Issue 12- Joss tells retailers to order more copies for huge reveal!

[vampmogs]

Hey

Just checked over at Whedonesque and it's been revealed that Joss has told retailers to be prepared and order more copies of Issue 12 because of the huge reveal in that issue! So I don't think Jeanty was bluffing at all, whatever it is Joss thinks it's going to be big!

This has got me so nervous, I have no idea what to expect! Anyone got any ideas what the hell this is and why it's been hyped so much?

Vampmogs

[Maggie]

Thanks for the tip-off, Mogs. I read over the replies at Whedonesque, and the point that seemed most on point to me was the observation that Dawn has disappeared from the covers. We know from the blurbs that she's in Japan with the gang. So I wonder if something happens to her in #12. And we've seen a variant cover for #15 but nothing from #14, right? I wonder if that's the cover that will make clear whatever this 'bomb' is supposed to be -- and is the cover that has Dawn on it. And I wonder if the lonely Xander cover for #13 isn't related to whatever it is that happens to Dawn in #12.

Am bad at speculating. But right now, my hunch is that it's to do with Dawn. That would give Joss room to show us that there's been some purpose behind a year-long Giant Dawn plot that apparently boiled down to the burp of a reveal that it wasn't Kenny she'd actually slept with but some other guy.

None of the other speculations over there seemed to add up. Dead Xander or Willow doesn't fit with the cover of #15. Not sure how Giles could be written out for the time being and then brought back in quickly enough to get himself killed. So major character death seems out (except for Dawn). No other character death is significant enough to meet either the 'no you can't do that Joss" criteria or the "stock extra cause the copies will be flying out the stores" criteria. Bander hook-up fails those tests as well. (Though it could still happen -- it's just not a big-bang type story).

There is something to be said for something bizarre to do with Buffy. Straight-up vamping seems unlikely. But I'd rank "some twist with Buffy" right after something happen to Dawn. Anything strange with Buffy (stranger than her robbing banks, even) would constitute a story we'll be talking about for years. More so, indeed, than anything to do with Dawn. Only thing against this is cover to #15 which seems to show Buffy in an expected relationship with respect to the others.

ME has definitely gotten my attention!

[Weredog]

I have absolutely no idea what bomb Joss will be dropping on us with "Wolves at the Gate". I would agree with Maggie that a Scoobie death would be a bomb. I mean, what else would strike the fans harder than that? However on the other hand, "Wolves at the Gate" doesn't seem that it will strike fans as a dramatic episode like "Passion" or "The Body" with Dracula in the mix.

I think by Joss' comment he means that "A Beautiful Sunset" will be left at a strong cliffhanger (similar to "Becoming, Part 1" and "Seeing Red") that fans will jump for "Wolves at the Gate" for an answer.

But like I said, I have no idea. I'm trying to "de-code" from the 10 issues we've gotten, and I can't predict a single thing.

[vampmogs]

Something to do with Dawn does indeed seem possible, it is odd she isn't in the group shot for the 8.15 cover.

However on the other hand, "Wolves at the Gate" doesn't seem that it will strike fans as a dramatic episode like "Passion" or "The Body" with Dracula in the mix.

I was really skeptical about the idea of bringing Dracula back, always thought his character was a little hokey. However, the more I think about it the more I trust that they know what they're doing. But I don't think having Drac in the mix means something horrible or dramatic like a Scooby death can't happen. I mean if you think about it, Joyce's death was revealed in the same episode that centered heavily on a rather comedic love sex bot... so if that's any indication of how much Joss can surprise us, I wouldn't rule anything out.

[alexa]

Well the cover for #12 has Buffy looking a little upset.. maybe it has something to do with the betrayer thing. Joss likes to mess with the big emotional reveals so.. plus it has to be something Buffy fans will want to get their hands on (more so then usual). Does that mean cliffhanger in #11.. well most of the issues have cliffhangers so. They kind of suck though.. normally we only had to wait a week to see what happened next, but now it's a month.. Although I was waiting 3 months for season 3 and 6 to start, after the non happy ending.
Well I'm really hooked into this season now.

[Maggie]

I'm probably all fuzzy headed cause I'm in the middle of an all-nighter. But I'm thinking it really does have to be about Dawn. She's this big huge gigantic story that has no real purpose (that we can see). And there's been this on-going oddness which is that nobody seems much concerned about it. Buffy's worried about Twilight. Her sister being a giant hasn't really gotten her attention. In fact, one could almost say that Dawn has literally been the elephant in the room that nobody is talking about. They assume it's all about the sex, and that's about it. I mean, it took Xander all the way to the last issue to actually do something to make her situation more comfortable.

In the last issue, we finally get the big reveal about Dawn, and it's just not that interesting. The only 'twist' is that she's not the innocent victim, she cheated on her boyfriend. And in the last panel of her talk with Xander, he's asked her whether it feels good that she's got it all off her chest. And she looks anything but relieved. One wonders if she's really told the whole story. Or if there's any significance to the fact that the boyfriend's name is Nick. Nick is another name for Satan. Which Dawn just happens to call herself just a bit further down. The literal meaning of 'satan' is 'adversary'. And now Dawn goes to Tokyo with the gang but is not with the team on the cover of #15. Seems like there's a big fat opening there for it to turn out that there was more to her encounter with Nick than she's told us so far.

