Spontaneous Musings

Due to popular demand (okay eight people, between two journals, but in my journal that equals popular demand, also it's not like anyone's counting), I'm doing a review/recap of the last three issues of the Spike comics. Luckily for me, I actually enjoyed these comics and the message. And yes, there may be some sniping at the Buffy comics...but I'll try really really hard to refrain.

The theme of these comics hits close to home for both me and I suspect for the writer...who lost his cushy gig writing Spike comics last year. I can relate.

Spike voice over in issue 8 - the last issue:

Took on the Vegas Mission because I was sick of playing second banana, sick of being along for the ride. I wanted to steer the coaster. But no one steers the coaster. No one is in control of anything. Innocents become dangerous. Heroes can turn on a dime. Sometimes, evil can do an about-face and want to help. People come into your life. People leave. Everything's changing. Everything's always changing. Bottom line. The only thing any one of us is in charge of is ourselves.

Simple message. And my current mantra. Okay not all of it. Everything after the word coaster. It's what has gotten me through the tough times. And it to a degree defines this incarnation of the Spike character and what I love most about him. Or may explain why I adore him to pieces - that mantra above. The post-modern existentialist hero. The character who looks fate in the eye, and give him the finger. My fate is my own. I own my choices. The legacy I leave are the choices I've made, for good or ill. I control no one but me. And that's enough.

( Spike Part 6 - How Spike Lost his Soul and Dru Gained Her's )

( issue 7 - Spike comics, how did Buffy find out Spike's still alive and does she really know? And how Spike got his soul back. )

( Part 8, Stranger Things or Issue 8 of the Spike Comics, or How Spike got the Bug Ship and what Spike has been up to during most of the Buffy comics - ie. wrapping things up and linking them to the Dark Horse comics. )

Okay, I don't know about you. But I'm tired. That took a while. Longer than I'd intended. And a bit too extensive. Basically I read the last three issues of the Spike comics for you, so you don't have to. [ETA: There's a ton of typos, I keep trying to fix them, but I don't think I got them all. So apologies.]

Finally picked up the Spike comic. Yes, everyone who cares has probably already read it and reviewed it by now. Those remaining - probably aren't reading it. One of the drawbacks of having an incredibly diverse readership is - you have to be careful about certain things, such as ahem not directly bashing characters you, the writer, aren't that fond of and don't quite understand why your readership likes them as much as they do, as well as not directly bashing comics or writers or artists you aren't fond of, but you know your readers adore to pieces. It's all fine and well to take the attitude, I'll say what I damn well please in my own journal, but you gotta deal with the fallout. (shrugs). I know I'm walking a fine line here regarding the comic books - there's about 8-10 people on my flist and reader's list that LOVE the Buffy comics,and quite a few who hate the Lynch comics or Spike comics and are reading those comics very differently than I am. While there's also people who love both. People who only read Angel and Buffy comics (not Spike). People who love Lynch comics and hate Buffy comics. And finally people who hate all the comics, and wish we weren't bothering with them at all. Sigh, fans are a contentious bunch. You can't please everyone no matter what you do.

As an aside - at the comic book store got tempted by an hilarious action figure dual package of Xander and Spike in matching geeky Hawaian Shirts. LOL! Just like I got distracted last night with a blooper of Spike kissing Xander after the actors clearly got really bored of doing 100 takes of the same scene. It's the scene in Normal Again, where Xander confronts Spike, who is carrying a bag of groceries, in the graveyard talking to a sick Buffy. If you haven't seen it? Go. Google on Youtube. Now.

Spike - #1, Alone Together Now - review

Rather fun comic. Satisfied me on all levels, art, dialogue, characterization and story. First off kudos to IDW for hiring a female editor, and colorist. And - I noticed on the other two comics - Angel and Illyria - there are female writers, editors, and artists.

If you are new to Spike, Buffy, etc - not to worry - Lynch sums it all up for you nicely. Also you do not need to have read anything but Brian Lynch's Spike and Angel comics to read this tale. It only references what Brian Lynch has written and the tv series. It does however poke fun at the comics and books other guys and gals wrote. (Speaking of poking gentle fun at other writers? I just realized last night that RT Davies was parodying Whedon with his Captain Jack and Captain John. It's the same name, just different. Whedon did it first with Liam and William, and uses Captain a million times in his dialogue...to the point in which you think - what is going on with all the Captains).

The story is told entirely in Spike's point of view. It's not told like the Buffy comics are - which is an omniscient pov or multiple pov. Just first person close. That's important. Plus, this, folks, is how you write snark, in case you were wondering. Pick up Lynch's Spike comic, study the cadence of the words, and that is how you write in Spike's voice. It's not whiny, it's self-deprecating. There's a difference. It's a noir writing style - actually. You don't have to read Lynch, you can read Jim Butcher or Sam Spade novels. Spike talks like Sam Spade by way of
John Constantine. (Angel should have talked this way, but for some reason everyone writes him as incredibly whiny and mopey, except for maybe Lynch, Humphrey Bogart he's not.)

( spoilers for Spike Comic )