|
|
Post by AndrewCrossett on Apr 18, 2009 20:04:08 GMT -5
I haven't been in love with any of the "Predators & Prey" issues, though I haven't hated any of them. (I kind of hated "Swell" at first, but it's grown on me a bit.)
My problem with "Safe" wasn't so much with the characterization... characters who talk and act the exact same way every time you see them are boring. My problem was that the story didn't seem to have any connection to the larger arc the way the other P&P issues have.
It easily could have. Faith and Giles could have had their adventure, but in the end discovered some vital piece of information that Buffy absolutely must know about, giving them a good reason to get back to HQ with a purpose.
This was the first issue of the series (with the possible... but not definite... exception of #20) that didn't advance the uber-story at all.
Still... if this was the *worst* issue of season 8, then I have to say that season 8 will go down in history as one hell of a fine story. Since reading #24 I've read several comics from DC and Marvel that were nowhere near as good.
|
|
Hallow Thorn
Bad Ass Wicca
Oh and You're Welcome
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 2,306
|
Post by Hallow Thorn on Apr 18, 2009 20:58:53 GMT -5
I read about it on BuffyWiki and watch joe's video... I think it sounds very cool... I guess it much be different if I read it.  |
|
Marcos
Novice Witch
Define "human".[Mo0:30]
Posts: 210
|
Post by Marcos on Apr 18, 2009 21:45:42 GMT -5
Still... if this was the *worst* issue of season 8, then I have to say that season 8 will go down in history as one hell of a fine story. Since reading #24 I've read several comics from DC and Marvel that were nowhere near as good. You're right about that. It's amazing how many poorly written comics (some even terribly written) are there, and some of them sell very well!!! Sometimes I read Marvel or DC (when someone important is writing it, such as Joss, Gaiman, Miller, Morrison, etc), but I absolutely go for Dark Horse, Vertigo, Image and others indie companies to look for preciousness (where things like Safe are rare). |
|
Skeptic
Initiative Soldier
[Mo0:24]
Posts: 344
|
Post by Skeptic on Apr 18, 2009 22:02:54 GMT -5
It'll be interesting to read the letter col for #24 one day.
|
|
Mathieu
Ensouled Vampire
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 1,069
|
Post by Mathieu on Apr 18, 2009 22:09:34 GMT -5
Still... if this was the *worst* issue of season 8, then I have to say that season 8 will go down in history as one hell of a fine story. Since reading #24 I've read several comics from DC and Marvel that were nowhere near as good. You're right about that. It's amazing how many poorly written comics (some even terribly written) are there, and some of them sell very well!!! Sometimes I read Marvel or DC (when someone important is writing it, such as Joss, Gaiman, Miller, Morrison, etc), but I absolutely go for Dark Horse, Vertigo, Image and others indie companies to look for preciousness (where things like Safe are rare). Interesting, because actually Buffy is the ONLY comic book that I read. So I have nothing to compare it with. I have no clue what the general quality of comic books is. |
|
|
|
Post by wenxina on Apr 19, 2009 0:29:29 GMT -5
Having a point of reference is a moot point here though. Those who have panned the issue have argued the drop in absolute quality, not relative. I don't read S8 because it's better than most of the books out there (which it is, as has already been pointed out) but because it's good. Same thing with the TV series.
A good story is one part inception, but equal part execution. Both must be present, regardless of the medium utilized.
|
|
Skeptic
Initiative Soldier
[Mo0:24]
Posts: 344
|
Post by Skeptic on Apr 19, 2009 13:09:57 GMT -5
My ex was a big, big comic book collector, and actually got me to read a few of them. I remember the ones I liked the best were the ones with the dark themes and best writing, and of course the art (for me) was best when it was not cartoony, but shadowed and shaded and more lifelike. I would have to actually sit down and think about some of the titles he showed me, but ones I remember right off the bat were Grendel, The Crow, Faust, and stuff by Neil Gaiman. That's about it when it comes to my experience with comic books, though, so I'm not a good judge of what's what or anything, either. Good writing? Nice art? All I do is use a general rule of thumb, but I really have nothing to compare Season Eight to, aside from some vague memories of some genre stuff.
|
|
Marcos
Novice Witch
Define "human".[Mo0:30]
Posts: 210
|
Post by Marcos on Apr 19, 2009 21:25:11 GMT -5
You can judge something by many kinds of standards. It may be bad for Buffy comics, maybe good for DC/Marvel comics, but for everything I read/watch I use as critic reference the best narratives I've ever seen, regardless of medium or genre. For example, a good Batman story, to me, is only good if it can be considered close to the quality of things like Battlestar Galactica, The Sopranos, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, and obviously, almost every Buffy/Angel/Firefly story.
Batman's HUSH (by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee) was a HUGE sales hit but I hated it. It was great for DC Comics' and superheroes comics' general quality standards, but I just hated it. BAD stuff. I love Jeph, though. Batman's The Long Halloween was bloody brilliant.
|
|
ligeia
Potential Slayer
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 192
|
Post by ligeia on Apr 20, 2009 18:53:22 GMT -5
I liked this issue very much, Faith is very well drawn, I could easily imagine Eliza and Anthony as if it was a TV episode. I don't mind if the main plot didn't go forward, there were a lot of TV episodes that had little to do with the main plot too...
|
|
martodd
Innocent Bystander
[Mo0:0]
Posts: 36
|
Post by martodd on Feb 10, 2010 13:21:14 GMT -5
Actually I think it was my favorite issue from the whole season. I loved seeing Faith like that. Don’t get me wrong, I liked her in NFFY, but here she was strong, confident and great. She was like that in her last episodes of Angel and Buffy and I have always felt that her character in NFFY was taken a few steps back. I like her confident, I like her sure in her own powers, I like her funny and great. And I really liked her with Giles. It is actually the very first time we see Faith having a good watcher for months. And he really helps her being the best she could. I also loved the story itself. It was scary and nice and great. The idea of the slayers, scared from they powers was great, I have been wondering during the whole season 8 if that would ever be addressed in the comic books. In X-men there were mutants who saw themselves as freaks, because they were different then the other people. It is logical for that to happen with some slayers as well. And then the other idea… The idea of a whole town, filled with selfish people, who are not ready to fight and want to sacrifice someone else, just so they could save themselves. It was really strong and quite adequate for the word we currently live in. And then the idea, that even if those people don’t deserve to live, it is not up to us to decide it. Faith and Giles fighting for those people was absolutely great. And Faith’s last quote – “Aim to the heart” was great and just in the perfect place.  |
|
Darth Rosie
Ensouled Vampire
I do doodle
Keeper of Didacity [? Astray][Mo0:12]
Posts: 1,392
|
Post by Darth Rosie on Feb 12, 2010 5:08:08 GMT -5
Here I go and want to write something frustrated about the issue and that I didn't even want to reread during my reread of all of Season 8, but you just made me reconsider.
|
|
|
|
Post by wenxina on Feb 12, 2010 8:12:18 GMT -5
Heh... I reread it multiple times for the review... that was painful enough.  |
|
Darth Rosie
Ensouled Vampire
I do doodle
Keeper of Didacity [? Astray][Mo0:12]
Posts: 1,392
|
Post by Darth Rosie on Feb 17, 2010 1:00:31 GMT -5
I re-read Safe last night, and I think I have to agree with Wenxina. I so did not enjoy it. What a waste of potential for depicting the relationship between Giles and Faith. The story is simplistic and simply boring.
|
|
