This bothered me a little:
"Xander dishes out orders and keeps the wheels in motion. He tells Buffy, everything is in place, its time to move."

I hate it when you have a supposedly strong female character, heading up an entirely female organization, and there is a male giving them orders. It's typical, but not what I expect from Buffy.

Xane | March 08, 22:25 CET

Am I the only interested person who didn't get a preview copy? :(

Craig Oxbrow | March 08, 22:43 CET

Well i have my copy, im not sure why some people dont...

feigenbaum7 | March 08, 22:47 CET

I'm not sure that Joss will create a dynamic between Xander and Buffy where he gives her orders, I suspect he coordinates but she's still the boss...very much so! He's acting very much like Giles isn't he?

Calledon | March 08, 22:57 CET

Ooo. This is my cue to stop following any spoilery links until after I've read the real thing. The links getting posted from now on aren't just "leaky" spoilers anymore.

Started to read this one, then stopped. Must. Wait. Until. March 14.

[ edited by Sunfire on 2007-03-08 20:38 ]

Sunfire | March 08, 23:37 CET

Sure sounds like it to me :D

Too bad she couldn't have just skipped the cryptic and just said "and I miss Spike".

anindoorkitty | March 09, 01:15 CET

I didn't even risk opening the link (looks spoilery) but based on the one sentence quote from Xane (first post), I don't take that to mean Buffy is not a strong female character. And who said she was in charge of an "all female organization"? I clearly remember lots of male members (slight pun intended) in the Watchers council and even half the Scoobies are guys (Ripper, Xander, is Oz a Scoobie?).

Maybe I'm missing something out of context (or maybe the article slants it to make Buffy look weaker) but with only having that one sentence to digest, personally I would infer that Xander is like one of Buffy's "field generals" which makes logical sense for him to report to Buffy that "their plan or schedule" has reached zero-hour and it's time to pull the trigger! (similarly, I can recall Xander leading a brigade of sword-weilding students against a big-ass snake once...)

alexreager | March 09, 01:33 CET

I'm with you Sunfire: I'm going to avoid all spoilers. I haven't been able to get an advanced copy and it is killing me to wait. Oh nebula, I got that same e-mail, telling me I have to wait two more weeks and inviting me to buy the variant cover. grrr argh

[ edited by embers on 2007-03-08 22:48 ]

embers | March 09, 01:42 CET

Am I the only interested person who didn't get a preview copy? :(

Nope. I ordered mine months ago and got a zillion confirmations of my order, and then yesterday I got an email saying mine will be delayed till March 21, because " a problem at the printer has caused a delay in our shipment. "

:(

Nebula1400 | March 09, 01:42 CET

I just had to say: Xander's my hero. But I'll have to join the debate about who's in possession of the glittery plaque of leadership at a later date.

(I didn't say I wouldn't read comments.)

Sunfire | March 09, 02:36 CET

I think Xander is the Prime Minister to Buffy's President (in a French political way). He does the admin stuff, she leads in the field.

Simon | March 09, 02:43 CET

I don't know.I read the issue already and it read like she was talking about missing having raw sex in general and being a little surprised she does too.And not with a specific person.She's had a few sexual partners including Angel,Parker,Riley and Spike.Plus it has been about over two years since she's gotten any.Can't blame her for missing the urge for a release especially when her little sister had recently had sex.Like Faith said,slaying can make you hungry and horny.

I think when we get a Angel or Spike mention,we'll know it clearly and it won't be cryptic.

I enjoyed the issue and loved the classic Joss dialog.The scenes with Xander were nice especially when Xander is trying to get Buffy to talk to Dawn.Buffy does get a zinger off on giant Dawn.lol

Buffyfantic | March 09, 02:48 CET

Simon, I like the analogy. I'll be curious to see how Giles fits into this, since I always thought of admin as his role.

Sunfire | March 09, 03:20 CET

I'm also not getting the poor little Buffy vibe being led by the very male Xander. IMO, it was a FYI moment. I really like the Joss feel to this Comic. The dialog is straight on Buffy style. I can't wait to see the Scooby gang totally reunited. Giles couldn't come on scene fast enough for me. :)

Buffy and sex? I can't blame Buffy for missing great sex either. Who wouldn't? The real question is, who DID Buffy have great sex with? Not sure Spike fits that description. Have no idea how Buffy would describe sex with Riley or Angel. Guess we'll have to see if she ever puts a name with that thought. Sex aside, this Comic is great.

cheryl | March 09, 06:35 CET

Well, how do you explain the Doc Martins and long black duster hanging in the sky?

And I think Buffy's comment "...I miss that sex" implies, to me anyway, particular sex. It seems like if she was just missing sex in general, she would have just said I miss sex. And we don't really know when she last had any ;)

anindoorkitty | March 09, 06:44 CET

Xander is the old friend who has earned the right to be blunt with the boss. He's sort of Bones to her Kirk.

As for the sex, it does sound as if Buffy is thinking about something specific. In that case, unless there is a retcon and we find out Buffy had sex with someone we never saw on the show (Clem?), I think the candidates are Riley and Spike.

