Preview for 8.08 "No Future For You", Part III (spoilers)

[KingofCretins]

Amazing new cover by Jo Chen, and definitely the most animated of them so far.

Buffy Issue #8 Preview

Faith hits the ground running after she infiltrates the estate of a rogue Slayer, that is until Buffy pops in and is confronted by her longtime nemesis. Certainly, chaos ensues.

Am I nuts, or is that Buffy, and not the rogue, that Faith is trying to kill?

[Breathless]

It sure does look like Buffy! Has Faith gone totally off the deep end?

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Where's the preview bit? Or is it just the cover for now?

I can't tell who it is under the water.

[Phoenix]

It looks like Buffy under the water, but it doesnt look like Faith strangling her =/

[omri]

It does look like Faith and Buffy. Or is it? maybe it's just symbolic and not really represent something that will happen in the issue.

[CanadianBtVSFan]

I thought Faith has changed and returned to the good side with Buffy? Buffy knows that Faith has changed and accepted her back as an ally for the scooby gang.

[omri]

I thought Faith has changed and returned to the good side with Buffy? Buffy knows that Faith has changed and accepted her back as an ally for the scooby gang.

She is... That is why this is so strange.. But this can't not them. they wouldn't draw it like that if they didn't want us to recongnise them as Buffy and Faith

[Dorian's Kitten]

I'm thinking it's something like omri said. Like the image is the cover and more represents the internal struggles that Faith has going on. Like her desire to both not be and be more like Buffy. Or maybe Buffy is image of her internal slayer and she is struggling with what she wants to do with her life. The whole arc is supposed to be based on a dangerous mission that could win her an early retirement, so that could make sense.

OOOh or just thought of this, she is supposed to be like undercover right. Maybe she has to fight with Buffy to keep her cover. Whatever it is I hope they don't have them pounding each other "for old time's sake" or something. (You know like Angel and Spike did for pretty much all of ATS season 5)

[Moscow Watcher]

Is the girl underwater Buffy's nemesis or Buffy herself? It's hard to figure out. If it's a nemesis I think it's either Amy or Glory. And if it's Buffy, then Faith might be under a spell, or an evil!Faith from season 3 who traveled in time to season 8.
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Extreme Vaporizer

[vampmogs]

I don't think it is Buffy under the water, if it is then that is very interesting. Who is Buffy's long time nemisis other than Faith? I'm honestly trying to think of anyone still alive that Buffy still has as a long time nemisis... Possibly Dru since they are in London but they were never really focused on eachother.

If it is Buffy then perhaps what Caleb was saying to Faith in Dirty Girls was actually a foreshadowng. When he talks about Cain and Able, possibly being a foreshadowing of Faith eventually betraying Buffy and killing her. Although, I doubt she'd kill Buffy in this Issue

Looks like a very interesting issue indeed, one of the previous captions we got stated that Lady Savage is one of the most dangerous women in the world and if isn't stopped would bring on the end of the world; possibly Buffy comes to help out and blows Faith's cover.

EDIT: Ok I have to agree with KingofCretins and say this is def Buffy Faith is holding down in the water. If you look at the picture upside down you can see more clearly the detail on her nose, a distinctive feature of Buffy thanks to SMG. It is obviously Buffy if you look at the nose.

Now I'm been racking my brain to try and think of reasons why they would be doing this to one another. One I have come up with is that Buffy comes and the only way for Faith to keep her cover is to fight Buffy as ordered my Lady Savage.

[KingofCretins]

I could actually see circumstances that would push them into a fight. Plus, the cover might not actually be literal -- just like Buffy wasn't wearing a tank with her own name on it, like the Decoy didn't pull a mask off her face. The point is definitely to establish that there is some kind of conflict between them.

