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'Spike: Asylum' Meta.
This was supposed to be a quick run-through a la my review of ‘Shadow Puppets’, with a few thoughts re. Spike’s arc (and Beck) at the end. And then... meta ate my head. Again. So... it’s kinda long. And I’m not sure I’m actually saying anything original. But I had to write it, so there you go.
Also it’ll be interesting to see how many people reply... I’m not entirely sure how many people have read ‘Asylum’, but it can’t be more than a handful. Ah well, enjoy! *g*
Many, many spoilers for ‘Spike: Asylum’ - seriously, don’t click the tag if you haven’t read it. To remedy that, just buy it (it’s only a tenner on amazon) and if you hate it you can always flog it on Ebay...
(And yes, there might be mentions of s8...)
So - first some page-by-page squee. Y’know, stuff I loved, dialogue that jumped out at me. This bit’s all about the fun. :)
Random squee.
p3) I love the opening monologue. Sets the scene, draws us in.
p5) It’s funny the things that make a difference - that make you like (or dislike) something. I know that in issue 1 of s8 it was Buffy’s quiet reflection that stood out for me and that I liked - because I recognised *my* post-Chosen Buffy in her. Only it was very much an objective, detached observation. But Asylum... the moment when the private soldiers appear, all ‘hut hut hut’, I felt this jolt of pure joy - ‘OMG it’s Blues Brothers!’ It put a big smile on my face, but also subconsciously made me feel that I could trust this writer. It is funny and smart and sly and I love it. You wanna get under my defences? This is how to do it! (Actually I adore all the pop culture references all through Asylum - they’re not in your face, just there to be enjoyed in case you get them. Just like the show.)
p10) “Ah. Always nice to meet a fan.” I have so much love for this. That small sarcastic throwaway line, that’ll be echoed by Dr Ray later on (p90: “As I said - I’m a fan.”) in the most devastating way. Evil Big Bads are Spike fans... just ouch.
p15) And... enter Angel. Figuratively speaking of course. (Buffy appeared already on p9.) I love how this story takes on Spike’s issues with characters who don’t appear - because it shows beautifully that the issues are (in large part) in his head. Also I love the ruse - it works perfectly!
p16) The posters are *hilarious*. :)
p20) And Spike gets yet another thing showed into his brain! It should be a drinking game or something.
p26) Mah Zinn! Yay! He’s brilliant - esp love this exchange:
“I’m thinking an extra large q-tip would be amazing.”
”Ha ha ha ha! Never lose that sense of humour, my boy! No matter how insanely, uncontrollably tortuous life gets!”
p33) Wiseau! (As I said before, the voice-over is great!) Love all the stickers... *looks at picture* Apparently he ate Satan! :) Also Spike’s blood puts his birth year as 1853. And Spike is utterly spot-on in his ‘f*ck-off’ attitude:
“Because the first thing I do when I join a new gang is kill the blowhard self-important leader. So my boredom and disinterest is win-win, really.”
The Anointed One, anyone? (Sidebar: This made me consider the fact that Angel is the only male that Spike ever defers to. Discuss if you like.)
ETA: p38) I'm not sure women are Spike's Achilles heel, but caring about them the way he does does, 9 times out of 10 leads to trouble... Helping Beck in this scene leads to her impalement, the fight in the bathroom and eventually the almost-surgery. And all because he couldn't stand seeing a girl in pain.
p40) Group therapy! *does the happy dance* Just the idea of Spike in group therapy. Totally cracks me up. (Also nice introduction to Dr Ray on prev. page) Anyway, “He’s a vampire, and that’s OK.” is one of my favourite lines ever. At all. In this world and the next! There should be icons.
p41) Betta George! “A pox on this telepathy.” Aaaaaand - I’d fallen for him! :) Also love the rest of them of course, and Anna’s “It’s a gift sorry Doctor Thilbault, a curse it’s a curse and I want it gone.” Oh and Biv staring at her chest later...
p45) And we get the reveal about Ruby. This is *excellent*, and so is Spike. Will go into details later.
p48) “Piss off slug!” Our favourite vampire goes and is insensitive again... (“Racial slurs” also cracks me up).
p49) “Right. Like that’s even... possible.” Ripping out a vampire’s brow and fangs? Now that really is a scary thought - seriously. *shudders* This is *inspired* and gives Spike something to actually fear. And it freaks me out. Like ‘Damage’ - but worse. (This is what the Willow torture scene in s8 lacked... if you want more on this, just ask.)
p52) “My blood doesn’t exactly rush in the direction of my brain...” (7.20) How much do I love that Spike thinks Anna wants a nooner? Entirely too much. See Angel would a) Figure something was up, or b) Go with Anna and try to calm her down. But Spike, bless him, thinks “Yay! I’m gonna score!” Did I mention how much I adore Lynch’s Spike? And then we get the great big fight w. shirtless Spike. There is no bad.
p69) Lorne! “Aaaaaaah, the devil!” “Aaaaaah, spandex!” Lorne is great.
p72) “This is so embarrassing, I didn’t get you anything.” Another great, great line. Also props for using the word ‘terrarium’ further down. And then... Eeeeeek! *fjghkfdjghsdrgrt!*
p77) I love that Lorne keeps counting. It’s fabulous.
p79) This image might be my favourite out of the whole comic. I could write essays about it.
p84) Love the whole fight and the way we cut away to Spike’s hand, and the punch makes me all kinds of happy and giddy! *cheers* And then - skewered! Ow! Brilliant way to turn our world view upside down - and it comes out of the blue.
p86) Betta George! Nooooooo! *cries* He was awesome! *holds remembrance ceremony*
p93) And all hell has broken loose... Again we get Angel-related thoughts, and they’re bloody spot-on!
