I've been wondering about the title 'The Long Way Home', and what it might refer to. I suppose we'll find out in a month's time, but in the meantime, here are three ideas.
While I'm a lot more positive about the comics that you, I do agree that the Core Four dynamic needs to be strengthened - but I get the impression Joss is trying to do that with the comics after losing some of his focus in the later seasons of the TV show. And yes, Willow 'thumping sense into the others' would be a good way to do that.
Introducing new themes and characters is always going to be a problem for the comics - because it's a new medium for a lot of readers, I think he needs to be cautious about introducing lots of new elements all of a sudden, and instead give us familiar faces while introducing new people and organisations bit by bit.
Sort of agree with you on the new theme stuff how it can be more difficult in comics. So here the medium might be working against him. But he also seems to be using it to do ideas he wouldn't have the budget to do which is sometimes good but generally seems to be bad with JW
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Straight B/X with a slow build over the whole 50 issues I would like maybe ending with a skateboard scene. Ending with a skateboard scene would be a classic way of returning to the beginning, I agree. :)
I'm getting a feeling that Joss is trying to re-do season 4 the way he'd originally envisaged it, hence why it's reminiscent of that time period. Plus maybe explore themes from S6/S7 that he couldn't concentrate on earlier because at the time he was writing Firefly...
Lots of interesting thoughts. I hope Tara doesn't come back (just like I hope S6 won't bring back Wesley). I love them both dearly (and Anya and Jenny etc), but bringing them back to life would cheapen their deaths.
Also I'll be happy as long as Spike & Angel stay in their own comic book (not for the slashy stuff btw, but I think their story is far removed from Buffy's at this point and should stay like that) and that we get neither B/X or B/W - I hate it when good friendships are ruined. (Not that the comics are canon of course, but... I'd like to be able to *enjoy* this story!)
I think that bringing back Tara (or anyone else) would only cheapen her death if it pressed the big Reset Button, and everything went back to the way it was before and she and Willow lived happily ever after
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One thing Joss talks about a lot in his commentaries is the concept of 'earning something back'. If the writers intervene with a deus ex machina to give the characters something they want, then they've got to pay for the good karma with a whole lot of misery and plot complications.
True. But they already did the back-from-death depression in s6, and frankly, both Ethan turning up and Warren being back has a faint aroma of deus ex machina and lazy fanfic to me. Of course we haven't seen the plot line all the way through yet, but... as much as I like most things about the comics (and I really do) I'm not yet completely convinced that Joss is still as much on the "inside" of these characters as he used to be. Bringing Tara back would be exactly what a lot of squeeing fans would like, and... actually, considering his snarky treatment of the Spuffy/Bangel thing, it's one of the things that keeps me hoping he won't do it: simply to spite us. ;-)
Ethan was always a recurring character who'd disappear for a season or two then pop up again, though - it's entirely possible for him to do so now. As for Warren, I'll suspend judgement until I've seen another episode or two and know what Joss plans for him. (And, for that matter, how he's back at all).
I'm not suggesting that the plotline for a returned character (such as Tara) would be a repeat of Buffy's story in S6. However, there are other things they could do with it. After all, getting Tara back would once have been the single, absolute, dearest wish of Willow's life. A world without Tara was a world she felt had no right to continued existence. So imagine just how scary it would be for her if Tara did come back, and Willow realised she no longer felt that way? That Tara's presence was, if anything, rather awkward now?
I'm not saying that's a story Joss is likely to give us, but it would certainly be fascinating. And probably lead to him receiving death threats.
I would actually think that it is more abstract. Like they have all been uprooted by losing their home and lives (sort of) and now they have to find their place in the world again. They have to make new homes, maybe even discover new sides to themselves, grow up and such.
And yeah I just pray to the God of the graphic novel that there won't be a Xander/Buffy ship. She really doesn't need a third love of her life deal and it would to me ruin a perfect platonic relationship and turn it into a soap-opera.