A story that broke that way would get us some interesting sister issues that could reflect off the 'sister' slayer story we just got between Buffy and Faith. And it's not like Dawn would have just gone evil. Whatever has happened could well be related to her encounter with this Nick guy.

And it would be quite devastating if Buffy had to kill Dawn herself as a result of whatever it is that has gone down. That could explain the tragic feel of the cover of #13. And there would be this irony that while they were all focusing on Twilight and ignoring Dawn's situation, Dawn's situation turned out to be entangled with the Twilight deal somehow. If Buffy had made a real move to be open with Dawn, maybe the tragedy could have been averted.

OK. It's late. I'm lousy at speculation. But there it is.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Re Nick - we never found out HOW she got gianted, and she never said explicitly that Kenny did it... so, who knows what we still don't know about that?

But, re the whole big huge deal thing...I was assuming it'd be the traitor reveal?

Spoilers for Angel issue 3:

Spoiler:

Would be rather funny if Buffy became a vampire at exactly the same time Angel became human...though, cheap!

[KingofCretins]

I'm not saying this in a way derogatory to Mabus' work on DeadWar, but for actual, canon Buffy? Turning her into a vampire is about the worst effin' idea ever.

She'd be *dead*. She wouldn't *be* Buffy. She's be a demon in a Buffy suit. That's been canon since "The Harvest" and has never even been drawn into question.

My predictions are about the same as they've been.

-- the traitor is revealed "to the camera" but not to Buffy.
-- Buffy and Xander have their Marvin Gaye moment at long last. Or they kiss or are otherwise shown to be in a romantic thing.
-- Twilight's identity is revealed "to the camera" in a separate scene.
-- a character return of the Oz-Spike-Angel-Anya-Tara magnitude.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

I'm not saying this in a way derogatory to Mabus' work on DeadWar, but for actual, canon Buffy? Turning her into a vampire is about the worst effin' idea ever.

She'd be *dead*. She wouldn't *be* Buffy. She's be a demon in a Buffy suit. That's been canon since "The Harvest" and has never even been drawn into question.

Yup. Cheap! So, probably unlikely.

[Bubblecat]

Actually, it's Dark House that have recommended more orders and it could be Drew's involvement that has prompted this due to the success of Cloverfield.

Having said that, maybe it is to do with the storyline....

Not sure where they could go with a Buffy as Vampire storyline - I mean, as said before, it would non-Buffy and therefore it would be a story about the rest of the humans. It's also a storyline already being played out on AATF.

I'll take a bet on Xander and Buffy getting together or....a reveal about the betrayal - who or what could make the Buffster disintergrate at this point? Not sure, but my interest is spiked (excuse the pun).

[Veverka]

My thoughts about a scooby death are, well, would that make fans buy more issues? Or would we reject/cry/not buy the issue/buffyverse...

I'm not saying this in a way derogatory to Mabus' work on DeadWar, but for actual, canon Buffy? Turning her into a vampire is about the worst effin' idea ever.

Yeah, well, wouldn't be Buffy then, you know. I mean, start a new era of Buffy verse, then kill off our girl? Lame. We've had her dead twice, and vamped in an ep... that's plenty!!!

But the take on Bander happenings... woot! That would be tops!

[OkinawanSteel]

It was said on the Dark Horse board, and I'll say it here, I don't feel any sort of ship related development would live up to the hype created for this issue.

[Phoenix]

Thanks for posting that
Seems really interesting, all this hype for just one issue! Should be damn good, I cant wait to see what it is. Some good theories going on too

[Nostalgia]

Thanks for the tip-off, Mogs. I read over the replies at Whedonesque, and the point that seemed most on point to me was the observation that Dawn has disappeared from the covers. We know from the blurbs that she's in Japan with the gang. So I wonder if something happens to her in #12. And we've seen a variant cover for #15 but nothing from #14, right? I wonder if that's the cover that will make clear whatever this 'bomb' is supposed to be -- and is the cover that has Dawn on it. And I wonder if the lonely Xander cover for #13 isn't related to whatever it is that happens to Dawn in #12.

Am bad at speculating. But right now, my hunch is that it's to do with Dawn. That would give Joss room to show us that there's been some purpose behind a year-long Giant Dawn plot that apparently boiled down to the burp of a reveal that it wasn't Kenny she'd actually slept with but some other guy.

None of the other speculations over there seemed to add up. Dead Xander or Willow doesn't fit with the cover of #15. Not sure how Giles could be written out for the time being and then brought back in quickly enough to get himself killed. So major character death seems out (except for Dawn). No other character death is significant enough to meet either the 'no you can't do that Joss" criteria or the "stock extra cause the copies will be flying out the stores" criteria. Bander hook-up fails those tests as well. (Though it could still happen -- it's just not a big-bang type story).

