#buffy comics spoilers

[absolutely-wretched]

3 volumes into buffy s8

i've read this season before a few times so i mostly already know what's going to happen. just finished the japan volume and i really do love the comics but the vibe that there's nothing between gay or straight always bugs me. why can't buffy be bi? i can understand sending satsu away because they can't be together, but i'm pretty sure the canon considers her straight even after the thing with satsu and that's what bugs me. like, obviously she's into it, she did it twice. it would make more sense that she just didn't want to use satsu since she has a history of using people who love her (*cough* spike *cough*). although, it's very possible that she is straight, and just into satsu in the moment and knows she can't continue with it in the future because she mostly likes men. i'm like that. but it still feels like bisexuality as an option just isn't acknowledged. i love the writers and so many things, but that has never been one of them. however, the vitriol sent in the "fan" mail after buffy's time with satsu may have influenced that decision. like it's out of character?? really?? after her "slow year" and her history of using people who love her? i??? sounds like yall just a bit homophobic, it's like you don't even remember faith. girl's around no one but chicks for a year and repeatedly makes crushy comments to satsu before the kiss thing. sorry, i digress. those "fan" mails really irritated me. anyway, i also have a crush on satsu lol. she does have "[her] best hair ever" mecha dawn is really silly but reminiscent of buffybot so i can't hate it that much. buffy is a comedy too. who cares. dracula and xander's friendship is super cute and i live for it. my fiance pretty much clocked renee's death the moment it seemed like they were going to get together. oh! and twilight and Buffy finally meet face to face. let me fucking tell you, i remember who twlight is, and when i get to that part of the season, i will absolutely complain. i think most of the bombastic nature of the comics is endearing, but twilight? nooooo I have opinions.

[radiantlightxx]

A short Heavensward-era comic about grief and guilt.

Major ⚠️heavensward spoilers⚠️ contained here.

Some notes:

Xel'ia had innate talent as a healer, but no formal training at the time of HW, so on page 2, you can see her trying (and failing) to heal. She also didn't pick up drk until after HW, and mainly did it as a way of coping with her grief and heartache.

The whole thing is inspired by a quote from Buffy (though I ended up changing it a little) and Dragonsong Reprise Ultimate!

[xaeyrnofnbe]

as far as buffy comics go, so far i have read:

buffy season 8 (a wild ride from start to finish, everyone was out of character, i still have no clue how anyone came up with ANY of that. i've kind come to terms with it though. funny as hell in hindsight.) (bonus points for the spangel crumbs littered here and there. points withdrawn for buffy's reaction to them.) (season 8 is bonkers bananas all the way through, you have GOT to read it if you haven't. hell of an experience.)

buffy season 9 (a lil rough around the edges but the plot was much more casually engaging, buffy and spike had some very cute moments in the first half and overall i just like what the comics do with spike's character, even if it's a little inconsistent. oh and the plot twists were very silly and fun) (spoilers: the resolution was a little weird but i found it much funnier than i probably should have when illyria sacrificed herself. guy trying to destroy the world bc his girlfriend died and illyria was just like. hey i knew a guy who's girlfriend died one time. how'd he live with it? no yeah he didn't. he died. sorry.)

angel & faith season 9 (loved the callbacks to prior stories, though the stuff with whistler was kinda lost on me. pearl and nash were ok. i liked seeing drusilla again! though i'd prefer to see more of who she is now. the plot involving angel's nipple piercing struck me dead on the spot, weirdest part of the whole thing.)

spike: a dark place (extremely silly, spike leading spaceship full of giant cockroaches was not something i knew i needed but they were so so entertaining. generally just so amusing. i'm totally incorporating an appreciation for space into his character when i write him now.)

spike: into the light (PEAK comic!spike. thank you james marsters. easily the lowest-stakes, most grounded of anything i've read so far, which was extremely refreshing. this guy gets dragged through the dirt the whole time and still manages to be hilarious and endearing throughout. loved him narrowly hiding his vampirism at every turn from dylan. my favorite detail was the constant flapping of the bottom of his shoe.)

buffy season 10 (currently a little ways through, EXTREMELY promising so far. total vibe shift from seasons 8 and 9, way more in line with the feel of the show. every scene with buffy and spike has me kicking my legs and twirling my hair. love those two. dunno how to feel about giles yet. i am ECSTATIC at the notion of xander finally getting some character development, but i'll hold back on celebrating until i get firm confirmation.)

angel & faith season 10 (reading at the same time as buffy s10, the different art styles are a bit jarring to bounce between. genuinely the art in this one is making it way harder to connect with. i LOVED the style in s9, so the shift to realism has been disappointing to say the least. genuinely i just Do Not Know how to feel about this season yet.) (also separating your 2 main leads when their dynamic was the central focus of the last season is certainly A Writing Choice.)

