The devil is in the details. Review of ‘Shadow Puppets 1’.
Why is the Bryan Lynch/Franco Urru team so great? Because they love details. Details *make* a story. OK, so if the story sucks then nifty details won’t save it, but starting from saying that we have a *good* story, it’s the details that’ll pull it further up. Because it’s the little things that help ground a story, make it real and tangible - and often funny. Lynch/Urru have a great line in playful, whimsical details and I will make no secret of the fact that this endears them to me like you wouldn’t believe.
First of all I should probably point out that there won’t be many constructive thoughts here. This is mostly to register my squee - ‘cause this story is *fun*! :)
I’d seen the first 5 pages already, so don’t have much to say about them, except of course that I *love* the card (that we don’t see!!) and the internal monologue. Not just is Spike’s voice spot-on, it’s the fact that we can tell that he isn’t entirely honest with himself... to choose the funniest example:
“Even duck behind a hot dog cart when a car backfires to make sure there are no small children in peril.”
But going with the ‘I value my freedom’, then there is of course truth in that - but also it’s a way of covering up the fact that there isn’t anyone in his life. As powerofthebook said: the comic is two-dimensional, but the writing is not so. Indeed. The writing is very, very clever and accomplished!
Also just gotta say that the brimstone demon from The Third Rung of Hell (details! details again!) is great - as is the reason he’s after Spike:
“I guess I was too busy being a selfless defender of the weak and oppressed to pay him back.”
Angel just *has* money, goodness knows where from. Spike? Not so much. And that I love.
Anyway, going back to Spike walking home, then here is the first standout moment (for me):
“There you are! I made some scones. Your kind likes scones, right?”
I am SO putting Mrs Konikoff in a fic at some point. The fact Spike has a nice old lady neighbour who makes him scones is just too wonderful for words. That’s what I’m talking about - that’s what grounds a story (and what makes it fic-able). And he’s all sweet and polite to her! *squishes Spike*
And then came what might be my favourite part - Spike’s apartment. ‘Dungeons & Dragons meets Freshman College Dorm’. This in an instant makes up for his spartan hovel in S5. But - it was the ‘Klippan Love seat with lumbar support’ that nearly did me in. The thought of Spike in IKEA is... *has no words*
See this ties in with something I said to stormwreath re. s8 (you can also check out this comment to aycheb):
Buffy was an extraordinary person, in an ordinary world. People go on about 'Sunnydale forgettyitis', but that was partly there so we could keep the illusion that Buffy was part of *our* world. She went to school, she went out clubbing, she had to get a job to pay the bills. That was our key to her, the thing that made us identify - all the monsters were metaphors. And although I loved S6, I know a lot of people hated the fact that the supernatural took a back seat and that the problems were mostly RL related. Now we have the opposite situation. Buffy is so far removed from a normal life that I quite simply can't connect with her. Sure she still has problems with *people*, but that's not the same. She's a supernatural person in a supernatural world.
Spike is very much an extraordinary, supernatural being - but he is firmly grounded in our world. Angel f.ex. is very much *not* of the world, and watching him trying to connect is where a lot of the interest comes from. Not so with Spike. There was “Let’s see what’s on telly” way back in ‘School Hard’, and that trait never changed. He likes this world - and Klippan love seats. *happy sigh* Contrast with Buffy’s room in the castle: there is not a single thing to show that it is hers rather than any other slayer’s. But Spike... oh we can *totally* tell that this is his place:
And I didn’t even notice it until third read-through!!! The devil is in the details...
Whimsical. Where is the whimsy in s8?
Anyway, this also brings up Lorne, whom I’m loving. Remember my complaints about how Willow is being written in s8? This is how it should be done. Lorne is hiding something. We don’t know what, or why, but he has secrets. And I have *no idea* what it could be. This makes it fun!
Speaking of details (again), this is a great exchange:
“Little One-Eyed Turk should be waiting for us. Again don’t bring up the fact that he only has one eye.”
“So... don’t say his name?”
“No, that’s fine. Because that’s a title.”
The whole thing is funny, but what makes it especially good, is that the reason behind the name ties in with the fact that we know that Spike likes to play poker, has a short temper and is good at turning friends into enemies. So the whole thing is in itself a shout-out to to Spike’s history and character. (It’s exactly the sort of thing Jane Espenson talks about in her blog. Humour that springs from the characters works a lot better than just funny quips. That said, the dialogue in s8 is of course great. Buffy banter is *always* a good thing!)
Oh and the arrow! *fangirls Spike catching the arrow liek whoa*
And then puppet ninjas! There is no bad!
“Do we fight them or merchandise them?”
“Fight. Then maybe merchandise.”
Heeeeeee! Also Spike is *totally* adorable:
“Try it Lorne! It’s fun!”
“I can see that.”
“If you’re not going to do anything, give me yours.”
That’s my Spike! :)
Then arrive the Smile Time puppets - *new* puppets except for Horatio.
“Dammit, that was Polo! I’m his roommate, Marco!”
*snickers* Lynch has *such* a way with names.
And then the cannon! ::laughs and laughs:: Bryan Lynch is *so* my god now! :)
Finally - thousands and thousands of puppet ninjas... I really can’t wait to see what happens next, but I’m 98% sure I’m not going to check out the preview pages. I really am a spoiler-phobe.
