Buffy : Season 8

So, the news is out. Buffy #30 went on sale recently, we saw a large portion of the Slayer army wiped out, and Buffy seems to be flying.

I was expecting Buffy fans to go nuts over that one. I thought fans would hate it, feel like we were making their story too “comic booky,” with a flying girl. I was relieved to find that the reaction was generally positive, but more, I was heartened that a lot of the responses I got were accepting this weird development because, now, looking back, they could see the foreshadowing that’d been laid in from the beginning—Buffy’s fear of flying, that very first airborne image of her on the second page of Buffy #1. Fans have questioned a number of times if we (or Joss) really know where this is all going, and now, one of the oddest plot twists yet has revealed the planning built into Season Eight since the beginning.

In December, we release “Goddesses and Monsters,” the Willow one-shot that Joss wrote for Karl Moline. One of the biggest mysteries of Season Eight has been Willow’s rise to power and her relationship with the serpent lady, Aluwyn. This one-shot won’t exactly nail that mystery shut, but it gives you a lot to think about. What Karl Moline gave us was some really cool designs, reminding us that his talents are numerous and considerable. I can’t wait for you to see Muffitt the steampunk waif.

Then in January, Joss and Georges are together again for “Turbulence,” in Buffy #31, in which the Slayer and a few of her friends regroup, to try to figure out what the hell just happened. That’s our way of bringing readers back into focus after the major shakeup of Jane’s arc, and get you ready for what Brad has in store for you — which includes: Buffy sorting out her powers; Willow searching for the missing members of the team; and the long-awaited unmasking of Twilight. I thought you were all gonna crap yer pants over Buffy flying, so maybe the revelation about Twilight’s plans isn’t gonna be as big a deal as I’ve been saying it will be. We’ll all find out in a few months ...

In the meantime, Brad Meltzer, who’ll be overseeing the next arc of Season Eight, just started a Twitter account. You can follow him @bradmeltzer, where he recently unveiled the Buffy #32 cover by Georges, a great homage to Action Comics #1. Brad is one of the hottest writers in comics, a brilliant novelist, and so far he’s been blowing Joss away with nuanced, complex scripts, boldly grasping the essence of Season Eight, and really stepping up to the challenging, penultimate arc.

Peace— Scott