[veronyxk84]

Spuffy Fic Recs — November/December

Missed last month’s recs? Check this tag to catch up!

Find my Fic Recs on Dreamwidth as well

I present a list of 10 Spuffy fics I’ve read mostly in December, but because I couldn’t get much reading done last month (and thus I had no recs) I decided to make this one a double. They’re all complete, all recent, and all links are for Sunnydale After Dark. Fics marked with the 🎁 emoji were written for SAD’s SADvent Calendar 2024. (NOTE: some or all may be available on other archives as well).

Listed from oldest to most recent; see the publishing year (on SAD) before the title.

Some reviews are taken from my own comments left for the stories. I tried to make them short and not spoiler-y.

(2024) Baby, it’s cold outside by Julikobold [G] 🎁 one shot

Summary: Buffy and Spike go sledding. But before they can ride down the hill they need to go up. In snow. Buffy is not amused.

Review: Get ready to cozy up with Buffy and Spike as they hike through a magical snowed land. A romantic winter holiday with a side of playful banter.

(2024) SantaCon Comes to Town by bruskiboo [PG-13] 🎁 one shot

Summary: Dawn is finally getting Buffy to take a vacation, to the Big Apple! With Spike and Buffy happily together, a new license showing she is of legal age, and a whole itinerary of holiday fun and festive drinking planned, what could go wrong??

Review: Enjoy some fun shenanigans in this lovely holiday fic. I loved seeing Spuffy in their settled relationship through Dawn’s POV and learning about an actual event of which I had never heard of. Our heroes even had to “slay” an unexpected baddie in a very festive way!

(2024) First and Last by kcchameleon [R] one shot

Summary:“It felt like ages that they stood, the whole room between them, eyes locked in a way that felt more intimate than anything he’d experienced before in all his years, living and dead.” Buffy and Spike spend one last night, before the battle that would change everything, in each other’s arms.

Review: A delightful take on Chosen’s fade-to-black scene that left us all guessing what happened next. Guess no more: here’a an answer you’re sure to enjoy!

(2024) All We’ve Ever Done by Claire [G] 🎁 art: comic style

Summary: It’s all they’ve ever done. Moved with each other. Fallen into rhythm. She’s denied it, but what if Buffy was ready to stop dancing around the truth and be swayed by what her heart already knows: that the man who shows up for her without missing a beat could be the man of her dreams? Spike’s never needed an invitation; he’ll follow anywhere she leads.

Review: This is particularly dear to me because it was made for the SADvent Calendar exchange as a gift from my prompt. Beside that, I recommend it because of the STUNNING art in comic style and a lovely reimagining of some iconic S5 Spuffy moments. Your eyes and hearts will be happy to read (and feast on) this!

(2024) Mismatched Memories by kcchameleon [PG-13] one shot

Summary:“The body swap. With Buffy.” “She fill you in on the whole deal?” “She told me it went down. Failed to mention who was driving her skin around.” When and how Spike found out it wasn’t Buffy in the “Who Are You?” episode. Season 6 missing scene.

Review: If you’re eager to discover how and when Spike found out about the infamous body switch that led to Faith!Buffy hitting on him at the Bronze, here’s the one-shot for you! Truly enjoyable.

(2024) Snapshots From My Idiot by Claire [G] art: photo album

Summary: Buffy’s Spike selfies collection. (Otherwise known as any excuse to put Spike in glasses!)

Review: Another art masterpiece from the wickedly talented Claire! Enjoy a series of amazing Spuffy manips by taking a peek into their personal photo album, complete with scribbled notes that make everything even more magical.

(2024) Buffy’s A Christmas Carol by Alyot [PG-13] 🎁 one shot

Summary: ‘So, let me get this straight…’ Buffy began. ‘You’re not Faith, just the spirit of her, and you’re here to teach me some life lessons and stop my Slayer destiny turning me into an unfeeling bitch incapable of love?’

‘Got it in one, B!’

‘And why now?’

‘It’s Christmas Eve, dummy!’

(Or, that time Buffy relived A Christmas Carol.)

Review: A clever reimagining of the classic tale by Dickens, with Buffy being the one who receives the visits of the “ghosts.” I guarantee that you’ll love the characters that the author chose to be Buffy’s guides through her past/present/future Christmasses and the effect their visits will have on her.

(2024) Gifts from the (Undead) Heart by Grief Counseling [PG-13] 🎁 one shot

Summary: Spike pays Buffy a visit on Christmas Eve, bearing gifts. An emotional, romantic scene set between Wrecked and Gone.