Imo, it can't be Angel or Parker. While I believe Angel made Buffy's first time wonderful and she enjoyed it thoroughly as it was happening, I also think it's an act Buffy regrets because of the consequences, among them Jenny Calendar's death and Buffy's having to send Angel to hell. She has no recollection of IWY.

And since Parker used Buffy, I don't get the feeling she would consider sex with him as anything to miss.

Reddygirl | March 09, 07:08 CET

I don't think Xander's dialogue is indicative of some larger issue of gender and a male running a predominately woman's organization. It's very possible it's showing who Xander has become; no longer the Zeppo.

And I think people are reading a little too much into Buffy's sex comment. But that's just me.

maje | March 09, 09:06 CET

"I think Xander is the Prime Minister to Buffy's President (in a French political way). He does the admin stuff, she leads in the field."

I hope you are right Simon. Maybe it was just that quote from the reviewer that made it seem like Xander was in charge of Buffy. I certainly hope he isn't. It's Buffy, not Charlie's Angels.

I still like Giant Dawn, and all the dialogue that goes with their interaction.

I really didn't appreciate the sex remark. I assume she is talking about Spike, but it's a pretty tacky way to talk about someone who died saving you because they loved you. Ouch.

Xane | March 09, 09:09 CET

Xane -

I totally see where you're coming from.

And although I don't think you have anything to worry about, I'm certain that most of us can agree that this comic, not unlike the internet, is serious fucking business.

NekoDono | March 09, 12:38 CET

Is everyone basing their opinions on this article or have people seen the actual comic?

I didn't read the article since it looked like he was giving a synopsis of the story. Until I see the comic itself, I am not going to be getting into motivations or roles of the characters. I am constantly amazed at the difference between another person's synopsis of a story and my take after I read/see it myself. But then that is me. If folks are having fun, more power to them.

newcj | March 09, 18:38 CET

Xane, I am glad she misses something about Spike, at this point. Sex is a good start.. Maybe she can see him later and have some with him.

spikeylover | March 09, 18:38 CET

So how come Amy gets to come back and not... not... (*sniff*) Tara?

My Tara doll just fell over. Seriously. I didn't even touch it! Coincidence?

quantumac | March 09, 19:07 CET

There are preview copies? Hmmm, a way to get out of the doghouse ... if I was in it and had one!

htom | March 09, 23:58 CET

I've read the comic.So my opinion is based on having read the issue.

Buffyfantic | March 10, 00:04 CET

Xane, I suppose Joss was thinking he's making a homage to Spike by mentioning sex. It may be his attempt at subtlety in comic form. He tries to "decorate" Buffy's line with additional meaning with ostensibly funny "great muppety Odin" opener to make it stand out. But the majority of people I talked with see "sex" as sex and nothing more.

I wonder if it's a problem of printed word versus spoken word. In a novel writer could spend a page describing why exactly Buffy can't bring herself to say Spike's name (Anaross does it brilliantly in Unspoken). But in a dialogue-driven media writer only has one or two lines. On TV, a lot depends on the actor's delivery. In comics, a word is just a combination of letters, so the subtlety is impossible.

Maybe SMG could fill the line with some special inflections suggesting that she thinks of Spike. But without the actor's participation the line falls flat. The word remains just the word. No interpretation. No deeper meaning. Just a superpowered chick missing great sex. Simple and accessible and teenager-friendly.

Or maybe Joss is intentionally aiming at younger fanbase. Core comics readers. Those who are interested in sex, not love. Those who regard "Buffy" as a regular entertainment. With "a lot of cheese".

Moscow Watcher | March 10, 00:20 CET

Moscow-

Good point. What I think people need to take into account is that due to the basic form of the art, a great part of interpreting meaning in comics is entirely subjective.

You add certain inflections to the words yourself as you read a comic book, so it's easy to see how different people could come to entirely different conclusions over a single line of dialogue.

Personally, that's one reason comics are one of my favorite creative mediums.

NekoDono | March 10, 03:11 CET

Or, you know, it could be that she misses "great muppety Odin" sex, the kind that makes you jump for joy and tell all your friends. Though I suppose if she was talking about Spike, she wouldnt tell all her friends...

I know how she feels sometimes...

ETA: Not sex with Spike but the missing the sex part...*Sigh*...too many jokes, thats what im gonna chalk that up too.

[ edited by jerryst3161 on 2007-03-10 03:08 ]

jerryst3161 | March 10, 06:07 CET

I think I tend to agree with whoever said that when Buffy makes reference to Angel or Spike, we will know exactly who she is talking about. Agree with Reddy that it isn't likely Parker. Could be Riley, they did get along in that area. Don't really think Buffy would describe her relationship with Angel in a purely sexual way but I don't think that has anything to do with regretting the deed. It just really wasn't about sex. Love, Passion, trust but just monkey sex? Not really.
That leaves Spike. The last time Buffy and Spike had sex was when she called him William and said she was sorry....right? If memory serves. That doesn't bring back the warm fuzzies either.

Maybe it really IS just that she misses having sex and there is really no person in mind. I have no idea at this point. Time will tell. I guess if it's important enough, to the story, Joss will answer in his own good time.

cheryl | March 10, 07:23 CET