What Could Have Been: Season Nine.

[fenderlove]

Some of you might remember Victor Drujiniu's incredible sample pages for BtVS S9 that were sadly removed from Deviantart due to some misunderstanding along with his character sheets for Buffy, Angel, and Spike. However, there is good news! He has reuploaded the sample pages (and hopefully the character sheets will follow). I love his artwork, and no matter what the story was I might have bought these comics had he been chosen to continue to the story (even if that story was shit).

Story Sample A:
Page One: Buffy, Angel, and Spike are in a late Georgian-esque hotel (possibly in Europe). Buffy sits on her bed with her computer while Angel stands around and Spike rummages through a drawer. There are maps and notes stuck all over the crumbling walls. Angel seems particularly grim (as he should have been given what transpired in Season Eight), and Spike says something with a smirk, and Buffy looks like she's going to punch one or both of them.
Page Two: Angel takes a defensive posture, saying something, as Spike continues his scavenger hunt. Spike hands Buffy something, possibly the mini-cam for her laptop. Buffy pulls up a communications system and is able to talk to Xander via the Interwebs.

Story Sample B:
Page One: In what looks to be Buffy's old Sunnydale house, Xander and Buffy are having a conversation in the kitchen (which has been remodeled to look more medieval-y and has more brickwork). Xander appears to be more serious in the conversation than Buffy is as she pours milk into a bowl (of cereal?). Spike appears in the doorway, nonchalant. Xander seems confused, pointing to his neck. Perhaps, Buffy replies, and Xander appears shocked. Looking rather amused, Buffy continues to eat her cereal.

I don't know what the full extent of these storylines were or if they were just randomness handed out for the potential artists to draw, but I like these. The artwork is phenomenal.

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

His stuff is really good!


Gabrielle

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed. :D

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Oh man... gorgeous work! The characters actually look like themselves!

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

It's a huge selling point. I hope he puts up his character sheets again because they were really gorgeous. :D

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

No problem! *hugs*

[infinitewhale.livejournal.com]

if they were just randomness handed out for the potential artists to draw

And yet they still managed to be more compelling than the finished product. I was actually a little excited when those first came out.

Instead we got Jeanty, zompires, pregnant robots and evil nipples.

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Indeed, indeed, indeed to all of the above.

I'm still trying to figure out how a story with zombie vampires and potential robot pregnancies could possibly be so boring. I mean, I can hardly get mad at what I hear about the plot; it just sounds dull instead of hilariously MST3K-able.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Oh god I remember seeing these. Miles better then the weird bubble headed old dross that we ended up getting.

These sample pages have an authentic atmosphere about them too which the real comic never had for me. :(

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I saw the pages from the latest issue of Buffy apparently trying to show emotion, but she looked like she was smelling something really foul instead of being brimming with feelings.

With just two pages, I am already invested in what's going on with Angel, Spike, and Buffy in the first sample. What's going on? Is Buffy in hiding? How is Angel coping? Is Spike acting as a buffer between the two of them after what they've endured? I think someone could write a pretty good fic based on these pages.

[infinitewhale.livejournal.com]

It's not just Buffy. Richards just can't do emotion that isn't over the top. Everything else just looks like a stone-face or melting ice cream.

As for that arc, I thought the idea of Buffy and Angel, pissed off about whatever they hell S8 was supposed to be, going on a worldwide head-busting mission with Spike.

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of the three of them going off together. I think, as a trio, they'd be like a system of checks and balances on each other (possibly with some hilarious results).

I think one of the major art shortfalls with these comics is a lack of style. I mean to say that they really needed an artist who could capture the spirit of the characters without relying on photo-likenesses. Obviously, there are artists like Victor Drujiniu who can do both, but it's impossible to know if that style could hold up over a long period of time with looming deadlines (judging by his work on The Occult, he definitely can and does this, but many artists cannot). I think that a stylized approach to character design from the beginning would have helped dramatically in terms of a wider array of emotions being conveyed. Also, a stylized approach might have helped with the pre-production process (model sheets, Pantone sheets), so that artists and audience could keep up with which character is which.

[infinitewhale.livejournal.com]

Buffy-Spike-Angel is a wondrous untapped story and interaction reservoir. It's one of the few places left unexplored. But pfft, If DH knew what they were doing they wouldn't be in the mess they are with it.

The lack of style is off-putting. The switching from issue to issue, and panel to panel sometimes, just takes you out of the story (and the writing slams the door in your face). I'm going to put it on Joss, though, 'cause I really think the tone of this was off from the very start. It doesn't feel like you're reading an adult or even a young-adult book. Its feel is more like something for children. All bright with little contrast. There's not even quantity contrast which usually comes naturally. Though they get no credit in fandom, the lighting-department on the show was very good and helped frame the story. The comics don't care. It's not Jeanty's style and Allie/the writers/whoeverOKsit don't seem to care enough to instruct him.