Buffy #34 Soliciations - BtVS

It's definite. I am a Spuffy-fan. At least way more than a Bangel-fan, because this feels so wrong. How will this work with the IDW series? Is it a lie? Is Joss trying to fool us with these covers? Why did Angel go evil? Is Buffy and Angel looking so romantic a trick, or will Angel/Twilight, who almost got Buffy killed several times, and Buffy hook up?

This is so wrong. And in case it's true, way to ruin the surprise. It's like with issue 19's cover with Dark Willow and Buffy in pain reflected in her eye, when I was so surprised it was actually Future Evil Willow who was the mystery woman, because I didn't think they would spoiler us like that

Skytteflickan88 | January 07, 22:27 CET

Ha ha ha... Intriguing stuff!

fivebyfivefaith | January 07, 22:30 CET

!!!!!!!!!!

The Dark Shape | January 07, 22:32 CET

I am rather hoping that it's a red herron.

Because.

Wow.

Arison | January 07, 22:33 CET

Oh my frikkin god!!

Gazzy | January 07, 22:39 CET

I doubt that Angel is Twilight. Dark Horse want that reveal to be a surprise.

Simon | January 07, 22:41 CET

Wonder if Twilight is a shapeshifter who tricks Buffy into thinking he's Angel? Maybe it's a corporeal the First who can still change? Or is there a Twilight (as in THE Twilight phenomena) image that this is spoofing?

[ edited by CaptainB on 2010-01-07 22:47 ]

CaptainB | January 07, 22:45 CET

Well The First could touch in Amends but that conviently forgotten for Season 7.

Simon | January 07, 22:47 CET

I'm getting a little like: NOT ANOTHER ONE! It seems that season 8 tries to implement EVERY SINGLE charakter that ever was in the series. I just wait for Parker being Twilight!
Besides that though season 8 started great it now seems like writers go mad: Buffy fighting with guns, hello?! "These things never work!" - remember that anybody??? Xander and Dawn ... o please! Dawn and Andrew would have made more sense or am i spoilering season 9 already???

I really liked the first issues and even Buffy go girl was in charakter but the last issues: big question mark! Now i wait for the end of the season to see if they are gonna get it done right at last!

mmm cookies | January 07, 22:47 CET

Don't forget, when Whedon and Cassady where doing their run on "astonishing x-men" they released faked Phoenix / Jean Grey covers to redirect from the resurrection of Colossus. So, wouldn't be a new thing.

Sparticus | January 07, 22:49 CET

Hey nice Willow gelaskins. That'd look lovely on my laptop.

Simon | January 07, 22:50 CET

I think it's entirely possible the cover is a mislead.

But I want Angel and Buffy together, dammit.

The Dark Shape | January 07, 22:51 CET

I have to believe these heresies are in fact meant to mislead us from the "real" Twilight.

If not, then I'm prety much done with the series and will probably need to take a break from all things Whedon for a while....

mbeauparland | January 07, 22:55 CET

I think Ben is Angel.

The Dark Shape | January 07, 22:58 CET

It can't be real. They've worked so hard to not let anything slip. They wouldn't ruin it now.

didifallasleep | January 07, 22:59 CET

They've been so careful for so long . . . I can't imagine they'd let the cat out of the bag like this, so close to the actual reveal. Plus, this person as Twilight would make no kind of sense at all.

The Willow gelaskin is indeed very pretty. It would be cool if they had some other picture choices, though--maybe if this one sells well enough, they'll offer some others.

erendis | January 07, 23:00 CET

"I'm getting a little like: NOT ANOTHER ONE! It seems that season 8 tries to implement EVERY SINGLE charakter that ever was in the series. I just wait for Parker being Twilight!
Besides that though season 8 started great it now seems like writers go mad: Buffy fighting with guns, hello?! "These things never work!" - remember that anybody???

mmm cookies"

But wasn't she opposed to using guns in the last arc too? I can't remember if she did use them, even tough everyone else did, but she did comment that she didn't like it (unless I'm imagining things).