Review: If you love S6 with a hopeful twist, this is the fic for you. Follow Buffy’s chaotic (but fun) train of thoughs as she struggles with how she feels about a certain bleach-haired vampire who has turned her world upside down... and as she learns that maybe it’s not all that bad.

(2024) Interesting by honeygirl51885 [PG-13] one shot

Summary: Buffy and Spike come off as a boring couple to complete strangers. But what happens when you pull back the curtain?

Review: Sequel to Boring which was featured in my July Fic Recs. If you didn’t read it back then, I suggest that you do, and here’s my review from July:

I had never read a fic with Spuffy seen from a different POV, it’s a clever angle, and in this case also amusing! I couldn’t stop laughing with (original character) Jessica being progressively more wrong about them with her every guess. Poor soul!

This sequel makes the strangers from Boring reconsider their opinion on Buffy & Spike in the most amusing and satisfying way. And of course there’s some good Spuffy banter!

(2024) Spiralizer by Girlytek [NC-17] 🎁 one shot

Summary: Spike gets a Spikebot made to help protect Dawn. The best laid schemes of vamps and men go oft awry.

Review: I never knew I needed a Williambot in my life until I read this story. A humorous but very clever re-imagining of the final episodes of S5 with a new, peculiar player joining the Scoobies and perhaps changing everyone’s fate for the best...

[paulgadzikowski]

[Image description: Preview panel for the comic strip at the link below. Giles and Buffy of Buffy The Vampire Slayer stand talking. Giles is holding a sheaf of papers and saying, "Your dressing down of the Watchers' Council to get me reinstated has resulted in unprecedented access for me to the archives for a field Watcher." Buffy is saying, "That can only be good, right? Maybe I'll be the first Slayer to live past twenty-five." Unfortunately there are not image descriptions at the main Hero Of Three Faces site. End description.] 

The Hero of Three Faces is fanfiction crossovers, but it’s comic strips with stick figures, but they’re triangles. Preview panel only. Click here for full cartoon. Or see the on-site navigation tutorial. Or see this blog’s FAQ, or my archive tumblog’s FAQ. Cartoons may contain unmarked spoilers. Cartoons linked from Tumblr 10:00 (Central US time) daily are the previous day’s new update and the posts are pinned to the top of this blog. Cartoons linked from Tumblr 22:00 daily are from the archive and the posts are pinned only during annual summer hiatus of new updates.

Thanks for reading.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Friday, November 1st

Willow: She couldn't've dressed up like Xena?

~~Halloween~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

but now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps by FanFreak611 (Angel, T)

Life sang the refrain of love by ohrevienssoleil (Giles/Jenny, T)

nobody’s coming to save you, get up. by elliez_only (Buffy/Faith, G)

One Aeon Stand by thawrecka (Glory/Illyria, T)

A Well-rounded Diet by Sweetbutnutty (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion, Chapter 348 by madimpossibledreamer (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure crossover, T)

Death's Champions, Chapter 31 by Khatix (Faith, Harry Poter crossover, M)

Rebehold the Stars (Love from the Other Side of the Apocalypse), Chapter 19 by asokatanos (Emryslin) (Buffy/Spike, T)

A-Z of Sex, Chapter 26 (complete!) by KatyAmberAuthor (Buffy/Giles, E)

Firebell in the Night: Chapter 42 by TheLightdancer (Willow/Tara, E)

What A Fang-tastic Night! Chapter 3 (complete!) by Anonymous (Connor/Dawn, E)

Full Circle, Chapter 2 (complete!) by Anonymous (Buffy/Angel, T)

You're a Beautiful Person, Chapter 1 by firagasauce (Willow/Tara, M)

Whoa! Not What I Expected! 2, Chapter 1 by danu40k (Xander, NCIS and The Sentinel crossover, G)

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 143 by the_big_bad (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Loop, Chapter 3 by simmony (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Me and the Devil Blues, Chapter 4 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Metamorphosis of Moonlit Shadows: Chapter 1 by SlayrGrl (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Soul Searching, Chapter 1 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Way Out, Chapter 1 by simmony (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Giles by amylen-doodlebug (worksafe)

Artwork: 🦇🩸The Vampire Slayer 🩸🦇 by nerdfromthenet (Buffy, worksafe)

Artwork: Faith is very normal about Buffy by sideartblog999 (worksafe)

Artwork: Putting all the Buffy Halloween ladies together :) by Waiting for October (Buffy, Willow, Cordelia, worksafe)