p96-97) Spike opens up! And it goes both ways! And Urru actually manages to *draw* a Spike-look. God knows how, but he does.
p100) ZOMG COOL! (Also just love the artwork on these pages. GORGEOUS!)
p102) “I’ve partied with the Boogey Man. We look nothing alike. He’s taller, bit of a limp.” This is such a *perfect* BtVS/AtS line. The sort that inspires great little FitB’s (“I ate a decorator once...”) It’s stuff like this that makes the story feel like my shows.
p107) “After all, I’m a damned champion.” Have I mentioned how much I love that quip? Not ‘Damn Champion’ (Big Damn Heroes...), but ‘Damned Champion’ - vampire with a soul... This ties straight back to ‘Hellbound’ and all sort of other things in the most wonderful way. *happy sigh*
p109) More Angel thoughts - and a resolution. As I said, I’ll get back to all this. But I just had to mention how much I love it! :)
p110) “When you were in solitary and Beck was in the infirmary, I bit Thilbault. Wow, does that feel good to get off my chest.” This is brilliant. It took me completely by surprise the first time (I was in a hurry *g*), and on second read-through it was *so* obvious... Very good though.
Spike’s development.
(with Angel parallels)
So, Spike thoughts. I’ve said it before, but my favourite thing about this story is Spike’s journey - and the more I’ve thought about it, the more pleased I am. Because Spike struggles with all the same issues Angel does, but in a different way.
Let’s backtrack. (Like *way* backtrack. Please bear with me.)
First he gets the soul, and it makes him crazy with guilt (“Angel - he should have warned me!”). It would seem to be the stupidest thing he’s ever done (“They all tell me - go - go to hell.” 7.02) - he’s damned himself.
Then comes 'Never Leave Me' (7.09) and Buffy’s profession of faith in him. (“You faced the monster inside of you - and you fought back!”) He sees the possibility for being *more* - or rather he trusts that Buffy sees it.
‘Get It Done’ (7.15) is another milestone... he needs the monster, the Spike who is dangerous, to be able to fight. And although this is an important step, there is a sense of embracing something bad and dangerous for the sake of a bigger fight. Just like Willow.
In LMPTM (7.17) we see this again - and also Spike is seriously pissed off. He distances himself quite sharply from who he was.
Then comes ‘Hellbound’ (AtS 5.04) and his “I do deserve to go to hell - but not today!” It is an acceptance of what he is - the price he has to pay.
Which again gets echoed - but moreso - in ‘Damage’ (AtS 5.11). I love Damage, love the acceptance of who they are. Actually I love all of AtS S5 for the way it looks at the monsters within, and this is of course the ep where Spike really accepts it. But there is also a deep sense of “What else are we gonna do?” - of the monster being something negative... “But this is important, what's happening here. Fred gave her life for it. The least I can do is give what's left of mine.” (AtS 5.16)
There’s a sense of defeat there, in a very quiet and understated way. Spike isn’t Angel, he doesn’t sit around pondering what he’s doing or wondering about redemption (much). Spike just fights because it’s the right thing to do.
Sooooo... enter Asylum. Spike is fighting the good fight, because it's what he does. Fast forward to the reveal that *he* was the one who killed Ruby. And we’re right back to ‘Damage’ (“What am I supposed to do? Complain?”). He is, when all is said and done, a monster. And he can only fight that so far. He can’t undo his past, he can’t undo who - what - he is. (And where he wasn’t responsible for Dana, he *is* for Ruby.) As Dr Thilbault says: “See you're using it as a way to give up. You think, given your past, there’s no way you can possibly be a hero, so-”
And this is where Beck’s comment is so *perfect* (“Spike - those stories inmates would share to give everyone nightmares? The ones about what would happen if you ever came here? They’d help me sleep better at night.”) and where Spike’s journey parallels Angel’s in the most gorgeous way:
Beck turns the monster into something positive! Her comment shows Spike that embracing the darkness can be a good thing in itself.
It is pretty much *exactly* the same that happens to Angel in 'Not Fade Away':
Hamilton: Let me say this as clearly as I can. You cannot beat me. I am a part of them. The Wolf, Ram, and Hart. Their strength flows through my veins. My blood is filled with their ancient power.
Angel: Can you pick out the one word there you probably shouldn't have said?
Angel struggled for so long with being a vampire - a monster - and then suddenly it became the tool with which he could win the battle. But whereas Angel’s epiphany came from Hamilton - W&H’s representative in the world - the symbol of what he’s been fighting all those years, Spike’s comes from a girl - another victim/monster just like Dru and Buffy and Fred and Dana. “I believe in you, Spike” are still the most powerful words he can hear:
Buffy believed that he could be a good man (NLM) and a champion (Chosen).
Fred believed that he was worth saving.
Beck believed that that the monster could keep her safe.
See for Spike it’s always the personal connection:
FRED: Not easy being a champion. You know that.
SPIKE Really don't.
FRED Come on. You saved the world, sacrificed yourself, closed a hellmouth.
SPIKE Didn't do much, really. I just stood there... let the fire come. Nothin' real heroic about that.
FRED Well, you did save my life.
SPIKE Well, when you say it like that...
(AtS 5.06)
This is what matters to him. That’s the source of his strength. Angel... oh no. Remember ‘Amends’ (3.10)? Buffy pleading with him brought no results. I think the reason is that Angel thinks people (women) are mistaken when they try to see something good in him. They don’t understand what he is, they don’t know what it’s like. But beating an opponent proves his worth - proves that he can change things, even if he can’t change himself... Oh! That’s it, isn’t it? Women give Spike a *reason* to change (because he knows and believes that he can change) - to live up to their expectations, to prove that their faith in him is justified:
First!Dru: And what makes you think you have a choice? What makes you think you will ever be any good at all in this world?
