Feck - I thought this was next week! *off to download on my iPad*!

faith in Angel | December 19, 15:07 CET

Yes it's a week early, presumably because next week is a dead week for retailers?

Simon | December 19, 15:16 CET

Well Marvel is putting out Amazing Spider-Man # 700 and Avenging Spider-Man # 15.1(Amazing # 700 aftermath issue) as their only comics next week.

Buffyfantic | December 19, 15:23 CET

Downloaded and read - fantastic issue.

So much good stuff here. Spoilers from here on in:


1- So Giles isn't alive and neither is Ethan, but possessed by Eyghon. Lovely twist. Of course we knew he was coming from the future covers, but it's still nice to see a consistant mythology. Eyghon finally got Giles and Ethan then. Glad that Ethan isn't alive as much as I like his character. He did die from a bullet in the head, so would have been a bit much to come back from that. This was he can be used, and it works with the mythology. Which makes me happy.

-In 'The Dark Age', it seemed that Eyghon could only inhabit one person at a time. Now with magic gone it seems he can inhabit more than one person, once they bare his mark.

2- I wonder how friendly Angel and Faith will be at the end of this series. She really has been there for him all year, but to her detriment it seems. I hope her faith (ahem) in him will be rewarded.

3- I think that Angel will get the last piece of Giles's soul by the end of this arc, but at a big cost. The Spike issue will be a bit of comic relief, with some major heaviness in the last arc. 8 issues to go and I still don't know how they hell this will all end!

4- The Aunts are providing excellent comic relief, and it is sorely needed. The story is so serious and heavy that it's good to have the 'truth sayer' character in it (represented in the past by Cordy and Spike)

5-Nice to see Angel doing some detective work again. And next issue will be great to see him punch and kick some ass:)

faith in Angel | December 19, 15:36 CET

The review I linked to said "this issue has the most disturbing act I’ve ever seen in the Buffyverse". Any indication of what that is?

Simon | December 19, 15:40 CET

LOL, Giles dated Olivia Williams.

@Simon, I'm not sure what the "most disturbing act" was-Perhaps the dude exploding? "Giles" head turning all the way around?

Edit: I asked the writer of the article, he said "It was the "twist"... Your mileage may vary, but I found that horrific."

[ edited by Jelly on 2012-12-19 17:21 ]

Jelly | December 19, 16:59 CET

Yes that was horrible. Giles' neck is still broken.

*shudder*

faith in Angel | December 19, 18:15 CET

Especially as it was done so casually... *shudder*

I'm guessing Olivia Williams is the Phina Oruche character from season four... rather than the actress...

[ edited by daylight on 2012-12-19 18:27 ]

daylight | December 19, 18:25 CET

Well, Williams is a common family name (and,professionally, I've worked with a Frank Sinatra, a Wilbur Wright, an Andy Taylor, and others) although really, that sounds like a truly annoying slip to make, and if it';s deliberate it's even worse, unless they're making a statement that "None of the actors on any of Joss's series exist as real people in any of Joss's fictional universes," which is both unecessary to the enjoyment of the creative works themselves , and alittle mean-spirited.

DaddyCatALSO | December 19, 20:09 CET

I'm sure it's an affectionate tribute to another British Whedon actress, playing on the uncommon name Olivia for both. How you turned it into something mean-spirited I will never figure out.

narky | December 19, 20:38 CET

A bizarre take on the text to be sure. I would put money against it being a coincidence and more than a little on it being a nod both to long-time Buffy fans who remember Olivia from S4 and to the actress. Worked for me anyway!

apollo11 | December 19, 21:01 CET

Owwwww...

Craig Oxbrow | December 19, 21:26 CET

narky: I considered the tribute model (and the closely related inside joke model) but it just seemed too clumsy for that.

DaddyCatALSO | December 19, 21:27 CET

I have Angel & Faith # 17,"Death and Consequences Part II of IV."

I thought this was a strong issue overall.The Giles alive reveal is pretty much what was speculated on.Eyghon animating Giles's corpse.But it was very freaky knowing what's inside Giles's body especially the scene where Gilesghon shows off his broken neck,

Eyghon is also animating Ethan's corpse thus explaining the Steve Morris cover.Eyghon is basically possessing as many bodies as he can now including Nadira's slayer friend.Props to Nadira for asking questions and being suspicious.Unfortunately too late.This issue gave her more personality than just angry and troubled.So great to see that.

Also loved the Ripper flashback and how that sets up what's going on in the present.

Faith's blowup at Angel has been building all season.It wasn't a question of if it would happen but when.And Angel totally owns that and realizes that he owes her now too and will do whatever she asks.I'll admit I was surprised initially that what she wants is for Angel to finish the job of bringing Giles back.I thought she would want him to drop the Giles resurrection plan.But thinking about it in retrospect,I can understand why she wants Angel to finish his plan.

1)Faith invested so much in this.She lost the respect of her slayers and this has taken a toll on her so understandably she wants Angel to finish it so everything she invested and lost won't be for nothing.

2)Whether it's smart or not.Whether it's too dangerous,Faith wants Giles back too and if there is a chance,she'll take it.