The Sims: Buffy, Oz, Tara and Dawn by Nostalgia Sims Things

Wallpaper: Episodic art for BtVS 3х06 “Band Candy” by revello-drive-1630 (worksafe)

Cosplay: Buffy Halloween costume by loseremzo

Artwork: caleb art by bubbyusagi (worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy and co by bubbyusagi (worksafe)

Cosplay: Vampire Willow by Spirited-Mess5382

Cosplay: Finally Got To Be my Hero! [Buffy] by helloelysium

Cosplay: Spike and Dru 🎃♥️ by out_in_wonders

Cosplay: Little Red Buffy Hood by Nocturnal-Nycticebus

Cosplay: My 1970s Spike costume by SuccADucc

Cosplay: 1970s Spike Costume by Good-Commission-6541

Fanvid: SPIKE | EVIL ( btvs ) by 𝖘 𝖆 𝖒

Fanvid: Spike and Buffy || From Eden by Angel

Fanvid: Buffy Summers || Inbred by Angel

Fanvid: Angelic Face | White Flag by Chloe

Fanvid: Blondie Bear | Here With Me by Chloe

Vidlet: that’s so true I buffy summers by Moon Edits

Animated comic: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Episode 21 by Game Series

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer opening credits animated with REAL plasticine by Joseph Brett

Video: Buffy & Spike - The Odd Couple l BTVS Humor by Buffy & Spike Channel

Video: Editing Spike and Buffy's in-jokes | BtVS Older and Far Away S6x14 by DragonViviPlayz

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Revival Season 10 Episode 22: The Ends Not Near Its Here (P2) by Buffy the Vampire Slayer Chosen

Video: Disney Channel Ribbon era: Buffy the Vampire Slayer next bumper (FANMADE) by lovinthelawn

Music: Buffy The Vampire Slayer LOFI ▲ Halloween Lofi by Epic Game Music

Music: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme Song Cover by JGOMUSIC

Music: A Buffy Tribute | Buffy the Vampire Slayer cover by CarnivoreWerewolf

Music: Buffy and Angel Themes | Orchestral Arrangement by Christopher Fraser

From the Archives: African Portal Demon - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7 Episode 15 by Christopher Burdett

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Get it Done Slayer-Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Video: Buffy S03E06 "Band Candy" Spoiler Review by LGRN - Entertainment

Video: The Problem with Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Spica

Video: Will You Be Slaying Tonight? Buffy the Vampire Slayer Eps 1-3 by Jaymes Mansfield 2

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer [movie] - Brothers Not Lovers by Davy Is Awesome

Video: Spuktober #03: Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Paper Street Comic Company

Video: Buffy was Mythtaken—Leprechauns DO Exist in Sunnydale! [Fear Itself] by Fairy Tales and Fangs

Video: S4E11: Doomed by One Girl in All the World

Podcast: Buffy The Vampire Slayer 1992 (Andy Chose This Movie, Duh) by Fried Rice Podcast

Podcast: Buffy's Angels: Through the Looking Glass by The Franchise: A Film Podcast

Podcast: Episode 070 - Goodbye Iowa by Boys Watching Buffy (several other episodes were uploaded as well)

Podcast: New Moon Rising | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 Episode 19 Review by Hellmouth Hotline

Podcast: Buffy's Angels: The Weight of the World by The Franchise: A Film Podcast

Podcast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4: Episode 10 - Hush by The Cheshire Kiwi

Unhinged: Agatha All Along by Once More by A Rewatch Podcast

[Search & Recs]

New Spuffy Fanfic Recommendations continued with multiple recs from multiple posters

Looking for a fic? [anything set post-canon dealing with long-term repercussions and consequences of the end of "Chosen", ideally with established Spike/Buffy and a minimum of new apocalypses] by Hannah

[Community Announcements]

The 2024 I Will Remember You Fic Marathon has officially begun! by I Will Remember You Marathon

Welcome IWRYFic class of 2024! by I Will Remember You Marathon

[Fandom Discussions]

Love the way Spike goes on and on about how much he can’t stand Angel in s5 while also going out of his way to seek out Angel’s company by thequeenofsastiel

Hang on, how the hell did Wesley recognize Spike? by thequeenofsastiel

There’s something about the way Spike says Angel’s name that makes it feel like a term of endearment by thequeenofsastiel

They really should have come up with a better reason for Spike to not go to Buffy once he was corporealized by thequeenofsastiel

Spike actually looks genuinely concerned when he’s talking to Angel in 5x02 about Angel working for Wolfram&Hart by thequeenofsastiel

Anyone else notice how rare it is for Spike to use someone’s name when he’s talking to them? by thequeenofsastiel

by

by

Rewatch thoughts and questions [Welcome to the Hellmouth] continued by multiple posters

