Daddy Issues ~ Part Three

Angel & Faith issue #8

It's the end of the month again. Wow!

Let's just begin. I don't quite remember the events of Part Two but I do recall that it was not so great. I just finished reading Part Three and I can say it's a lot better. A cleaner and fuller plot for this issue in only three Acts. Loss of friendship. Loss of family. And one's action to lose the pain.

Cover One. Looks like the time to impress has past, for Morris. It's the type of cover that just gets down to business with trying to hint to us what this issue is about or will be about for those whose have not turned the pages. We see into the depths of a grey forest. A would be victim and the predator. Step inside my web, sweetie. Faith is depicted as the frightened, lost child in the woods. Her wrist is trapped in a web resembling a love heart tinted in a pansy purple, and extending out, latching to the surrounding branches. While the Lorophage Demon dances in delight behind her. Claws raised ready for his next meal.

Cover Two. Issacs gives us a scene from the issue. A powerful sword fight between two female warriors. A hurtful clash and a break in the slayer friendship between Faith and Nadira.

Cover by Rebekah Issacs

The issue opens exactly with this sword fight and you know the plot has hit the ground running in good pace.

Best part, seeing Drusilla sitting in her throne amongst her loyal followers, looking lovely in elegant white. It's so striking and strange to see her in white. The dress she dorns is beautiful, traditional, ribbon bows and long gloves with train; it's almost like a wedding gown. She sits like a saint, so loved by her family of followers and speaks of her new empathetic abilities, even comforting Faith as she breaks down, asking her if she was certain. It's definiely a new Drusilla and this scene really showed it more than previously.

Good issue.

Doctor Who!

I've step into the world of science fiction and that crack in the wall has gotten bigger. Remember when I expressed my distaste for sci-fi? How I noted the few exceptions but held strong on my position about alien sci-fi? Well now I feel stupid. I feel like I can stand on stage, hang my head in shame as the stage light goes out plunging me into darkness. Never would I in a billion years thought I would call myself a Doctor Who fan. Whoah! Maybe saying "fan" is going a  little far but I have been swept away by the charms of the wonderful Doctor and his flying blue box. But I do remember the first time I caught a glimpse of the show on television I saw people with pig heads walking around in tunnels chasing the Doctor (David Tennant) and thought to myself 'Urgh, this is not for me'. My aversion to science fiction ran deep. Ha! I've since seen that episode in full now and quite enjoyed it. But still not big on the pig heads, though.

In the last couple weeks I have watched season's 1 to 4 of the revival series through all the silliness and excitement and surprises to having my heart broken with the end of the Tenth Doctor. David Tennant's departure was a shame and a terrible loss to the show. On top of that I felt absolutely gutter when I saw how much change was made with no regard for sentiment at all! New TARDIS interior. That's fine. It's a new Doctor so new console room is only fitting. Plus it looks cooler. But new TARDIS exterior! NO! New sonic screwdriver. NO! New opening sequence. NO! NO! NO! Jeez. Where's my finesse gone? This show's gone and turned me into a whining child! The show is not the same show it was before with an entirely new feel. New directors. Frankly, I didn't think I'd still be watching. But strangely enough I am. Not with the same yearning to see something exciting and devoted enthusiasm, but, I guess, for the strange loyalty that has grown inside me. Weird. The show has captured my loyalty. Or maybe it's just familiarity that has me continuing for the mere entertainment.

The new Doctor, his ok but I'm yet to be impressed. It's hard to compare once you believe you've seen the best. But love can grow. I could not say I liked the show when I started my run, but it only took one interesting story arc to get me there. The same could be said for characters like Rose who I did not realise how much she'd grown on me until she was replaced by Martha. The moral, appreciation takes time.

And to end. Like so many I miss the Tenth Doctor and his era. So I thought it only fitting that I promote the work of said artist whose witty piece below is how we all would of liked it to have been.

by ~spuds-n-stuff

On Your Own ~ Part Two

Buffy Season 9 issue #7

This will be a quick review I hope. I think.

So with my dissatisfaction with the last Angel & Faith issue, I as really gunning to get back to the Buffy plot because it was a lot more exciting where it was heading. And well, it didn't fail to impress.

Cover One. Yuck! Pardon my bluntness. I don't mean to be rude but just look at it. Pastel colours in blue, pink, brown, grey, yellow and orange. Green eyes for her. Blue eyes for him. Spike and Buffy in domestic bliss, shacked up on the sofa. Him and his TV remote with a glass of red. And her, leaned up against him with a crossword puzzle. They are happy. It's everything Buffy has been searching for since the start of Season Nine. Normality. But this scene is boring. It's not them and we know it. Noto does his signature style with the the superimposed sketch and paint over with that dreaded black outline. But one step worse this time with the absolute two dimensional state of Spike's face. It looks seriously incomplete to me or a lack of effort.