That's a good suggestion, although to me "the long way home" suggests you're going on a long journey to get back to where you started from, rather than building a new home afresh. But maybe it's more about returning to their state of mind in the early seasons - not specifically in terms of a B/X romance, but more generally in the sense of having community and stability and so forth.
I'm fairly neutral on whom, if anyone, Buffy should be romantically involved with - but saying she should never have another love of her life seems to be going a bit far to me. :) I wouldn't want the poor girl to have to be permanently celibate at the age of 23...
but saying she should never have another love of her life seems to be going a bit far to me. :) To be honest I've no problem with her getting a new boyfriend - but the emphasis being on the word 'new'. The Immortal, Mr Jones from Jesus (Wimsey reference) - it's fine as long as we don't get more inter-Scoobie relationships.
I'd prefer that too. The problem is that without a real-life actor to bring the new person to life, it's not so easy to make us care about him. It was difficult enough on the TV show, for that matter. I mean, the one time Joss tried to fix Buffy up with a newly-introduced character - Riley - it backfired horribly. :) So he put her together with an established character from back in season 2...
Interesting theories all. I'm guessing it's some combination thereof. I can only assume that everything is not going to be wrapped up in this fourth issue but will continue on in future ones.
I'd certainly hope so.. although given that the title 'The Long Way Home' is, as far as I know, only being applied to issues 1 - 4, I think we need to get some sort of resolution to this specific question next issue.
Unless I'm wrong and TLWH applies to the entire season 8, of course...
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Introducing new themes and characters is always going to be a problem for the comics - because it's a new medium for a lot of readers, I think he needs to be cautious about introducing lots of new elements all of a sudden, and instead give us familiar faces while introducing new people and organisations bit by bit.
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I'm getting a feeling that Joss is trying to re-do season 4 the way he'd originally envisaged it, hence why it's reminiscent of that time period. Plus maybe explore themes from S6/S7 that he couldn't concentrate on earlier because at the time he was writing Firefly...
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Also I'll be happy as long as Spike & Angel stay in their own comic book (not for the slashy stuff btw, but I think their story is far removed from Buffy's at this point and should stay like that) and that we get neither B/X or B/W - I hate it when good friendships are ruined. (Not that the comics are canon of course, but... I'd like to be able to *enjoy* this story!)
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True. But they already did the back-from-death depression in s6, and frankly, both Ethan turning up and Warren being back has a faint aroma of deus ex machina and lazy fanfic to me. Of course we haven't seen the plot line all the way through yet, but... as much as I like most things about the comics (and I really do) I'm not yet completely convinced that Joss is still as much on the "inside" of these characters as he used to be. Bringing Tara back would be exactly what a lot of squeeing fans would like, and... actually, considering his snarky treatment of the Spuffy/Bangel thing, it's one of the things that keeps me hoping he won't do it: simply to spite us. ;-)
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I'm not suggesting that the plotline for a returned character (such as Tara) would be a repeat of Buffy's story in S6. However, there are other things they could do with it. After all, getting Tara back would once have been the single, absolute, dearest wish of Willow's life. A world without Tara was a world she felt had no right to continued existence. So imagine just how scary it would be for her if Tara did come back, and Willow realised she no longer felt that way? That Tara's presence was, if anything, rather awkward now?
I'm not saying that's a story Joss is likely to give us, but it would certainly be fascinating. And probably lead to him receiving death threats.
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And yeah I just pray to the God of the graphic novel that there won't be a Xander/Buffy ship. She really doesn't need a third love of her life deal and it would to me ruin a perfect platonic relationship and turn it into a soap-opera.
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I'm fairly neutral on whom, if anyone, Buffy should be romantically involved with - but saying she should never have another love of her life seems to be going a bit far to me. :) I wouldn't want the poor girl to have to be permanently celibate at the age of 23...
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To be honest I've no problem with her getting a new boyfriend - but the emphasis being on the word 'new'. The Immortal, Mr Jones from Jesus (Wimsey reference) - it's fine as long as we don't get more inter-Scoobie relationships.
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Unless I'm wrong and TLWH applies to the entire season 8, of course...
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