Spike: She does. Because she believes in me.
(7.10)
And now I have to quote![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
the_royal_anna, because she’s said it all already, and better (from her review of Damage):
And this is it: the bleak, endless cycle Angel fights against. He is the victim that dares to be the champion. But is he driven by the blood in his heart or the blood on his hands?
I don't know that Angel acts to prove he's worth something. I think that Angel acts to prove he's worth nothing. He acts to prove that actions are worth something; that even a monster is capable of good acts. [...]
Here's a thought:
"I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man. And that's – "
And that's important. That's enough. That's what will keep you going, keep you believing when guilt threatens to overwhelm you. When all you can see is the blood on your hands, the somebody that can see your heart is all you have to give you a reason to go on. The somebody that believes in you. The somebody that keeps sight of your soul.
Is the monster within, or the monster without? Is it what we are, or how we are treated?
Oh I love this comic for tapping into all of these issues, and for doing it so well.
And now I just have to mention ‘Chosen’... in that episode, Spike’s Champion status hung on him having a soul.
Buffy: And the right person is?
Angel: Someone ensouled, but stronger than human. A champion.
Buffy could have worn it. So could Faith. So could... oh Groo or Drogyn f.ex. Even Cordy before the Jasmine high-jack. All of these (more or less) were simple straight-forward Champion types, without a century of slaughter to their names. It was the soul+power that mattered, not where that power came from.
What Asylum does, is turn that on it’s head - it’s the vampire part that’s the important point. The vicious ‘I’m going to rip your head off if you look at me wrong’ reputation (or ‘look at my cards and I’ll gouge out your eye’ *g*), that made Wiseau and Dr. Ray such a fans.
Did I mention how much I love this story?
Angel issues.
As I said above, another reason this story is so great, is that Spike works through a lot of his Angel issues - without Angel being there! That’s what I call good writing. It’s interesting though, because one person said that it felt like Spike had too many Angel issues... and another that Spike does not have enough in ‘Shadow Puppets’.
Now me? I like what this story does, and think the reason Spike is so relatively calm re. Angel baiting in S:SP is because he worked through a lot of his issues in Asylum. Maybe it could have been done differently, or better - who knows? The point is, this works for me. Yes Spike and Angel dealt with a lot of their issues in S5. But that doesn’t mean that they went away. (And also - the *rivalry* will always be there.) To illustrate, let me for a moment talk about Faith - and Buffy.
Because there are many parallels between Spike and Faith, and also plenty in their relationships with Angel and Buffy respectively - in essence Buffy is to Faith what Angel is to Spike: Faith is always going to be the ‘the second Slayer’, following in Buffy’s footsteps. And there’s plenty of anger, jealousy and resentment:
Faith: What isn't? You know, I come to Sunnydale. I'm the Slayer. I do my job kicking ass better than anyone. What do I hear about everywhere I go? Buffy. So I slay, I behave, I do the good little girl routine. And who's everybody thank? Buffy.
Buffy: It's not my fault.
Faith: Everybody always asks, why can't you be more like Buffy? But did anyone ever ask if you could be more like me?
Angel: I know I didn't.
Faith: You get the Watcher. You get the mom. You get the little Scooby gang. What do I get? Jack squat. This is supposed to be my town!
(3.17)
And oh can’t we easily hear these words in Spike’s mouth, substituting ‘Angel’ for ‘Buffy’? Angel’s the original vampire with a soul, Angel has a group of friends, Angel gets the comfy life as CEO with every luxury at his fingertips...
But, there’s more:
Faith: Do you think you're better than me? Do you? Say it, you think you're better than me.
Buffy: I am. Always have been.
Faith: Um, maybe you didn't notice. Angel's with me.
Buffy: And how did you get him, Faith? Magic? Cast some sort of spell? Cause in the real world, Angel would never touch you and we both know it.
(3.17)
Spike: Take a long look, hero. I'm nothing like you!
Angel: No. You're less. That's why Buffy never really loved you: Because you weren't me.
(AtS 5.08)
I’d never actually put these quotes side by side before, but my god they’re so identical as to be scary. Of course they go off in different directions, since in ‘Enemies’ Faith was still evil, and in ‘Destiny’ Angel was working for the other side, but the issues - oh the issues are the same!
Now Faith and Buffy managed to get along rather well at the end of S7, bonding, joking... with only the occasional burst of violence. They were fighting a common enemy and that pulled them together - as did the fact that they were the only two Slayers and could understand each other like no one else.
But please imagine that Faith goes off on her own post-Chosen. And gets approached by someone wanting her to go undercover in - oh lets say a prison. Faith balks. They counter by saying that they’ve sought her out especially, having heard how she’s saved the world for years etc, and Faith realises that they were after Buffy all along... I can *totally* see her turning round just like Spike and going “Dammit! I’m Faith and I’m just as good as her. Better even, ‘cause I killed Kakistos! And I’ve wrestled an alligator! And I took down Angelus without killing him!” (etc)
Then there is of course the other side to it:
First!Mayor: Deep down, you always wanted Buffy to accept you, to love you even. Why do you think that is?
(7.20)
(Surely I don’t need to point out the Spike/Angel parallels in that?)
Aaaaanyway. Spike goes to the Asylum, in large part to prove that he’s just as good/better than Angel. I find this a perfectly logical reason - buttons were pressed, and Spike got angry and acted on his emotions rather than on logic.