Skytteflickan88 | January 07, 23:02 CET

I think this is a joke, and quite possible the cruelest joke ever. (I'm a Spuffy fan and I STILL think that this.is.the.cruelest.joke.ever.) April is the cruelest month...

Yep, a joke.

latinandgreek | January 07, 23:05 CET

Maybe Angel will take on the identity of Twilight to fool Twilight's people?

Skytteflickan88 | January 07, 23:10 CET

This is hilarious.

Sunfire | January 07, 23:11 CET

Didn't Scott Allie point out in some Q&A or letter section that in Season 8, "what you see is what you get"?

| January 07, 23:16 CET

If this is real, then Dark Horse is seriously beyond failure for letting these covers be released. Simple as that. They've kept tight-lipped this long just to have a cover spill it three months before the reveal happens? That better not be true.
If it IS Angel, then I'm sure there's reason enough for it and we'll get a worthwhile explanation. Frankly that's not what bugs me here. I'm bothered that they'd reveal it like this though.

As for the covers themselves: Chen's is downright gorgeous. Love it.
Jeanty's? Really not. I like the Buffy/Angel background but is that REALLY supposed to look like Kennedy? Because it doesn't. At all.

trunkstheslayer | January 07, 23:16 CET

This had better be a joke. Georges's looks kinda way over the top considering all the drama of the series so far. Not to mention he wrote something under his name that I can't read. Also, the Jo Chen cover is incomplete. Buffy and her new friend are done, but there isn't really a background. Just something filling the space. Plus I remember Jo saying in an interview that she would really love to get a chance to draw Angel some day. Also, are Buffy's ears really double pierced like that? Serious question, cuz I've never noticed it before.

Turbofist911 | January 07, 23:21 CET

I think its just a joke. Since Joss is directly involved in both Season 8 and After The Fall I doubt this crossover would happen so abruptly.

Also wouldnt it require all things in After The Fall to be scrapped? I know Joss said he would'nt mind shattering the comics canon status for a feature film but I dont think he would scrap After the fall in favor of Season 8.

I call dream sequence.

alcabongTV | January 07, 23:23 CET

Her ears were doublepirced on the show. Hell I think she might have had more than two.

Skytteflickan88 | January 07, 23:25 CET

Buffy: S8 takes place after After the Fall. No idea where it is in relation to the newer comics, though. I stopped at Aftermath.

The Dark Shape | January 07, 23:25 CET

Maybe Twilight is sentient cookie dough.

Simon | January 07, 23:26 CET

What if...
TWILIGHT IS EDWARD
Mind=Blown

wackybroadwaynightmare | January 07, 23:27 CET

Well... that's more S1 Buffy than S8 Buffy. The hair, the fuller face, the fuller bust. But yes, she's always had her ears double-pierced like that. Georges is pretty good about keeping that little detail in his drawings of her.
But yeah... possible dream sequence. It's so much like the Dawn/Kenny cover though... *grimace*

wenxina | January 07, 23:29 CET

No way does this mean that Angel is Twilight. I don't believe it. It'd be nonsensical to blow that surprise on the cover.

But, also, I'm not sure that having Angel on the cover ipso facto means that he's Twilight. Couldn't he just be dropping by to see Buffy for some reason? Or something else? Dream sequence or manifestation or something?

phlebotinin | January 07, 23:30 CET

Oh my goodness, that cover is so beautiful. Thank you Joss! Thank you. :)

cheryl | January 07, 23:31 CET

My first reaction was HOLY _ _ _ _!!!

And I can't believe they would reveal that in a solicitation before issue 33 is out.

Buffyfantic | January 07, 23:36 CET

Turbofist, Jeanty likes to do spoofs of iconic covers, and when comic artists do their take on another's cover, they put "after so-and-so-what's-his-name" under theirs to give credit. Not sure where this one was inspired from, though. It must be god-awful saccharine frilly lacy stuff.
phlebotinin, I'm sure people making the connection are looking at the GJ cover. But I really don't think we're supposed to believe it's Angel. It's like the Obama variant for issue 33, it's so over the top, it just has to be a joke. I think people should be excited for the possibility that Angel just might show up in some form, though. Otherwise, it's not funny, it's just cruel.

