Buffy: Season 9 #2 is a near perfect example of what a Buffy comic should be. Andrew Chambliss delivers a script that hits all the right notes (humor, horror, surprises, and the character-y stuff we Whedon fans love so much), and Georges Jeanty keeps pace with his writer, providing some of the best pencils he’s done on the series! This team is smokin’ hot and showing no signs of losing heat!
SPOILERS BELOW
Here’s a quick summary of Issue #2:
That’s right. As we saw in the last issue, a demon has arrived to collect Buffy’s student loans. Apparently, the post-Seed world has been harmed for demons trapped in our realm. The demon clears out Buffy’s bank account before warning that he’ll be back for the rest of the payments, or Buffy will learn the horrors of bad credit.
Meanwhile, the mysterious demon from last issue snoops around Buffy’s bedroom, coming to the conclusion that she’s a slayer. When one of Buffy’s roommates approaches, the demon splits before being noticed.
The pair of detectives we saw last issue are still busy trying to crack their case. They’ve discovered a number of dead humans with not a mark on them, and it seems like they’ve got no leads. Then, they discover a match for the identity of one of the bodies… from 1941! Quickly, the detectives begin to formulate a theory that they’ve been finding the bodies of dead vampires.
Vampire slaying not being what it used to be, Buffy saves a young man, only to have a police officer witness her staking a bloodsucker and arrest her. Buffy is then interrogated by the detectives with the vamp-killer theory and makes a break for it when they leave her alone in the interrogation room.
Wanted by the police of San Francisco, Buffy checks in with Dawn, Xander, and Spike before running into the young man she saved from the vampire before she was arrested. He tells Buffy he is a slayer and can help her, but she’s distracted by the large group of vampires that has surrounded them. The young man’s eyes turn white and he seems to burn the demon directly out of the vampires surrounding them, leaving several dead human bodies. As the issue ends, Buffy asks if the young man is trying to put her out of a job… a prospect she wouldn’t necessarily mind.
The Good
The student loan demon. Was there anyone who didn’t love this guy? I’ve always loved the quirky, clever humor of Buffy, and this guy just revels in that stuff. It also works on another level, given that Chambliss uses this character to show the simple ways demons and others have been burdened by Buffy’s destruction of the Seed. Unable to return home, working an ill-fitting job, and struggling in an increasingly expensive world – I imagine a heck of a lot of readers can relate to this poor demon. What’s next? An Occupy Sunnydale movement?
Post-Seed moral conundrums. This issue sure dug up a bunch of these. Is slaying a vampire murder? What if you leave a human body behind when you slay? Do human citizens really believe that the vampires of reality TV don’t drink blood? Are they ok with it? All of these questions and more have popped up since Buffy destroyed the Seed. Sure, Buffy is here to protect her human brethren, but is it really ethical to slay demons and vampires who are trapped here and may be the last of their kind? We know not all demons and vamps are evil, so where does one draw the line? It seems like this will be a major focus of the season.
Buffy and Spike. Reminiscent of Season 6, Spike and Buffy seem to be two peas in a pod. He seems to still be the one person who she can let her guard down around, and he’s always there when she needs him. I don’t know that this will go in the romantic direction, but it’s nice to see Spike and Buffy finally forge what may actually be a healthy relationship with one another. She even says she’d probably miss him, if destroying the Seed had wiped out all vampires. Awww…
The magical Slayer boy. I don’t know much about this guy, beyond that his name is supposed to be Severin. Still, his claim that he’s a slayer and his special power are both intriguing. We don’t get much of who he actually is as a character, but I’m eager to see more of Severin.
The Bad
No love for the Buff? I get that Dawn and Xander are having some sort of issues that we have yet to understand, but how can they not offer Buffy a place to hide from the police? (Isn’t that what friends are for? No? Maybe I’ve been hanging out with the wrong friends.) Something sure is rotten in Denmark. I feel the same way about Spike. I’m not sure Buffy would take the offer, but how can Spike not offer Buffy a corner in his bug ship while she’s on the lamb from the law. Now that I mention it, Buffy, if you ever need a place to crash, possibly snuggle…
The Ugly (Fan Buzz, that is…)
Fan buzz is very positive for Buffy: Season 9 #2. Some people are still a little unsure about where the season is going, and there’s a good number who prefer the Angel & Faith series over Buffy, but, for the most part, this issue was largely applauded. Geeks of Doom, MTV Geek, BAMFAS, The Fandom Post, Buffyfest, and The Hummus Offensive all turned in highly positive reviews of the issue.
Humanity on the horizon for Spike or Angel? A few fans posting in the comments section at Whedonesque.com pointed out that if Severin is actually leaving behind human bodies because he “burns the demon” out of vampires, he may be able to turn Angel or Spike human, given that they both have souls that inhabit their bodies. It seems a little obvious, but how can Chambliss not let this guy get his hands on a souled vampire? We all want to know what will happen.
Buffy: Season 9 and Angel & Faith are both off to strong, strong starts. Let’s hope they keep the momentum going. And, if you just need another dose of Chambliss, be sure to check out his stellar Dollhouse: Epitaphs series!
‘Till the end of the world,
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer
