Dark Horse

[lady_windermere]

I'm increasingly worried about what Dark Horse are doing with Buffy. I don't mind Joss playing a bout with his new medium for telling more Buffy stories. I may not be the biggest Season Eight Fan, but I do love the man himself. He lets us play in his sandbox, and, even if he may not like some of the things we do, doesn't complain that we do it.

No my reservations are towards Dark Horse themselves. I do not believe Buffy is in good hands with them. Before Joss took over the reins and got involved, it looked like they would leave Buffy, neglected on the shelf until the contract ran out. I wish they had. I would be so much happier if IDW had taken over.

I had been saying that I would give the comics up till the Faith story arc before making any hard and fast decision. I have been mulling over something from the current comic #4. Namely the letters page, one of the letters they printed, and the response.

Now I know a few people were miffed about the shipper baiting by Joss, but well my ship will never get onto any medium, and would always be in the sub-text really. So shipper baiting just doesn't get to me. I have said before that I really don't think Buffy had met the right person yet, indeed for me the closest would be Faith.

No what has got me is the irresponsive action of printing the rant on the letters page, and asking for other peoples comments in reaction. Especially as I don't think Dark Horse would print the sane reasoned responses, but from the disregard to fans feelings in printing this one, maybe more mindless rants. I also don't think they would print positive letters in support of Spike either. They always seemed to have a problem with Spike.

The male who wrote the letter doesn't like Buffy, or Willow, rants about strong women = bad, and Willow should stop trying to be strong like Buffy and more like his golden boy Xander. What he says about Angel and Spike is not worth repeating. The whole message of Buffy seems to be one he objects to.

If this is how Dark Horse carry on, I really do not think I want to give them any more money!

Comments

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that pissed me of as well, until I realised it's just Dark Horse trying to 'stir it' to get more publicity amongst the 'hard core' fans. They've gone down in my estimations quite a bit after that.

Wankers.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Yeah, I guess they are just trying to 'stir things up', but do they have to, were enough people not buying the comic anyway. They had Joss involvement, so I just think they are being very irresponsible.

Don't trust them at all! Thank God for IDW and Spike:Shadow Puppets.

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

"I have said before that I really don't think Buffy had met the right person yet, indeed for me the closest would be Faith."

I really agree with that statement, but that's not the point.

I never really liked Dark Horse from way back in the days I was into manga oh so long ago... but yeah, the stuff they did was pretty much crap. So I was on edge about them doing Buffy Season 8...

I'm still gonna read it because...well.. it's Buffy but it just cements my belief that The Chosen is just a better continuation. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

I really think I need to start reading The Chosen, cos I'm really unhappy with Dark Horse.

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

Start reading it so I can have more people to talk to about it!

My ex used to be the person I talked to about it...but alas she's not answering her phone anymore... trying not to lose it... but it's just fabulous..

The only note is that it does disregard the final season of Angel.

But it's more in character, and the style of episodes is very much like the style of episodes in the TV show, (inluding a healthy number of flashback eps and surrealy artsy eps) and it's just so awesome

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Will try and get it, hope it is out in the UK!

*hugs*, sorry about your ex. Hope you find happiness again soon.

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

Oh! The Chosen is completely online at www.btvschosen.com :)

As for the second matter... eh...

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

I will go and look it up to have a read.

I was just worried about you, when you said you were trying not to lose it....may have misunderstood that statement!

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

Just... having occasional... daily meltdowns... it's complicated.

It may take some time to read... seeing as... let's see... 22 Season 8 episodes... 12 episodes of season 9 so far... and jetwolf has promised to finish 9 and write 10... so... exciting and ongoing :)And each episode is like... 20,000 words longish

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Oh I have had a day like that today, trying to be supportive to my friend earier this afternoon. I just let her talk and get it out of her system, not a lot else to do......

Oh that is a lot of reading, might take me a while to catch up! I should have more time next week, as I have a bit of reading to do this week, but sounds like it should be good

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

:) Well I do hope you enjoy it. I shall stop pestering you for now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

I really don't mind, chat as much as you want. I love to chat, and know how my freinds are doing, even if they need my support, nothing wrong with that.

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

I don't... well I don't need to get all melty over someone else... I already have two people I'm melting on. And actually... not helping?

