Returning Characters

[-beardo-]

Now i have seen alot of complaints about all the returning characters that have came in in the new series.
So we have had, Warren, Amy, Ethan, Fray (To an extent), we are getting Oz, and Harmony and Spike and Angel are bound to show up later on in a proper apperance.
So what is everybodys problem iwth reurning characters. TBH with you with Joss bringin in all these characters then it means we are heading for a big climatic battle, don't it. I mena deaths are going to happen in the final and im pretty glad, this means that season nine can be low key and i dont know set like 10 years after 2004.

[Bubblecat]

Personally I don't have any problems with seeing returning characters.

I think what people are adverse to, and I count myself amongst them, is that they miss their favourite(s). So, I miss Buffy's relationship with Giles, so whilst it's interesting to see Ethan, I still would prefer to see Giles.

[XavierZane]

I have no problems with the returning characters either. It's one of the things which can be done in the comic that could never be done in the television show. Joss can use any character he wants as much as he wants without having to worry about actor availability or how having to pay them affects the budget.

[Nina]

I'm okay with returning character, as long the main characters don't suffer from it. I love to see Harmony back and Dru (if she returns), to see Oz again ... as long they won't steal too much time and it would be nice if they actually have input in the arcs of the main characters.

[Matt]

I quite like the returning characters, but I think that some people's problems lies with the amount of characters that have actually returned this season, if this were an actual season I think it's highly doubtful that many characters would all return and I think that some people feel with so many old characters in the mix everything's all over the place.

[vampmogs]

I haven't noticed it to be honest. All the characters have fit naturally into the story in my opinion. None of them have really stuck out to me or distracted me from the story. And I really don't get people criticising the return of characters like Amy or Harmony. They've always popped up throughout the seasons to cause havoc and you didn't hear boo about it.

[Sosa lola]

I don't like having characters return just for the sake of returning them. If the plot needed them, then it's okay. I think Harmony's presence will be needed because of the plot of #21, Ethan's presence was also needed, Amy's was okay. I didn't like Warren coming back though, and see no need for him at all, except for shock value. I think it would be better if they left him dead.

[watcher1006]

I didn't like Warren coming back though, and see no need for him at all, except for shock value. I think it would be better if they left him dead.

I was very annoyed that they brought Warren back and thought that it diminished his story in Seasons 6 and 7 of the series. I thought that Amy on the other hand still had a lot of potential story left after Season 7.

I see it as a challenge for the comics to create interesting and enduring new characters that weren't part of the series. So far I don't feel that they've done that (like who is Satsu?) Continuing to use just those that were once portrayed by actors would be symptomatic of the comics' failure to meet that challenge.

[Sosa lola]

Satsu and Renee would have been more interesting if we knew more about their background: their family name, what they used to do before they became slayers, what their interests are and so on. Maybe if we had one shot issue centered around them before Wolves at the Gate that shows us more of who they are.

Now it's too late for Renee, but not Satsu.

[XavierZane]

But who was Angel, at first? Or Spike? or Anya? It took till the end of season 2 before we got any decent background on Angel. Till season 5 for any on Spike. Till season 7 for Anya. And Spike and Dru especially started out as shallow as Renee or Satsu, and would have stayed that way, dying in What's My Line?, except for Spike's popularity.

This is how new characters have always been handled by Joss. He introduces them cold, puts them through the wringer for a bit, then maybe fleshes them out if they survive.

[Nina]

I think the problem is the difference between comics and television. There are no actors who can give a character something extra, there is not as much time to develop characters without giving them too much space in the comic because people prefer to see their favourite main characters.

[XavierZane]

The actors make it easier on the fans, it's true, but that's not necessarily better. If everyone keeps using actors as a crutch then they'll always be dissatisfied with the comic. It's more challenging to flesh out the characters (and the actions, stories, dialogue, etc) in a comic because it's more of an interactive experience and it has to be done by the reader. We, as readers, are given the absolute bare bones of fiction and entertainment, a static image and isolated text, and we're responsible for filling in everything that can't be done by the writers. We have to make it work. It takes imagination and it takes endurance, but, in my opinion, as a avid comic book reader, it's worth the effort.