[ edited by CaptainB on 2010-01-07 23:40 ]

CaptainB | January 07, 23:37 CET

No. No. No. No no no. No. Hell no. No. I refus- No! No.

This better be a frakkin' joke. I've got imaginary money riding on it either being Pike or Buffy's Dad. Let it be a mislead, please. Pretty.

The Goose | January 07, 23:38 CET

"But wasn't she opposed to using guns in the last arc too? I can't remember if she did use them, even tough everyone else did, but she did comment that she didn't like it (unless I'm imagining things).

skytteflickan88"

Before i get to the response: Twillight=Angel?!?! NO! Don't think so. May be it's like a flashback like Buffy's perfect world or so. We remember the Spuffangel threesome dream in one of the earlier issues.
And in general: Our big B deservers a new good man and not a warmed up old love.

Now to the gun-question: it's not even the fact of using guns itself but she uses them against humans (remember Twilight uses regular military-forces or did i miss a fakt like all the Twilight-army-guys are non-human???). Faith was wrong in killing ONE guy accidently and now Buffy tells her slayers to fight a regular army. That's not the slayer-ethics. When she had to deal with human bad guys she beat the hell out of them but she didn't kill! And in season 6 where she thought she killed Warrens ex she knew it was wrong and went to the police.

I see a change in how she deals with society. She rubbs a bank to build her slayer-army, she makes Riley (who might be still married) go on dangerous spy-action, she brings the Oz-family in danger, she uses guns and kills humans. Right now she acts very Faith-ish. And where is Faith to tell her exactly that? She wouldn't let that chance pass, would she?

My big question is not who is Twilight? It's Will my slayer come back?

mmm cookies | January 07, 23:40 CET

Buffy's Dad being Twilight would be laughable to the point I drop the book. And I like this book.

And who the hell is Pike? The guy from the movie? Ha!

But, also, I'm not sure that having Angel on the cover ipso facto means that he's Twilight. Couldn't he just be dropping by to see Buffy for some reason? Or something else? Dream sequence or manifestation or something?

Georges' cover clearly shows Angel wearing Twilight's outfit.

The Dark Shape | January 07, 23:41 CET

PLEASE don't be a joke!! I am a huge Buffy/Angel fan and THIS is the moment I've been waiting for in Season Eight (AND the Angel series!).

If this is a joke, I will cry, and then I will go watch I Will Remember You as well as that awesome kiss at the beginning of Chosen.

ETA: Angel being Twilight doesn't preclude him and Buffy from reuniting as far as I'm concerned.

[ edited by Riker on 2010-01-07 23:57 ]

Riker | January 07, 23:56 CET

Early April Fool's joke?

Even so, I'm suddenly *so* glad I've moved to another fandom. (Spike/Buffy fan here, but I would have said the same if I were an Angel/Buffy fan.)

[ edited by Enisy on 2010-01-08 00:00 ]

Enisy | January 07, 23:57 CET

Darn, beat me to it. I was going to ask if the release date was April 1. I for one do not believe these are real. That would be too much of a reveal in advance of the issue. Twilight is Ben... wait, who were we talking about?

Dana5140 | January 08, 00:13 CET

Pretty sure that Angel has moved on... with Spike.

baxter | January 08, 00:15 CET

Herring, not herron. No idea if it is a red herring, but if it is, it's a herring not a herron. Just sayin'.

The One True b!X | January 08, 00:18 CET

The First could touch in Amends

It could? When, exactly?

deird | January 08, 00:31 CET

Jenny touches Angel on multiple occasions.

The Dark Shape | January 08, 00:41 CET

Hello, April Fools....

alexreager | January 08, 00:48 CET

Angel would never let himself be seen in Twilight's outfit. Ever. Dream sequence! Most definitely.

Guestage Drew | January 08, 01:06 CET

In my original posting, I guessed it as an "April Fool's"-type thing.
Though the covers look like they should be coming out in mid-February.