So little makes sense - does S5 have the weakest written Big Bad storyline? continued by multiple posters

First time watcher finally finished the show [AtS] and I'm updating with some thoughts!! by SnooPoems3080

Hollow stake by Dry-Dragonfruit5216

Just finished watching season 1 for the first time. Here are my thoughts so far by Diego1993FM

When did Spike start to love Buffy? by ChemistAlert9149

Right line, wrong character by Tuxedo_Mark

Made it to Episode 7: Angel. I think I’m officially hooked by The_Fullmetal_Titan

Andrew appreciation post by moses616

Remind me why Angel is worth watching? by mistakeghost

How do you guys think Buffy would be like if she got turned into a vampire? by user230224

Can we get some appreciation for the Yoko Factor by Forgottencupofcoffee

Which season had the strongest opening episode? by sKullsHavezzz

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Video: KENDARE BLAKE 2024 interview: Against the Darkness: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (In Every Generation) by Amy McCaw

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[suiriswhite]

Finished my 2024 Buffy rewatch, not sure what to do with my life now.

Ah yes... reread aaaaall the comics.

And complain about...

*spoiler*

...Buffy and Spike still not 100% ending up together in the end.

[l0veisntbrains]

Helloooo!

I haven’t read any of the comics, but I saw spuffy were together and then broke up?

hey, sorry for the delayed response, but I wanted to make sure I had enough time to get into this. There will be some spoilers ahead, so if you're okay with that, let's dive in.

The short answer is: yes.

In Seasons 10 and 11, Buffy and Spike had this real, meaningful relationship. They talked about stuff they'd never really gotten into before. It was probably the most honest romantic thing Buffy had going for her. They had their ups and downs, but we see them actively addressing their problems and working through them.

However, Wh*don made them broke up between Seasons 11 and 12. And it didn't seem to have much to do with good storytelling. There were two big reasons behind it:

the anti-feminist notion that a strong woman can't end up in a romantic relationship.

catering to Buffy's fans who didn't support spuffy.

This is how Season 11 ended (it's literally the last page):

And this is how Season 12 started:

There is a significant regression in Buffy's character development. She is no longer the girl who's afraid to be in a romantic relationship, especially one where she can be honest and happy. So why make her say things like this?

when in S10 and 11, Buffy was saying stuff like this:

Especially the part where she says “we realize we didn’t really work as a couple when nothing’s going wrong” which is not true? Of all Buffy’s relationships, the one with Spike is probably the only one that can work when everything is all right BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO FRIENDS.

So yes, Spuffy were together and then broke up because when Joss Wh*don returned as a co-writer in Season 12, Dark Horse told him he only had four issues to conclude the story.

The only good thing is thet left the door wide open for spuffy at the end of s12:

[this-thing-saved-me]

This Show Saved Me - BTVS 7x22

7x22 Chosen

I will never not find it funny that to stream Buffy I have to go to Disney+. Or the fact that the most recent episode I’d watched (whenever that was) was this one. Since I’m pretty sure I left my rewatch mid-season 3.

But that’s the thing about this particular episode. It’s practically a perfect finale. And felt like the right place to start, because who says everything should happen in order. That’s not always how life works. 

THERE WILL LIKELY BE ABUNDANT SPOILERS FOR A FINALE THAT AIRED OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO. There, that was your warning. And now for some Cole's notes “Story so far.”

Okay, so Buffy’s been through it by this point. The First has annihilated her self-confidence and Caleb has been on the warpath. Spike has told her she’s the one (!!!), whether she fully believes in herself yet or not. (SIDENOTE: yes, I ship Spuffy. Yes, there are very, very valid reasons not to. However I am a big fan of redemption arcs and where they land by the end of the comics feels like as healthy a place as possible with a very real love.)

And Angel shows up trying to be all tall-dark and forehead. Which I get, he’s Angel, he needs to be in the finale. But ultimately he's a delivery boy and he didn’t need to do it in person other than to prompt the first on my list of loves for this episode. 

Which is what I lovingly refer to as the "Cookie Speech." Buffy knows she has more growing to do and she’s self-aware enough to share that with the first love of her life. She’s come a long way from the season of post-resurrection depression, but she’s still not quite ready for what Angel might like her to be (granted he’s JUST lost Cordelia so the fact that he is back at Buffy’s door is a rant for another post.) The idea that things aren’t working for her romantically because she’s not done baking. She hasn’t figured out all that she wants to be. While I love love LOVE this analogy, I wonder if there’s ever really a time in our lives where we are done baking? Besides the end of course. We’re supposed to evolve. We’re supposed to grow.