And I get that. Based on the other information we have, Faith isn't really cutting it as a leader of other Slayers. What's more, if the previews are literally accurate, Giles is asking her *to kill* a Slayer. To me, that sounds like Giles rather bruskly treating her like the woman she was, not the woman she is or wants to be. And if everyone still thinks of her that way, who are Faith's instincts going to tell her is ultimately responsible? Buffy. I could certainly buy a serious shouting match, and maybe Faith trying to ring her neck, whether Buffy even knew about it or not.

[vampmogs]

I could actually see circumstances that would push them into a fight. Plus, the cover might not actually be literal -- just like Buffy wasn't wearing a tank with her own name on it, like the Decoy didn't pull a mask off her face. The point is definitely to establish that there is some kind of conflict between them.

And I get that. Based on the other information we have, Faith isn't really cutting it as a leader of other Slayers. What's more, if the previews are literally accurate, Giles is asking her *to kill* a Slayer. To me, that sounds like Giles rather bruskly treating her like the woman she was, not the woman she is or wants to be. And if everyone still thinks of her that way, who are Faith's instincts going to tell her is ultimately responsible? Buffy. I could certainly buy a serious shouting match, and maybe Faith trying to ring her neck, whether Buffy even knew about it or not.

Yeah it is very possible that the cover is just a visual representation of how Faith may be feeling. Personally, I don't want them to be in a real conflict because they are angry at eachother. In s7 Faith had learnt to control herself when Buffy hit in her anger outside the Bronze, and then their relationship really began to grow. I loved how slowly Buffy opened up and accepted her again and how Faith worried about her; she was the last to stay behind when Sunnydale was crumbling and the first to notice her lying on the floor when stabbed from behind. I'd really like to think that they had grown up... but perhaps not.

[KingofCretins]

If she's being again cast as "just a killer" after having come so far, I could see her being fighting mad about it.

Overall, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how I perceive Faith as being treated in this arc, by Giles in particular. If he's really going to be asking Faith to kill this Slayer, I think that's wholly unreasonable. Both objectively, and because it's Faith specifically.

[vampmogs]

If she's being again cast as "just a killer" after having come so far, I could see her being fighting mad about it.

Overall, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how I perceive Faith as being treated in this arc, by Giles in particular. If he's really going to be asking Faith to kill this Slayer, I think that's wholly unreasonable. Both objectively, and because it's Faith specifically.

I agree and I think Faith will be slightly uncomfortable with it which is why she is probably doing it so she can retire from her duties which would be taking their toll. I don't see Giles asking Buffy to do this, almost as if he is asking Faith to kill this slayer because well she was a killer; and therefore she shouldn't have a problem with it. As far as trying to help someone redeem themselves this isn't the best way to go, I hope I am pleasently surprised by all of this and this isn't the case.

[KingofCretins]

If that's Giles' reasoning, he's being a jack...something. What's more, I've been speculating on this theory that Giles might have even worse intentions than that. If he means to 'retire' her in the most euphemistic sense, that is.

[vampmogs]

If that's Giles' reasoning, he's being a jack...something. What's more, I've been speculating on this theory that Giles might have even worse intentions than that. If he means to 'retire' her in the most euphemistic sense, that is.

Mmm do you really think he'd go that far? What would be his motive? Giles has been pretty dark in the past but has always done his most debatable things because of the greater good, how would killing Faith be the greater good for anyone? From what we've seen of Issue #6 she is more or less doing her duties.

[KingofCretins]

Hey, the same kind of brutal calculus let Angel rationalize killing Lindsey; I wouldn't find it awfully, awfully out of character for Giles to decide that Faith was 'too dangerous to live'. I'm not making an official prediction. It's just something that occured to me. We haven't gotten enough Giles in Season 8 to really know how different he could be after a year and a half.

What started it for me was the Issue #7 cover -- look at how happy, in spite of herself, Faith seems, and then look at Giles expression.

[vampmogs]

Hey, the same kind of brutal calculus let Angel rationalize killing Lindsey; I wouldn't find it awfully, awfully out of character for Giles to decide that Faith was 'too dangerous to live'. I'm not making an official prediction. It's just something that occured to me. We haven't gotten enough Giles in Season 8 to really know how different he could be after a year and a half.

