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8.36: The Preview Pages
So with four days left to go before #36 finally comes out, I figure I'd waste some time pondering the preview pages. They came out on a pretty crummy day, so I was grumpy when I first read them. Random thoughts below the cut.
1. So this is Angel from the future, or at least from 'a' future -- one where 'we' lost the war. The war in question was in LA, but that may or may not be a purely local deal. At the end of the preview we find out that future!Angel has some issues with the cheerleader.
The time travel angle has been in play all season long -- at least since #10 when Buffy talked about changing things if she was in a time loop. Time travel gives me a headache, and I can only hope this is written in a way that doesn't boil down to some "the characters get an infinite number of chances to make things right so nothing really matters" sort of a deal. The drama of life is that we only get one shot at it (says the woman who wishes she could have a do-over on a daily basis).
2. I love that Angel gets smashed by the O. More call backs to season 2.
3. DOG shows up. His first line is "I know I'm a dog. What a world, right?". Reminds me of Spike in School Hard talking to Angel about what a world it is where people buy all that Anne Rice stuff. There are a few other places where DOG sounds Spike-ish. Fortunately there are places where DOG sounds not at all like Spike.
4. So the world's back the way it was supposed to be. Fortunatley this is DOG speaking which means we don't necessarily have to assume that we really are playing the "reset and redo as many times as it takes to get it right" game. The whole idea reminds me of fanfic, much of which is about resetting the game and getting it right. Which is a perfectly fine and enjoyable game to play -- in fanfic.
5. Angel pushes the O back into place. Superpowers already in place then.
6. Another joke about balls! Probably just the usual joke about why dogs lick themselves. But it'd be cool if DOG turns out to be channeling Saga Vasuki -- a female type would probably be very entertained by the situation.
7. Mention of Wesley. Along with Angel's reaction to mention of Buffy makes me think that future!Angel isn't from so very far in (his) future. The loss of the war rankles, and doesn't seem to be a dim memory.
8. Angel is twitchy about "chosen". Immediate reference is that he's twitchy about Buffy, which raises the possiblity that she had something to do with the war that was lost. DOG asks what they're going to do about that, which Angel takes to be a threatening remark about Buffy. I'd love it if the subtext here is that Angel is twitchy about who Buffy chose in Chosen, and that's what he ought to do something about. Probably wishful thinking, since honestly having the first pages be about Angel was disappointing to my Spike-centric self.
9. DOG is waiting for Angel to feel it. Could mean Angel's superpowers -- maybe Angel didn't notice he had them when he pushed the O back up. But this line resonates with FDW waiting for Buffy to feel it -- the weight of her failure. In this case, Angel could be asked to feel something of how this world has changed. Dunno. It's pretty open ended.
There are two possible shoutouts to LOST: DOG looks like Vicent; there's an airplane about to crash. Certainly the preview reminded me of the un-joy of watching LOST where questions piled up faster than answers were granted. It's the last arc! But we knew there had to be some big back story on Angel. A war weary Angel who has lost everything makes some of Twangel easier to understand. The cynicism about the inevitable deaths of mortals. The lack of concern about seeing a world lost (since he's in a world that just got reconstituted after having already been lost).
My big wish is that DOG be related to Saga Vasuki and/or Willow. That's a plot line that needs to be joined. Angel listening to chaos means that the story isn't necessarily selling Angel as the poor hero who just had to become Twilgiht to save the world. And who knows, maybe they plucked the version of Angel who'd been through the crushing defeat because they knew that was the version that would most easily be their patsy? Could work. But time travel and alternative universes need to be employed with care. Makes me nervous, in a grumpy sort of a way.
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* all the Lost references had to be pointed out by the fans who watched the show;
* what's the deal with hitting the O (there are three of them in Hollywood)
* if this is Angel from the future, are they talking 'now'? or this is the real/first time beginning of Angel as Twilight? It doesn't compute very well with the (Tw)Angel - Whistler flash-backs from the Riley one-shot
* Angel's clothes looks similar to those from #35 and is opening the portal another consequence of the space-frakkin?
* being twitchy about Chosen .."It falls to me to avert it"..I don't like it.
* I loved the dog! It's hilarious.
* If there's a Wesley mention I expect a Cordy one too.
I'll be waiting for your full report on the issue. I'll get mine in at least week after the release date in Europe (being training on that with Spike:TDYK)
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The big O is a reference to orgasm. But it could just be Angel randomly knocking down one of the letters. It's just funny to read it that way.
I assume this preview covers events before Twangel/Whistler in the Riley one shot.
Interesting idea about the portal opening.
I have always wondered about why Angel thinks it falls to him to avert it.
The dog is pretty funny!
It'd be great to get a Cordy mention.
I'll be posting as soon as possible. Don't tell anybody, but I'm taking the day off on Wednesday. Four months of waiting for the first issue with Spike in it? I'm weak.
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And you're the one with the "Spike shaped hole" in S8. I so much hope to be filled right.
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Looks like that, from now on, every plot hole can be closed with space-frakking. :)
or this is the real/first time beginning of Angel as Twilight? It doesn't compute very well with the (Tw)Angel - Whistler flash-backs from the Riley one-shot
I guess this is the beginning. Later, when PTB understood that Angel don't believe talking dogs and birds, they sent Whistler.
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Oh, boy!
I guess this is the beginning. Later, when PTB understood that Angel don't believe talking dogs and birds, they sent Whistler.
But if it's the beginning Angel already knows the future. what was the point of Whistler telling Angel about the future, again? Did Angel got dumber or somebody didn't coordinate the stories?
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(Or maybe there are different dimensions and this Angel is from a another dimension where Wesley is still alive and he every day begs Angel to find a shrink.)
In any case - where is "our" Angel? Has she been thrown into the future on into another dimension?
I admit, all these time-travel, dimension-hopping puzzles make my head hurt.