Buffy #33: Twilight Part Two Reviewed! (SPOILERS GALORE)

How does one review a comic that contains one of the biggest moments in not only Season Eight but in the whole of the series? Is there really a way to criticize this singular issue based on the merits of the issue alone without taking into account what came before and theorize what might come afterward? In a word: Nah. Well, maybe, but I don't think it makes sense to do so. In lieu of that, let's dive right in and discuss.

First of all, let's make it official: Angel is Twilight. There were folks thinking we might have been foiled but let me assure you that it's true and that it's one of the most compelling decisions in the comics so far. This is not the issue that answers the question "Can Angel be redeemed for what he's done as Twilight?" although I don't think Angel was capable of true redemption even before that. It's not the issue where we get the explanation for why Angel and Buffy are more super powered than usual. It's just the moment that we finally acknowledge how much everything has changed, and not just between Buffy and Angel. Buffy changed the world. That's what this whole season has been about: the consequences of changing things on a global scale and this is the issue where it starts coming to a head.

Let's make no mistake: you'll either love this issue or hate it. There isn't going to be a lot of in between feelings. On the surface it's about as straight up Bangel as you can get. Yes, there is talk about a shared destiny between them and, yeah, spoiler alert to the max, there is snogging. There's fighting too. There's raging against the dying of the light and there's fear and confusion mixed in as well. It's absolutely huge for anyone who want to see these two characters together and it's anathema for those who don't but the future is still wide open.

Angel asks Buffy this question: "Don't you want to be happy?" and what happens afterward might worry some that the writers are saying something as simple as "Angel is what makes Buffy happy" but it's much more complicated than that. We've known from the start that Twilight's agenda is to end all magic and, to me at least, that means Angel being human and Buffy not being the Chosen One anymore. That is what would make them both happy but that happiness seems as though it will come at a terrible price. That's what I took away from the interaction between Buffy and Angel. Despite the hugeness of the moment, the subtext is pretty subdued. This issue is just the first taste and it's just enough to get you hooked back on the comic if you fell out of love with it somewhere along the way.

There's great moments with other characters, too. In particular, Andrew fans will be pleased to see that he's ready and willing to fight the good fight even in the face of impossible odds. It's a simple moment but one that really reminds me how much Andrew has grown during Season Eight. There's some interaction between Willow and Amy, too, that I thought was amusing. Meltzer really has the voices of all the characters down at this point and the flow of the issue really felt cinematic.

Georges' art is top notch almost all the way through. The notable exception, unsurprisingly, is Angel himself. There are panels where he looks perfect but there are quite a few where he looks a little silly. I'm thinking especially of the second to last panel in the issue which I won't describe in full but, sufficed to say, faces don't move like that.

I can't judge the foreshadowing of the "true history of the universe" that Angel hints that Giles knows about. It's left very open here. There's a smell of potential retconning but I'd rather burn that bridge when we get to it.

All in all, Buffy #33 is one of the best issues of the season, period. It's epic and exciting and it's going to piss off damned near everyone. If you're shipping the Bangel, I'd enjoy this moment because this is the last happy one I bet you're going to get. If you're a Spuffy, a Bander, a Biley, or anything else... well? This might feel like a bit of a bummer, maybe even a punch to the face but I'd stick in there because there's a lot of story left to tell and some blond vampire guy with a soul whose appearance could still be right around the corner.

There's a lot more analysis that can be done but I'd rather hear from all of you. What did you think? What's your hypothesis on what's coming? Can you get me a soda? More questions to follow but, for now, courage...

Scott Allie Talks about the Man Under the Twilight Mask (Major Spoilers)

(Beware: Twilight Identity Spoilers)

Tomorrow's release of Buffy Issue #33 means a lot to fans of Season 8 because Buffy will finally get to see the face under the Twilight mask. Not only that, but 99.9% of us will be free to talk openly about Twilight's true identity as Angel. Even though we've known for a while now, it doesn't mean we're not chomping at the bit to find out the why of it all.

With all the praise, publicity and backlash going on in the fandom these past few months, we figured it was time to ask Dark Horse Editor Super Scott Allie (pictured left) a few questions about Angel and his opinion on what drives the character, the importance of the shanshu, his favorite season and a bit more. If you squint hard enough, there's definitely some (very) subtle hints at what's to come in here. Plus, check out the piece of new preview art at the bottom of the page!