This turned out a lot longer than I anticipated. Huh. Anyway, now I can go read other people’s reviews. When, you know, I find some more time. I’ve *seriously* neglected the family...
First of all I should probably point out that there won’t be many constructive thoughts here. This is mostly to register my squee - ‘cause this story is *fun*! :)
I’d seen the first 5 pages already, so don’t have much to say about them, except of course that I *love* the card (that we don’t see!!) and the internal monologue. Not just is Spike’s voice spot-on, it’s the fact that we can tell that he isn’t entirely honest with himself... to choose the funniest example:
“Even duck behind a hot dog cart when a car backfires to make sure there are no small children in peril.”
But going with the ‘I value my freedom’, then there is of course truth in that - but also it’s a way of covering up the fact that there isn’t anyone in his life. As powerofthebook said: the comic is two-dimensional, but the writing is not so. Indeed. The writing is very, very clever and accomplished!
Also just gotta say that the brimstone demon from The Third Rung of Hell (details! details again!) is great - as is the reason he’s after Spike:
“I guess I was too busy being a selfless defender of the weak and oppressed to pay him back.”
Angel just *has* money, goodness knows where from. Spike? Not so much. And that I love.
Anyway, going back to Spike walking home, then here is the first standout moment (for me):
“There you are! I made some scones. Your kind likes scones, right?”
I am SO putting Mrs Konikoff in a fic at some point. The fact Spike has a nice old lady neighbour who makes him scones is just too wonderful for words. That’s what I’m talking about - that’s what grounds a story (and what makes it fic-able). And he’s all sweet and polite to her! *squishes Spike*
And then came what might be my favourite part - Spike’s apartment. ‘Dungeons & Dragons meets Freshman College Dorm’. This in an instant makes up for his spartan hovel in S5. But - it was the ‘Klippan Love seat with lumbar support’ that nearly did me in. The thought of Spike in IKEA is... *has no words*
See this ties in with something I said to stormwreath re. s8 (you can also check out this comment to aycheb):
Buffy was an extraordinary person, in an ordinary world. People go on about 'Sunnydale forgettyitis', but that was partly there so we could keep the illusion that Buffy was part of *our* world. She went to school, she went out clubbing, she had to get a job to pay the bills. That was our key to her, the thing that made us identify - all the monsters were metaphors. And although I loved S6, I know a lot of people hated the fact that the supernatural took a back seat and that the problems were mostly RL related. Now we have the opposite situation. Buffy is so far removed from a normal life that I quite simply can't connect with her. Sure she still has problems with *people*, but that's not the same. She's a supernatural person in a supernatural world.
Spike is very much an extraordinary, supernatural being - but he is firmly grounded in our world. Angel f.ex. is very much *not* of the world, and watching him trying to connect is where a lot of the interest comes from. Not so with Spike. There was “Let’s see what’s on telly” way back in ‘School Hard’, and that trait never changed. He likes this world - and Klippan love seats. *happy sigh* Contrast with Buffy’s room in the castle: there is not a single thing to show that it is hers rather than any other slayer’s. But Spike... oh we can *totally* tell that this is his place:
And I didn’t even notice it until third read-through!!! The devil is in the details...
Whimsical. Where is the whimsy in s8?
Anyway, this also brings up Lorne, whom I’m loving. Remember my complaints about how Willow is being written in s8? This is how it should be done. Lorne is hiding something. We don’t know what, or why, but he has secrets. And I have *no idea* what it could be. This makes it fun!
Speaking of details (again), this is a great exchange:
“Little One-Eyed Turk should be waiting for us. Again don’t bring up the fact that he only has one eye.”
“So... don’t say his name?”
“No, that’s fine. Because that’s a title.”
The whole thing is funny, but what makes it especially good, is that the reason behind the name ties in with the fact that we know that Spike likes to play poker, has a short temper and is good at turning friends into enemies. So the whole thing is in itself a shout-out to to Spike’s history and character. (It’s exactly the sort of thing Jane Espenson talks about in her blog. Humour that springs from the characters works a lot better than just funny quips. That said, the dialogue in s8 is of course great. Buffy banter is *always* a good thing!)
Oh and the arrow! *fangirls Spike catching the arrow liek whoa*
And then puppet ninjas! There is no bad!
“Do we fight them or merchandise them?”
“Fight. Then maybe merchandise.”
Heeeeeee! Also Spike is *totally* adorable:
“Try it Lorne! It’s fun!”
“I can see that.”
“If you’re not going to do anything, give me yours.”
That’s my Spike! :)
Then arrive the Smile Time puppets - *new* puppets except for Horatio.
“Dammit, that was Polo! I’m his roommate, Marco!”
*snickers* Lynch has *such* a way with names.
And then the cannon! ::laughs and laughs:: Bryan Lynch is *so* my god now! :)
Finally - thousands and thousands of puppet ninjas... I really can’t wait to see what happens next, but I’m 98% sure I’m not going to check out the preview pages. I really am a spoiler-phobe.
This turned out a lot longer than I anticipated. Huh. Anyway, now I can go read other people’s reviews. When, you know, I find some more time. I’ve *seriously* neglected the family...