist. It could be a month that has passed between issue 4 and 6. It could be a day. I wonder how many issues later we'll find out what happened after Buffy's "Oh... kay" and if we'll find it out at all.

Curiously, with each issue Buffy looks younger and younger. On the latest panel she has pigtails and she looks like a 16-years old girl. Will she reach kindergarten age by the end of the season? But formally she's the Big Boss. In Giles' absence she runs everything (although she never bothers with legal and financial matters... OK, I agree to suspend my disbelief). Faith's panels are very uneven: some close-ups are beautiful and inspired, some are plain ugly. As to Genevieve, on her full-face panels she looks like Renee's twin. Seriously, when I saw the first panel with Genevieve, my first thought was "Renee and Xander are having a very good time, but why is Xander wearing a red jacket?"

Bottom line: I like the issue. But I still like fic Ransomed by anaross better (it's a story about Faith, Spike, Giles, Xander and Andrew running a Slayer school in California).

Comments

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

The "weird moment" is, I think, one of the children that Faith just dusted calling her a whore.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

You may be right. I wonder if these flashbacks will be important for the plot of the next 3 issues.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

And its funny that you should see spin-off in all of this because I saw the opposite. Faith will be ale to see, from the outside for the first time, the destructive impact that a bad slayer has. This time she will be drawn closer to Buffy, rather than away - that's my hope any way!

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

I've got the impression that this mission will alienate Faith from Buffy. At least initially. I can't forget the cover on which she drowns Buffy.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

That cover still strikes me as allegorical rather than literal so I am not too sure what to make of it yet.

[tigerpetals.livejournal.com]

I thought that was a callback to Buffy's dream in season three.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Quite possible. So far, practically all Chen's covers were allegorical and had nothing to do with the actual plot. So it may be a symbol, a dream, a flashback - anything.

[catalyst2.livejournal.com]

ummm, "Faith will be able to see ...."
Stupid keyboard making all those typos - has nothing to do with the operator, of course!

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

"Curiously, with each issue Buffy looks younger and younger. On the latest panel she has pigtails and she looks like a 16-years old girl. Will she reach kindergarten age by the end of the season?"
At this rate we'll be seeing a stake wielding fetus trying to dust vamps!

Seriously I thought the writing was better then previous issues, but the artwork is really starting to grate on me now. Faith looks like Buffys older uglier sister, and as you say Buffy herself looks far too young to be going out alone let alone 'fight the good fight'.

Thank god Giles at least looks his correct age. That front cover at was gorgeous, pity that inside was the usual disappointment though.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

At this rate we'll be seeing a stake wielding fetus trying to dust vamps!

Bwahaha! Sue, you're unimitable! :)))

the artwork is really starting to grate on me now.

There are panels I try to forget seeing. But Giles looks pretty much like ASH. And I agree, Jeanty's Giles can't compete with Joan Chen's awesome cover.

[kathyh]

I agree with sueworld2003. I enjoyed the issue quite a bit and the story seemed quite promising (apart from the totally cliched view of an English aristocrat) but the artwork is beginning to drive me crazy. Some panels are OK, but in others I can't even tell who the character is supposed to be. I don't know whether it's because Jeanty is bad or that I simply don't like his style, but it is definitely starting to affect my enjoyment of the series.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

You know, I grew up in Soviet Russia where comics were practically non-existent, so BtVS is my first foray into the medium. And since the first issue the art reminds me illustrations in the books for very small children.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover totally different style in Spike comics - more adult, expressive and eccentric. I'm so glad that the same artist, Franco Urru will be working on "Angel" season 6.

[marvelgirl-art.livejournal.com]

я согласна с catalyst2, в видении фэйт был один из распыленных ею детей. и я еще при первом появлении первых страниц 6 выпуска говорила алхене, что тема убийство детей - довольно серьезна и это здорово потрепит фэйт нервы. отсюда и ее реакция при входе в квартиру *кол воткнутый в стену*. ее общим душевным терзаниям только убийства младенцев не доставало *сарказм сопереживающего фаната*.

а воткнутая в джайлза вилка и комментарий "не люблю, когда меня лапают, если не я первая начинаю лапать", на мой взгляд, вполне могут намекать на тяжелое детство фэйт не только в плане алкоголизма матери, но и в плане излишнего внимания к маленькой фэйт со стороны нетрезвых маминых хахалей, а может даже и родного папочки.

впрочем, все это, конечно же, энгстовые спекуляции впечатлительного фаната.

