At the end of the last arc, it would appear that things seem to have gone back to normal, or at least as normal as things get in Sunnydale. With Buffy restored as a Slayer, the Scoobies basically averted Armageddon. So now… the aftermath.

Things are pretty much where we would expect them to be after the events of the last 12 issues: Buffy and Giles are still on the outs which – given her traumatic experience over the last few months – who could blame Buffy for being more than a little salty at the betrayal. Willow is naturally feeling the crushing weight of remorse and shame of her actions, but she’s not dealing with them alone. Meanwhile, Xander and Spike are still shacked up and raising Baby Crab, with an emphasis on “raising,” because Baby Crab is no longer… well, a baby. And Faith… well, Faith is Faith.

Sarah Gailey kicks off a new arc by giving us a concise lay of the land within the first few pages. Now, this being Sunnydale and all, one cannot expect the relative quiet to last, and sure enough, a new evil and danger is on the rise. Unfortunately, it appears that Baby Crab is caught up in this, and Spike’s more than a little freaked about the identity of Baby Crab’s captor. Probably doesn’t help that it’s an ex of his and he’s being cagey about the details. Gailey’s script deftly handles exposition, navigating shame, as well as moves the needle on the plot along at a clipped pace in the scant page space. While I thought that there were parts of the first arc that took a bit too long, that doesn’t seem to be the case here, with the Scoobies barreling towards the danger zone to save Baby Crab, though I’m not sure if it’s Baby Crab that needs saving, given Giles’ discoveries about his(?) unique physiology so far.

Kath Lobo takes over on art duties, and their style definitely feels like it has manga influences. There’s a good mix of action and more intimate moments, and Lobo’s artwork land both quite beautifully. Valentina Pinto and Riccardo Giardina return as colorists, and their styles mesh nicely with Lobo’s linework. The panels of Willow communing with Baby Crab in the cosmos are actually quite breathtakingly beautiful. Ed Dukeshire’s lettering is top-notch as per yoosh.

Overall: A new arc, a new enemy. The return of a fan-favorite character should make things interesting for the Scoobies and definitely cause some major issues for Spike.

Creative Team: Sarah Gailey (writer), Kath Lobo (artist), Valentina Pinto, Riccardo Giardina (colorists), Ed Dukeshire (letterer)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
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