Relationship troubles
The Scooby Gang is back together. Business as usual, but
matters of the heart are getting complicated (as usual).
Christos Gage kickstarts a new chapter in the life of
everyone’s favorite Slayer as she and her friends attempt to make sense of the
new status quo.
Megan Levens artwork is a little too cartoony, but works
well when the humor flows – but it isn’t that good during action scenes.
SPOILERS FOLLOW……………
Buffy is trying speed dating.
Really? Speed Dating?
A montage of humorous moments begins, as we are treated to
all kinds of individuals – from obsessed fans to vampires. And Buffy has enough
when two vampires begin arguing over who ‘gets’ her….leading to her storming
out.
Meanwhile, Xander isn’t having much luck either. After Dawn’s
new mental status left her devoid of her ‘feelings’ for him, Xander has been
trying and failing to make her fall in love with him.
Back home, Willow
has a get-together with her mentor and lover Aluwym (a half-snake, half-woman
hybrid), but doesn’t feel the same passion towards her and magic despite having
the book of magic at her fingertips.
After another date gone wrong, Xander finds himself back
home talking to his ex-demon Girlfriend (who is now a ghost) Anya – who isn’t
too pleased to find herself stuck with him.
Spike and Dowling investigate a crime scene involving stolen
body parts, and in his search for leads, he comes across a kitten gambling
racket. Fists fly, and before you know it, Spike is infront of Xander’s
doorstep, depositing the kittens (which Anya loves in her weird way).
Giles has an uneasy reunion with his former flame Olivia, as
she struggles with his physical changes – rendering reconciliation moot.
Andrew takes a visit to a coven meeting, and after some
meta-inferences of meddling with unknown forces, drinks from an artifact called
the Asclepian Vial just as a flesh demon arrives. But Andrew transforms into a
superhuman and overwhelms him to general praise (and oh yeah, it seems he’s
gay. Or is it the vial talking?)
At the end of the day, Buffy, Willow and Dawn gather together recounting
their bad day. This obviously brings in problems when Dawn accuses Buffy of
pushing Xander onto her, leading to the latter stomping out and coming across
Spike.
They follow his leads to a cemetery and fight off flesh creatures,
and at the end, Buffy kisses Spike………
What?
The theme of this issue seems to be the relationship pariahs
that the Scooby Gang members have become. Buffy, Willow and Dawn were never the best examples
of the model girlfriends, especially with their history – but things are worse
now.
Willow
is frightened that the new status quo has dulled her love of magic while Dawn
is struggling connecting memories to feelings. And Xander’s obsessive need to
rekindle their love is getting irritating.
Buffy is a headcase of another level. She loved a vampire, and
then killed him when he turned evil. She thought she loved a soldier who
developed an inferiority complex due to her strength and began doing drugs (by
which I mean, he let vampires suck his blood at regular intervals…). Then,
there’s Spike.
Enemies, unwilling partners, friends, lovers – they’ve
played all the parts. Their relationship is as complicated as it gets. But
Spike understands her – she doesn’t feel like other people because she isn’t
other people. She’s the Slayer – destined to walk alone, fight alone.
But as hard as it is for Buffy to admit, things have
changed. She’s not the Slayer, just the best of the bunch. And she’s working
with a vampire with a soul who used to be her lover.
It’s time to let go of inhibitions, hopefully. The only
problem is that we’ve gone down this road before – Buffy letting Spike in, only
to shut him out as soon as he gets close. I just hope we don’t get a boring
retread here.
SPOILERS END…………………
The narrative is a little unfocused, and the ending isn’t
the most promising for a veteran reader – but Gage gets the humor and chaos of
the Scooby Gang.
The artwork works during those quiet funny moments, but not
during the action scenes – which come across as funny when they should be a
little ominous.
So, I give it 7.5 out of 10.
+New reader friendly
+Great humor
+Intricate look at the complex relationship problems of the
Scooby Gang
+All the characters are given their due…..
-which leads to an unfocussed narrative
-Action or ominous scenes aren’t visually presented all that
well.
No comments:
Post a Comment