So, then he’s there, trying work out what to do. Going with my Faith parallel I could definitely see her thinking ‘What Would Buffy Do?’ (Look at her in AtS S4, trying to fight Angelus in ‘Salvage’. I’m sure she’s wondering to herself what Buffy would do in her situation.)
Which brings us to this:
“I’ve retreated before. Hell, when I was on the other side of the battle, running away to strike another day was pretty much a weekly event. That wasn’t Angel’s style. He would have told Beck to get to safety and he would kick all manner of ass, vampire or not. But as of late, it’s getting more clear than ever... I’m not Angel. And after seeing Dr Ray and his makeshift army ready to leave, for the first time in decades, I wish I was Angel. Because he’d have the slightest clue how to stop them.”
Now this I love. Because really - it’s not about Angel. It’s about Spike looking at himself and seeing where his strengths and weaknesses lie. Facing up to some harsh truths. Of course he compares himself to Angel - who else is there? (Yes there’s Buffy, but I don’t think that Spike would ever *compare* himself to Buffy. Try to do what she’d do yes. But not ever think he could be her.)
Anyway, stuff happens and we end with this:
“This isn’t what Angel would have done. He would have gone down fighting. But, truth be told... I’m not Angel. And you know what? That’s OK.”
It in the most bizarre way reminds me of the end of ‘Lovers Walk’ - ‘I did it my way.’ There’s introspection and then a realisation that ‘I’m happy - content - being me.’
And - as I was saying above - the ‘me’ he is happy with incorporates all of him with much more acceptance than before. It is a beautiful arc and I can’t fault it. Other people probably can - but it works for me.
Beck.
‘Beck’ is a Norse word for a small brook. It’s still in use today in Yorkshire. (And in Danish: bæk). This - obviously - made me think of River (“My turn!”). Now I don’t think this is why Beck was given the name she was (Lynch would have mentioned it I’m sure), but I thought I’d point it out, because I like stuff like that. And for a fire-elemental to have a name that means water is... interesting. Anyway, that’s as far as I’ve got. Feel free to play.
It has been pointed out to me that Beck is a total Mary-Sue. This had not occurred to me previously, but yes, I can see that. However - I don’t care. Because she’s not there to be awesome in her own right, she’s there to play off Spike.
See the character she reminds me of the most is Dana, because the purpose of Beck to be the embodiment of the ‘Innocent Victim’/’Monster’ conundrum that is at the heart of Spike’s dilemma. Unlike Dana of course she’s not beyond ‘saving’ - or rather, although she has a monster within her, she has not been driven insane by her experiences. She can change and move forward. She can’t undo the past, but she can change herself - change her response, her outlook. Which of course again - see Spike. It is the thing of reaching out - of risking opening up - and then when it happens, to be able to connect and support each other.
Going back to ‘Damage’ and Dana, Spike went after her to help her - because he knew Slayers, and he knew insanity. He thought he had a point of connection. But then she brought up his past... things he’d rather not acknowledge as a part of him still (“She was a Slayer, I was a vampire...”), forcing him to deal with it:
Dana: You killed them both.
Spike: That and worse. But I was never here.
Dana: Doesn’t matter.
We see in Asylum how when the chips are down Spike lays this on the table - this is who I was, this is who I am. And then we get the connection. (See? Group therapy - it works!)
The great thing about this is, that the more I think about it the better it becomes. That said, I really wish we’d been given more of Beck’s story - but working with what we have there’s still plenty to sink my teeth into:
I think the fact that she was only a child when she killed her family is very significant. It was an accident. And we can speculate as to the circumstances... did she think her new powers were fun? Did she try to help and just get it horribly wrong? We don’t know - but the point is that unsouled vampires can be seen as childish creatures (I’ve explored this in-depth elsewhere). Spike killed Ruby for fun. He killed his mother in a misguided attempt to help her. In essence, without his soul he could not control his demon, just like Beck as a child could not control her powers. Logically neither should be held accountable for what they did then, but this isn’t about logic. It’s about guilt, and fear of what they’re capable of. We don’t find out *why* Beck is in Mosaic, but I’ll bet ff.net’s annual output that her reasons matched Spike’s perfectly:
“At least here I’m locked up... away from the outside world... where no one will get hurt because of me again.”
So, yeah, I really like Beck. That she’s pretty and is the one who saves the day is not a problem at all - and goes to show that Spike is more Buffy-like than Angel-like. Because Angel has an innate need to be the hero, to be the one saving the day. But Buffy is happy to use anything and anyone to win the battle. Look at ‘Graduation Day’ - shouldn’t we be hailing Cordy, Wesley, Jonathan and Larry for saving the day? After all they were the ones we saw stripping the library and filling it with explosives. Buffy just thought of it and did a little bit of running... ;) Or to quote Asylum again:
“Eventually we arrive at Primm, prepared for another fight. Or at least prepared for another hanging back while Beck sets everything on fire.”
Spike can be the hero. He can also easily stand back and let someone else do the job:
“Angel would have told Beck to get to safety and he would kick all manner of ass, vampire or not. [...] But, truth be told... I’m not Angel. And you know what? That’s OK.”
Also it’ll be interesting to see how many people reply... I’m not entirely sure how many people have read ‘Asylum’, but it can’t be more than a handful. Ah well, enjoy! *g*
Many, many spoilers for ‘Spike: Asylum’ - seriously, don’t click the tag if you haven’t read it. To remedy that, just buy it (it’s only a tenner on amazon) and if you hate it you can always flog it on Ebay...
(And yes, there might be mentions of s8...)
