Buffy #12

Back a couple of months ago, when it was time to order Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 8) issue #12 we received a heads-up from Dark Horse that the issue would get some media attention and be a big deal and we should order more than usual. We didn't know what the "big deal" would be, but we did order a few more copies of that issue.

It came out yesterday. I thought the big deal would be that Dracula, the vampire of vampires, is in the issue. But I guess that's nothing when compared to girl-on-girl action. Newsarama.com has a few links to other media that covered the issue and all of them discussed the lesbian scene with Buffy.

Let me say that I don't read the comic book. I have only recently watched some of the TV series episodes. I have enjoyed the TV series, but just have not read the comics. I also typically like Joss Whedon's writing, even if the comics he usually works on tend to run late. (Buffy has surprised me with it's lack of delays.) I just am not sure about using lesbianism to draw in an audience. Or was that not his intent? As I said, I don't read the series, so I welcome opinions on this. Should I be disapointed that it took a sex act between two women to get the comic book some solid media coverage? Will this media attention bring more readers to the comic book? And will they stick around, or are they being brought in only for the gimic and not for the whole story?

A side note - Monday is the 11 year anniversary of the start of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Series. Clearly Joss has done something right to keep this story and it's characters alive in a popular culture that falls in love with and then tosses away people and fads every other day.