Satsu (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Last updated
Satsu
SatsuBuffyCover.jpg
Satsu (right) as featured on the cover for the issue Swell . Art by Jo Chen.
Publication information
Publisher Dark Horse Comics
First appearance The Long Way Home #1
(March 14, 2007)
Created by Joss Whedon and
Georges Jeanty (artist)
In-story information
Partnerships Buffy Summers
Willow Rosenberg
Kennedy
Abilities

Satsu [lower-alpha 1] is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight , a comic book continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Introduced as one of the strongest Slayers, she has a close relationship with her mentor Buffy Summers. Satsu develops romantic feelings for Buffy, and the two have a brief sexual relationship. She becomes the leader of her own Slayer squadron in Tokyo, and forms a friendship with fellow Slayer Kennedy during her performance review. She also makes a minor appearance in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten .

Contents

Whedon and Wolves at the Gate writer Drew Goddard said that Satsu's sexual relationship with Buffy was developed as a way to explore both characters. Her tryst with Buffy drew mixed responses from the media. Several commentators felt that the story arc maintained the show's focus on exploring one's sexuality, and provided insight on Buffy's sexual identity. Others criticized it as a publicity stunt saying it was out of character for Buffy. Feedback to Satsu as a character was also mixed, with the focus placed on the portrayal of her sexuality and race.

Arc

Born into a traditional Japanese family, Satsu was pressured by her parents to marry and have children. She faced a backlash from them after coming out as a lesbian. [2] While attending high school, Satsu was activated as a Slayer because of the events of "Chosen" and received all the associated powers. [3] After joining a squad of Slayers based in Scotland, she was recognized as one of the most skilled fighters, and worked closely with her mentor Buffy Summers. Satsu developed romantic feelings for Buffy, which becomes clear after she wakes Buffy from a mystical sleep with a true love's kiss. [4] While taking Satsu on an assignment to destroy a nest of vampires, Buffy reveals that she knew of Satsu's feelings for her; she warns Satsu against pursuing a relationship with her because her past romances have ended in death. [3]

Buffy and Satsu eventually have sex and are discovered in bed by Buffy's friends Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Andrew Wells, and Dawn Summers. Count Dracula steals Buffy's scythe and she recruits Satsu as part of the team to recover it from Tokyo. During the trip to Japan, Willow comforts Satsu and reminds her of Buffy's responsibilities as a general and her heterosexuality. After successfully reclaiming the scythe, Satsu chooses to distance herself from Buffy by remaining in Japan as the leader of the country's Slayer squadron. Buffy and Satsu have sex one last time before they separate. [5]

Fellow Slayer Kennedy is assigned to assess Satsu's performance as a leader and uses the opportunity to discuss her residual feelings for Buffy. She advises Satsu to accept that Buffy is straight and not interested in her sexually or romantically. While working in Japan, Satsu had proven to be an effective leader; one notable achievement being how she led her squad to commandeer a vampire-controlled submarine. [2]

Kennedy and Satsu discover prototypes for a line of demonic stuffed animals known as the Swell. One of the demons possesses Satsu, causing her to behave more like a traditional Japanese woman, such as wearing a furisode-style kimono. When confronted by Kennedy, Satsu behaves in an increasingly misogynistic and homophobic manner. After Kennedy saves Satsu from the possession, the duo destroys the Swell's shipments. While vampire Harmony Kendall leads an anti-Slayer campaign, Buffy advises the Slayers to change themselves to better fit the new world; Satsu uses the speech as an incentive to abandon her feelings for Buffy. [2]

Satsu later appears during the battle with the season's big bad Twilight and his army in Tibet. She initially disagrees with the plan to temporarily disable Slayer powers, along with the other members of the army, in an attempt to escape notice by Twilight, but she remains loyal to Buffy. [6] She later responds angrily when she sees Buffy and Angel having sex to give birth to a new universe. [7] In Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten , Buffy's boyfriend Spike mentions that he is aware of her sexual tryst with Satsu. [8] Satsu would later reappear to convince Buffy to collaborate with the vampire community to handle the frequent demonic invasions on Earth. During this time, she is revealed to be working for the United States Armed Forces, and in a relationship with an undisclosed partner. [9]

Development

Joss Whedon developed Satsu as an original character for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight. Joss Whedon by Gage Skidmore 7.jpg
Joss Whedon developed Satsu as an original character for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight .

Satsu was one of several original characters introduced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight , a comic book continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . The show's creator Joss Whedon wanted Satsu's relationship with Buffy to progress organically during the development of the comics. [10] [11] Establishing Buffy as grappling with feelings of isolation and Satsu as in love with her, Whedon described the story arc as "an opportunity for drama and character exploration". [11] He clarified that he wanted the storyline to portray Buffy as "young and experimenting, and [...] open-minded," and that this did not translate as the character coming out as gay. [10]

When discussing Satsu's role in Buffy's character development Dark Horse Comics editor Scott Allie referred to their relationship as an "ill-conceived romance" that exemplifies Buffy's faults as a general to her army. [12] Wolves at the Gate writer Drew Goddard said the transition of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to comics allowed for more creative freedom, and cited Satsu's relationship with Buffy as an example. Goddard explained that the character and her story arc with Buffy were not designed to be "a grand political statement," and said: "We just try to do what feels right for the characters. The rest takes care of itself." [13]

Whedon acknowledged the criticism aimed at him for killing off lesbian character Tara Maclay in the show's sixth season as reflecting the "whole cliché about lesbians being killed"; he said that he would factor this response into his representation of Satsu, but explained: "You do have to be careful about the message you're sending out. It's a double-edged sword. You have to be responsible, but you also have to be irresponsible or you're not telling the best stories." [10] When asked about the character's future, following her sexual tryst with Buffy, Whedon said that she would remain "in the rotation" as a recurring character in the comics. [10] While discussing the possible reception to Satsu and Buffy having sex, Goddard predicted that readers would mirror the responses of the main characters by being "surprised at first, then intrigued as to what it all means" before moving forward to the next storyline. [13]

Critical reception

Relationship with Buffy

The relationship between Satsu and Buffy was praised for carrying over the focus on exploring sexuality from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the comic books. GLAAD entertainment media director Damon Romine praised the storyline as an example of the "multidimensional lesbian characters in the Buffy universe". [11] In her 2017 book The Fanfiction Reader: Folk Tales for the Digital Age, Muhlenberg College Professor Francesca Coppa wrote that Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction writers had already explored the possibility of Buffy coming out as bisexual or a lesbian imagining her in romantic and sexual relationships with fellow Slayer Faith. [14] Some critics felt that the pairing of Satsu and Buffy enabled the reader to better understand Buffy as a character. [11] [15] Jessica Maria MacFarlane of Nerdist.com wrote that Buffy's attraction to Satsu was portrayed in an organic manner, defining Satsu as providing "a sensible push in the right direction" for Buffy's character development. [15] Curve's Lisa Gunther commended the characters as showcasing fluidity in sexual orientation. [16]

Buffy's sexual identity, as represented by her relationship with Satsu, drew mixed responses from academics. Scholars interpreted Buffy's request for Satsu to keep their liaison a secret as homophobic, [17] [18] and sociologist Hélène Frohard-Dourlent felt that Buffy's decision to return to a heterosexual relationship as reaffirming heteronormative ideas. [19] Other commentators had more positive interpretations of the pairing. While acknowledging Buffy as harboring "fears [of] becoming the target of homophobia," academic Lewis Call argued that her sexual liaisons with Satsu allowed for a deeper understanding of sexuality. [20] Call viewed the pairing as "a positive image of a caring, consensual bi-sexual relationship," with a "mutual and flexible" approach to power dynamics, [18] and defined Buffy as becoming "a symbol of this new queer politics" due to the storyline. [20] Communications professor Erin B. Waggoner noted that the comics differed from other narratives on heteroflexibility through not immediately emphasizing Buffy as purely heterosexual following her interactions with Satsu. [21] Several scholars identified Buffy's interactions with Satsu, and the post-coital images of the pairing, as establishing Buffy as a more masculine figure. [22] [23]

The story arc involving Satsu's sexual relationship with Buffy has been widely criticized as a publicity stunt. [11] [24] Several critics felt that Buffy was acting out of character as she had never previously displayed either a romantic or sexual interest in women. [24] [25] [26] Teresa Jusino of The Mary Sue identified the pairing as "a clear example of wanting to show girls kissing each other for momentary shock value and reader titillation," and questioned how it contributed to Buffy's character development. She criticized the storyline as forced in comparison to the representation of Willow's sexuality, which she praised as "explored in an organic way over time." [24] Stephen Krensky, author of the 2008 book Comic Book Century: The History of American Comic Books, interpreted the pairing as the writers' method of locating and selling to a niche market. [24] A writer for PopMatters described Satsu and her relationship with Buffy as a failed attempt to reach out to an Asian audience. [27] In response to the criticism, Scott Allie defended Whedon against claims that he developed the storyline for the sole purpose to make money or attract publicity. [1] [12] Allie categorized Satsu's sexual interactions with Buffy as an example of how Whedon writes about "often ill-conceived romance, full of twists and turns and heartbreak". [12]