So - first some page-by-page squee. Y’know, stuff I loved, dialogue that jumped out at me. This bit’s all about the fun. :)
p3) I love the opening monologue. Sets the scene, draws us in.
p5) It’s funny the things that make a difference - that make you like (or dislike) something. I know that in issue 1 of s8 it was Buffy’s quiet reflection that stood out for me and that I liked - because I recognised *my* post-Chosen Buffy in her. Only it was very much an objective, detached observation. But Asylum... the moment when the private soldiers appear, all ‘hut hut hut’, I felt this jolt of pure joy - ‘OMG it’s Blues Brothers!’ It put a big smile on my face, but also subconsciously made me feel that I could trust this writer. It is funny and smart and sly and I love it. You wanna get under my defences? This is how to do it! (Actually I adore all the pop culture references all through Asylum - they’re not in your face, just there to be enjoyed in case you get them. Just like the show.)
p10) “Ah. Always nice to meet a fan.” I have so much love for this. That small sarcastic throwaway line, that’ll be echoed by Dr Ray later on (p90: “As I said - I’m a fan.”) in the most devastating way. Evil Big Bads are Spike fans... just ouch.
p15) And... enter Angel. Figuratively speaking of course. (Buffy appeared already on p9.) I love how this story takes on Spike’s issues with characters who don’t appear - because it shows beautifully that the issues are (in large part) in his head. Also I love the ruse - it works perfectly!
p16) The posters are *hilarious*. :)
p20) And Spike gets yet another thing showed into his brain! It should be a drinking game or something.
p26) Mah Zinn! Yay! He’s brilliant - esp love this exchange:
“I’m thinking an extra large q-tip would be amazing.”
”Ha ha ha ha! Never lose that sense of humour, my boy! No matter how insanely, uncontrollably tortuous life gets!”
p33) Wiseau! (As I said before, the voice-over is great!) Love all the stickers... *looks at picture* Apparently he ate Satan! :) Also Spike’s blood puts his birth year as 1853. And Spike is utterly spot-on in his ‘f*ck-off’ attitude:
“Because the first thing I do when I join a new gang is kill the blowhard self-important leader. So my boredom and disinterest is win-win, really.”
The Anointed One, anyone? (Sidebar: This made me consider the fact that Angel is the only male that Spike ever defers to. Discuss if you like.)
ETA: p38) I'm not sure women are Spike's Achilles heel, but caring about them the way he does does, 9 times out of 10 leads to trouble... Helping Beck in this scene leads to her impalement, the fight in the bathroom and eventually the almost-surgery. And all because he couldn't stand seeing a girl in pain.
p40) Group therapy! *does the happy dance* Just the idea of Spike in group therapy. Totally cracks me up. (Also nice introduction to Dr Ray on prev. page) Anyway, “He’s a vampire, and that’s OK.” is one of my favourite lines ever. At all. In this world and the next! There should be icons.
p41) Betta George! “A pox on this telepathy.” Aaaaaand - I’d fallen for him! :) Also love the rest of them of course, and Anna’s “It’s a gift sorry Doctor Thilbault, a curse it’s a curse and I want it gone.” Oh and Biv staring at her chest later...
p45) And we get the reveal about Ruby. This is *excellent*, and so is Spike. Will go into details later.
p48) “Piss off slug!” Our favourite vampire goes and is insensitive again... (“Racial slurs” also cracks me up).
p49) “Right. Like that’s even... possible.” Ripping out a vampire’s brow and fangs? Now that really is a scary thought - seriously. *shudders* This is *inspired* and gives Spike something to actually fear. And it freaks me out. Like ‘Damage’ - but worse. (This is what the Willow torture scene in s8 lacked... if you want more on this, just ask.)
p52) “My blood doesn’t exactly rush in the direction of my brain...” (7.20) How much do I love that Spike thinks Anna wants a nooner? Entirely too much. See Angel would a) Figure something was up, or b) Go with Anna and try to calm her down. But Spike, bless him, thinks “Yay! I’m gonna score!” Did I mention how much I adore Lynch’s Spike? And then we get the great big fight w. shirtless Spike. There is no bad.
p69) Lorne! “Aaaaaaah, the devil!” “Aaaaaah, spandex!” Lorne is great.
p72) “This is so embarrassing, I didn’t get you anything.” Another great, great line. Also props for using the word ‘terrarium’ further down. And then... Eeeeeek! *fjghkfdjghsdrgrt!*
p77) I love that Lorne keeps counting. It’s fabulous.
p79) This image might be my favourite out of the whole comic. I could write essays about it.
p84) Love the whole fight and the way we cut away to Spike’s hand, and the punch makes me all kinds of happy and giddy! *cheers* And then - skewered! Ow! Brilliant way to turn our world view upside down - and it comes out of the blue.
p86) Betta George! Nooooooo! *cries* He was awesome! *holds remembrance ceremony*
p93) And all hell has broken loose... Again we get Angel-related thoughts, and they’re bloody spot-on!
p96-97) Spike opens up! And it goes both ways! And Urru actually manages to *draw* a Spike-look. God knows how, but he does.
p100) ZOMG COOL! (Also just love the artwork on these pages. GORGEOUS!)
p102) “I’ve partied with the Boogey Man. We look nothing alike. He’s taller, bit of a limp.” This is such a *perfect* BtVS/AtS line. The sort that inspires great little FitB’s (“I ate a decorator once...”) It’s stuff like this that makes the story feel like my shows.
p107) “After all, I’m a damned champion.” Have I mentioned how much I love that quip? Not ‘Damn Champion’ (Big Damn Heroes...), but ‘Damned Champion’ - vampire with a soul... This ties straight back to ‘Hellbound’ and all sort of other things in the most wonderful way. *happy sigh*
p109) More Angel thoughts - and a resolution. As I said, I’ll get back to all this. But I just had to mention how much I love it! :)
p110) “When you were in solitary and Beck was in the infirmary, I bit Thilbault. Wow, does that feel good to get off my chest.” This is brilliant. It took me completely by surprise the first time (I was in a hurry *g*), and on second read-through it was *so* obvious... Very good though.