Buffyfest: Let's start with the basics. What do you like most about the character of Angel and what do you dislike most?

Scott Allie: My favorite novel is Frankenstein. To me, Frankenstein is the epitome of the Byronic hero, wonderful but flawed, poetic but monstrous. I'm a big fan of the Dexter TV show, and there's a similar thing going on there. It's this that I love in Angel, same as Spike. All of these guys are monsters and heroes, romantic figures with terrible downsides. These are all poignant figures, genuinely tragic. With Angel, he's got so much to atone for, and even as he strives to make up for it, he's heading toward something worse. It's amazing.

Buffyfest: Not only are you an editor at Dark Horse, but you've also done quite a lot of writing, such as your work on Solomon Kane and Exurbia. If you could write one episode of Angel on TV which Season would it be in and why?

Scott Allie: Final season, because I think it has the most interesting mix of characters.

Buffyfest: It's fascinating that some fans love every season except 5 and others think it's the strongest season. What specifically do you think makes the season 5 group of characters more interesting than the earlier seasons?

Scott Allie: The characters had really become themselves, they'd settled into their personalities and in some cases powers. Some of the character dynamics, the relationships, were in really good shape. The whole thing with Fred, with Spike and Angel. I don't remember how much Connor was in it. Was he in it much? I think it's a little like the Rolling Stones. They did their best stuff, they stood on their own the best, after the Beatles were gone. Between the Buttons compared well to some Beatles records, but with Sticky Fingers the Stones were entirely, perfectly their own band, and only then were they the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World. What were we talking about?

Buffyfest: Ha! Great metaphor. Next up, if you could write a scene between Angel and either Buffy, Giles or Faith who would you choose and why? What would happen in that scene?

Scott Allie: If it was a choice between those, it'd be Giles. It'd be fun to write a scene with Buffy, because I love writing real love scenes, characters that genuinely have that level of connection. But the thing I'd like to deal with in a scene with Giles is Angel's much greater age and experience. Given my personal interests, my background, I'd love to write a scene between these two amazing occult detectives.

Buffyfest: Angel is a very controversial figure for many reasons, but one being his decision to take over Wolfram & Hart. Do you feel that decision makes him less of a hero or was he backed in a corner and trying to do the best he could with his choices?

Scott Allie: I dunno. That wasn't my favorite development. Doesn't make him less of a hero, but it does play into the flawed thing I was talking about before. And it did make me a little less interested in him.

Buffyfest: Buffy and Angel are about to be thrown into each others paths in Season 8 with the revelation of Twilight. What do you think Whedon finds so fascinating about their relationship that he keeps coming back to it?

Scott Allie: These characters spawned a whole genre, this paranormal romance thing, with that other Twilight. It's a big deal. He created something epic, iconic, archetypal with this relationship. That was something I put a lot of thought into with Conan, the few ideas that come along once in a while and really speak to us in a huge, permanent way, spawning unlimited imitations.

Buffyfest: Staying on the topic of these two characters, what do you think makes Buffy and Angel similar as heroes and what makes them different?

Scott Allie: They're similarly moral, heroic, flawed, arrogant. Part demon, with a sharp wit, mad ninja skills. But they're real different, in interesting ways, more personal ways. She's defined by her friends, he connects in limited ways with just about anyone but her. She's got a strong moral compass, that's only undermined by her selfishness. Well, it's not as simple as that, but that is an aspect of her. His morality is more self-serving, but not selfishly so.

Buffyfest: What are your feelings about the shanshu? Do you think Angel will be rewarded at the end of his story? Do you think he should be?

Scott Allie: I'm conflicted on this. I would love to see the shanshu through, but I don't know if Angel really needs to be defined by it. I personally think that at the end of the day, that prophecy is not the most important thing for Joss when it comes to Angel.

Buffyfest: So then, what do you think is the most important thing for Joss when it comes to Angel and following up on that, in the most general sense, what matters most to the character of Angel?

Scott Allie: One word to answer both questions, and this is not gonna be popular with some fans, but you can see it coming ... Buffy.

Thanks to Scott for a really interesting interview. If you haven't seen the preview for Issue #33, check it out here.

See below for an extra preview page where, to quote Scott, "Giles explains the secret history of vampires and slayers." What? What secret history? Oh man, Season 8 is about to get really interesting.