Character analysis

Scholars also commented on the representation of Satsu's sexuality. She was described as fitting the image of a femme aesthetic or the lipstick lesbian. [20] [27] Lewis Call criticized Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight for not fully representing butch identity, citing it as "limit[ing] the comics' queer potential". [20] Writer Lisa Gomez criticized the emphasis on Satsu's sexuality over other aspects of her character, writing that she was "degraded into being nothing but a lesbian slayer who sleeps with Buffy". [28]

Satsu's appearance in the issue Swell was praised by some critics, who commented positively on the additional attention given to her and other secondary franchise characters. [29] [30] Sarah Warn, writing for AfterEllen.com, considered Satsu's friendship with fellow lesbian character Kennedy to be the highlight of the issue, and commended the comic for featuring a storyline involving queer people of color. [30] Various academics had a more negative response to the character's inclusion in Swell. [20] [31] Lewis Call viewed the pairing of Satsu and Kennedy in a storyline as representative of "the drastic underrepresentation of lesbians in the Slayer army," pinpointing Kennedy's comment to Satsu—"Buffy sends the other lesbian slayer to check up on me". [20] [lower-alpha 2] In her discussion of the character's ethnicity, television studies professor Jessica Hautsch felt that the issue portrayed Satsu with stereotypes of Asian women, specifically those of the geisha and the Dragon Lady. [31]

Notes

  1. Satsu's last name is not provided in the comic books. [1]
  2. Satsu is addressed as one of only two out lesbian slayers in the comic book series, alongside Kennedy. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Rosenberg</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy Summers</span> Lead character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in The WB/UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998–2018 Dark Horse and 2019–present Boom! Studios comic series of the same name. The character has also appeared in the spin-off series Angel, as well as numerous expanded universe materials such as novels and video games. Buffy was portrayed by Kristy Swanson in the film and by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the television series. Giselle Loren has lent her voice to the character in both the Buffy video games and an unproduced animated series, while Kelly Albanese lent her voice to the character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight motion comics.

Faith (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Faith Lehane is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Played by actress Eliza Dushku, Faith was introduced in the third season of Buffy and was a focus of that season's overarching plot. She returned for shorter story arcs on Buffy and its spin-off, Angel. The character's story is continued in the comic book series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, and she also appears in apocryphal material such as other comic books and novels. Faith was set to receive her own spin-off television series after the final season of Buffy, but Eliza Dushku declined the offer, and the series was never made. The character later co-stars in the 25-issue comic book Angel & Faith beginning in August 2011 under the banner of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, the story taking place mostly in London and the surrounding area. Seven years after the character's creation, Whedon granted her the surname Lehane for a role-playing game and subsequent material. The last issue of Season Eight was the first source officially confirmed to be canon that referred to Faith by her full name.

<i>Fray</i> (comics)

Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater. Volume one is drawn by Karl Moline (pencils) and Andy Owens (inks).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmony Kendall</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Harmony Kendall is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. The character is portrayed by Mercedes McNab. Originally cast as a minor character, McNab's credited status elevated to guest star and ultimately series regular over the course of her tenure in Buffy and Angel.

Angel (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Angel is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the American television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel. The character is portrayed by actor David Boreanaz. As introduced in Buffy in 1997, Angel is a love interest for heroine Buffy Summers, a young woman whose destiny as "the Slayer" is to fight the forces of evil, such as vampires and demons. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Angel is himself a vampire cursed with remorse and a human soul, which motivates him to assist Buffy in her duties as Slayer. The character's popularity led to the production of the spin-off Angel, which follows the character's struggle towards redemption after moving to Los Angeles. In addition to the two television series, the character appears in the comic book continuations of both series, as well as much other expanded universe literature.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight</i> Comic book series

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2007 to 2011. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote or co-wrote three of the series arcs and several one-shot stories. The series was followed by Season Nine in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Long Way Home (Buffy comic)</span>

"The Long Way Home" is the first arc from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a direct continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by creator Joss Whedon. It ran for four issues. The first issue was released on March 14, 2007, and the final issue of the arc was released on June 6, 2007. A collected edition of the arc was released on November 14, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chain (Buffy comic)</span>

"The Chain" is the fifth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by creator Joss Whedon. It is dedicated to the late Janie Kleinman, a network executive whom Whedon worked with and admired.

