Okay, it's very clear that the surest way to get letters is to tick off Buffy fans, especially after Michael Goodson wrote that he hopes Spike dies in the finale. Strangely enough, not one irate letter came from his wife. That we know of...

First, A Voice of Reason...

Hey there!

I am sure you are being inundated with outraged Spike fans after your review,
so I will keep this short, I promise. Don't you think it significant that Spike actively sought out a soul for himself rather than have it thrust upon him like Angel?

--Ian O'Sullivan

Goodson responds:

Excellent point, but Spike did it for the girl, not because he wanted to be free of evil. That's a big difference in my mind.

And Now, Pounding A Stake Through Goodson's Heart

So, what "transgression back into evil" has Spike made? Cause I'm pretty sure you can't count him being controlled by the First Evil against him. That wasn't really something he chose to do.

And if we're going to get rid of all characters who have previously been evil, where does that leave Willow and Anya? Hard to think that Anya's real motivated in fighting for the good fight. She's pretty much on the team she thinks has the best chance of protecting her, not to mention that her "transgressions into evil" were done completely of her own free will.

All in all I think you're being a bit selective in your view of Spike. He only wants Buffy? Well, then why has he said that he knows they're over? Why did he want her to kill him?
Why did he offer to leave?

And I think you're forgetting that Angel only started doing good because of Buffy as well. Let's not forget that he was fighting against evil by eating rats in an alley until he spotted a 15-year old Buffy sucking on a lollipop.

You're right, much more noble.

I guess I'm just a bit concerned that if you really have this bias against Spike, then you're not going to be the least bit pleased about the rest of the series. Like it or not, the writers have been setting him up for hero status all year. He is going to have a major role in these last few episodes. And if you're going into them without a realistic view of who the character is (cause let's face it, the writers most definitely do not consider him evil anymore), I can't think that your reviews will be the least bit informative or interesting.

Perhaps this may be a good time to pass the responsibility on to someone who has a more balanced view of where the show is right now.

--Sarah Swenson

Goodson responds:

Ouch

Derek responds:

You make some valid points, except for the part about turning the reviews over to someone with a more balanced view of the show. Goodson has a different opinion, which you are free to disagree with and/or be annoyed by. I encourage that, especially if it gets you to write in to us. In fact, most of us here get annoyed by Goodson's opinions on a weekly basis. But we keep reading. (Okay, I pretty much have to -- it's my job.)

Perhaps the anti-Spike bias he feels stems from a mixture of his wife's attraction to the character and the fact that James Marsters is from Modesto. Don't ask.

Those Fabulous WizKids Buildings

A couple of weeks ago, a reader wrote in asking about the buildings that WizKids had at their HeroClix booth at conventions. Fanboy Planet Facilities Manager Alvin Deal wrote in with a little help.

Here is the page to get to the 3D buildings. They are at the bottom.

If you need the 2D water, rubble and other items use this page.

Though these buildings were originally designed for MageKnight, they work for HeroClix as well, and Alvin will be introducing them into Fanboy Planet office games shortly.

So much for this week. Write! Tell us we're fools. That's okay, because for the most part, we are. Would it cause a stir if I said I hope Xander dies? It's not necessarily true, but hey, I'm out for blood. Or at least e-mail.

Fanboy Planet