March Madness Whedonverse Character Tournament - The Worst of the Lot

One year ago we challenged the fandom to a lethal tourney. The goal? Find out the fan favorite character of the entire Whedonverse. Buffy reigned champ there, by the way, followed EXTREMELY closely by Spikey-poo.With that behind us (along with a heated Favorite Episode Tourney 6 months later), we thought we'd flip the script this time and try to find the opposite....the most hated character of them all. And so we give you March Madness: The Worst of the Lot.

Well, we all have our favorite most beloved characters, but who do we most despise? A character so lame, so annoying, we just wish never existed at all. We here at Buffyfest definitely have our predictions, but at the end of this ambitious month long journey, we'll know for sure. So, over the next 4 weeks we will give out computer-generated randomized pairings of characters from Joss Whedon shows: Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and Dollhouse.

Let the games begin! Today is part 1 of round 1 and has 16 matches. It will end in 72 hrs - March 3rd at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. See the pairings below and if you're playing, make sure to click the name you DISLIKE. Remember, we're trying to find the worst of the lot here...so if they annoy you, click away.

Click here to view the full Tournament Bracket.

Amber Benson's 'Cat's Claw'

Amber Benson just released the next installment of her Calliope Reaper-Jones series entitled, Cat's Claw, and hey, a blurb from Bitsy's review of Death's Daughter is on the back cover!

“An exciting new universe you’ll be chomping at the bit to dive back into time and again.” -BUFFYFEST

If you're in town, Miss Benson will be around our way in snowy NYC today signing copies of the book. Deets below:

Midtown Comics
Saturday
Feb 27, 2010
3-5pm

Midtown Comics Times Square
200 W 40th Street (Corner of 7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10018
Tel: 1.800.411.3341

Eliza May Star in Ghostbusters 3; Upcoming 'Kickass' Joss Whedon Film

2 pieces of info hit the internets today courtesy of Hollywood Life and Eliza Dushku's mouth itself. She *may* be appearing in the *rumored* upcoming sequel to the Ghostbusters series, Ghostbusters 3. Dan Aykroyd apparently wants her in it and hey, they are old friends. Actually, I remember this coming up before. That's right, it was almost a year ago that Aykroyd was quoted as wanting both Dushku and Alyssa Milano in the third film as they had recently done voice over for the GB video game. I feel like this is almost certainly going to happen. I wonder how Bitsy will feel about all this, since it's one of his favorite film franchises of all time.

Even bigger news was Eliza also said she and Joss have been thinking about working on a film for a few years. It's unclear if this was a Gouda Pizza-type-situation (there has to be drugs in that stuff or something) but she seems quite confident they'd be working on the feature very soon. Here's the quote:

“I would say that we would [be working on something new very soon]!” she confided to us. “I think we’re going to work on a kickass feature together that we’ve been thinking about for a few years.”


"Kickass" huh? Oh boy, let the speculation commence!

Super Whedonite Family Wins Jayne Hat Contest

So a while back we did an impromptu contest based around Jayne Cobb's mother's now infamous hand knitted hat and Mom/Son duo Kaaren and Jacob are the winners! Who can resist a Browncoat household? We certainly can't!

Plus, hello, added bonus of posing in front of the Whedonverse Swapped Ornament covered tree and in Whedon shirts! I can't take it!

Kaaren and Jacob have won a Buffyfest gift box and the glory of rocking the hell out of that fuzzy orange wonder. Thanks for your awesome entry and congrats!

Top 10 Reasons Why Buffy's a Super Duper Hero

There's a list that came out a few days ago citing the Top 10 Whedon Heroes. This list was surprisingly void of many names that come to mind when I think of the word "hero"in the Whedonverse. An argument can be made for Anya, Illyria, Jayne and, dare I say, Andrew to be considered heroes, but to put those names above characters like Doyle, Cordelia, Faith, Xander, Gunn, Willow and, I can't believe I'm typing this, Buffy?

Buffy's pretty much the hero above all the heroes in the verse. And I'm not just talking about hero because of super powers, it's really Buffy's heart that makes her the Top Dog in the Whedonverse. Everyone's got there own opinion, and we've got ours too, so we've decided to give you the Top Ten Reasons why Buffy is super duper Whedon hero above all the rest!

