fenderlove | Question: Spike's Role in the Comics?

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Question: Spike's Role in the Comics?

Quick word: I won't be responding with my own opinions to any comments left in this post, so feel free to answer honestly without fear that I shall pounce upon you. I may have further questions to ask.

How would you describe Spike's role in the comics in Season Nine? And to go further, what is his literal role in the comics? What has he literally been doing? What has been clearly asked of him by any other character or characters? The key words for all this are definitely- literal specifics. I'm looking for less interpretation "if you turn it sideways and squint and read between the lines" type of examples and more for just what has been presented.

Like I said above, I won't be responding with my own opinions. I'm just curious to find out if I've missed something in translation.

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Um....er...announcer of doom? I think under character archetypes that falls under 'herald'.

Edited 2012-01-16 19:07 (UTC)

So he's a bringer of... portents... of doom? So sorta like early season Giles? "It's the end of the world" type of stuff?

Scout, I guess? No one's asking anything of him, really (tbh it isn't that organized a Scooby gang in the comics and no one's asking anyone for anything, though Buffy does [canonically] appreciate what he's doing), but he's been hunting down "rumblings" (aka enemies or rumors of such) and reporting them back to Buffy as he learns more- and at one point attempts to bail her out of trouble when he finds out that she's under attack.

Oh, and the one time a Scooby meeting is called, he's texted, but unavailable to show up. It's a more major role than, say, Xander and Dawn's (and usually Willow's), and certainly a more pertinent one (especially considering that the next arc is apparently very Spike-centric and he'll start working with the SFPD), and he's been getting between 2-6ish pages exclusively devoted to his arc per issue in most of the recent comics.

Plus, hints of a bromance with a friendly demon! At least, he's confided in him and they worked together in #4 (and may continue to in the future, as this demon is tied to Buffy).

Has anyone directly asked him to stay in San Francisco, or is it more of a thing where he recognizes that he might be of some assistance in the future based on the "rumblings?"

I hadn't heard that he was going to be working with the SFPD. Is that from interviews with the DH staff?

"Has anyone directly asked him to stay in San Francisco"

No not really. The nearest we got was Buffy asking him if he was going to hang around now after coming back on the bug ship. Nothing out in the open as per.

Call me cynic but I don't think anyone would care If he was there or not.

I'd think the latter, though he doesn't seem to have any desire to leave- we don't know where he's staying yet (with the bugs?) , but I'd assume it's somewhere nearby since he goes to hang out at Buffy's party in the first issue and tends to be wandering the city at night. So it looks like San Francisco is his home, now, too, and it'd be a big deal if he left (like it was when Willow did this past issue).

From the solicitation to #7:
Still seeking normalcy in the midst of zompire-stricken San Francisco, Buffy contemplates a life-changing decision the likes of which few Slayers have ever faced. Meanwhile Spike rushes to the aid of Detective Dowling, who’s in over his head with his recent investigation into the undead bloodsuckers plaguing the city.

(The cover to that comic also features Dowling and Spike facing a horde of demons, with Buffy standing in the background.)

Well I think It's taken that that damn stupid space ship is still hanging around somewhere fro him to park his arse in now and again.

As to the rest well thats not in response to anyone actually asking him to do that. To me It comes across as Spikes got nothing else better to do/go and he still feels at least something for her. But because of how the writings been so far I have no idea what she thinks about this at all apart from maybe he's 'handy'.

No, it isn't. But I don't think that Buffy's going over to Dawn's apartment and asking her to stick around- and she clearly isn't doing that for Willow, either. Idk, I don't go over to my friends and specifically ask that they stay in town, either, because they haven't expressed any desire to leave in the first place, plus, I'd think it's kind of selfish to hold them back if they wanted to (even if they didn't).

The fact that Buffy even asked for reassurance that Spike was staying (in the online comic) is more than she's done for anyone else, and only because he's been away and she doesn't take his presence for granted.

