After some time off, we’re back with some analysis of the Buffyverse! After you’ve read your copy, come check out our thoughts on “Angel & Faith” #12 and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” #12!
It’s actually rather convenient that I tackle both issues at once because it seems these two books are heavily hinting toward the convergence of the series sooner rather than later. First off, in “Angel & Faith” #12, Angel, Faith, Willow, and former Quor’toth resident Connor went on a trip to the boy’s hometown to try and find a source of magic for Willow. Willow’s quest to reactivate magic in our world by traveling to another dimension (and then traveling to another beyond that) seems to mirror what happened in the Angel canon a lot when it was still on the air, since dimension hopping was a regular thing. Interestingly enough, Buffy’s adventure with Kennedy over in “Buffy Season Nine” mirrors Angel’s adventures as well, since she goes on an adventure that just so happens to involve the eternal thorn in Angel’s side: Wolfram & Hart.
Another parallel that ran through both issues was how trust works when it’s lacked between two people or misplaced. In Buffy, she placed her trust in our new demon friend living on Alcatraz, only to find herself on the other end of a double cross. Angel and Faith, however, suffer from a lack of trust, as evidenced by Faith trying to bring Willow to her side in plotting against any machinations that Angel might be plotting in order to bring Giles back from the dead. However, in a turn from how she might have been in the past, Willow put trust in Angel and asked him to keep the vamp face to a minimum because they don’t know how his supernatural abilities might be affected by the different form of magic in Quor’toth. It’s an interesting look at the different forms of trust in the two books, and one I can’t imagine was anything else but intentional.
When it comes to the “guest stars” for lack of a better term, Connor’s character has improved drastically from his time on TV to the comics. One thing that was always missing from the character was the depth every other character had. Connor, circumstances aside, being raised in a Hell Dimension by Angel’s enemy Holtz, was a very thinly conceived character. What was his defining characteristic? He was angry. That was essentially it. But in this book, he feels warm and human, despite his dealing with conflicting memories and feelings. It’s actually pleasant to see that he is still like the Connor we saw near the end of the TV series, who was a far cry from the Connor we were used to beforehand.
Koh, on the other hand, doesn’t really have the same treatment. It feels like we’re expressly SUPPOSED to like him until he turns on Buffy in the final pages. Even Kennedy, a lifelong lesbian, comments that he’s “kind of cute, if you’re into [guys].” Stuff like that definitely makes it obvious that we’re supposed to connect to this character only to be devastated when he turns on our heroes. It doesn’t quite come off the way it should, however, and he just comes off as cold and kind of…blank. Honor can only get you so far, after all.
The best written new character/guest star so far is definitely Theo, our Mark Zuckerberg-esque creator of “Tincan,” the social networking site that connects humans and demons all throughout the various dimensions. Even the way Jeanty draws him has more emotion and depth than most of the other characters in the book, including Buffy and Kennedy.
Perhaps the most interesting imagery came from the Rebekah Isaacs-variant of “Angel & Faith” (left). It was mentioned within the issue that Quor’toth brings out the worst in people. So I can guess we can expect Faith to have to deal with both Dark Willow and Angelus? Maybe Connor too? It’s an interesting thought. Faith really seems to be going through the ringer lately.
Final Thoughts:
- Connor a Quor’toth messiah/devil? UGH.
- Social Networking demons is like vampire religion (ahhh True Blood), confusing and possibly unnecessary.
- Could they be hinting towards a Willow/Kennedy reunion?
- This seems to be the point where the two books start to converge. They’re referencing each other more overly, and they’re even hinting at the upcoming “Spike” series. Seems appropriate given the fact they’re near their halfway point.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!