(with Angel parallels)
So, Spike thoughts. I’ve said it before, but my favourite thing about this story is Spike’s journey - and the more I’ve thought about it, the more pleased I am. Because Spike struggles with all the same issues Angel does, but in a different way.
Let’s backtrack. (Like *way* backtrack. Please bear with me.)
First he gets the soul, and it makes him crazy with guilt (“Angel - he should have warned me!”). It would seem to be the stupidest thing he’s ever done (“They all tell me - go - go to hell.” 7.02) - he’s damned himself.
Then comes 'Never Leave Me' (7.09) and Buffy’s profession of faith in him. (“You faced the monster inside of you - and you fought back!”) He sees the possibility for being *more* - or rather he trusts that Buffy sees it.
‘Get It Done’ (7.15) is another milestone... he needs the monster, the Spike who is dangerous, to be able to fight. And although this is an important step, there is a sense of embracing something bad and dangerous for the sake of a bigger fight. Just like Willow.
In LMPTM (7.17) we see this again - and also Spike is seriously pissed off. He distances himself quite sharply from who he was.
Then comes ‘Hellbound’ (AtS 5.04) and his “I do deserve to go to hell - but not today!” It is an acceptance of what he is - the price he has to pay.
Which again gets echoed - but moreso - in ‘Damage’ (AtS 5.11). I love Damage, love the acceptance of who they are. Actually I love all of AtS S5 for the way it looks at the monsters within, and this is of course the ep where Spike really accepts it. But there is also a deep sense of “What else are we gonna do?” - of the monster being something negative... “But this is important, what's happening here. Fred gave her life for it. The least I can do is give what's left of mine.” (AtS 5.16)
There’s a sense of defeat there, in a very quiet and understated way. Spike isn’t Angel, he doesn’t sit around pondering what he’s doing or wondering about redemption (much). Spike just fights because it’s the right thing to do.
Sooooo... enter Asylum. Spike is fighting the good fight, because it's what he does. Fast forward to the reveal that *he* was the one who killed Ruby. And we’re right back to ‘Damage’ (“What am I supposed to do? Complain?”). He is, when all is said and done, a monster. And he can only fight that so far. He can’t undo his past, he can’t undo who - what - he is. (And where he wasn’t responsible for Dana, he *is* for Ruby.) As Dr Thilbault says: “See you're using it as a way to give up. You think, given your past, there’s no way you can possibly be a hero, so-”
And this is where Beck’s comment is so *perfect* (“Spike - those stories inmates would share to give everyone nightmares? The ones about what would happen if you ever came here? They’d help me sleep better at night.”) and where Spike’s journey parallels Angel’s in the most gorgeous way:
Beck turns the monster into something positive! Her comment shows Spike that embracing the darkness can be a good thing in itself.
It is pretty much *exactly* the same that happens to Angel in 'Not Fade Away':
Hamilton: Let me say this as clearly as I can. You cannot beat me. I am a part of them. The Wolf, Ram, and Hart. Their strength flows through my veins. My blood is filled with their ancient power.
Angel: Can you pick out the one word there you probably shouldn't have said?
Angel struggled for so long with being a vampire - a monster - and then suddenly it became the tool with which he could win the battle. But whereas Angel’s epiphany came from Hamilton - W&H’s representative in the world - the symbol of what he’s been fighting all those years, Spike’s comes from a girl - another victim/monster just like Dru and Buffy and Fred and Dana. “I believe in you, Spike” are still the most powerful words he can hear:
Buffy believed that he could be a good man (NLM) and a champion (Chosen).
Fred believed that he was worth saving.
Beck believed that that the monster could keep her safe.
See for Spike it’s always the personal connection:
FRED: Not easy being a champion. You know that.
SPIKE Really don't.
FRED Come on. You saved the world, sacrificed yourself, closed a hellmouth.
SPIKE Didn't do much, really. I just stood there... let the fire come. Nothin' real heroic about that.
FRED Well, you did save my life.
SPIKE Well, when you say it like that...
(AtS 5.06)
This is what matters to him. That’s the source of his strength. Angel... oh no. Remember ‘Amends’ (3.10)? Buffy pleading with him brought no results. I think the reason is that Angel thinks people (women) are mistaken when they try to see something good in him. They don’t understand what he is, they don’t know what it’s like. But beating an opponent proves his worth - proves that he can change things, even if he can’t change himself... Oh! That’s it, isn’t it? Women give Spike a *reason* to change (because he knows and believes that he can change) - to live up to their expectations, to prove that their faith in him is justified:
First!Dru: And what makes you think you have a choice? What makes you think you will ever be any good at all in this world?
Spike: She does. Because she believes in me.
(7.10)
And now I have to quote
the_royal_anna, because she’s said it all already, and better (from her review of Damage):And this is it: the bleak, endless cycle Angel fights against. He is the victim that dares to be the champion. But is he driven by the blood in his heart or the blood on his hands?
I don't know that Angel acts to prove he's worth something. I think that Angel acts to prove he's worth nothing. He acts to prove that actions are worth something; that even a monster is capable of good acts. [...]
Here's a thought:
"I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man. And that's – "
And that's important. That's enough. That's what will keep you going, keep you believing when guilt threatens to overwhelm you. When all you can see is the blood on your hands, the somebody that can see your heart is all you have to give you a reason to go on. The somebody that believes in you. The somebody that keeps sight of your soul.
Is the monster within, or the monster without? Is it what we are, or how we are treated?
