Plush

Plush is the second issue of the Spike: Shadow Puppets comic book miniseries. Written by Brian Lynch and illustrated by Franco Urru, it was originally published on July 18, 2007, by IDW Publishing.

Synopsis

The evil puppets of Smile Time are back and taking over Japan and Spike is going to bring them down. All that stands in his way are thousands of puppet ninjas. Fists will fly, cotton will spill. But Smile Time isn't going down that easy… and by the end of the issue, Spike's going to have more in common with the evil puppets than he thought possible. That's right, Spike goes through the big change, courtesy of the Spike: Asylum team of Brian Lynch and Franco Urru!^[1]

Summary

After being rescued from hundreds of demonic puppet ninja's by Tok Shinobu and Beck, Spike decides that a full frontal assault on the Smile Time studios would be the best way of destroying Smile Time Japan. After running into the Nest Egg, however, Spike and Lorne are turned into puppets.

Continuity

• Lorne establishes that Spike's stay in the Mosaic Wellness Center (Spike: Asylum) as taking place four months before this story.
• Betta George attempts to explain his resurrection, having been killed in Asylum, Part Four.

Appearances

Individuals

• Angel (Only in visions)
• Anna (Only in flashbacks)
• Trots (Only in flashbacks)
• Beck
• Betta George
• Biv (Only in flashbacks)
• Cat Scratch
• Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan
• Fauna
• Gin Hansu (Only mentioned)
• Illyria (Only in visions)
• Marco
• Marv (Only in flashbacks)
• Ratio Hornblower
• Tok Shinobu
• Spike
• Brandon Thilbault (Only in flashbacks)
• Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Only in visions)

Organizations and titles

• Angel Investigations
• Crage's List
• Smile Time

Species

• Demon
  • Ringel demon (Only in flashbacks)
  • Splenden beast
• Human
  • Werewolf (Only in flashbacks)
• Vampire

Locations

• Tokyo, Japan
  • Tok Shinobu's residence
  • The Felt Forum
• Primm, USA (Only in flashbacks)
  • Mosaic Wellness Center (Only in flashbacks)

Objects

• Dicky Duck
• Nest Egg

Death count

• Several demonic puppet ninjas, killed in various ways by Spike and Tok.
• Hundreds of demonic puppet ninjas, set ablaze by Beck.
• Trots, decapitated by an unknown demonic puppet assassin.

Behind the scenes

Production

• The title is a reference to "Hush," as the four issues of the miniseries have puns on Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.
• The websites Yourtube, Yourspace, Facesbook, and Crage's List parody names of YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, and Craigslist.
• The way Trots' head was put in Beck's bed is a homage to The Godfather (1972).
• The name of Dicky Duck's creator Gin Hansu is a reference to Jim Henson, famously the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock, and director of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
• Hansu's first name appears written as "Jin" in Two to Sew, instead of "Gin" as in this issue.

Distribution

• Plush was the 206th best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 7,071 sales in July 2007 at comic specialty stores.^[2]

Collections

• Shadow Puppets
• Smile Time
• Spike Omnibus

Gallery

Covers

References

1. ↑ "Spike: Shadow Puppets #2". IDW Publishing. Retrieved on February 20, 2020.
2. ↑ "Top 300 Comics--July 2007". ICv2, August 20, 2007.