Thank you Jeanty for cover two! And of course, I always fail to mention the others who help with the alternative covers: Dexter Vines and Michelle Madsen. A cover really needs to sell and this one does the job. From a fantastic vantage point we stand high above three familiar faces, through a crowd of multi-coloured Zompires all clawing in from the edges forming a creative border around the page. The detective braces himself with his badge around his neck and both hands upon his pistol. While Spike balls his fist and clenches his teeth ready for a smack down. Buffy though, stands arms folded but discontent, beside her massive title chalked into the cement pavement and unhappily lets the guys do all the work.

There were quite a few great panels in this issue. A close up of Buffy's profile, completely lost in thought as she sits on top of the bug ship in a mauve twilight. Another of her looking tenderly down at her stomach with both hands feeling it as we see in the distance the glow of the almost setting sun. A further way into the issue, a blood dripping SFPD badge... Just a snap shot.

What really won over the viewer this issue I would have to say is the story that was perfectly pieced together with sentiment and honesty. Or at least what we all thought was honest. Truly great issue.

Van Gogh: Painted with Words

Usually, I have never looked into the life of great artists. I never saw the point. All one needs to see is the work of the man/woman. Why is there the need to see into their lives? The art curriculum never emphasised it during my school days either. Of course if I was interested I could have researched them myself. But I never did. Why would I?

When you look at an artwork what do you see? Say it is an oil painting. You see the size, the colour, the subject, the technique... You attach the title of the work and a name to it. And in you're mind you see the face attached to that name if you've been fortunate to have witnessed portraits of the artist. But either with or without the knowledge of what this creator looks like you form an impression of them in your mind. A silent impression. The kind of person you think they were in the evidence of their work. Most of the time that impression is... "huh, talented guy".

You marvel at the work. You either like it or not at all. And with that you have an objective opinion, solely of your own. This is my lame excuse for ignorance. Though the life of an artist is fascinating I would much like to keep myself in the dark. Maybe this will change in the future and yesterday may be the beginning.

Van Gogh: Painted with Words, opened my mind to the life of the artist Vincent Van Gogh. One of the most celebrated artists of the post-impressionist movement, known for not only painting what he saw but how he felt. This was all that I knew and associated with the man behind the well known works such as 'Sunflowers', 'Starry Night' and the many self portraits of the man himself; aside from a little backdrop knowledge that he never sold many of his works during his life, suffered from mental illness, seizures and the infamous incident of cutting off his ear and presenting it to a girlfriend (actually a prostitute). So I knew a little more than I put forword. But, what I failed to recognise was the passion and love for the world this man had in his heart and devoted in his paintings. He was enthusiastic and instantly consumed by ideas of things he loved and spoke of them with such delicacy and depth, letting them consume his world for the better but also for the worst. 

Van Gogh: Painted with Words, a brilliantly well title docudrama, paints the artist with the actual words taken from the man's letters to his brother Theo. I enjoyed it.

Daddy Issues ~ Part Two

Back at uni, week one and already I feel like a big gooey green monster has gobbled me up and spat me out!

Angel & Faith issue #7

Ahhh Drusilla. Victorian in all her eloquence. That is what we see in cover one by Morris. In a pretty silk black dress, with long black nails, cradling an apple in one hand and two long stem tiger tulips in the other, she smiles gracefully enough with a 45 degree head till to attract a blue butterfly. But who is she smiling for? Not us, most certainly but another over our shoulders. Who? And where are we looking into? A room with cracking stucco walls, sepia ceiling beams, stained glass window... Angel leans over a desk staring intently at Drusilla. We see his shadow but also another's... A clue! A man wearing glasses from what we make out of his silhouette. Mhmm!

Cover two is by  Isaacs and we see a smashed photo frame among a bottles and glasses of alcohol. We have a drinker in our midst!  The shattered glass spills over the table. We see a happy father and daughter smiling in shoulders at a BBQ events given the tray of burgers all stacked in the hands of the pigtailed girl. The father, apron clad and wielding a spatula. Happy days.

We open with a bit of the past and the story soon defines "daddies" of more than the conventional sort.

This issue answered some questions and left me a little puzzled at the end as to where the story will go next.. Will it be any good? I can't say I was satisfied with this issue. It felt more like one of those filler pieces that are needed to just space things out.

This post's a little short but I'm a busy girl. Next appointment Buffy issue #7. Late-rs!