With her Slayer powers on the fritz for no apparent reason in a dystopian future in which the sun no longer kills vampires, all Buffy Summers needs is a new charge to keep alive. Which is, of course, why she now has a young Potential crashing with her. Oh, never mind that it’s Willow and Tara’s daughter.

Casey Gilly wastes no time in this issue, packing in intrigue and exposition into 22 pages. Buffy finds that her list of trusted friends is growing shorter, but it also seems that an old acquaintance has been keeping tabs on her. Even though this is a different iteration of Buffy than the one most of us love, Gilly’s Slayer feels familiar, though a tad grouchier. I guess being an endangered species that’s muzzled against your natural enemies has that effect on people. With only a couple of issues to go, I’m digging the pacing and tone of this series so far. It feels urgent and right. It feels very much like an untold Buffy the Vampire Slayer story.

Joe Jaro’s artwork looks really good here, with some great dynamic scenes. The scene with Buffy and Anya is a standout to me, with great expressions and comedic timing thrown in for good measure. Joana Lafuente’s colors are a great match for Jaro’s linework. They really convey the mood, with a couple of really nice pops for magical effects. Ed Dukeshire rounds out the team marvelously, really selling the script.

Overall, the odds seemed stacked against Buffy, but the timely arrival of an old friend/enemy should make things interesting.

Creative Team: Casey Gilly (writer), Joe Jaro (artist), Joana Lafuente (colorist), Ed Dukeshire (letterer)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
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