(no subject)

[shadowkat]

Resisting the urge to snark at the Buffy comics, whose summaries and reviews, I'm finding rather amusing. Okay, so, out of all the comic book plots out there to steal from, Whedon and Meltzer chose the Teen Titans/X-men crossover with Darkseid? They know comic book fans blasted that one out of the stratesophere when it hit the shelves as being beyond lame, right?

For an excellent review of Dollhouse, which clarified what I liked and disliked about the series - go here :http://aycheb.livejournal.com/105845.html?view=661621&style=mine#t661621

Aycheb does a great job of pointing out what bugged me about Dollhouse and to a degree what has been bugging me about Whedon's stories since Buffy. He's trying to be a political sci-fi writer and it's not his genre. He's better at psychological and gothic horror. Political world-building requires an attention to detail and thoroughness that I think Whedon lacks as evidenced by the Buffy comics actually. He's very good at psychological metaphors, but political ones...he gets a tad to preachy and loses his subtle touch. It's just not what he does well. It's not that he can't do political tales -he can but not ones with a broad scope. He's better at intimate stories...one's that focus on fewer characters, epics or stories that are broader in scope seem to get confused. I'm not stating it very well, I'm afraid.

Comments

Thank you - yes that's it!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Yes, this is it.

It's his lack of attention-to-detail and care. Over time his world-building became unraveled and very flawed, because he's always willing to junk the foundation for the expediencies of drama and storyline - instead of finding ways to integrate them or shift more naturally.

It's a common flaw in pulp story telling - or comic books (a la the X-men) or daytime serials or the low-budget horror flicks/tv shows. They go for the shock value, the short-cut, junking the rest. While in contrast critical successes such as Mad Men, BattleStar Galatica, Caprica, The Sopranos, Babylon 5...spend hours on the detail. They aren't perfect, of course, but...they are tighter somehow, more cohesive. You can see the attention to detail in them. And can appreciate it. Even Lost - is very careful of details, although it too has its flaws.

I was reading a fanfic WIP today based on Whedon's Buffy and Angel series - except the writer has taken the time to build on the details, clearly spent hours thinking about each one, keeping it consistent. Worrying over the individual subplots. Making sure each detail worked with the story as whole. While in both the series and the comics - I don't feel that Whedon did that. It explains why Whedon's series, as much as I may love and enjoy them, always leave me unsatisfied. I want something more.

Odd. I get more obsessed with critically flawed works of art than the other. I own almost all of Buffy and Angel on DVD. Firefly.
Yet only have one season of BSG. Maybe I care less about the flaws than I let on. (shrugs). I have no idea why I loved Buffy hard, but not BSG or Mad Men (which I loved, but not in that hard fannish way that makes you go seek out spoilers, fanfic, and write massive amounts of meta on.)

Re: Thank you - yes that's it!

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I have no idea why I loved Buffy hard, but not BSG or Mad Men (which I loved, but not in that hard fannish way

Probably because Whedon tells his stories very emotionally, and is always driving emotional points - not analytical or intellectual ones. Even if a show is great, it's harder to get passionate about shows that are more dispassionate.

Re: Thank you - yes that's it!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee. Especially if you spend 80% of your time reading technical materials, dispassionately analyzing them, and writing dispassionate and technical letters, memorandums and recommendations regarding such issues.

I guess if my job were a little less analytical, intellectual, and dispassionate...then again maybe not. When I had no job, I was even more obsessed than I am now.

No, you're right. Emotionally based stories get me every time. Depending of course on the emotional triggers.