What started it for me was the Issue #7 cover -- look at how happy, in spite of herself, Faith seems, and then look at Giles expression.

Yeah but with Lindsey there are many other factors. The first being that Lindsey hadn't really expressed any desire to Angel that he wanted to redeem himself or change, he was still a bad guy. We then have Lorne who says, "I've heard you sing" which could be telling a lot. It is possible that he has read Lindsey's future and knows it isn't good. Lindsey got a lot of chances to change and he always reverts back to evil everytime which is kind of different to the Faith situation.

Faith seems pretty certain she wants to redeem herself and the two actually formed quite a bond when she took up the leadership position after Buffy was kicked out. I just don't see any reason Faith was suddenly be to much of a threat to live in comparison to every other new slayer out there.

But I do understand what you mean by the cover. Almost as if Faith is really happy with herself but Giles is hiding something from her, something not good given the expression on his face. I'm just freakin dying for this new arc to begin.

[KingofCretins]

Here is the variant cover by Jeanty. This actually seems to suggest to me that Faith and Buffy are being manipulated somehow, possibly by the Slayer in question.

Jeanty Cover for Issue #8

[ThePoet's<3]

Thank you KoC for posting the new covers!!!

Chen is the best! But I like to look at Jeanty because his usually contain little "clues" into the story. (That I usually can't make sense of until I rad the story... )

But yes! The Chen cover is mind-boggling! It looks like Buffy under the water to me.

I like the comment about Faith struggling against her "inner Buffy". Maybe the training to become a lady is too uncomfortable for her. Maybe she feels she is being forced to become more like Buffy. Or maybe she's "putting to death" the struggle she as always had to be LIKE Buffy. In other words - she embraces who she is - NOT Buffy.

And I can't help but notice that Faith's dagger on the Jeanty cover is stabbed between the Slayer and Faith. Buffy seems to be to the side "unharmed".

I thought Faith has changed and returned to the good side with Buffy? Buffy knows that Faith has changed and accepted her back as an ally for the scooby gang.

That was my first thought also CBtVSF!! So, this wouldn't make sense with Faith trying to hurt Buffy - again - unless something awry was going on...

I'm thinking it's something like omri said. Like the image is the cover and more represents the internal struggles that Faith has going on. Like her desire to both not be and be more like Buffy. Or maybe Buffy is image of her internal slayer and she is struggling with what she wants to do with her life. The whole arc is supposed to be based on a dangerous mission that could win her an early retirement, so that could make sense.

OOOh or just thought of this, she is supposed to be like undercover right. Maybe she has to fight with Buffy to keep her cover. Whatever it is I hope they don't have them pounding each other "for old time's sake" or something. (You know like Angel and Spike did for pretty much all of ATS season 5)

...unless as DK says, she's undercover. Perhaps she has to align herself with the rogue Slayer to keep her cover and infiltrate the group.

If that's Giles' reasoning, he's being a jack...something. What's more, I've been speculating on this theory that Giles might have even worse intentions than that. If he means to 'retire' her in the most euphemistic sense, that is.

I don't know that it would be so unsuspecting of Giles to do that. Remember when he and Angel formed the little "coup" against Faith in the earlier Season of Buffy?? Buffy wasn't aware of that was she? So I could see Giles being subversive to get the job done. For some reason - I get that Season 8 has GREATER overtones to it than any of the TV Show Seasons. I think we will see some serious stuff. The last issue about the "Unknown Slayer" is point of fact. That was pretty serious Buffy stuff.

I just hope your last comment is not true... I just think it would be a great waste of a good character to just kill her off. But haven't we heard rumors...

Spoiler:

About character death in this Season?? I hate when they kill characters for shock value. Ticks me off to no end!! I'm not a fan of this writing technique AT ALL!