You can pickup your copy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7 now where all good comics are sold.
Synopsis
With time and options running out quickly, Buffy must turn to the new face in Sunnydale, someone she doesn’t fully trust—ANGEL! If you’re expecting sparks to fly, you’re probably guessing wrong…but fists and stakes just might!
Review
In an odd turn of events Buffy the Vampire Slayer chose to switch its focus this month and create a character study of Willow. In fact Buffy only cameos in this episode and only then in a dream sequence.
Though it’s a well written piece which clever picks up on the events of issue #6 (reviewed here) it really puts a stop to the momentum the series has been building.
The problem I have with this issue is that it feels like it should be a one-shot and not an issue in the ongoing series. It’s a strong accompanying story but not part of the events which really has all the much importance. Or none that we understand it to have at this point.
The previous issue ended with Willow using the soul stone to bring back Xander who had been turned by Drusilla. The problem is that we don’t see Xander under the end of this issue and so that ending is left up in the air.
Even now we don’t fully understand the circumstances of his return. Particularly as the two characters jokingly call him a half-human, half-vampire. Instead of keeping that momentum and having Buffy go after Drusilla for attempting to turn her friend seems like the more logical way this issue should have gone.
Putting that aside this is still a very engaging story. Willow has clearly been heavily effected by using the stone and is struggling to return to normal life. This is our first opportunity to spend some real time with her outside of scenes with Buffy and given the knowledge of where her character goes in the series it’s going to be great seeing fans reactions to Willow facing her darker side.
Now that we understand that there’s part of her that she’s given up to save Xander could this be a catalyst for her to turn evil down the line? Has saving him in fact sealed his fate in a future storyline?
The dream/nightmare sequence is very much in keeping with the types of dreams we’ve seen Buffy having so far in this series. The imagery is filled with double meanings and there’s clearly a lot of thought going in to just how this book is looking.
As enjoyable as David Lopez and Sas Miledge’s artwork is I just can’t get past the feeling that I wanted to know what Buffy is up to and just what she’s going to do to get back at Drusilla for what she did to Xander.
Verdict
Choosing to focus the series on Willow following the events of the previous issue brings an odd break to the momentum of the series. Whilst it does feature an interesting study on the character at a turning point it feels more like a one-shot than an issue in an ongoing series.
6/10
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7 is written by Jordie Bellaire with illustrations by David Lopez & Sas Miledge and colours by Raul Angulo and Miledge. Cover art is by Marc Aspinall.
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