Review: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #8
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Creator: Joss Whedon
Writer: Jordie Bellaire
Art: David Lopez
Colors: Raul Angulo
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Reviewer: Tony Farina
Summary
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #8 starts as any good horror book should. It is Halloween in Sunnydale. Well, not really. It is actually October 28th so there is no reason that the creepies and crawlies of Sunnydale can’t be out in force. There is a weirdo in a mask and a leather jacket staring at Buffy. Is it love? Maybe. Is it that she is dressed as a bat that has a tail? More likely he has ulterior motives (although we know from the cover that it is Angel so…).
Meanwhile Giles and Ms. Calendar head to the museum to see the Egypt exhibition brought to town by Buffy’s mom. There is a lot of talk about what a pain in the…uh…what a handful Buffy is. Just as Giles finds a key to the Hellmouth, Drusilla and Spike show up. Things go well, they have a full British tea. Just kidding. Dru kills people and Giles steals the key, which is the Dagger of Sekhmet to keep it from her but that doesn’t stop her.
Badness ensues. Then, there is that final panel. Nice.
Positives
David Lopez and Raul Angulo really steal the show here. The look is specifically Buffy without it relying totally on the original actors. The Dark Horse run on this series relied heavily on the way the actors looked. While it is clear they are an inspiration, the art team has taken it to a knew level. Just take a look at Buffy in her bat costume here. You have no doubt this is Buffy, but she has a different presence because in a comic, she can actually look and feel 16. The actors were always older than they were playing and it always showed. The color work by Angulo is particularly eye catching from panel to panel. It is hard to look away sometimes. That is good though because when Drusilla is on the page, you don’t want to.
The setting is new, but the characters are the same. Xander is a dork. Buffy is a bit snarky. Angel is mysterious. Drusilla is crazy. It is an excellent homage without being dependent. Bellaire has some latitude here to take these characters in new places. That is good. Fans of the show should find this whole idea fantastic and fun.
Negatives
This feels a bit rushed considering this is the beginning of a longer series. There is no reason to rush into anything. If this is just the prelude, what could possibly come next? Also, did Dru do what I think she did? Holy crap. I know this is a re-imagining, but can the series go on without that character? Yikes. 
Verdict
The remained Buffy for the 21st century is different. There is just enough nostalgia for the hard core Buffy fan but enough of a new story for us to be surprised. This is a reverse adaptation. Generally, when the comic becomes a show, there are changes for the sake of the show. This, is the opposite of that. The cannon of the show and the run at Dark Horse stands. However, this is part of the Whedon multi-verse. It is fun. It has heart. It has vampires and jokes. It is good.This is the first book of a new Hellmouth series that will cross over between Buffy, Angel and a stand alone Welcome to the Hellmouth series; all of which will be reviewed here at DC Comics News. You should stop by. There will be reviews a plenty.
