Hec -- I got the comics you sent, and thank you so much.

De nada. Actually I found DD #190 (the Elektra backstory one) - so I'll send that your way too.

I loved American Flagg.

His initial premise is as valid now as it as then. Probably moreso. (Chaykin got pissed at right wingers who wrapped themselves in the flag, so he created a hero who championed the lefty American virtues.) Of course, the fact that it's one of the best drawn and designed series ever doesn't hurt. The way they worked the sound effects into the lettering/design was revolutionary.

Had a Fray-a-licious weekend. Loved the conclusion, want more, Joss funny.

Now the Fray story in Tales of the Slayers makes *so* much more sense.

Read Fray, now have to go back and re-read first paragraph.

RE: Urkonn's betrayal. Shocked me a little but not much b/c it seemed like he was working for those two demons in the other dimension. I'll have to go back and see but my impression was that they didn't want the portal opened now b/c it wasn't the right time.

What did shock me was when Mel killed him. I was going to type that it's not something Buffy would do, but if some demon she was collaborating with hurt Dawn...

eta clarity that b/c of who he was working for, I suspected that Urkonn's motives weren't so pure.

Loved it. It went so fast, except for the interminable waiting parts.

I am a dolt and only now realized Yes, I really didn't buy Fray #6; no wonder I was confused reading #7. I thought it had just been the length of time between issues. So, on a slow, ambling quest for #6. (I did get 8 from Million Year Picnic, but they just had a 7 and a couple of 3s.)

Batman Year One (way better than Dark Knight, I think)

My brother! I love that it's so plausible. Superheroes and I are often not friends, due to tights and capes and ability-to-fly issues, but that kind of superhero, I can buy.

Aren't we past the white font deadline?

If not: I thought it was interesting that his orders were to kill her after she closed the portal... thus calling a newer, possibly weaker Slayer.

The spoiler rule (per the header) is one week, so tomorrow begins the free for all, yes?

If not:

A more interesting thought is this: What if no Slayer is called at all? The power has been split between Mel and her brother. Until the power is released from both of them, the current slayer is not 'dead' and thus a new Slayer won't be called. Kill Mel, encase her brother in concrete and drop him off in the Marianas Trench, and it's demon fun time!

As an aside: I suspect that Urkonn didn't want to kill Mel. He resisted the urge earlier in the series. But that is debatable.

I thought that your second possibility could happen but Harth is already dead . . . shouldn't that mean his power could be passed on?

Maybe, maybe not. Fudge factor.

It looked to me like Urkonn REALLY didn't want to kill Mel, to the point that when they fell through the floor of Gunther's tank, he pulled her to safety. I might have been reading it wrong, though. But I like the idea that Urkonn developed Giles-y protect-his-Slayer impulses .