[Nina]

I agree with that you say there, and one of my favourite things they did with the comic were Renee's death and Angel's thoughts in issue 11 ... both things would never be possible on tv ... and I've no problem with the characters we already knew, it's great to read their thoughts. But my problem lays with the new characters, there is not much space for them and it's for me hard to give them a personality. Maria, Satsu, Renee ... I don't care about them (yet).

[XavierZane]

You have to make yourself care for them, is what I'm saying. You have to care for every character introduced, be willing to put in effort to create their characterization and their personality in your imagination. If you aren't then you're missing out on half the experience of reading a comic. It's difficult, but it's worth it.

[hawkedup]

Recycling characters is fine. Recycling them almost every other issue and doing a poor job of it? Not fine. Season 8 so far has not been the next chapter in the Buffy series. Current characters don't move forward and new characters get brushed to the side to bring back characters for no other reason than to bring them back and keep the fans buying the comic book without delivering on the writing or innovative ideas. I understand that people think Joss can do no wrong and are therefore against anyone speaking out against him, but Season 8 has been very weak and has yet to deliver on a single original idea. Not to mention, Joss’ issues are often times hard to follow and desultory at best.

Amy: Why would she still be in Sunnydale? She wouldn’t.
Warren: Was dead. Joss forgot? Well, that tells you how much planning and proof reading went into that completely lack of story arc.
Ethan Rayne: Accomplishes what now?
Dracula: So, Vlad the Impaler was actually a creepy old man who had a thing for young boys and ruined what should be wonderful scenes with unfunny, unwitty dialogue.
Fray: Wait a second… This isn’t the Fray I remember at all!

All these new characters and story arcs he can explore, and he keeps going backwards and backwards and backwards. Pretty soon the Master is going to have his own story arc.

[Koos]

Not agreeing on Dracula and Fray, but your problems with bringing back old characters is definitely something I agree on. And the big problem I have with it is is that the argument that it is possible in a comic is totally not true. The comic is the most unsuitable medium for many characters at all. It is way too short.

Joss has chosen a group of main characters. The show should be focussed on them and there should be a story to be told with them. So far, I haven't seen a story at all. It's all about the realm and changing the realm. And in addition to that there are some relationship/dating issues. But there has been no story at all, and the way this continues there will be none at all.

Joss has been called back to rewrite the scripts for Dollhouse. Well, he should be called back for rewriting the arc for this show.

[Slayer+]

Warren not being dead just ruins a lot for me. How is the First able to transform into him if he didn't even technically die? How come we don't see Andrew's reaction to his return?

Amy is OK, I suppose but meh. I thought her storyline was kind of done.

[hawkedup]

Slayer+. I agree about Warren. So Joss comes out and says he "forgot" and suddenly the fans are like: "Oh, well since he forgot, it's completely okay, we'll just petend that there is some loophole or something..."

I'm sorry, but it's not okay. Doesn't Joss have people proof reading this stuff? Either two things happend: 1) They are not taking this thing serious enough to have good proof readers or 2) They did proof read and decided that they didn't care and that the fans would buy into anything anyway.

Koos, you're totally right about there not being a story. There is no build or character arcs or anything. I don't think I'll continue subscribing after the Fray story arc.

[sueworld]

Considering my reputation for not thinking much of these comics, I can't believe what I'm about to say now, but... I do believe that there is a underlying story arc going on here, which is becoming more prevalent as time goes on (especially with this current arc)....but either because of the medium Joss is doing this in and the slow pacing and gaps between issues it often makes it very hard to realise it sometimes.

[Sosa lola]

Warren not being dead just ruins a lot for me. How is the First able to transform into him if he didn't even technically die? How come we don't see Andrew's reaction to his return?

Actually, I think Warren is dead. Hence his 'Last words I heard as a human.' in #4.

Kinda like Buffy in S1, dying a few minutes then coming back because of Xander's mouth to mouth. Amy gave Warren his mouth to mouth.