I grabbed my copy of Buffy Season 8 on the way out to breakfast. My waiter geeked out on me and told me all the other comics I should be reading. The first issue seemed liked just a tease to me, but this one had some substance and made me squee a few times, especially when Willow recalled Giles's "Two To Go" line. Were Giles and Buffy supposed to be in the same location in the beginning or were they talking from different places? I had to go back and re-read all of Andrew's lines as soon as I realized it was Andrew.

Teppy, that's hilarious about your flist bitching, because my stubbornly shippy self immediately read Buffy swearing by Great Muppety Odin that she missed the sex as meaning "with Spike." Not that I care that much anymore one way or the other; I'm so happy to get to spend time again with her and all the (surviving) Scoobies that I really, really don't care whether any of my personal wishes get catered to.

Speaking of which, did anyone else read the letters column at the back? Did anyone else want to never stop screaming after the second-to-last letter?

I kind of hope that they're not going in a BuffyNXander direction, just because I'm already getting rather fond of the new girl who was bantering with Xander in the first issue and bantering about him in this one. Please, please don't let her get all speared to death. Although, again, I'm so happy to see everyone being themselves and speaking with their own true voices that if that's where the writers want to go, I'll follow.

Loved, loved, loved Willow in the Tara outfit repeating Giles's words. So much. Loved, loved, loved Xander's line about the crappy sacrificial dagger. And also Dream!Xander's "The lint is so Scottish" for its sheer lovely randomness. It just feels exactly right for the way Xander would talk in one of Buffy's dreams.

Meh on Giant Dawn if they're not going to have her squabbling with Buffy. Recognized Andrew by his voice, NSM by the art. Want to know NOW who Amy's monstrous boyfriend is.

I think that's it for now. I have to go back and reread 1 and 2 together now.

Speaking of which, did anyone else read the letters column at the back? Did anyone else want to never stop screaming after the second-to-last letter?

Yes, and oh so very much yes.

sj, I'm sorry for our mutual pain, but relieved that it's not just me.

JZ, I meant to comment on both the "crappy dagger" and "lint" lines, which made me laugh like a drain.

I noticed that Xander was sort of angled towards Dawn in the bathing scene, but it was his blind side. Poor Xander (for the blindness not for the lack of naked Dawn seeing).

Is suddenly scared to read the letters page.

What'd it say? Since I clearly am too impatient to wait another four and a half hours to get mine.

DJ, "Tara is Willow's One True Love. My Friends (Who Support Me In Email) and I like to pretend that Kennedy never existed. We earnestly hope you're going to follow Joss's original plan and bring Tara back, for which you can see there is ample support if you just go to fanfiction.net. If you don't do as we say I'll START A PETITION. A REALLY OMINOUS PETITION. I have LOTS OF FRIENDS and we WILL BE HEARD."

Is suddenly scared to read the letters page.

Suddenly? Dude, you should always be scared to read funny-book letters pages. They're like slo-mo flamewars for people who have never developed the social skills it takes to use the internets!

I can't believe they even printed it. It was so awful.