Tales of the Vampires: Carpe Noctem Part 2 - Printed matter

The preview looks good.This has been an interesting little story.

I enjoyed this whole story. Wish it were available in paper form.

Has anyone compiled a list of Season 8 links?
I would like to look over all the MDHP Buffy stuff.

I can never seem to get MDHP to work on my computer... but from memory there's been the Harmony story, the Vampy Cat story, Always Darkest (the Buffy dream story) and now this.

I really enjoyed this, too. It'd be nice if DH would be able to get it into the Season 8 collector's editions at some point.

Matt7325 | February 27, 19:54 CET

Yeah, there have been chronic issues accessing MDHP from outside the US. I'm in Canada and the MySpace servers just redirect me to their homepage.

Here are links to the MDHP stories (gathered from elsewhere, since I can't access them myself!):

Harmony Bites (MDHP #18)
Vampy Cat Play Friend (MDHP #19)
Always Darkest (this one actually available on Dark Horse's site, since there were issues around the time of MDHP #24's release)
Harmony Comes to the Nation (MDHP #25)
Carpe Noctem Part 1 (MDHP #31)

If you can't access directly, screen caps are available at SlayAlive.

[ edited by Parabola on 2010-02-27 20:22 ]

Parabola | February 27, 20:21 CET

I know that the Harmony Story and the Vampy Cat where in the TPB vol 5 Preadtors and Prey. Always darkest, I don't know. I hope they include it in the Retreat TPB that comes out next week.

This story was clever and good. I think I remember Scott Allie talking about collecting another Tales of the Vampire/Slayer volume which would have "Tales of the Vampires-The Thrill" and could possibly have "Broken Bottle of Djinn" reprint. If so I would beg to have this one thrown in as well to flavor the pot.

The Goose | February 27, 20:23 CET

What are 'The Thrill' and 'Broken Bottle of the Djinn'?

Matt7325 | February 27, 20:28 CET

I imagine all these MDHP stories will be collected in the unofficially announced Buffy Season Eight Deluxe Editions. That's why I haven't "upgraded" my floppies to trades, because I'm holding out on the deluxe hardcovers that Scott Allie has vaguely referred to.

Riker | February 27, 20:40 CET

@MattManic7325: "The Thrill" is the ToTV oneshot released between "Predators and Prey" and "Retreat", if I have the release chronology correct. The one with the Jo Chen cover with the pomegranate.

wenxina | February 27, 20:56 CET

It's after reading pages such as these, that really helps bang home to me how ridiculous the idea that Vampires as a whole would be influenced by what Harmony says. I just don't buy any of it I'm afraid.

sueworld2003 | February 27, 21:03 CET

Yeah, I'm a little concerned how she manages to be their spokes person. But then again I remember that she works for Twilight.

The Goose | February 27, 21:24 CET

Yes, but unless there's some kind of spell involved I just don't buy it.

sueworld2003 | February 27, 21:27 CET

Also, Broken Bottle of Djinn was released in 2002. It was a Espenson and Doug Petrie combo, it got lost in the shuffle of the Tales of Slayer TPB so it's only available in comic form. I got mine from mycomicshop.com It's kind of a grail for Canonical Buffy comics collectors.

The Goose | February 27, 21:30 CET

I'm going towards spells involved, but also the type of vamps these days have degenerated into trendy hipster kids who think they're Lestat or Edward, so it would be easy to manipulate those kinds of minds.

The Goose | February 27, 21:31 CET

I found watching True Blood has made it easier to buy the "vamps are out and popular" thing. But you shouldn't need to be influenced by an unrelated source to understand it.

Riker | February 27, 22:24 CET

IMO Tru Blood did the whole 'Vamps integrated into society' bit far more elegantly and convincingly then in season 8, where I just didn't believe a word of what we were shown.

But then I suppose it's unfair to compare a live action product with a comic.

sueworld2003 | February 27, 22:32 CET

It's after reading pages such as these, that really helps bang home to me how ridiculous the idea that Vampires as a whole would be influenced by what Harmony says.

Vampires as a whole never struck me as the brightest bunch in the Buffyverse. There were obviously a few exceptions but it was generally a case of instinct over intellect.

Simon | February 27, 22:44 CET

UGO also has an interview with Jackie Kessler (the writer) HERE. Nothing new, but some amusing anecdotes.

wenxina | February 27, 23:57 CET

Even more reason not to listen to Harmony I would have thought. *g* Lets face it, If you were a Vampire would you listen to her?

We've seen nothing to seriously indicate that why Vampires are all of a sudden acting as one over this. Harmony acting as some kind of daft spokesperson just doesn't cut it for me, sorry.

sueworld2003 | February 28, 00:01 CET

This short actually shows that not all vampires are acting as one. Cyn is actually entirely against the Harmony movement of making vampires Lindsay Lohan-ish. And who said anything about vampires truly acting as one? All they're doing is being opportunistic, and enjoying their new niche while the fad lasts. The world thinks that vampires are Edwards, Lestats, Armands, Selenes, or something along those lines. That vampires are misunderstood, tortured souls (hmm... irony). The general populace of the Buffyverse have never shown any real understanding about the supernatural, or more specifically, of vampires.
Vampires band together for a common cause when they believe in it. Angelus had lackeys that were willing to spontaneously combust in a classroom... kinda like a combustible telegram. Harmony may be a silly blonde twit, but any opportunistic vampire would at least recognize the implications of her popularity.
Some may resent it (e.g. Cyn), but others revel in the notoriety at large (e.g. Ash).

wenxina | February 28, 00:36 CET

I'm going towards spells involved, but also the type of vamps these days have degenerated into trendy hipster kids who think they're Lestat or Edward, so it would be easy to manipulate those kinds of minds.

"You're sure this isn't just some fanboy thing? Cause... I've fought more than a couple of pimply overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat."

Matt7325 | February 28, 08:04 CET

I really liked how Ash revels in getting to be the hero. It reminds me of Who Are You when Adam summaries a vampires place in society, "yes, the sewers. You hide from them, crawl about in their filth..." I can actually buy the idea that vampires would play along with Harmony because they’ve never been top dogs before. The only thing I wouldn’t buy is that all vampires would follow Harmony, but this whole one-shot is about exploring a vampire who does (Ash) and a vampire who doesn’t (Cyn). So it's done a great job, as far as I'm concerned.

vampmogs | February 28, 11:09 CET

Maybe I'm taking this whole thing far too seriously, but the majority seemingly are towing the company line, or Joss's introduction of this plot line would be pointless, surely?

Silly, silly stuff imo. *g*

sueworld2003 | February 28, 11:25 CET

It's all Twilight. Vampire popularity rises and slayers get outted and vilified? Making it conveniently easier for Twilight to get the out-in-the-open support to hunt slayers down? That wasn't just a lucky happenstance.

Harmony's the pretty face. Twilight's pulling the strings. And knowing who Twilight is makes Harmony's involvement all the more sensical.

And also, I agree with wexina.

pat32082 | February 28, 13:51 CET

This 2-parter went a long way toward exploring vampires' attitudes toward the opportunity that Harmony (and possibly Twilight) have set up. Much better than how it was executed in the main Season 8 comic.

Found it funny when the dude said Ash looked hot with her vamp face. Sometimes dudes on the show wore it well (but men are more beastly to begin with in appearance, so it's not hard to make it work), but I always thought the women in vamp-face in the series looked appropriately hideous and intimidating.

Kris | March 10, 19:48 CET

February 27 2010