CaptainB | January 08, 01:12 CET

Obviously I have no idea whether Angel is Twilight or not but would they (DarkHorse) really spend all that money just to create an April Fool's joke? Hopefully, this just means that Angel comes back to Buffy ... (which I've been waiting for forever ;) )

resa | January 08, 01:13 CET

I'm not sure I buy that Angel is Twilight or that it's an April Fool's joke. But who knows, lol. Love the cover though!

maje | January 08, 01:35 CET

The Jeanty cover looks more like Nathan Fillion to me.

And whoever said that looks more like Season 1 Buffy, you're right, especially in the Jeanty one.

dispatch | January 08, 01:45 CET

Just had a serious moment of hyperventilation here!

I'm an uber Buffy/Angel fan but I do think there is some sort of twist to it: dream, the First..etc. Or that it's an April Fools joke. Also, Angel with the three belts and the frilly skirt thingy - no. Just no. And I like Angel to be all broadsword-wielding, not missile-attack-orchestrating! Though a part of me rather hopes it's not - Jo's cover's so pretty! It would be kind of dissapointing for Jo to spend all that time and effort for it to be a joke!

Shep | January 08, 01:57 CET

Great cover.Too good to be true. I am hyperventilating too, but I am pretty sure they are playing with us. Darn!

Del | January 08, 02:16 CET

[ edited by DaddyCatALSO on 2010-01-08 02:42 ]

DaddyCatALSO | January 08, 02:40 CET

To quote my great-aunts Mamie and Minnie: "Hanh? And is Angel trying patellar sex on Buffy there? Was Jeanty reading my Willow-Tara fic "Old Marrieds"?

DaddyCatALSO | January 08, 02:42 CET

It can't be possible!
I don't see Dark Horse giving away such a surprise before time.

But I'm dying to see Angel in S8 to see what Joss has to say about IDW's continuity with Buffy's run.

[ edited by Angel TheVampire on 2010-01-08 02:59 ]

Angel TheVampire | January 08, 02:55 CET

Not at all sure what to think about this, but until it's revealed I am LOVING the covers. The Chen cover is especially beautiful but both make the B/Aer in me squee a little bit. I do have a hard time really believing that Angel is Twilight AND that we find out like this....months before the actual reveal. But time will tell I suppose....

Either way, it sure has gotten the fandom talking again. *g*

lmblack21 | January 08, 04:01 CET

Ewwwww!

What a shame if it's true.

Xane | January 08, 04:12 CET

Shippers scare me.

Rhodey | January 08, 04:53 CET

This had better be a joke indeed!

Jossfan_21 | January 08, 05:24 CET

Initial response — WOW!!!! stunningly gorgeous jo chen artwork! Then — SWEET MOTHER OF GOD — SAY IT AIN'T SO!!

i'm so hoping it's an April Fool's. When will i ever learn not to look at something marked spoiler...

Sid the Wily Dairy Gnome | January 08, 06:06 CET

I am so very confused! Are we mad because its Angel and Buffy or because Angel might be Twilight? While most of you seem worried that Twilight is Angel some of you seem upset that Angel may come back. I for one am giddy at the fact that Angel might return to Buffy but am with the rest when I say that its probably not true. Although I will take a little dream sequence action ;-)

RaynaForbes | January 08, 06:53 CET

I'm confused, too. It feels like more of a shipper issue here rather than a story issue. I think having Angel as Twilight could be really interesting. Can't wait to see what Joss has in store for us!

slayer, the | January 08, 07:12 CET

SOMEBODY WITH A PURPLE NAME NEEDS TO GIVE US ANSWERS!

Turbofist911 | January 08, 07:20 CET

I don't think anyone/anything needs to give us answers except the issue in question.

The One True b!X | January 08, 07:23 CET

I had a feeling that Angel was going to be Twilight.

Elf | January 08, 07:28 CET

Why ruin the surprise? I'm okay with whomever Twilight is as long as it's backed up with a good, convincing story, but I wanted to be surprised when reading #33.

Sosa Lola | January 08, 08:16 CET

It's a story thing. Angel being Twilight would be... weird? Cause that would make him evil? I don't see how it could be a shipper issue. Buffy kisses Angel, she's done it like, lots, and they're star crossed lovers and all that. That'd be like getting weirded out because Romeo kissed Juliet.

dispatch | January 08, 08:27 CET

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that they altered the real cover to give Angel the twilight outfit, to mess with us. The actual cover will probably have Angel with his usually clothes.