а мысль про арку мне тоже в голову приходила. мне нравится эта идея. ибо "надломленный" характер фэйт мне, как и вону, гораздо интереснее персонажа ровного и образцового.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

а воткнутая в джайлза вилка и комментарий "не люблю, когда меня лапают, если не я первая начинаю лапать", на мой взгляд, вполне могут намекать на тяжелое детство фэйт не только в плане алкоголизма матери, но и в плане излишнего внимания к маленькой фэйт со стороны нетрезвых маминых хахалей, а может даже и родного папочки.

Согласна - но я не представляю, как можно развить и распутать столько сюжетных направлений в трех оставшихся выпусках. Плюс Вон признавался, что любит всех героев и написал сцены с участием всех скубей. Поэтому мне и кажется, что эти четыре выпуска - только начало.

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

Seriously, when I saw the first panel with Genevieve, my first thought was "Renee and Xander are having a very good time, but why is Xander wearing a red jacket?"

Really? I knew she was the other slayer because I already saw the other covers for issue 7 and 8. Besides, Renee is black and Xander's hair is, also, black. And I didn't think they'd jump into a Xander/Renee situation that quickly. :)

Thanks for the link to the fic :) It's been awhile since I've read a good long series.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

I knew she was the other slayer because I already saw the other covers for issue 7 and 8. Besides, Renee is black and Xander's hair is, also, black.

I read jpeg version and I know that the skin color often depends on the scanner. As to Roden's hair, I thought it was a cap to match the jacket. I quickly realised that I was wrong and it's not Renee and Xander, but for a moment I was confused.

Thanks for the link to the fic :) It's been awhile since I've read a good long series.

I have to warn you that Xander only appears in chapter 18 - but this chapter contains one of the funniest and poignant Spike-Xander scenes I read in genfiction. (http://anaross.livejournal.com/27811.html)

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

When the vamp-child called Faith a whore in that weird moment I thought of Wood at first. He called Buffy a "filthy whore" once and those children were his petty-revenge salute to Faith. But I agree there must be something more going on with that moment and probably something about her family will come up.
Also the run-down house where kids lived looked like a typical South Boston getto house where Faith must have grown up.

As for Faith character issues - she's in about the same place where we left her in Season 7, minus Wood. I don't think she's Season-4 girl. In A4/B7 she just got out of prison to help Angel (and almost died there), and then she went to Sunnydale to help with Apokalypse there. Non-stop fighting for couple of weeks out of prison - that's all we saw of her. She made peace with Buffy but didn't become her friend (and she never will, I suspect), same with other Scoobies. And I never thought their affair with Wood would be long term or that he would be good for her. He had his own issues and as we saw here he only made it worse.
I agree that putting her at rock bottom here is a plot device and that fate could have been kinder to her. But what we are seeing is totally plausible. And for me also highlights another theme: isolation of Buffy in her castle. And Faith here reminds me of that decoy slayer in #5 also sent on a dangerous mission - how much does Buffy know about all of this?

As for Buffy and Xander - their scenes were very intimate and hot. I just wish they would drop the joke and get on with it - hook him up with Renee, or Buffy, or whatever. Just wake me up when they get there. :)

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

And Faith here reminds me of that decoy slayer in #5 also sent on a dangerous mission - how much does Buffy know about all of this?

We know that she doesn't know about Giles' visit to Faith (he's "incommunicado"). I presume she doesn't know about Faith's mission too.

I just wish they would drop the joke and get on with it - hook him up with Renee, or Buffy, or whatever. Just wake me up when they get there. :)

Knowing Joss I suppose it will happen in the last issue. You may sleep peacefully! :))))

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

Спасибо за наводку на фик - вчера читала до 5 утра. :) Да, Анаросс здорово пишет, и мне гораздо больше нравится их школа для девиц (и все необходимые выяснения отношений), чем то, что мы видим в комиксах. Но честно скажу, что когда это стало Спейт, стало скучней - именно сами эти отношения. Конфликта нет между ними, и все слишком гладко, и сразу не так интересно. Тогда как Спаффи...

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Но честно скажу, что когда это стало Спейт, стало скучней - именно сами эти отношения. Конфликта нет между ними, и все слишком гладко, и сразу не так интересно.

Согласна, конфликта между Фейт и Спайком практически нет, есть только неуверенность в себе, скрытая под броней зубоскальства по поводу и без. Спаффские фики Анаросс цепляют сильнее. Там почти каждая сцена - смех сквозь слезы. Я из переписку по e-mail в Long Day чуть ли не наизусть выучила, столько раз перечитывала. И каждый раз звучит свежо, и я буквально слышу их голоса.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

Knowing Joss I suppose it will happen in the last issue.

Nope. It will have to happen in the next to the last issue - so he
still has an issue left to kill off one member of the couple, as he's done for every other couple ever.

