Season 8 - Twilight Part 3: Issue 34

[Skytteflickan88]

::COVERS::

SPOILER: Click to show

::SOLICITATION::

SPOILER: Click to show

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #34
Brad Meltzer (W), Georges Jeanty (P, Cover), Andy Owens (I), Michelle Madsen (C), and Jo Chen (Cover)
On sale Apr 7
FC, 40 pages
$2.99
Ongoing

Twilight has been unmasked. Buildings fall, oceans churn, and the earth moves as titans come together in a bizarre twist!

• Twilight part 3 (of 5)

Brad Meltzer's earth-shaking turn on Buffy Season Eight continues!

Hi-res covers and solicitation courtesy of CBR. Originally from Comics Continuum.

::PREVIEW::

SPOILER: Click to show

Accompanying CBR article HERE.

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.

[AndrewCrossett]

Uh... okay.

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

But... it can't be right, can it? They've made so much of the reveal in #33, they wouldn't just give it away like this. There's got to be some twist, as said in the copy... but making it anything other than a stupid ass-pull is going to take some mighty fancy writing.

Fingers crossed.

[Skytteflickan88]

It has to be a way to trick us. Maybe Twilight is using a glamour? Maybe love spell?

[AndrewCrossett]

The Jeanty cover in particular is so bizarrely goofy, and so inappropriate to where we should be at this point in the story, that I think it has to be some kind of red herring or super-bizarro twist.

Is it really Joss's intent to turn season 8 into some kind of weird-ass joke?

I really, really hope not.

If Scott was worried about the fan reaction to Buffy flying... THIS is what he should have been worried about.

[Paul]

Argh, the links aren't working for me! What's going on?

[Mr. Savath Bunny]

I love that Paul and I literally discovered these covers and posted them IMMEDIATELY with one minute of each other. Oh so epic.

[AndrewCrossett]

Go here and scroll down a bit.

[Paul]

Jan 7, 2010 16:46:51 GMT -5 AndrewCrossett said:

Go here and scroll down a bit.

Thanks!

Oooh, pretty covers! The Chen one is really epic and romantic, takes you right back to the early seasons. Jeanty's is funny in it's cheesiness, and is it just me, or does Angel look hot in Twilight's gimpy outfit?

Kinda indifferent to Twilight's identity, if this is the real deal. It's cool to have Angel back, but I just couldn't give a shit about Twilight after all these years.

[AndrewCrossett]

Note that this wouldn't be the first time fake covers have been solicited for a Whedon book. It was done during his X-Men run.

They wouldn't blow such a big reveal like this, and in such a nonsensical way. But there is a certain large segment of the fandom that's gonna be VERY pissed off by this... either because it's true, or because it isn't!

[Skytteflickan88]

I can't agree, that outfit looks silly on him. It's to cliché comic book villain to me. But hell, if he ever became evil, he might wear it. He seems like the kind of guy who cares way too much about image.

Did anyone notice the new Season 8 gelskins further down? www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1001/07/darkhorseapril.htm

[AndrewCrossett]

Should we draw straws to determine who gets to ask Scott about this next week?

[Hallow Thorn]

Ummm... I don't know if I'm more pissed that he is kissing Buffy or that he might be the big T... I hope that it is just Buffy's dream or something. I guess it cant really be him if they are showing it like this.

[Skytteflickan88]

Jan 7, 2010 17:03:08 GMT -5 AndrewCrossett said:

Should we draw straws to determine who gets to ask Scott about this next week?

I very much doubt he'll tell us anything.

One thing is for certain, I will write a fanmail and send to Slay the critics about this. No way I won't have a lot to say after this arc is over.

-EDIT

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

[Hellbound Hyperion]

<-- Me after seeing this posted on Twitter. They're playing a joke on us. This reveal is too big to be ruined by solicits for the following issue. Special kudos to Jeanty and Chen if they ARE joke covers, because that means they did two covers EACH for the issue. Hard workers.

[AndrewCrossett]

Jan 7, 2010 17:08:16 GMT -5 Skytteflickan88 said:

I very much doubt he'll tell us anything.

Maybe not, but I'm sure he'd be disappointed if we didn't ask.

Even as a fake-out, this is pretty risky.

[wenxina]

Hmm... if this is a fakeout... Chen had it worse than Jeanty. The Angel head would be quite easily subbed in, pre-ink stage, but Chen would actually have to paint two covers...
Really don't think that the truth is all laid out. Too much time invested in building up the mystery... and even Angel's got a snarky side. Twilight could be Asian, for all the stoicism.

[Undercovers]

Ok. I am officially and mightily pissed off at this.

I am angry that they are doing this, whether or not it's a fake. Angel as Twilight is definitely an interesting possibility - I was hoping it was going to be him - because last time Buffy saw Angel, he told her he would be available to eat the cookie however long it would take for her to finish baking. It does not matter really whether we see it from a Bangel or Spuffy perspective : the fact is there is a strong connection between these two, dating back from the roots of the series. Two characters that appeared in the very first season, loved each other, almost killed each other, forgave each other and finally left it on this special bond.

All this to say that Twilight being Angel is going to cause a lot of pain, a lot of emotions, a lot of interesting storytelling playing with one of the most written-about/fanw*nked relationship from the series. Isn't that the whole point? If it is him I am sure it will be handled in the best way. Problem is...

Well, problem is, we still have no idea who Twilight is NOW. We are still back to square 1, but what annoys me greatly is the fact that they are turning the possibility of Angel being Twilight into a joke. The flowers on Jo Chen's cover, the hearts and goofiness on Jeanty's. Great way to ridicule a possibility that would be seriously interesting. And if it is a fake, great way to play with all the fans and "manipulate' them until the real reveal happens. Whatever way I choose to look at it, I feel like these two covers are some kind of betrayal. Big words. What I mean is that it would have been simple to do a cover that would avoid the face of Twilight being shown... after all, we've got Buffy on 31, 32, Twilight and Buffy on 33... they could have switched subject matter on the covers for 34. The solicitation for 34 does a good job of doing just that, so yeah... I am really, really, really annoyed to see my feelings for both these characters to be used in such a way either to divert attention from the reveal or to turn the big reveal in a big joke.

I'm gutted.

[patxshand]

Maybe Angel appears here. Maybe he's Twilight, maybe he's not. Either way, the Chen cover is almost certainly real. Angel just looks Angelly there. There's nothing at all about him that screams Twilight, so it doesn't make sense as a fakeout. Jeanty's, though... it's either a blatant fakeout or an insane reveal. Holy crap.

I mean, with the shanshu prophecy, it kinda makes sense. We shall see.

[sla]

wow, this was the best way to play with our minds, we can't be sure of anything, can't say if it's really Angel or not, but lately that was the weakest possibility...and now..it's confusing. Good Job Whedon lol

I loved the covers.

[Paul]

If this is really Angel (which I kinda doubt), it'll be interesting to see how well it meshes with the IDW Angel title. I doubt they'll be any explicit continuity between the two books (ie, appearances of Kate, etc back in L.A.) and Buffy could well end up totally contradicting/overruling Angel.

On one hand, Joss has had enough awareness of the IDW books to be a fan of Betta George, and has integrated non-canon elements into canon before. On the other, Jeff Mariotte's Angel comics (The Curse, Old Friends, etc) were promptly binned when AtF started. I can't see Joss worrying about contradicting the current books.