Interesting discussion, Maggie. Sadly, I fear I'd have to stick myself in the cynics' camp on this one. I'm not expecting any appearance from Spike. I think that threesome pic - in which Joss specifically told Jeanty to draw Buffy more inclined towards Angel - may well be the only explicit reference to him during the whole run of the comic.
I would like to be wrong, of course. And it's not that I think Joss hates Spike or anything. Indeed, he recently said some very nice things about the character, even that he preferred him to Angel. However, those were nice things about the character, not about Spuffy. Where that's concerned, part of me suspects that Joss would like to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it never happened, because dealing with the AR is too tricky and he's running scared about it.
I think he intends us to think that Spuffy is so over in Buffy's mind that Spike really is reduced to a sex fantasy (which he has to share with Angel). He doesn't figure in the memory cube sequence because she never thinks about him. This seems bizarre to me, as I think even Scott Allie would agree that her relationship with Spike was more impactful/important than her relationship with Riley.
Sorry. I know that sounds horribly cynical and pessimistic, but there it is.
Also, not sure if you read the letters page of no 21, but someone actually asked when all the blanks between the end of season 7 and the beginning of season 8 would be filled in and was told by Scott Allie that they wouldn't be. I suspect that Spike is one of those blanks.
I'm just glad that when the AtS characters went to IDW, Spike went with them, even though Allie wanted to keep him, because if he'd stayed at Dark Horse, he would have been stuck in limbo, unwanted by Joss for season 8 and unusuable by IDW. I have issues with A: AtF too, but I do find the story a great deal more accessible - and likeable - than season 8, and at least the characters seem more like their canon selves most of the time.
no subject
I would like to be wrong, of course. And it's not that I think Joss hates Spike or anything. Indeed, he recently said some very nice things about the character, even that he preferred him to Angel. However, those were nice things about the character, not about Spuffy. Where that's concerned, part of me suspects that Joss would like to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it never happened, because dealing with the AR is too tricky and he's running scared about it.
I think he intends us to think that Spuffy is so over in Buffy's mind that Spike really is reduced to a sex fantasy (which he has to share with Angel). He doesn't figure in the memory cube sequence because she never thinks about him. This seems bizarre to me, as I think even Scott Allie would agree that her relationship with Spike was more impactful/important than her relationship with Riley.
Sorry. I know that sounds horribly cynical and pessimistic, but there it is.
Also, not sure if you read the letters page of no 21, but someone actually asked when all the blanks between the end of season 7 and the beginning of season 8 would be filled in and was told by Scott Allie that they wouldn't be. I suspect that Spike is one of those blanks.
I'm just glad that when the AtS characters went to IDW, Spike went with them, even though Allie wanted to keep him, because if he'd stayed at Dark Horse, he would have been stuck in limbo, unwanted by Joss for season 8 and unusuable by IDW. I have issues with A: AtF too, but I do find the story a great deal more accessible - and likeable - than season 8, and at least the characters seem more like their canon selves most of the time.