[elisi]

she made peace with Buffy but didn't become her friend (and she never will, I suspect), same with other Scoobies.
As for the Scoobies, then I agree - but I could definitely see a post-Chosen Buffy/Faith friendship (and not just because I've written it). It's like Spike and Angel - from what we saw on BtVS we knew they 'couldn't stand each other', but in AtS S5 they showed that they could overcome all their issues and bond over the things they shared (and of course we see that they love each other!). I think Buffy and Faith could definitely go the same route. (I love their conversation in 'End of Days', it shows that they understand each other perfectly - they've both tried being each other.)

[ntshpp.livejournal.com]

Говоря о спиноффе, вы имеете в виду отдельный комикс (канонический?) про Фейт, или же телефильм типа «Риппера»?

Мой английский слабоват, вы не подскажете, пжлст, что имеет в виду Зандер говоря «But I’m sure he’s got too many books that need shelving to worry about a classic that already been checked out. Um, not that anyone is checking you out, of course».

Да, и еще – в комиксе Джайлз правша, а в BtVS он всегда был левшой (как и Тони Хед). Интересно, если появится Спайк, он тоже превратится в правшу? :)

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

что имеет в виду Зандер говоря «But I’m sure he’s got too many books that need shelving to worry about a classic that already been checked out. Um, not that anyone is checking you out, of course».

Здесь игра слов. Применительно к книгам check out - выдача книг в библиотеке. Применительно к человеку - выставить, выселить, выписать из гостиницы. Я не вижу в русском схожей игры слов, поэтому перевожу в обход: "Ему нужно расставить по полкам много новых книг и некогда думать о старых делах, оставшихся в прошлом. Нет, я не хочу сказать, что он оставил тебя в прошлом".

Интересно, если появится Спайк, он тоже превратится в правшу?

Он уже превратился - в комиксах Линча, который будет делать шестой сезон "Ангела" :)

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

Нет, здесь другая игра слов. Checking out также означает оценивать сексапильность, кадриться к кому-то. Поэтому Зандер так и смутился, когда понял что сказал. Он имел в виду что Джайлс занимается с новыми слеершами, как с новыми книжками, которых надо наставить на путь истинный. А на Баффи, на известную классику, которая уже на пути истинном, ему нет времени.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Ха! Век живи - век учись. Ни в одном словаре такого значения не видела.
Хорошо, когда есть человек, знающий в совершенстве оба языка! :)

[pen-romantic.livejournal.com]

I would absolutely adoore a Faith spinoff

I think Buffy will come over toa sk giles about the nightmares.. and she will see Faith going bersrk on another salyer .. without knowing Buffy will attack her or something like taht


Amazing analysis... or should I say Five by Five

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Amazing analysis... or should I say Five by Five

Thanks! I'd love to read Faith spinoff too. Since Joss was thinking about Faith and Spike spinoff back in 2003, I think he has a lot of stories to tell.

[pen-romantic.livejournal.com]

I heard somewhere he was peparinga new show for next aseason ... although it wont be from the buffyverse

OK AGAIN I NEED SPIKE ... even a cameo PLEASE!

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Hopefully Joss will include him in some of the issues. Anyway soon we'll see a lot of Spike on AtS: After the Fall...

[elisi]

Excellent review. A couple of points...

Obviously writers "rewound" Faith the way they rewound Spike for AtS season 5. In 2003 Spike turned into a "BtVS season 4 character" as soon as he has crossed over to "Angel".
Yes and no. Yes, in AtS S5 Spike was much more laddish than he had been since S4, but a lot of this could be put down to Angel's influence (Angel also turned all petulant around Spike). The difference that I'm seeing is that S5 Spike (although being sucked into hell etc), is clear on who he is - he's a hero. Angel tries to undermine this of course (because he feels threatened), and it works to some extent, but we never see Spike do anything ambiguous until he tortures the Doctor in 'Shells' - and by then he and Angel are very much Champions working side-by-side, all bickering put to side for the time being. Faith however seems to be back to her S4 *mindset*, fighting against a feeling of worthlessness (trying to get fake passports echoing her theft of Buffy's). So rather than character *development* it feels like a backslide. This is of course entirely possible, esp given the set-up, but it makes me sad.

Speaking of ogling, Bander vibes become louder with every issue.
You think so? Sorry, I see only friendship - Xander's refusal of anything 'going on with Rene' only re-inforcing that he *is* interested in her (Rene). Xander was always 'the heart', and Buffy confiding in him is very nice, considering how they were beginning to mend their fences at the end of S7. But I don't get a single shippy vibe, sorry. (Also it's icky.)