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Yeah, not sure how much I helped Annemarie either.....I had been expecting the news myself, cos it was in her tarot cards when I read them for her. Of course I didn't tell her at the time, but the doctors have now, so she does know.

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

*nod*

My only feelings right now...are those of being hopelessly lost... not knowing what to do... because I think things left off at teh end of the semester on a vague note... but now.. I don't know anything so I'm all.... tossed around in the tides.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Yes the not knowing is the worse, then you start thinking about the what ifs, might've beens, and Maybes.....makes things more difficult

[bakatulip.livejournal.com]

Definitely

[shapinglight]

I'm not too impressed with them either for the same reason. In my experience, they were always way too keen to post Spike-hating letters back in the old days too, though this one is so barmy it's something special.

I suppose the only thing to do is write to them and tell them of your disapproval. I've been planning to do so but forgot about it. I will definitely do it now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Yes, I think I will write to them, and let them know how much a disapprove of them publishing that letter in the first place. Should've gone in the bin where it belonged.

I think they might be even worse with both Angel and Spike now that they have moved on to IDW. So not holding my breath for the Angel Spike love anytime soon.

[erin-starlight.livejournal.com]

I'm not thrilled with the way they are handling BTVS but I do put blame on Joss there. Yeah I'm happy with his past work and glad he is more friendly about fanfic but I'm not happy with where he takes things. Darkhorse seems to feel that they should get people riled up with the letter pages just like Joss does with the shipper baiting. People will buy it regardless because it's BTVS. The baiting does annoy me not because I like the ships but because I'm tired of seeing him bait people when he's said that he has no interest in them. You also get tired with the fans that go over how she loves so-and-so as the scene proved that she loved him more for whatever crazy reason.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

Agreed, not keen in the shipper baiting, cos the two sets of fans for the two main ships do tend to get a little......silly, in defense of their chosen ship. I makes me feel they do it for their own amusement and to laugh at the fans, and the claims they make. From comments Joss has made in the past, he does know what is going on in the fandom, and that makes me suspicious.

The thing that really got me about the letter is it is just nasty. And seemed to be way of asking for more nasty, ranty letters in response, bringing the whole fandom down to the lowest common deminator.

[erin-starlight.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the shippers are funny but when they go nuts over it and bash anything in their couples way it starts to get annoying. Joss does and doesn't seem to know what goes on in the fandom. He seems to be under the impression for example that their are not many Cangels, when there were/are but are not as vocal as others. Personally I think he loves playing with people's heads too much and it ruins good stories with all the "got ya" stuff he puts in.

Agreed, and they seem to pick on Spike knowing that he will bring the Spuffies, Bangels, and the lovers/haters out. Very cheesy of them. BTW I forgot to say it in my last post but I agree, I don't think Buffy met the right person yet.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

I do think these set ups are cheap, and nasty myself. Just causes rifts in the fandom, which already has rifts in it. I think it might blow up in there faces yet.

Thank you, no for me, Buffy has still to meet that special someone, but then she is still young

[http://users.livejournal.com/_sharvie_/]

Yeah, I'm not happy about it either. I really rolled my eyes at that one. My Hubby came out when Buffy started doing magic and said, "That's it. I'm done." So he didn't even get to that page. *bg* Joss is really screwing up with this and DH and their games isn't helping. The IDW guys are much more classy.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

I wonder what they are playing at myself. BtVS should be bigger than this. With Joss I think he is more interested in 'playing' with Buffy in the new format.

Dark Horse, I just really don't like them, or trust them either.

[incasink.livejournal.com]

That sounds rude and unnecessary!

But, im intrigued, what did you mean by: 'I have said before that I really don't think Buffy had met the right person yet, indeed for me the closest would be Faith."

Do you mean Faith was the only one to meet the right person? Or that Faith was the right person for Buffy? Because I always read it that Faith was Buffy's dark twin or whatever.

[http://users.livejournal.com/woman_of_/]

It was, very rude and totally unnecessary!

For me, Faith is the only one who really knows the full impact of being a Slayer. She is the only one who can understand Buffy. Even with all the newly activated slayers, this still holds true, because they are not alone, like Buffy and Faith were for a while.