I agree with you. I think that Spike's looking for purpose, and he finds one working with the good guys in San Francisco- be they Buffy or the SFPD. It isn't a character flaw to want to do the right thing.

This is a panel in which Buffy thanks Spike for looking out for her.

We're doing this without interpretation, so I have no further official words on it, but she seems to be happy that he's there for her (and she openly admits that she'd miss him on the prior page, so if we're only taking the comics at face value, that seems confirmation that she likes him, not just his work- as is the fact that she invites him to a party in the first issue).

Spike's role in S8 appeared to be as a support to Buffy. He does come to her aid to help her defeat Twilight, and supposedly sticks around to support her. He seems like the only person who understands Buffy's decision to destroy the seed. As for this season, I'm really not sure where the writers will take him. We know he'd play a big role in her life, so whether it will be helping her raise her child or continuing to fight by her side, we'll just have to wait and see.

Yeah apparently she likes him. Bit sad that we can't learn more about where she's coming from then that, but hey I don't expect much from this at all I'm afraid.,

We know he'd play a big role in her life

This is something I haven't yet heard. How does the audience know he'd play a big role in her life? I hear so many different viewpoints; I am trying to find some commonality or a consensus as to what exactly is going on.

Basically. The 'Herald' announces/prefaces action. He's basically been the one announcing "something is coming for you Buffy" and looking for what's coming for her.

Well, it's only Issue 5, and Jeanty's told us that they're going to have some kind of ~moment~ together next issue. I'd say that they're building it slowly so it'll be more satisfying in the end, but I (as Spuffy shipper) have been very pleased with the natural development of the relationship up until now. Love declarations this early on don't bode well for the ship or characters at large. (They tend to end with father figures getting murdered and catatonic characters. ;D)

This.

Okay, let's recount. Barring my drastically different interpretations of the final scenes in S8 and the online comic, in S9, Buffy has thanked Spike for watching her back and has said she'd miss him if he left or if he was gone. She's counting him as part of the team by text-messaging him to meetings. Buffy hasn't specifically asked him to stay or to help, but she hasn't asked for anyone else to stay or help either. I'm assuming that Spike has had no other main character interactions than with Buffy alone, at this point (I think there was a scene with Buffy and Willow, maybe)?

I think he's chief cheerleader.

Okay. How did he know that something was coming for her in the first place? Did he just assume that with all the craziness and the fact that Buffy lives that something would eventually come after her (this is not a bad assumption to make on his part, if that's the case, really)?

So, by that token, do you mean that he's there to assure Buffy that she's always right, that everyone else is wrong, and then he'll stick around in the shadows to "protect" her while she carries on her life?

Yep- though he has interacted quite a bit with new character Eldreh Koh and a bit with Buffy's roommate Tumble, while Willow and Xander/Dawn haven't interacted with each other at all (maybe in the first issue?) and Xander/Dawn have only interacted with one of the bad guys (at the meeting he missed) and Buffy. So if we're keeping scorecards, he's next under Buffy in terms of relevance (though even that number is pretty low, since it's been a Buffy-centric arc).

Interesting to note. Thanks!

My pleasure! I've been very happy with Spike's role in the comics (though I'm eagerly awaiting Xander and Dawn getting some quality screentime, too. At times it kind of feels like it's only about Buffy's and Spike's individual stories...).

Sorry I hate to sound negative yet again, but from experience I don't trust Jeantys judgment on these sort of things at all I'm afraid. His idea 'moment' could be anything.

As to declarations of love. Oh dear I somehow doubt we're going to get that......ever. I think Whedon has other plans.

Yep suns It up well.

To quote Grandpa Simpson "a little from pile A) and a little from pile B)".

Edited 2012-01-16 20:51 (UTC)

Okay, now I've just got "AHHHH! DEATH!" "Grandpa, that's just Maggie." "Oh, okay- AHHH! DEATH!" "That's just the dog..." "AHHH!" "That's Maggie again." stuck in my head. XD

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Question: Spike's Role in the Comics?

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