There’s a lot of change coming to Buffy The Vampire Slayer and it all seems to kick off with issue #36, which begins the final arc of the eighth season. I won’t lie; if you don’t follow the Buffy comic, this is no time to jump in. So much has gone down that even those of us who know the story get confused.
What I do know is that there will be a season nine comic for Buffy and that Angel will be returning to Dark Horse Comics in the fall. That’s a great deal of change, as is the fact that the big bad Buffy and her crew have been chasing throughout season eight actually turned out to be Angel. Oh and did I mention Spike has returned, another character due to get his own book soon.
Buffy and Angel fought, then had sex, and that act tore open a door into another dimension, unleashing dragons and all kinds of weird stuff. Spike has arrived to save the day with a flying blimp-like-ship that’s run by huge talking bugs. What does all this mean? It’s not clear yet but the last panel in issue #36 is a wickedly awesome way to tease issue #37.
Taking over the writing duties for Brad Meltzer is Buffy creator and mastermind Joss Whedon and while it’s good the king has returned, he’s brought his love of TV with him. The problem with this issue really has more to do with structure than content. Whedon is a television writer; he deals with things in a way that involves quick cuts, fast editing and a television pace.
Comics don’t work that way and when the two mix together it becomes muddled and confusing. Buffy #36 starts out with something that might be a flashback, then it jumps to another scene that’s labeled a flashback and then suddenly it might be present day.
I can completely see how this would work on television but in a comic book it assaults you and becomes frustrating by the third or fourth page. It’s not a purposeful thing; it’s just that Whedon is applying one medium to another with faulty results.
Don’t get me wrong; issue #36 is a great story with that perfect Whedon dialog and sense of drama. If you love Buffy, the structural issues won’t kill what’s on the page, it just hides it a bit. I’m interested to see what Whedon does with Spike and how that will relate to Spike’s upcoming series. Personally I love Spike when he steps in, acts like a dick but still comes through when you need him. A constant spotlight might cause the blonde haired vamp to wither die as if tossed into the sun.
The art in this issue is just like all the other Buffy art, passable but not tremendous. I’ve never gotten the feeling from any Buffy issue that the artwork is the main focus at all. I would love to see the quality of art match the quality of writing in season nine, that could make the comic nearly as powerful as the series was.
Not too much time is given to the other characters in the series though there is a funny scene involving Willow and Angel. Outside of that, the Buffy crew is in the issue but has little to do with it. Buffy The Vampire Slayer #36 falters but eventually finds it’s footing and kicks of the final arc in a season that has been, for the most part, pretty awesome.