10. She graduated high school even though she got about three hours of sleep a night because she was fighting evil doers. Most of us barely graduated on eight hours!

9. She made sure everyone else graduated high school, too, instead of getting eaten by a giant snake.

8. She was determined that her friends would have a good prom night, even though she wouldn't.

7. She wouldn't sacrifice Ben, a human, even though he was Glory. Yes, Ben is Glory and Glory is Ben.

6. She fought against the Watcher's Council, a group that's been around for a lifetime, because she knew what was right and important.

5. She gave those she cared about the benefit of the doubt even when it wasn't a popular decision because she saw the potential and didn't believe in giving up on them (see: Angel in Season 2/3, Faith in Season 3, Willow in Season 6/7, Spike in Season 7).

4. She was 16 and didn't wanna die, but she faced The Master anyway.

3. She killed the man she loved to save the world.

2. She sacrificed herself to save her sister and the world.

1. She inspired almost every single character in Sunnydale and L.A. to be who they would eventually become. Some of those people include Willow, Angel, Xander, Cordelia, Wesley, Spike, Oz, Anne/Chanterelle/Lilly, Riley, every potential and Robin Wood.

fanvid sunday: Serenity/Doctor Who edition

This fanvid sunday might be for serious nerds only. I got the hankering for a little Doctor Who meets cast of Serenity and I came up with gold. I'm going to include two videos, one that's a little more Firefly and the other is... well, it's basically all DW all the time. Without further ado, let's get on with the show. First the crossover:

The second is a really interesting opening for Doctor Who's End of Time Part 2 using the theme from Firefly. It's kind of awesome. PPeep it out:

aaaaand that's all for now. Hope that scratched both your Whedon and your RTD itch for the weekend. Happy Sunday, everybody!

Michelle Trachtenberg Nasty Rapping in Jersey

That headline is not a metaphor! Ha! The Dawson Leary addition just makes it all the more random. WTF?

Holy Frakking Awesome!

I know I'm late to the game, but I just finished Battlestar Galactica and it was amazing! To me, nothing topped the friendship of Adama and Tigh - I was blown away by just about every scene they were in together - and Tahmoh Penikett was much more interesting to watch on this show (sorry). What else? Oh, I hated Starbuck, a lot, but it was the kind of hate that only comes from a show with good enough writing to make you so passionate about your hatred. I am feeling the sadness now that it's over, but it was worth every minute and here's to hoping Caprica can fill the void. So say we all. Love it!

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend (Sorta)!

Buffy: Oh, Valentine's Day is just a cheap gimmick to sell cards and chocolate.

Amy: Bad breakup, huh?
Buffy: Believe me when I say "uh-huh."

Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered

It's really hard to write a positive post in honor of Valentine's Day because, let's face it, there isn't so much of the happy when it comes to love in the Whedonverse. A few months back we tried writing about the happy moments of the verse, but as you'll see it kinda backfired. Of course, it was funny and fun to write, so it's a win anyway. This time around, let's take it from another angle, tragedy, which seems to be the only way Joss knows how to write love. In honor of Valentine's Day Weekend we give you Wired's Top 10 Tragic Love Stories in Geek Fiction and, not surprisingly, two of our couples made the list.

Is Eliza Dushku's Career Over? Or Just About To Soar?

When the news broke yesterday that Eliza Dushku's first post-Dollhouse project would be a cheesy horror film stuffed with 90's has-beens (sorry!) James Van Der Beek and Freddie Prinze, Jr. a.k.a Mr. Sarah Michelle Gellar, I was so befuddled I didn't even want to post the news. I didn't want to add fuel to Michelle's hate or Bitsy's rants. Maybe they haven't looked on the internet today" I hoped. Please, these guys have every Whedonverse news sources known to the 'nets on their feed readers, so that thought was probably in vain. And the worst side effect was I couldn't stop comparing future on set rumors of a scandal between Eliza and Freddie, with Faith-as-Buffy having sex with Riley in Season 4's "Who Are You?" Blagh.

I don't even know why I was protecting Eliza so much. I came around to Dollhouse in the end, but I do think it took a lot of time away from our boy. She's beautiful, but I've yet to see a stellar acting performance. She's cool, but tends to announce it way too often, rendering her uncool in the process. Maybe the reason I cared was because she actually did an amazing thing with Dollhouse. She had a production deal with FOX that she actually made good on, no matter how it ended. A lot of people get production deals, but a lot of people can't woo Mr. Joss Whedon with Gouda Pizza. As Executive Producer, she probably called more shots than any of us realize over at the Dollhouse. And she took control of her career, which many 90's actors have been struggling to do. I'm looking at you Sarah Michelle Gellar, not that it's your fault.