Spike is her Champion, not Angel. They’ve seen the best and the worst of each other, remember? He knows she needs someone strong, someone with a soul, and despite the bad, she knows he’s earned the right to the title through growing and atoning. Motivated people can change, and that’s something I believe that Spike has shown.

“He had to split” - the joke is LHF and I love it. Does its utterance deserve a place on this list? Yes. Because it's very me-coded. I’d have a very hard time not making the same joke if I had just rendered a man from stem to stern. But I digress. This episode is serious and still silly. It’s the epitome of BTVS episodes. I mean Spike waking from a dream yelling “I’m drowning in Cool Whip,” come on. It’s akin to “the cheese wears me” in off kilter nonsense. Plus Anya later finding her strength in her hatred for "floppy, hoppy bunnies" will never not kill me. (Or her, again spoiler.) I adore Emma Caufield.

Willow is afraid to use magic because of her history with the darkness. Not knowing if she’s stable enough. I can identify with her at this moment after clawing back from my own mental health blip a couple years ago. She went dark. (I went, arguably, nuts) She’s regained her balance but how secure? It’s going to turn out to be really secure because “Oh my goddess” she’s got this. AND…

The fact that Kennedy is there for Willow to help keep her grounded. Her very presence supports Willow but isn’t the deciding factor for victory. Willow needs to believe in herself that she won’t go back over that edge. She touched the darkness and it freaked her the f out. (Once she came back down from the overwhelm and shock of her grief.) I lived in that fear for a long time. And I’m grateful for the grounding I’ve found outside of the support of others, but within myself.

Just for fun, let’s chat about the DND session. Even the scoobies needed to disassociate before the big thing. And self-permission to have fun during challenging times is key. It can’t all be doom and gloom. Sometimes you recharge that nervous energy through Trogdor the Burninator references and that’s more than okay.

Ultimately we have the’ shared power’ speech. “Here’s the part where you make a choice” more specifically. Because they could easily choose to let the First and its legions overwhelm the world and finally be the apocalypse they couldn’t handle. It’s easier to stay down. It’s easier to say I can’t. But where does that get you? Making that choice to take your power back and say I am more than what wants to overwhelm me is a beautiful moment. This moment, where all the Potentials get their piece of the power pie is tremendously moving. I get shivers just thinking about it. Male or female, we don’t need the permission of Slayer power to take back our own. To say ‘no more’ and get back up off the ground. (Although Slayer strength would be badass, let’s be real.)

The bottom line, this episode epitomises what I love about Buffy and the Whedon-verse. Real characters in a fantastic world who battle larger than life caricatures of the demons we fight in our daily lives. This show saved me in a lot of ways. My very first boyfriend got me to watch it back in 2005, which he may have regretted as it CONSUMED my brain for most of grade 12. It was the perfect time for me to experience this show. I credit it for helping me find my voice offline. I was always a nose-in-a-book girl or heavily distracted with FanFiction. I was one of the quietest in my friend group, not really feeling like there was a value to what I had to say. The message that we can choose to be strong and fight back? That’s one that I’ll eternally be grateful for and will carry with me, always. What’s your favourite episode? And why is it “Once More With Feeling”? ;)

(Honourable mention goes to this eye contact where my headcanon is convinced he sees she really does love him despite him telling her otherwise seconds before. THOSE SMG EYES! I can't.)

[she-saved-the-world-a-lot]

Welcome To The Blog

I have a question -- how many times did Buffy save the world? -- and I will do my best to answer it. Sure, I could probably google it, but what's the fun in that? I'd rather come up with my own way to determine that and analyze one episode at a time. Gives me an excuse to watch the entire show yet again.

Some definitions are necessary before I start. I will be considering only the seven seasons of the TV show BTVS, and maybe the five seasons of ATS, not any other media, not the comics and ABSOLUTELY NOT the movie. I will be fairly narrow in my verdicts of "saving the world," there will have to be clear indication that the threat being faced is "world ending," or "an apocalypse," or "will kill all humans." However, I'm also interested in counting threats that would seriously upset the status quo of the world. With that goal, I'm planning on categorizing each threat as follows:

Apocalypse Now-ish, for end-of-the-world stuff;

It's The End Of The World (As We Know It), for things that would transform the setting of the show in a substantial way, breaking verisimilitude;

Another Day, Another Slay, for things that only threaten life and limb but would have little impact beyond.

These categories are independent of whether the enemy being faced is a Big Bad or a Monster Of The Week, or of whether the particular episode is part of the season arc or filler. Sometimes a Big Bad is just trying to have a good time, and sometimes Monsters Of The Week try to destroy the world. Those are different axes of categorization, in my opinion.