Oh I love this comic for tapping into all of these issues, and for doing it so well.
And now I just have to mention ‘Chosen’... in that episode, Spike’s Champion status hung on him having a soul.
Buffy: And the right person is?
Angel: Someone ensouled, but stronger than human. A champion.
Buffy could have worn it. So could Faith. So could... oh Groo or Drogyn f.ex. Even Cordy before the Jasmine high-jack. All of these (more or less) were simple straight-forward Champion types, without a century of slaughter to their names. It was the soul+power that mattered, not where that power came from.
What Asylum does, is turn that on it’s head - it’s the vampire part that’s the important point. The vicious ‘I’m going to rip your head off if you look at me wrong’ reputation (or ‘look at my cards and I’ll gouge out your eye’ *g*), that made Wiseau and Dr. Ray such a fans.
Did I mention how much I love this story?
As I said above, another reason this story is so great, is that Spike works through a lot of his Angel issues - without Angel being there! That’s what I call good writing. It’s interesting though, because one person said that it felt like Spike had too many Angel issues... and another that Spike does not have enough in ‘Shadow Puppets’.
Now me? I like what this story does, and think the reason Spike is so relatively calm re. Angel baiting in S:SP is because he worked through a lot of his issues in Asylum. Maybe it could have been done differently, or better - who knows? The point is, this works for me. Yes Spike and Angel dealt with a lot of their issues in S5. But that doesn’t mean that they went away. (And also - the *rivalry* will always be there.) To illustrate, let me for a moment talk about Faith - and Buffy.
Because there are many parallels between Spike and Faith, and also plenty in their relationships with Angel and Buffy respectively - in essence Buffy is to Faith what Angel is to Spike: Faith is always going to be the ‘the second Slayer’, following in Buffy’s footsteps. And there’s plenty of anger, jealousy and resentment:
Faith: What isn't? You know, I come to Sunnydale. I'm the Slayer. I do my job kicking ass better than anyone. What do I hear about everywhere I go? Buffy. So I slay, I behave, I do the good little girl routine. And who's everybody thank? Buffy.
Buffy: It's not my fault.
Faith: Everybody always asks, why can't you be more like Buffy? But did anyone ever ask if you could be more like me?
Angel: I know I didn't.
Faith: You get the Watcher. You get the mom. You get the little Scooby gang. What do I get? Jack squat. This is supposed to be my town!
(3.17)
And oh can’t we easily hear these words in Spike’s mouth, substituting ‘Angel’ for ‘Buffy’? Angel’s the original vampire with a soul, Angel has a group of friends, Angel gets the comfy life as CEO with every luxury at his fingertips...
But, there’s more:
Faith: Do you think you're better than me? Do you? Say it, you think you're better than me.
Buffy: I am. Always have been.
Faith: Um, maybe you didn't notice. Angel's with me.
Buffy: And how did you get him, Faith? Magic? Cast some sort of spell? Cause in the real world, Angel would never touch you and we both know it.
(3.17)
Spike: Take a long look, hero. I'm nothing like you!
Angel: No. You're less. That's why Buffy never really loved you: Because you weren't me.
(AtS 5.08)
I’d never actually put these quotes side by side before, but my god they’re so identical as to be scary. Of course they go off in different directions, since in ‘Enemies’ Faith was still evil, and in ‘Destiny’ Angel was working for the other side, but the issues - oh the issues are the same!
Now Faith and Buffy managed to get along rather well at the end of S7, bonding, joking... with only the occasional burst of violence. They were fighting a common enemy and that pulled them together - as did the fact that they were the only two Slayers and could understand each other like no one else.
But please imagine that Faith goes off on her own post-Chosen. And gets approached by someone wanting her to go undercover in - oh lets say a prison. Faith balks. They counter by saying that they’ve sought her out especially, having heard how she’s saved the world for years etc, and Faith realises that they were after Buffy all along... I can *totally* see her turning round just like Spike and going “Dammit! I’m Faith and I’m just as good as her. Better even, ‘cause I killed Kakistos! And I’ve wrestled an alligator! And I took down Angelus without killing him!” (etc)
Then there is of course the other side to it:
First!Mayor: Deep down, you always wanted Buffy to accept you, to love you even. Why do you think that is?
(7.20)
(Surely I don’t need to point out the Spike/Angel parallels in that?)
Aaaaanyway. Spike goes to the Asylum, in large part to prove that he’s just as good/better than Angel. I find this a perfectly logical reason - buttons were pressed, and Spike got angry and acted on his emotions rather than on logic.
So, then he’s there, trying work out what to do. Going with my Faith parallel I could definitely see her thinking ‘What Would Buffy Do?’ (Look at her in AtS S4, trying to fight Angelus in ‘Salvage’. I’m sure she’s wondering to herself what Buffy would do in her situation.)
Which brings us to this:
“I’ve retreated before. Hell, when I was on the other side of the battle, running away to strike another day was pretty much a weekly event. That wasn’t Angel’s style. He would have told Beck to get to safety and he would kick all manner of ass, vampire or not. But as of late, it’s getting more clear than ever... I’m not Angel. And after seeing Dr Ray and his makeshift army ready to leave, for the first time in decades, I wish I was Angel. Because he’d have the slightest clue how to stop them.”
Now this I love. Because really - it’s not about Angel. It’s about Spike looking at himself and seeing where his strengths and weaknesses lie. Facing up to some harsh truths. Of course he compares himself to Angel - who else is there? (Yes there’s Buffy, but I don’t think that Spike would ever *compare* himself to Buffy. Try to do what she’d do yes. But not ever think he could be her.)