Seasonal arc development is frustratingly absent in this issue too.
I thought it a big plus. One character, one story - hurrah! Couldn't care less about the Buffy side.

Will she reach kindergarten age by the end of the season?
Bwah!

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

You think so? Sorry, I see only friendship - Xander's refusal of anything 'going on with Rene' only re-inforcing that he *is* interested in her (Rene). Xander was always 'the heart', and Buffy confiding in him is very nice, considering how they were beginning to mend their fences at the end of S7. But I don't get a single shippy vibe, sorry. (Also it's icky.)

I won't say icky :) but I agree. The scene was mostly about friendship for me, especially since by S7, Buffy and Xander were growing closer as friends. Her staring at Xander screamed more 'Buffy mockingly gaze at something silly Xander is doing', she usually did that on the show.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Her staring at Xander screamed more 'Buffy mockingly gaze at something silly Xander is doing', she usually did that on the show.

I don't see mocking. Maybe because I correlate this page to Buffy's erotic dream about Xander. And her next close-up shows that she's uphappy with Renee being Xander's "sparring partner". After many sparring sessions with Spike Buffy perfectly realises the implications... :)

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Faith however seems to be back to her S4 *mindset*, fighting against a feeling of worthlessness (trying to get fake passports echoing her theft of Buffy's). So rather than character *development* it feels like a backslide. This is of course entirely possible, esp given the set-up, but it makes me sad.

I'm trying to be optimistic about it. In the majority of cases BtVS characters develop along the "good - evil" axis. So when a characters starts on a good side there is a strong chance to see them turning evil (Angel, Willow). OTOH, Spike and Faith have started as evil but eventually both turned good.

So I say to myself that Faith accepting a wetwork is the beginning of a long and compelling journey with many twists and revelations.

I see only friendship - Xander's refusal of anything 'going on with Rene' only re-inforcing that he *is* interested in her (Rene). Xander was always 'the heart', and Buffy confiding in him is very nice, considering how they were beginning to mend their fences at the end of S7.

I rather see Buffy seeking a chance to see Xander shirtless. And Xander being clueless about Renee's feelings.

I thought it a big plus. One character, one story - hurrah! Couldn't care less about the Buffy side.

I wouldn't mind the absence of seasonal arc development if issue 6 didn't mention Buffy at all. But she and Xander have a pretty long (by comics standards) talk and there pages don't move the story along at all. Buffy has caught general Voll when he has commited a murder. And? Was he arrested? Has he managed to escape? Has Buffy just let him go, his crime notwithstanding? Or maybe Joss has already forgotten about it?
I tend to believe the latter. The scene in the training room was written to demonstrate sexy manly Xander and everything that happened in the first 4 issues won't have any consequences.

[elisi]

So I say to myself that Faith accepting a wetwork is the beginning of a long and compelling journey with many twists and revelations.
Oh same here. Or as many twists and turns as can be packed into 4 issues...

I rather see Buffy seeking a chance to see Xander shirtless. And Xander being clueless about Renee's feelings.
It's a dream. Buffy *might* be interested, since there's no one else, but even dream!Xander is trying to hide.

I tend to believe the latter. The scene in the training room was written to demonstrate sexy manly Xander and everything that happened in the first 4 issues won't have any consequences.
Ouch! But I have to say that I can't really see any layers, which is sad. It's interesting though, because I'm re-watching Doctor Who (it's on every night at 7pm), and even the rubbish episodes usually have lots of metaphorical and thematical stuff going on, which is v. nice to discover. I'm praying that something similar will be the case with S8 - that once we know what's happening stuff will show hidden meanings. Um, prayer alone might not do... how does one perform a ritual sacrifice?

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

I'm praying that something similar will be the case with S8 - that once we know what's happening stuff will show hidden meanings.

Joining your prayers. But I have more hopes for AtS s6 than for BtVS s8.

[elisi]

Oh, one thing re. her hallucionation - I thought it was fairly obvious that it was a flash-back to one of the vamp-kids attacking her.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think you're right. But I wonder the purpose of this insert. Is this flashback a set-up for something ominous interesting?

[lilred26x.livejournal.com]

I enjoy your reviews! You always have a viewpoint or theory that I haven't considered. I enjoyed the first four issues, but I didn't really start look forward to them until the last two. I think it'll be interesting to see which path they take Faith on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I've friended you to be sure I don't miss any future reviews. Hope that's okay.

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I'm looking forward to next issues, althouth the art often grates on me. Faith is a fascinating character - unfathomable and unpredictable. And - I friended you back. The more BtVS fans the merrier! :)