This blog will, by necessity, contain major spoilers for TV shows that ended production about two decades ago. If you are reading this and haven't yet watched Buffy/Angel and wish to do so unspoiled (good for you!), please block this blog. Come back later! If you have already watched the shows and want to check my math, I would be thrilled to have you follow this blog!

Let's get started.

[absolutely-wretched]

the twilight reveal (my dissertation)

I'm back on the Buffy comics train and just finished the second to last volume of season 8 for the first time since 2020 and here we goooooo (read more so if you want to hurt yourself physically and emotionally with spoilers you can, but you have an out.)

Twilight's mask comes off. I remember this. I don't remember it in detail, but my head instinctively goes into my hands. The trauma. The pain. The cringe. I've never felt so betrayed by Joss until I read the single worst thing he's ever written. and it hurts, just like in 2020. except not i'm reading it with my fiance and it compounds the cringe.

Spike got his SOUL BACK FOR YOU. He died for YOUR CAUSE. And just like when Angel comes back to give her the amulet, it all goes out the window for captain fucking forehead and I'M PISSED. Not to mention the most painful sex I've ever had to witness. Painful in the sense of cringey. Also, is Buffy possessed by Twilight too? Because why in all fuck would she be superpower fucking her ex just because he says "don't you want to be happy?". He's not acting normal at all, and all of this is bombastically weird and makes very little sense and Buffy just does it without questioning it? Let's live in our own microuniverse? WHY?????? Help? Why? Joss what were you going through when you wrote this??? I couldn't have come up with something worse when I was writing fanfiction at 14. I know that's the worst hurdle in the comics but damn. At least there's swearing in the comics, though, I'm not complaining that, it's very realistic.

Okay and why is NO ONE concerned about angel losing his soul??? Everyone knows it's happening and no one asks. Buffy doesn't ask. I'm screaming at the pages for someone to ask bc I'm asking and it makes no sense. the chill days of me defending the writing choices of buffy and satsu and taking mecha dawn in comedy stride are over. what in the absolute fuck. I hate it so much.

so then we get to buffy rejecting this INSANITY finally and that's cool. fuck destiny and all that. there's my girl. my selfishly driven girl (and no, that's not a chracter trait the comics invented, i could write a dissertation on buffy's character flaws from the show, they just seem to be amplified in the comics). dawn is actually the only one who seems to be questioning everything so i'm now team dawn. and xander rejecting buffy. i like xander a lot in the comics.

The best thing about this volume is this:

But I fear, since it's the end before the last volume, that i will be SO FURIOUS about a lot of things said and done in the issues cooming up, since we will have Spike and Angel and Buffy all in the same room together, and I really hope they don't do to Spike what they did in s5 of Angel which is downplay how great he is to make captain boredom look better in comparison.

and GOD i miss lynch so much. i'm not sure if it's the people writing joss's ideas or writing with joss, because I know lynch wrote after the fall but it was joss's story, so I'm thinking maybe the people writing the comics might have made it worse (even if joss's story BEATS for this was already bad). I at least know whoever storyboarded made a god damn mess of it, because half the time i couldn't figure what was going on based on the drawings in the panels.

ALSO I had this rant in the tags once about how much it bothered me that they took away Spike's black nail polish after he got his soul, genuinely annoying me that something so iconic was ripped from his design. so YAY for the return of the nail polish! Keep it!

[mulderscully]

Honest question, what did you think about the ending of the comics from a spuffy perspective? I know this ask has spoilers for some, sorry!

i like it. i mean, it's not ideal but i like how tender and warm it is and how the possibility of them getting back together in a romantic sense is there. but what matters most to buffy is that they're okay and in each others lives and that's so beautiful to me. i never know what to imagine their "endgame" is since there is that question of him being immortal and she not, so as long as they're in each other lives til the end - whatever that is - i'm happy. it was def lame to randomly break them up after 2 seasons but it could've been way worse!

[umgirldog]

Would love to hear your general thoughts on Buffy! Favorite characters, episodes, seasons, ships!!

omg anon this is the question of my dreams I’ve been dying to talk about this

I have a hard time choosing order of favourite characters or anything, they’re all phenomenal, but big three for me are probably Tara, Buffy, and Willow. (Honorable mention to Oz i love werewolves and cool dudes) I think I could make whole essay posts about each of them so I won’t elaborate too much, but Tara and Willow respectively are wonderful characters, I find myself aligned with those two the most, and Buffy is a stellar protagonist and fashion icon, SMG and the cast made the show what it is, Joss aside (do we like him?)