So why the lame-ass horror movie? Maybe because there is no horror movie. AfterEllen blew the whole thing wide open today and it really made me question, was this just a vicious rumor? Evidence shows that Eliza and her Boston Divas Productions (I will say nothing about that) purchased the rights to the film almost a year ago. Eliza cast her brother Nate as the lead, playing photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. And as AfterEllen also pointed out, Eliza just tweeted yesterday that things were moving along with the project. Eliza speaks about it in this clip:

Something is definitely rotten in Denmark. We'll keep you posted.

Watch Eliza talk about the Mapplethorpe project back in October of 2009. in the clip below (around the 30 second mark.)

UPDATE: Thank goodness this rumor has been debunked by Eliza herself on Twitter.

Sarah Michelle Gellar's Last Two Films Finally Hit Shelves

Since 2006's The Return, Sarah Michelle Gellar's last 5 project's have gone straight to DVD or haven't seen the light of day at all (voice-over work notwithstanding.) Now, 2 of those projects will finally be released, but sadly also straight to DVD. It's been a while, so let's recap:

Possession is a suspense/thriller that has been shelved for more than 2 years. According to the IMDB:

"due to Yari Film Group (the film's distributor) filing a Chapter 11 protection, its release has been pushed back close to a dozen times."

The gist is, Smidge's hubbie and his brother, played by Lee Pace (of Pushing Daises excellence), are in a car accident. When Pace awakes from his coma, he's been taken over by the soul of Smidge's husband....or has he? Dun dun DUN! Possesion is said be released on March 9th.



In Veronika Decides to Die, which has the cover of an 80's John Hughes film, Smidge's character seems to have it all but still decides to kill herself. She fails, a teen heartthrob learns the value of a geek, wackiness ensues.

Based on the international best-selling novel by Paulo Coelho, this film will be available on DVD on April 27th.

Fanvid Sunday: The Twilight Takeover Edition (Spoilers)

That's right, today will be a very special edition because I'm taking over Fanvid Sunday! Why you ask? Mostly I want to steal Bitsy's thunder. Just kidding (not really.)

Warning: Major Spoilers for Buffy S.8 and the Twilight Reveal below:

The actual reason I've jacked Fanvid Sunday is because ever since Twilightgate (tm) rocked this fandom, we've been wondering if a fanvid exists using the shocking subject matter of Twilight's now known true spoiler-ish identity. Bits hasn't been able to find any in the 'verse for a month now...so I secretly approached friends of Buffyfest and Lady Gaga fanvid creators - Juniper and Justin - to make a custom one just for Buffyfest! Oh yeah! I know, I know, some might say this will be the best Fanvid Sunday ever. Some might just be right.



Love it! Now we're not usually in the business of making vids. Aside from Bitsy's Vlogs and the occasional massive international hit single, we stay away from such fare. So we needed an expert to collabo with. Thanks so much guys! Check out Juniper and Justin's fabulous Gaga inspired film shorts at www.youtube.com/user/juniperjacobs1.

And like Bitsy says: Happy Sunday everybody!

Newsies: Randomness Edition

CBR has started a new monthly column called "Behind Buffy Season 8". This month, it's Super Scott Allie discussing #31 "Turbulence" and the first issue of the "Twilight" arc, #32.





BONES celebrated their 100th episode, directed by David Boreano, with a cake and champagne celebration on the 20th Century Fox lot. See more pics from the bash here. I'm feeling a twinge of jealousy that Angel only went on a bit longer, and that Bones will soon surpass that number.



Not only has Julie Benz's stint on Desperate Housewives been extended, but she'll also be starring in a Hallmark Channel movie about a stressed out woman who finds relaxation in wine country called Uncorked. I really wish Bits was around today to comment on that last part. There is also an interview with her over at AfterEllen.




Emma Caulfield's movie TiMER, about a clock that is implanted into a person's wrist and counts down to the moment you will meet your soul mate and find true love, will open the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival! The film 'fest starts on March 18th.