Remember when August was completely without a Buffy post? I don’t know about yours, but my tears were extra salty. Well, season eight returned today with the first part of No Future For You, the latest four issue arc. Joss Whedon, while involved with the story, has taken a backseat as just the producer and left writing duties to Lost‘s Brian K. Vaughan. I’m already nervous!
On top of that, this arc focuses on Faith, the wayward Slayer with a dodgy Boston accent and a penchant for stabbin’ – a character I have one serious issue with. The mere thought of any portrayal of Faith without Eliza Dushku’s bizarrely brilliant delivery is odd, if not completely disturbing. Of all the show’s cast members, I’ve always found her to be the most attached to her alter ego (possibly because she hasn’t really done anything else). Either way, double-nervous!
Well, my nerves subsided – due in large part Faith’s undercover status and fake British accent. This can’t be Dushku. Dushku doesn’t do accents. Not much happened, but here’s what we now know…
- Cleveland: actually a hellmouth and holder of the charming moniker “the mistake by the lake”
- The Buffy/Xander sexual foreshadowing continues and I come that much closer to heart failure
- Part of this season’s conglomerate of über-baddies is a rogue slayer who looks like Demi Moore circa Nothing But Trouble
- Faith still has issues
Vaughan does a nice job weaning us off Whedon; the writing doesn’t suffer for his absence at all. It’s also nice to know that these Faith and Giles-centric issues won’t completely abandon our Scoobies in Scotland. I’d prefer they focus on de-gianting Dawn and not on shirtless Xander, but beggers can’t be choosers.
Pick it up. It’s good. And if you’re remotely as lame as me, you’ll notice the cameo by The Doctor and Rose in the last few pages. Ugh, geek shame!
I noticed the Doctor and Rose right away too!