(That said I actually have a picture of Faith in my wallet for when I go out as a reminder to never let my standards fall. Otherwise I switch it out for a picture of Tara and Willow so that I’m always ready to fight for something. Kidding. Kinda)

It’s been a while since I watched the earlier seasons but one of my favourites was 4x10 Hush. According to actors it was once of the hardest eps to film, but I love the monsters. They terrify me and their freaky little henchmen are godawful I love it. (Also brownie points for Tara and Willow content teehee) Once More With Feeling and The Wish are also close runner-ups, and I’m sure there’s more it’s just been like a year since I started watching - for that reason I also don’t think I could accurately rank seasons YET. I have the first 5 seasons on DVD and I plan to rewatch tho…

As for ships I love love love Tara and Willow more than anything, my guilty pleasure is Buffy and Faith, otherwise I just got into the fandom side of everything cause I was trying to stay away from spoilers! So recs to fics, comics, fan stuff and less known canon stuff whatnot is totally welcome and appreciated!

Thank u for the question I am totally psyched to get into the fandom more and wanna hear other ppls opinions too :o) lmk ur fav eps so I can plan a chaotic rewatch while I find a DVD player :oP

[jokarlekin]

Collei… but in my Alternate Universe !

⚠️ SPOILERS FROM THE GENSHIN MANGA (Well kinda?) AND HER CHARACTER STORIES

Yup, I made her emo.

Half-kidding, I just imagined her if she did not enter Mondstadt and she had to come back to the Sumerian desert. Soooo, no redemption due to Amber, no chance to become a forest ranger, NO CUILEIN-ANBAR DOLL.

Dw it is still here, it has just become a mf golem filled with black flames, named Cuilein-Golem. Reminds me of that time when I yassified and turned it into a ‘furry’. (Idk why, I LOVE making it tall and buffy, like it is Collei’s guardian angel-)

Anyway, Collei and Cuilein are not the only ones to change in this A.U, I need to work on everything else but know that Sumeru lost its forests, kinda ;)

Lemme know if you’re interested in discovering my A.U, I will be happy to talk about it !

Aaand lezgo finish with a shitpost and a comic~

[ltwharfy]

The AV Club has a review of the fist two episodes of the new season of "Bob's Burgers" (hey, anyone else remember when they did that weekly? No, I'm old? Okay, got it.) I feel compelled to share it, because as a Rudy connoisseur (not a self-proclaimed title, Babs labeled me that!) I am naturally interested in the season's second episode, "The Amazing Rudy."

I'm not going to post any of the article's discussion about it (don't want to expose folks to more spoilers than they may want) but I will post one prediction and one fear I have about this episode.

The prediction: it will make me cry. It sounds like Rudy's parents and their divorce play a pretty central role. One of the reasons I love Rudy so much is that I relate to him in a number of ways, including being a child of divorce. So, I feel like this story could hit some of those nerves for me. Not a bad thing necessarily, but something for me to be aware of.

The fear: maybe it's too Rudy-centric? I know that sounds like a weird thing for someone who's obsessed with the character to say, but the review compares it to Buffy's "The Zeppo" and South Park's "Butter's Very Own Episode" and I don't know if I really want Rudy, or any Bob's supporting character, to get that level of focus. I've always liked that the show tends to keep the focus on the Belchers (well, and Teddy, who is also a main character). I think it's a concern that comes from "The Simpsons". For me, one of the signs of that show's decline was when it started doing episodes that focused entirely on Comic Book Guy or other minor characters where the roles of the actual Simpson family members were really small. Hopefully, this isn't that.

Wow, this is a long post for a link to a review of two episodes I haven't even seen yet! Anyway, tl; dr "The AV Club reviewed Bob's Burgers again; I am way too obsessed with Regular Sized Rudy."

[paulgadzikowski]

[Image description: Preview panel for the comic strip at the link below. Dawn and Buffy Summers of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, each holding one of the talismans which indicate travel to a different fiction-plane by Willow’s spell, stand talking with Walter and Astrid of Fringe. Buffy is saying, “We come from an alternate universe where Fringe Division is a tv show.” Unfortunately there are not image descriptions at the main Hero Of Three Faces site. End description.] 

The Hero of Three Faces is fanfiction crossovers, but it’s comic strips with stick figures, but they’re triangles. Preview panel only. Click here for full cartoon. Or see the on-site navigation tutorial. Or see this blog’s FAQ, or my archive tumblog’s FAQ. Cartoons may contain unmarked spoilers. Cartoons linked from Tumblr 10:00 (Central US time) daily are the previous day’s new update and the posts are pinned to the top of this blog. Cartoons linked from Tumblr 22:00 daily are from the archive and the posts are pinned only during annual summer hiatus of new updates.

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