Question: Spike's Role in the Comics?

[fenderlove]

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.

Comments

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

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.)

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

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'.

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

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).

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

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.,

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

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)

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

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.

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

He compares it to the scene between them at the end of Fool For Love, though. So even if it doesn't come nearly as close, it'll still be satisfying. (Jeanty does tend to exaggerate! But he doesn't lie...)

I don't mind if there aren't ever declarations of love in the comics, cathartic as they might be. So far, we have a Buffy who isn't afraid of telling Spike that she appreciates him or that she'd miss him, and we have a Spike who's said on his own that he has feelings for her. If they're going to utterly destroy all of that, it's going to take a lot more than a season (short of the very doubtfully repeated Twangel route). Instead, they're giving us Buffy and Spike, working together on equal footing. I have no problems with that, regardless of whether or not it turns to romance.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Honest answer. I don't think they'll try and destroy it, but rather play it down to the amount It will kinda seem like a reset of their past relationship in that in reality they've both moved on.

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

I'm okay with there not being romance, but I'm doubtful that we won't get at least a little. If they wanted to reset the relationship, why would they have had a segment with Spike talking about his feelings for Buffy? Why have a two-issue arc with three of the covers (technically four, if you include the tiny Buffy on the Nikki Wood cover) featuring Spike and Buffy, two more than a little fanservice-y?

It just seems like really dumb storytelling to have such a focus on the characters as a 'ship and not explore it at least a little. And they've done dumb storytelling before, yes, but the relationships have usually been well-played. (The only real relationship we saw develop over S8 was slow and subtle but made sense. And Andrew Chambliss writes for TVD, where they specialize in relationships like Spike's and Buffy's- plus, he identifies as a fan of the ship.)

So I think that negativity is understandable, considering parts of last season, but this isn't something I'm negative about. :)

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

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)?

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

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).

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Interesting to note. Thanks!

[coalitiongirl.livejournal.com]

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...).

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

This.