I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: ARCADE FIRE-Neon Bible (2007).

I was pretty excited when this album came out. I really enjoyed the last Arcade Fire album, especially “No Cars Go.” And then I found out that “No Cars Go” is redone on this one. I have not had quite the visceral reaction to this one as the previous album. I fear that it may be a little too “polished,” that some of the highs and lows and harsher edges have been trimmed down. I guess it’s a bad sign when you listen to the whole album and it’s really only the one song that you already know that makes you pick your head up to listen. Having said that, the album is pretty solid, and if you were a little put off by the totally indie, shouty singing of the first album, this one may be for you. I don’t want to make it sound like the album is bad, because it’s still better than most of the things you’ll hear on the radio. And, I’m really happy for them that they hit number one on Billboard. I just hope the next album gets a little more edge back to it. Of course, having said all this, I’m going to be listening to it again tonight on the way home from work, so I’ll see if maybe it’s better in the dark.

[READ: June 19, 2007] Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I loved the movie, I adored the TV show and I even liked the comic books. The comics set out from the start to be “in between,” or scenes that did not take place in the TV show. It created something of an alternate universe to Sunnydale, but it didn’t impact anything that happened in the “official” show. When Buffy ended after Season 7, Joss Whedon left the possibility of more to come and, finally he has brought Sunndydale back! Well, actually, Sunnydale is just a huge crater in the ground, but Buffy and the Scoobies are back!!

This was a 4 issue arc, with a plan of who knows how many issues to come (last count was something like 40). I waited until I had all 4 issues to read the whole arc because I thought it would be more intense that way, and it was. The next morning I felt like I had watched an episode of the show. Joss is directly involved with the comic…(although EXACTLY how, I’m not sure. I thought he was writing it, but that may not be the case, I know he has some say in the final product). At any rate, the writers have totally captured the feel and tone of the show. The jokes are there, and the suspense is there. There is always the occasional problem that plagues comics in not being able to tell all of the characters apart (something that happens on TV as well), but for the most part, the artists have captured the show’s characters and really captured the tone.

This new story is a good one, with all of the great characters returning: Willow! Amy! Andrew! Xander! (with an eye patch, he is essentially in charge of the slayers) Spike and Angel in a dream sequence. In this incarnation, Amy is bad and is in league with the military (possibly harkening back to the Initiative, but probably not) who are trying to figure out what on earth happened to Sunnydale. Amy uses her magic to snare Willow, all with the express purpose of capturing Buffy. Geez, it sounds kind of silly when you explain it, but man, is it good. I’m thrilled that the series is back, and I look forward to it continuing for a long time.