Buffy #24 Review
Writer: Jeremy Lambert
Artist: Ramon Bachs
Colours: Raúl Angulo
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
With the last issue Jeremy Lambert had lined all the pieces up for a big confrontation. Dark Willow. Vampire Xander. Three slayers, at odds with one another. The scoobies. Wesley and ghost Ethan. All these different moving parts, subtly manipulated by Anya to serve her vendetta against the watchers council. There are still plenty of mysteries to unfold but it’s heating up towards a climatic battle. Then of course there are all the hints and suspense that Boom have been building around a Buffy multiverse, first teased all the way back in the Hellmouth event, built open in Angel, little snippets here and there to keep readers intrigued without giving too much away. It’s been obvious for a while that all roads are leading to this big reveal, and with the climax of this battle it’s clear we're quickly approaching this point.
So much of this story arc has revolved around Willow and Xanders relationship. The trials of sharing a soul, before full on Vampire Xander, and the tolls and consequences that these twists and turns have taken on their friendship. The fact that this friendship has survived death, and losing a soul, speaks for the strength of it. Events in this issue are designed to really tug at the heart strings as this complex relationship is strained even further, and yet more twists and revelations take place. It’s the relationship between the characters which made turned Buffy into a cult classic, the ups and downs, and emotional rollercoasters. But none of the characters went through as much as Willow and Xander have over the course of the comics.
When Boom first launched Buffy they were branding it as a modern take on the series, ideal for both new and old fans. Brand new stories with the feel of the classic series to capture fans interests, while bringing it to a whole new generation who missed out on it first time around. It’s clear though, as the series has progressed, that it’s really aimed at existing fans. It’s gone beyond just little Easter Eggs here and there to being filled with references to the TV series. While it’s probably more than possible to have never seen an episode of the TV series to understand the story a lot of the twists and turns are more relevant to fans of the TV series. And the final couple of pages contain a reveal which not only directly references a classic episode, but it looks as though prior knowledge will be important going into the next issue. Of course none of this is a problem, it works at making this series something for long time Buffy fans to get excited about, each reveal and Easter Egg designed to delight fans.
Ramon Bachs art has given each of the characters an instantly recognisable style, reminiscent of the actors from the TV series while also being uniquely his. He really captures the emotions written on the characters faces, and the anguish they go through in this issue. And of course because it’s a climatic confrontation here between multiple opponents we get some excellent fight scenes as well. Next up is Raúl Angulo’s colours, always good, but here they play an extra part in telling the stories, the colours cleverly used for dramatic beats at several points in the issue.
Buffy has been building to this point for a while, Anya subtely manipulating characters into serving her larger plan against the Watchers council. The hints and teases of a Buffy multiverse, the seeds of which were planted early on, are finally coming to fruition here. There are teases and Easter Eggs aplenty which fans will devour, all of which serve to really build up the excitement for what is coming next.
Artist: Ramon Bachs
Colours: Raúl Angulo
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
With the last issue Jeremy Lambert had lined all the pieces up for a big confrontation. Dark Willow. Vampire Xander. Three slayers, at odds with one another. The scoobies. Wesley and ghost Ethan. All these different moving parts, subtly manipulated by Anya to serve her vendetta against the watchers council. There are still plenty of mysteries to unfold but it’s heating up towards a climatic battle. Then of course there are all the hints and suspense that Boom have been building around a Buffy multiverse, first teased all the way back in the Hellmouth event, built open in Angel, little snippets here and there to keep readers intrigued without giving too much away. It’s been obvious for a while that all roads are leading to this big reveal, and with the climax of this battle it’s clear we're quickly approaching this point.
So much of this story arc has revolved around Willow and Xanders relationship. The trials of sharing a soul, before full on Vampire Xander, and the tolls and consequences that these twists and turns have taken on their friendship. The fact that this friendship has survived death, and losing a soul, speaks for the strength of it. Events in this issue are designed to really tug at the heart strings as this complex relationship is strained even further, and yet more twists and revelations take place. It’s the relationship between the characters which made turned Buffy into a cult classic, the ups and downs, and emotional rollercoasters. But none of the characters went through as much as Willow and Xander have over the course of the comics.
When Boom first launched Buffy they were branding it as a modern take on the series, ideal for both new and old fans. Brand new stories with the feel of the classic series to capture fans interests, while bringing it to a whole new generation who missed out on it first time around. It’s clear though, as the series has progressed, that it’s really aimed at existing fans. It’s gone beyond just little Easter Eggs here and there to being filled with references to the TV series. While it’s probably more than possible to have never seen an episode of the TV series to understand the story a lot of the twists and turns are more relevant to fans of the TV series. And the final couple of pages contain a reveal which not only directly references a classic episode, but it looks as though prior knowledge will be important going into the next issue. Of course none of this is a problem, it works at making this series something for long time Buffy fans to get excited about, each reveal and Easter Egg designed to delight fans.
Ramon Bachs art has given each of the characters an instantly recognisable style, reminiscent of the actors from the TV series while also being uniquely his. He really captures the emotions written on the characters faces, and the anguish they go through in this issue. And of course because it’s a climatic confrontation here between multiple opponents we get some excellent fight scenes as well. Next up is Raúl Angulo’s colours, always good, but here they play an extra part in telling the stories, the colours cleverly used for dramatic beats at several points in the issue.
Buffy has been building to this point for a while, Anya subtely manipulating characters into serving her larger plan against the Watchers council. The hints and teases of a Buffy multiverse, the seeds of which were planted early on, are finally coming to fruition here. There are teases and Easter Eggs aplenty which fans will devour, all of which serve to really build up the excitement for what is coming next.
A Look Inside
