Last Gleaming

In this arc, Whedon sets up a number of new paradigms in the Buffy universe for the forthcoming Season Nine comic book series, the ongoing Angel and Faith spin-off series, and the Willow mini-series. Buffy destroying the seed effectively means "No more magic in the sense of not so much entirely convenient magic". According to Whedon, it was his choice to "dim" the world of the show "a little bit. Possibly because that’s how I feel about it, or at least this country in the last 10 years. And I wanted to do a little bit of a reset, where things seem more back down to earth." When Season Eight began, Whedon wanted to make full use of the comic book medium's potentials. For example, he introduced Giant Dawn, which he felt fit the universe's tone and "was the right kind of problem for Dawn to have". Ultimately however, Whedon felt that Buffy was less about the scope of its stories; he describes the show's "mission statement" as “What does this feel like?”, and therefore ultimately decided to take the series back to the "real world". Season Nine more closely resembled the television series, and dwelled as it did more on Buffy's interiority and less on the "cavalcade of mythology", as Season Eight did. The change also made Buffy an underdog again, and no longer an overlord; Whedon commented that fans typically prefer Buffy in that role. Willow's mini-series further explored Willow's destiny — first pondered in the Fray crossover arc "Time of Your Life" — amid her sole-minded crusade to retrieve her powers.[1]

In a 2011 interview, Whedon stated that his decision to kill off Giles could not be discussed in detail "because ripples from that event" would also be a large part of both Season Nine and Angel and Faith. However, he was able to explain other motivations; he felt that from a writing perspective, Giles' did not work in the comic book medium where he had flourished on the television show. His primary roles — provider of narrative exposition, and paternal figure — didn't place well in the comic book format. Whedon killed off Giles where he did so that it could have a greater effect on the following season, "because [he] wanted to make all this matter".[1]

On the penultimate page of issue forty, a panel shows the face of "a guy in John Lennon glasses who looks fairy evil". As Whedon had promised, the character was better explored in Season Nine.[1] The final line, "Let's go to work", narrated by Buffy, mirrors the last line uttered in the Angel series finale. Co-writer Scott Allie explained in an interview that the line is the mission statement of both characters. However, he adds that Buffy's use of the line "also means something real different from when Angel said it."[2]

When pencilling Giles' demise in Issue #39, Georges Jeanty first had the intention of making the panels show extreme close ups of Angel twisting Giles' neck. However, he opted to parallel Jenny's death from season two's "Passion." He explains, "I really wanted the impact to come across and for the reader to understand that Giles was being killed here. Drawing such a quick action was tough because, of course, comics don't move, so I had to capture the act as it happens)."[3] He also confirms that the last panel of Buffy, curled on the floor in tears, was foreshadowed in issue #10 "Anywhere but Here" when Robin presented Buffy and Willow with visions of the past, present, and future.