<i>Angel: After the Fall</i> Comic book continuation of Angel the series

Angel: After the Fall, also known as Angel: Season 6, is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final season. Angel: After the Fall was prompted by IDW Publishing and Joss Whedon after the success of Dark Horse Comics' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight which is the official comic continuation of Angel's mothershow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel: After the Fall sees the heroic vampire, Angel, coping with the apocalyptic aftermath of the television series after he took over and subsequently betrayed the demonic law firm, Wolfram & Hart. The city of Los Angeles has since been sent to hell by Wolfram & Hart as a result of Angel's actions. The series follows his attempts to rescue the people he has sworn to protect. The first issue was released on November 21, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anywhere but Here (Buffy comic)</span>

"Anywhere but Here" is the tenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation from the television series of the same name. It is written by Joss Whedon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolves at the Gate</span>

"Wolves at the Gate" is the third story arc that spreads from the twelfth to the fifteenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by Drew Goddard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twilight (Buffy comic)</span> Story arc of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics

"Twilight" is the seventh story arc of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, based upon the television series of the same name, and is written by novelist and comic book writer Brad Meltzer. The story follows Buffy's warfare with recurring villain Twilight, and features Buffy taking on Twilight mano y mano following her development of powers similar to his. Part II, notably, reveals the identity of Twilight after months of speculation; this revelation was leaked early due to cover solicitations, leading to much early controversy and speculation, as well as damage control from showrunner Joss Whedon and Dark Horse Comics editor Scott Allie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Beautiful Sunset</span>

"A Beautiful Sunset" is the eleventh issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by series creator Joss Whedon.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine</i>

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2011 to 2013. It is the sequel to the Season Eight comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Season Nine brand also incorporates a new Buffy spin-off series, Angel & Faith, and two spin-off miniseries Willow: Wonderland and Spike: A Dark Place. The core series consisted of 25 issues and each miniseries consisted of 5 issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georges Jeanty</span> American comic book penciler illustrator

Georges Jeanty is an American comic book penciler illustrator best known for his work on The American Way, an eight-issue American comic book limited series produced under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. Various issues of Serenity (comics).

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten</i>

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten is the sequel to the Season Nine comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series is published by Dark Horse Comics and ran from March 2014 to August 2016.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Allie, Scott (2008). "From the Editor". Dark Horse Comics. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Steven S. DeKnight ( w ),Georges Jeanty ( p )." Swell " Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (February 4, 2009). Dark Horse Comics .
  3. 1 2 Joss Whedon ( w ),Georges Jeanty ( p )."A Beautiful Sunset" Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (February 6, 2008). Dark Horse Comics .
  4. Joss Whedon ( w ),Georges Jeanty and Paul Lee ( p )." The Long Way Home " Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (October 31, 2007). Dark Horse Comics .
  5. Drew Goddard ( w ),Georges Jeanty ( p )." Wolves at the Gate " Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (2008). Dark Horse Comics .
  6. Jane Espenson ( w ),Georges Jeanty ( p )." Retreat " Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (2009). Dark Horse Comics .
  7. Brad Meltzer ( w ),Georges Jeanty ( p )." Twilight " Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (2010). Dark Horse Comics .
  8. Christos Gage and Nicholas Brendon ( w ),Megan Levens ( p )."Love Dares You, Part Two" Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten (February 18, 2015). Dark Horse Comics .
  9. Christos Gage ( w ),Rebekah Isaacs ( p )."In Pieces on the Ground, Part One" Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten (November 18, 2015). Dark Horse Comics .
  10. 1 2 3 4 Gustines, George Gene (March 5, 2008). "Buffy: Experimenting in bed when not after vampires". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 24, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Friedman, Emily (March 6, 2008). "Buffy's Romp: Marketing Ploy or Part of the Plot?". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Gunther, Lisa (April 6, 2011). "Q&A with Lesbro Scott Allie". Avalon Media LLC. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Vineyard, Jennifer (March 5, 2008). "Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Gay Romance for Next Comic Book Arc". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017.
  14. Coppa (2017): p. 59
  15. 1 2 MacFarlane, Jessica Maria (August 2, 2016). "Falling in Love with the Romances of Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017.
  16. Gunther, Lisa (April 1, 2011). "Worth the Wait: Buffy Season Eight: our favorite slayer kicks ass, takes names and kisses dames.(Book review)". Curve . Archived from the original on December 7, 2017.(subscription required)
  17. Tresca (2016): p. 38
  18. 1 2 Call (2010): pp. 112–115
  19. Frohard-Dourlent, Hélène (September 24, 2012). "When the heterosexual script goes flexible: Public reactions to female heteroflexibility in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic books". Sexualities. 15 (5–6): 718–738. doi:10.1177/1363460712446281. S2CID   145404580.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Call, Lewis (2017). ""Find What Warmth You Can": Queer Sexualities in Buffy Season Eight through Ten Comic Book" (PDF). The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2017.
  21. Waggoner (2010): p. 38
  22. Farghaly (2014): pp. 27–28
  23. Lavigne, Carlen (2010). ""Buffy the Lesbian Separatist": Cinnamon, Sex, and Gender in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8" (PDF). Red Deer College. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 28, 2017.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Jusino, Teresa (September 22, 2016). "Why Jessica and Trish Getting Together on Jessica Jones Would Be a Bad Idea". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017.
  25. Harkin, Chris (May 20, 2016). "Buffy Lives On! 13 Years Later, Here's The Ten Biggest Moments From The Sequel Comics So Far!". Moviepilot. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017.
  26. Gomez (2015): pp. 21–27
  27. 1 2 PopMatters (2015)
  28. Gomez (2015): p. 27
  29. Dawe, Ian (May 11, 2014). "Buffy: Out of Control". Sequart Organization. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017.
  30. 1 2 Warn, Sarah (February 10, 2009). ""Buffy" comic #22: Kennedy and Satsu bond over falling for straight women". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016.
  31. 1 2 Hautsch, Jessica. ""What the Geisha has gotten into you?": Colorblindness, Oriental Stereotypes, and the Problem of Global Feminism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" (PDF). The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 29, 2017.