So in retrospect,I think I get why the only thing Faith wants from Angel now to pay her back is this.I do think Angel & Faith will be going there separate ways at the end of the season and we'll have a different second monthly in season 10

Even though it was exposition,I really enjoyed the scenes of Angel,Faith and Giles's aunts gathering the info of where Giles's body is and who/what is behind it.It was written lively IMO.

Of course Eyghon has the last piece of Giles's soul.

Also liked the little bit of Angel and Faith realizing it's Eyghon and the Aunts having no idea what they're talking about.

Another great issue.

Buffyfantic | December 19, 21:52 CET

I think Rebekah did a great job drawing the young versions of Giles and Ethan, very handsome lads. And as for her full bodied version of Eyghon - very awesome.

Faith won't have to worry about her slayerette's loathing her much longer - since mostly likely none of them are going to survive.

Mr.Savath_Bunny | December 19, 22:21 CET

For me the most intriguing part of this issue was the half-finished box of HONEY B's ( what the heck are these - retro candy ?) put aside together with an unfinished cup of tea, a Sony Walkman (?!!!), and what looked like a book loaded with stickies used as bookmarks. Were those Angel's new collection of acquired tastes that he indulged in, in between doing the detective work ? Put this together with his continuous wearing of retro-glasses that he started to need sometime in the middle of this season, and you got me wondering how much of Giles is already in his system and what are these parts doing to his way of reasoning. In any case, glad to be on the right of Eyhgon being the possessor. Btw, the zombified girls don't have to be actually dead - if they were only knocked unconscious they still can be saved, I think.

dorotea | December 19, 22:54 CET

As many have pointed out before me, I´m so happy and glad, that Ethan didn´t come back alive, because I like that the comics are canon and not that everything can be turned upside down in the fellowup season.
Issue and the whole series great as ever. Love it, love it, love it.

N27 | December 20, 00:01 CET

@dorotea

Your last point got me thinking. I wonder by the end of this arc will Angel & Faith save the Slayers (& Nadira) from the possession & thereby gain their forgiveness and trust?

faith in Angel | December 20, 00:09 CET

What a great issue. I'm kind of sad we're so close to the end of this season cause this series is getting better by the issue. I love Faith and can't wait to see where this series goes! But i have to wonder... what would Buffy think about bringing Giles back from the dead?

richied1983 | December 20, 00:19 CET

Awesome issue! Over the last few months this series jumped to the top of my comic list. It's the book I look forward to the most (Even more than Saga and Walking Dead! GASP)

I know season 10 is already a go but I can't remember, did they announce what the titles would be? I wondering if Angel and Faith's relationship will last the season.

A_Leaf | December 20, 05:18 CET

The page where Angel and Faith return home is absolutely fantastic. A page full of emotion with hardly any dialogue. Rebekah does a great job.

aapac | December 20, 08:15 CET

What about that critical theory essay at the back about breaking down false binaries? Interesting. I think the writer overstates his case that such binaries would throw the world back a hundred years. I think most people still SEE the world in these binaries but I love the point that we SHOULDN'T and that Joss's worlds do a great job of SLOWLY breaking those binaries down. But that's the point isn't it? Joss can't START there because most people expect a fictional world that will HAVE those binaries. So he starts us there... and then shows us how complicated is. Like... it's not a hundred years ago that we learned this.... people are still LEARNING it. Anyway, I appreciated that they published that essay. It was fun to see some academic discourse about Buffy at the back of the comic book.

cderochefort | December 22, 00:53 CET

My review of A&F #17

dorotea | December 22, 05:53 CET

I love this story line so much! It is dire and interesting, and best of all it is a direct call back to the TV series! I love that it brings Ethan Rayne back to us (I always loved that character and I was disappointed that he was killed off so quickly in Season 8 without hardly any story). This is huge fun, and promises to keep getting to be more fun!

embers | December 23, 05:08 CET

Looks fantastic!

cleveland | December 24, 07:32 CET

Didn't recall being told Giles's aunts were so much younger than Ethan's hitting on them would be squicky.

Also not clear why the posessed Slayer-corpse had no real memories.

"Yah vell," stil a good story.

DaddyCatALSO | December 24, 16:13 CET

@DaddyCatALSO The aunts are actually Grand-Aunts and are about 200. :) If you read carefully Vinny first comments on she did not like young Ethan in his 20 ties trying to get into her knickers - that was I guess 30 or 40 years past.

dorotea | December 24, 19:42 CET

I hope Ethan in SOME form or another, his personality, is back. I was SO SAD when he died. I always thought he was one of the coolest characters on the show. And SO useful for plot stuff. I couldn't believe they killed him. I hope even if he's just a possessed body that his personality is in there, and he's back for good. Just so I can always hope to see him turn up now and then!

cderochefort | December 24, 21:20 CET

Wow.

So glad I did not get spoiled for this, Ethanophile that I am.

What a great issue, the art, the storyline, the implications...I loved the scenes with young Ethan and Ripper - major props to Rebekah for the art. It all just worked seamlessly. This line has hit a real run of form.

(One thing though, I thought in The Dark Age, Ethan removed his tattoo by burning it off with acid? And JennyEyghon passed him over and went straight for Buffy? Or am I splitting hairs?) Either way, I'm counting the days to the next issue.

171Oak | January 11, 14:30 CET