(Review) BtVS 8.38 'Last Gleaming' Part 3

[stormwreath]

So, this is the antepenultimate issue of Season 8, and it seemed to be mostly building the action and tension up to the big climax rather than having a lot of characterisation and relationship elements. So will that mean there's less for me to talk about in the review? We'll see...

Comments

[erimthar]

I know we're being set up to suspect that Xander will be the real betrayer (with noble intentions, of course), but I'm finding it hard to believe that at this point, after all he's been through, he would listen to someone like the General. Of course, Xander hasn't been privy to the conversations with Amy and Warren that show the General is truly his enemy and not just a soldier misled by Twilight. (This would be a really good time for Riley to show up.)

Willow has gone red-eyed before (when Tara was killed). It looks like she's about to lose control, becoming some kind of avatar of the Seed, in which case she's probably going to face off mano-a-mano with Angel, the avatar of Twilight.

We've got an awful lot to get through in the next 22 pages. Some clues: Scott Allie has mentioned that the Scythe will play a major role; Giles is up to something momentous, since he warrants a cover next month; Georges Jeanty has said that we may soon have reason to sing Aluwyn's praises, so some sort of intervention by her is probably forthcoming.

[stormwreath]

I agree that I'm half-expecting the build-up with Xander to be another mislead; he seems to believe the General here, but next issue maybe he'll laugh him off and express full confidence in his friends. But maybe not... we're running out of time for plot twists and misleads, and sooner or later the real betrayer has to stand up. :-)

(Though note that both the Master and Angel have effectively already betrayed Buffy in this issue, so maybe that's actually it; maybe that final panel of Angel punching Buffy and announcing he's here as Twilight really is the capital-B Betrayal.)

As for your other points, guess we have another month to wait and see... :-)

[stormwreath]

As a policy (which I don't always keep, but try to) I never read anyone else's review before writing my own. But aycheb usually has interesting things to say.

The creature looks like a lioness to me, but has a glowing green nimbus around her head which some people think is meant to represent a mane. It doesn't look like that to me; a lion's mane grows all down its shoulders, this flares out kind of like an Elizabethan ruff. Also, there's that "The queen is dead, long live the queen" phrase associated with it. That's why I see it a coded female, anyway. The forms it's taken definitely include at least one male one, however - the dog.

And: yes. :-) Dawn is great!

[stormwreath]

If I review, I recommend that you avoid...will most likely contain a great deal of whiny snarking. ;-)

I did read your review, in fact; I've got no problem with reading contrary views if they're well-expressed. (As opposed to just being snarky for the sake of being hateful, which I'm afraid some people seem to fall prey to.) The trouble is, if I replied I'd probably want to write a line-by-line refutation of everything you said, which probably wouldn't end well. ;-)

[moscow_watcher]

Interesting review.

So we enter the room with the Seed, and ooh look, it's just like in the vision in 'Anywhere But Here'.

I wonder if you fund important that the room is dilapidated here but looks restored in the vision that supposedly shows events in the future.

[stormwreath]

To be honest, I tend not to read a huge amount into slight differences like that. One artist draws a scene nearly three years ago, another artist - who's under a tight deadline and has a whole lot of other pages to draw - draws it slightly differently.

Sure, you can fanwank it: what Buffy saw was a vision, which might well have been distorted; on the other hand, breaking the Seed might release a rush of creative energy which magically restores the chamber it's in. We'll have to see. :-) (But I'm guessing the first is more likely than the second.)

[moscow_watcher]

You're most likely right. I just feel a bit frustrated with the necessity to wait another month so I entertain myself with theories.

Yet, in current issue Jeanty added the cross Buffy wore on her neck in Moline's flashforward - apparently, he studied the panel.

[stormwreath]

That's true - though it could be that he added the cross after he'd already drawn the panels. That would be pretty quick and easy to do, whereas changing the background would have meant scrapping and re-doing entire pages.

I think we sometimes underestimate just how much work is involved in drawing an entire 22-page comic for a monthly deadline; there probably just isn't time to get every last little detail right.

[anonymous]

I'm not sure whether Willow's red glow is the same as in S6, or whether it's the seed, or whether they are both the same(?). About the sworn protector, I thought Willow was appointing herself. If Twilight and Buffy are depowered in the caves, and the Master is still just a vampire (albeit old and powerful), then Willow is a far more powerful and presumably effective guardian.

[stormwreath]

Willow's red glow certainly looked to me simply like the reflection of the Seed's radiance on her face. She's in a room where the only light source is bright red, and we know from other examples that the artist likes to show that effect (yellow firelight, green glow from Miss Kitty's halo, reflected on Willow and Angel respectively). It didn't remind me of 'Seeing Red', although I can see it now people have mentioned it.

It could be that Willow is empowering herelf here rather than someone else, true. I just didn't think it was her usual modus operandi; Willow tends to see herself as mostly a supporter rather than a primary actor.

[ubi4soft]

Wow, you had a lot to say about the plot-confusing issue (all bets are off re: deaths and betrayals).

And poor Angel is getting beaten up and abused by his darling daughter.
I think it's his son, just because Connor killed Jasmine and Buffy will kill Twilight (I hope)

I don't think the bug was misogynistic, just disappointed that "his" majesty was a regular worker.

I liked Buffy and Spike fighting together, you know, because waaay back in the first arc Buffy asked Satsu "you fight with me, not next to me".

I'd ask you to consider the time (or opportunity) to write something about the empowerment spell vs S8 (consequences bad/good or open opportunities for external forces or what you will see fit if you'll find any) I'm not good at writing, but many people in fandom are upset.

Thank you for your time writing the review

[stormwreath]

I did write more than I expected! Really it's because I just re-read the issue as I do the review and keep seeing things to mention. :-)

I don't think the bug was misogynistic, just disappointed that "his" majesty was a regular worker.

I read it more that the bug was disappointed that a male leader - "His Majesty" - was in fact only the follower of a female Queen Bee. My mind conjured up a group of rebellious Men's Libbers, on the run from their oppressive matriarchal society, hailing Spike as their saviour who will lead them to true gender equality. :D

Do you have any thoughts on what swearword έ!#$ is meant to represent? @$$ is obviously "ass". I actually interpreted it as "bitch" - έ for b, ! for i, # for t and $ for "ch" rather than "s".

something about the empowerment spell vs S8

I did just write something over at Buffyforums, actually, which expresses my feelings as they stand right now:
The message is not that the spell was wrong, but that it had consequences - some good, some bad