Book sources

  • Brenner, Robin E.; Wildsmith, Snow (2011). "Love Through a Different Lens: Japanese Homoerotic Manga Through the Eyes of American Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Other Sexualities Readers". In Perper, Timothy; Cornog, Martha (eds.). Mangatopia: Essays on Manga and Anime in the Modern World. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. pp.  25–31. ISBN   978-1-59158-908-2.
  • Call, Lewis (2010). "Slaying the Heteronormative: Representations of Alternative Sexuality in Buffy Season Eight Comics". In Waggoner, Erin B. (ed.). Sexual Rhetoric in the Works of Joss Whedon: New Essays. Jefferson: McFarland. pp. 106–116. ISBN   978-0-7864-4750-3.
  • Clemons, Leigh (2009). "Genre and the Impact on Storytelling in Season Eight". In Durand, Kevin K. (ed.). Buffy Meets the Academy: Essays on the Episodes and Scripts as Texts. Jefferson: McFarland. pp. 25–31. ISBN   978-0-7864-4355-0.
  • Cocca, Carolyn (2016). Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN   978-1-5013-1656-2.
  • Coppa, Francesca (2016). The Fanfiction Reader: Folk Tales for the Digital Age. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. ISBN   978-0-472-07348-1.
  • Farghaly, Nadine (2014). "Patriarchy Strikes Back: Power and Perception in Buffy the Vampire Slayer". In Anyiwo, Melissa; Szatek-Tudor, Karoline (eds.). Buffy Conquers the Academy: Conference Papers from the 2009/2010 Popular Culture/American Culture Associations. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 19–31. ISBN   978-1-4438-4831-2.
  • Frankel, Valerie Estelle (2016). Buffy and the Heroine's Journey: Vampire Slayer as Feminine Chosen One. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-6792-1.
  • Gomez, Lisa (2015). "Buffy Is In Bed with a Woman? Problematic and Perfect Gay and Lesbian Representation". In Frankel, Valerie Estelle (ed.). The Comics of Joss Whedon: Critical Essays. Jefferson: McFarland. pp. 19–30. ISBN   978-1-4766-2193-7.
  • PopMatters (2015). After the Avengers: From Joss Whedon's Hottest, Newest Franchises to the Future of the Whedonverse. Chicago: BookBaby. ISBN   978-1-4835-5997-1.
  • Tresca, Don (2016). "Skeletons in the Closet: The Contradictory Views of the Queer in the Works of Joss Whedon". In Hart, Kylo-Patrick R. (ed.). Queer TV in the 21st Century: Essays on Broadcasting from Taboo to Acceptance. Jefferson: McFarland. pp. 26–40. ISBN   978-1-4766-6440-8.
  • Waggoner, Erin B. (2010). "The Symbolic Gun in Willow's Love Life". In Waggoner, Erin B. (ed.). Sexual Rhetoric in the Works of Joss Whedon: New Essays. Jefferson: McFarland. pp. 7–17. ISBN   978-0-7864-4750-3.

Category