Also, Angel is absent during the current arc of IDW's Angel series, coincidence?

Allycat | January 08, 09:45 CET

I'm with the April fools day crowd :)

| January 08, 10:12 CET

That's what Chris Ryall (from IDW) had to say.

ssbssa | January 08, 10:55 CET

Well, frankly, the cover reveal has done exactly what they wanted it to, which is to ramp up discussion and therefore sales to come.

Dana5140 | January 08, 13:27 CET

Blech! :)

I think Angel's been way to busy lately to be Twilight.

Maybe it's like that Betty vs Veronica thing in Archie. Next month she'll be kissing Spike.

And Angel wasn't absent in the lastest arc. Look at the last page of the latest issue again.

[ edited by redeem147 on 2010-01-08 13:40 ]

[ edited by redeem147 on 2010-01-08 13:41 ]

redeem147 | January 08, 13:40 CET

Ì don't care if this is real or not. I want a wallpaper version of that Jo Chen cover, damn it!

Pretty_Hate_Machine | January 08, 14:13 CET

Hi-res versions now available at CBR: http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24332

wenxina | January 08, 15:52 CET

Dana, no kidding, this is smart marketing. Dark Horse knows Buffy fans. Or likely Joss directed these covers, but DH would've made the decision to show them in press releases this early.

Also, calm down 'shippers, they're just covers, they don't necessarily indicate a thing.

Kris | January 08, 17:46 CET

One reason I doubt Angel is really Twilight (among lots of others, one of which being that he wouldn't be caught dead in that outfit--or that ballerina-looking pose) is that he's already had his turn to be the villain. Also, I can't see any way that he could believe killing hundreds of Slayers would be for the greater good, and if the motivation is more nefarious, nothing in his character development in the Angel comics (or the show) has hinted at an impending dark turn that puts season two to shame. Also, if it's just someone/something else pretending to be Angel, what was the point of the mask? Wouldn't it be kind of redundant for a shapeshifter to wear a mask? Love the Chen cover, but the proportions of the Jeanty one kind of hurt. In any case, hooray for Buffy/Angel snoggage!

Taaroko | January 08, 18:44 CET

I doubt his is real, and I certainly hope Angel is not Twilight. On the other hand, I want Buffy and Angel back together. Their doomed live deserves some more doom and happiness!

Valentyn | January 08, 20:22 CET

I just read the entire season 8 comic series over again. I have been having a devil of a time following the plots and keeping the characters straight. Amy for example looks pretty generic, hard to tell when it is Amy and when it is another character, but that might just be me. There is something to be said for reading the entire series this way though because now I think I am following the plot better.

I have to admit that from time to time I did think Angel might be Twilight, subtle hints here and there. I tend to think these are misleads. It doesn't make sense for Angel to be fighting Buffy, definitely does not compute. Never the less I love those Jo Chen covers and this one is gorgeous.The idealized nature of it makes me think it is just a dream, a wish.No matter. I think I am just going to "bask."

Del | January 08, 20:35 CET

"No. No. No. No no no. No. Hell no. No. I refus- No! No.

This better be a frakkin' joke. I've got imaginary money riding on it either being Pike or Buffy's Dad. Let it be a mislead, please. Pretty.

The Goose | January 07, 23:38 CET"

Hah, know that's from Cop Out. I feel so far behind. Wish this was on TV instead.

BamSaidTheLady | January 08, 23:17 CET

Can't be, just like it's not Obama. Just seems like the covers would be designed to fake the unmasking. I think the Chen cover is real, but the Jeanty cover is a rushed red herring or a joke cover like the Obama one. I believe this is a Spider-man cover.

PuppetDoug | January 09, 01:44 CET

Edit:

I was weak. I clicked.

Argh.

[ edited by dispatch on 2010-01-10 11:55 ]

dispatch | January 10, 11:45 CET

Cheeky April Fool's joke.

zeitgeist | January 10, 14:47 CET

January 07 2010