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.
no subject
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.