Anyway, stuff happens and we end with this:
“This isn’t what Angel would have done. He would have gone down fighting. But, truth be told... I’m not Angel. And you know what? That’s OK.”
It in the most bizarre way reminds me of the end of ‘Lovers Walk’ - ‘I did it my way.’ There’s introspection and then a realisation that ‘I’m happy - content - being me.’
And - as I was saying above - the ‘me’ he is happy with incorporates all of him with much more acceptance than before. It is a beautiful arc and I can’t fault it. Other people probably can - but it works for me.
‘Beck’ is a Norse word for a small brook. It’s still in use today in Yorkshire. (And in Danish: bæk). This - obviously - made me think of River (“My turn!”). Now I don’t think this is why Beck was given the name she was (Lynch would have mentioned it I’m sure), but I thought I’d point it out, because I like stuff like that. And for a fire-elemental to have a name that means water is... interesting. Anyway, that’s as far as I’ve got. Feel free to play.
It has been pointed out to me that Beck is a total Mary-Sue. This had not occurred to me previously, but yes, I can see that. However - I don’t care. Because she’s not there to be awesome in her own right, she’s there to play off Spike.
See the character she reminds me of the most is Dana, because the purpose of Beck to be the embodiment of the ‘Innocent Victim’/’Monster’ conundrum that is at the heart of Spike’s dilemma. Unlike Dana of course she’s not beyond ‘saving’ - or rather, although she has a monster within her, she has not been driven insane by her experiences. She can change and move forward. She can’t undo the past, but she can change herself - change her response, her outlook. Which of course again - see Spike. It is the thing of reaching out - of risking opening up - and then when it happens, to be able to connect and support each other.
Going back to ‘Damage’ and Dana, Spike went after her to help her - because he knew Slayers, and he knew insanity. He thought he had a point of connection. But then she brought up his past... things he’d rather not acknowledge as a part of him still (“She was a Slayer, I was a vampire...”), forcing him to deal with it:
Dana: You killed them both.
Spike: That and worse. But I was never here.
Dana: Doesn’t matter.
We see in Asylum how when the chips are down Spike lays this on the table - this is who I was, this is who I am. And then we get the connection. (See? Group therapy - it works!)
The great thing about this is, that the more I think about it the better it becomes. That said, I really wish we’d been given more of Beck’s story - but working with what we have there’s still plenty to sink my teeth into:
I think the fact that she was only a child when she killed her family is very significant. It was an accident. And we can speculate as to the circumstances... did she think her new powers were fun? Did she try to help and just get it horribly wrong? We don’t know - but the point is that unsouled vampires can be seen as childish creatures (I’ve explored this in-depth elsewhere). Spike killed Ruby for fun. He killed his mother in a misguided attempt to help her. In essence, without his soul he could not control his demon, just like Beck as a child could not control her powers. Logically neither should be held accountable for what they did then, but this isn’t about logic. It’s about guilt, and fear of what they’re capable of. We don’t find out *why* Beck is in Mosaic, but I’ll bet ff.net’s annual output that her reasons matched Spike’s perfectly:
“At least here I’m locked up... away from the outside world... where no one will get hurt because of me again.”
So, yeah, I really like Beck. That she’s pretty and is the one who saves the day is not a problem at all - and goes to show that Spike is more Buffy-like than Angel-like. Because Angel has an innate need to be the hero, to be the one saving the day. But Buffy is happy to use anything and anyone to win the battle. Look at ‘Graduation Day’ - shouldn’t we be hailing Cordy, Wesley, Jonathan and Larry for saving the day? After all they were the ones we saw stripping the library and filling it with explosives. Buffy just thought of it and did a little bit of running... ;) Or to quote Asylum again:
“Eventually we arrive at Primm, prepared for another fight. Or at least prepared for another hanging back while Beck sets everything on fire.”
Spike can be the hero. He can also easily stand back and let someone else do the job:
“Angel would have told Beck to get to safety and he would kick all manner of ass, vampire or not. [...] But, truth be told... I’m not Angel. And you know what? That’s OK.”
no subject
Agree, totally, that this is all Spike's POV, and Spike does compare himself to Angel. My worry about Lynch stems from an old interview comment where he identifies himself as a Bangel. Now, being a Bangel doesn't necessarily entail that one think that Angel is worthy. But in general, I assume that Bangels are Bangels because they think that Angel is worthy. So that's why I'm nervous about Lynch. We'll see how it all unfolds. It's clear that Lynch does like Spike, a lot, so at least he doesn't have anything like the Spike-hating that seems to often be a part of the Bangel package.
Congrats on getting the Lynch reply on the IDW board!!! He seems really stoked by your review.
no subject
A glimmer? Spike knows Angel's limitations and weaknesses inside out. :)
in some place where Spike still wants Angel's approval and isn't himself committed to being a hero.
You know I'm not sure about the whole 'approval' thing. It's more that Spike feels *inferior* to Angel, which leads to him overreacting... and in the end seeing that being different is not the same as being less. (There is of course also the fact that *morally* Spike is superior to Angel, but that's different...) They're the only two of their kind, walking the same path, so of course they compare themselves to each other. (Apparently Lynch was considering a sequel, where Angel would be the head of the new Asylum... with, shall we say, interesting results. So I don't think he sees Angel through rose-tinted glasses.)
I assume that Bangels are Bangels because they think that Angel is worthy.
Or they just love impossible romances. B/A is a very pretty ship with giant boatloads of gorgeous angst. And well, Joss *does* have the final word...
Congrats on getting the Lynch reply on the IDW board!!! He seems really stoked by your review.
Still kinda speechless. (And as another poster pointed out - just wait until S6 hits the shops! Maybe we should warn him to stay away...)