There is something to be said for something bizarre to do with Buffy. Straight-up vamping seems unlikely. But I'd rank "some twist with Buffy" right after something happen to Dawn. Anything strange with Buffy (stranger than her robbing banks, even) would constitute a story we'll be talking about for years. More so, indeed, than anything to do with Dawn. Only thing against this is cover to #15 which seems to show Buffy in an expected relationship with respect to the others.

ME has definitely gotten my attention!

:: stirs up inside::

Waits it out..

Waits it out..

!!!!!!!!!

THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING FROM THE BEGINNING?!!U#[email protected]!*[email protected]*)(

Ah... that's better. : )

Much before anything was noted on that "Whedonesque", I had been noting the fact that Dawn is missing from all of the upcoming covers. That this may be a huge detail to the fact of a big surprise in the series. I also questioned how they could possibly make her big and have her in Tokyo at the same time... something just seemed fishy.

::coughcreditcough::

It's good to see others on the same idea now.. because everything seems to be pointing to a Dawn-esque situation. I'm surprised it was so left-ball field for us though.. considering her recent growth and the fact that she's been so shy to the series so far. We haven't really seen anyone connecting with her or delving into her situation until "Anywhere But Here". And besides Willow, she's been mrs. holes in terms of plot.. we have no idea what really is the truth.. because she's been spinning lies and overall not giving us what we need to know.

I made some crazy scheme of how she is the traitor.. and how Joss had mind warped us by Dawn actually never being Buffy's sister.. but that was a bit far-fetch .

[Koos]

The Dawn theory seems very plausible. She hasn't appeared on any cover yet, while she has been explicitely mentioned to be in the next arc. Xander might have taken Buffy to her room for a romantic night, according to the teaser. But to me it seems they are looking up. That could indicate Dawn.

But I have my doubts that she's involved in the revelation that Joss is referring to. I love Dawn, but I don't see a reason why she would be able to increase the sales dramatically.

The same problem I have with anything involving Satsu, except for maybe a hot lesbian scene between her and Buffy She's definitely involved in the season somehow, but not for the Big Revelation. I think it's gonna be her father who is Twilight. My guess.

It's something big and it's something that would make looking back and the end of the season. So, it's not big plot revealing, just some clues.

My ideas:
- Something involving Xander. Sex/romance between him and Buffy. Or him revealed as the traitor/mole. Or he's a vampire.
- Buffy is a vampire. I know some fans would hate this, but I think Joss could do it. Not much chance though.
- Spike or Angel show up.
- Tara. Don't know how, but I have a strong feeling she will show up. They have been mysterious about her and it would fit a big surprise . . . somehow.

[DorothyFan1]

Correct me if I'm wrong...but have we seen Buffy in the comics in scenes that *explicitly* show daytime? Most of the scenes with Buffy show her in late afternoons and evenings. Both Xander and Willow point out that Buffy is afraid of the "dark". I, too, have been wondering whether or not the big "reveal" actually is referring to Buffy herself.

If the reveal is about Twilight being someone who is part of the Scoobies..then my guess is this could be either Riley or Giles.

A very plausible explanation about Robin's comment about "betrayal, the closest, the most unexpected"...is probably referring to Dawn. Is it possible Dawn's mysterious boyfriend is actually Twilight? In that case, the mole becomes clearly Dawn. But why Dawn would want Buffy dead? Remember, if the traitor is Dawn...remember what Gigi told Faith about those videotapes...she had paid dearly to get them. Someone had been selling out Buffy for all this time...someone on the inside giving copies of tapes showing Buffy training.

[alexa]

She's in the daylight in 10.. and 8, that I can think of.
Not to mention during Twilight in several scenes in 1 and another I think.
I don't get the vampire Buffy rumors... why would Joss kill off the main character. Sort of an odd suggestion.

[Sosa lola]

She's also in the dightlight in issue two while training the slayers.

[Koos]

A very plausible explanation about Robin's comment about "betrayal, the closest, the most unexpected"...is probably referring to Dawn. Is it possible Dawn's mysterious boyfriend is actually Twilight? In that case, the mole becomes clearly Dawn. But why Dawn would want Buffy dead? Remember, if the traitor is Dawn...remember what Gigi told Faith about those videotapes...she had paid dearly to get them. Someone had been selling out Buffy for all this time...someone on the inside giving copies of tapes showing Buffy training.

How could Dawn get them? I mean she's a Giant, she can't go through the corridors and get them. And is possible for Dawn to make them without getting noticed?

[Skippcomet]

For all we know, Twilight's mask and costume are hiding the reanimated almost-sliced-in-half face and body of Anya. Or at least her possessed corpse.

As for whatever the reason comics shops are being recommended to order more copies of this issue...would it be too exploitative of Joss if he were sneaking in a girl-on-girl Buffy/Satsu kiss? Not the idea of the kiss itself, but the idea that he'd be urging shops to order more copies of the issue for it....Okay, that does sound too much like the kind of cheap "Ally McBeal kisses a woman without actually switching teams!" stunt Joss once criticized other TV shows for doing.