Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 9 #20

Writer: Andrew Chambliss
Artist: Karl Moline
Publisher: Dark Horse

Dawn is at death's door because of her Sister's decision to destroy the Seed of Magic in this world. To save his girlfriend from this terrible fate, Xander takes desperate measures.

Xander Harris has always had the short end of the stick when it comes to his role in the "Scooby Gang". He isn't a Slayer, he isn't a Witch, he isn't a Demon, he isn't a Werewolf, he isn't a Vampire, he isn't even a Watcher. Through nine years, the man has remained just that, a man. No different than any one of us reading this comic. In a way, he is us. Where everyone else has had fantastical stories, taking them further and further away from normality, Xander has been the character the audience can identify with. This detachment from the monstrous world around him is both a gift and a curse. While he gets to be their dependable rock in a crisis, their one lone island of sanity, he's powerless to help them. They live in a world that would be lethal to him. One lone moment with a villain and he literally loses an eye. Which makes stories like this one all the more impressive. When the average man isn't content to merely watch his loved ones suffer and steps up to the plate.

In seeing his girlfriend, Dawn, on the verge of death, Xander is compelled to take action. Throwing his hat in with some extremely questionable characters, with the best of intentions. This pair should be familiar to regular readers, being rogue Slayer Simone and power vacuum Severin. Two of the most dangerous original creations for the Buffy comic so far. This is them stepping up from Big Bads in waiting to full blown Mwah-ha-ha. The scariest thing is just how logical and convincing their pitch to Xander is. There's a distinct vibe of "sure, they're dicks, but this could actually be helpful". So I'm expecting it all to go horribly wrong in 3...2...1.

The plan itself is rather ingenious, assuming everyone is playing above board and telling the truth. Having usurped the visiting Illyria's time travel powers in a previous issue, Severin is now capable of going back and changing history however he sees fit. As all three of their problems started around the end of Season 8, they believe travelling back to before Twilight and ensuring the villain's rise never comes to pass, everything will be solved with a big bow on top. Giles won't die, Dawn won't die, Severin's girlfriend won't die, Simone can give being a Slayer one last try (yeah, right), etc. But that's just too easy. Not to mention, insulting to anyone who happens to have bought and read 40+ issues of this "Season" via Buffy, Angel & Faith, Spike, Willow. There's no way in hell they get to press that big red cosmic reset button, no matter how much they want to.

This issue also marks the return of one Williow Rosenberg, who has been absent for the best part of Season 9. Having struggled with losing her connection to Magic, Willow has spent the past few months travelling through various Demon dimensions in an attempt to harness their power and bring it back to our own world. This took her through a fair few issues of "Angel & Faith", as well as her own five issue mini-series. So she hasn't exactly been gone from us, just the usual suspects like Buffy and Xander (and boy did they screw up in her absence). Given the creepy addict vibe the television series reveled in towards the end, this quest of Willow's to bring Magic back to the world has always sat uneasily with me. She can dress it up however she wants, about how we're now lacking hope and inspiration, but I feel like she just couldn't cope without it. She's an addict and she needed her fix. When she gave up before, it was her choice and she knew it was still out there, should she ever need it. But this time, Magic was ripped away from her. It literally wasn't an option anymore and I would've loved a deeper exploration of those themes. This is more the light and fluffy version, where she turns up with Magic in tow and everyone's happy again.

With this issue, it feels as though Season 9 is gearing up for a big sprint to the finish. The villains are finally in play in a meaningful way, beloved characters lives are at risk and there are moral quandaries aplenty. If Andrew Chambliss can keep twisting that proverbial knife in their backs, we're in for a treat. Season 9 is most definitely living up to it's mantra of more personal, less fantastical. Xander being the living embodiment.

9 out of 10

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New Details Emerge For Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D.

Last month, Marvel and ABC made the bold step of pushing forward with an ongoing S.H.I.E.L.D. tv series created by Avengers mastermind, Joss Whedon. In the past few days, details have emerged about the characters set to star in the series. TVLine describes them as following:

SKYE - This late-20s woman sounds like a dream: fun, smart, caring and confident – with an ability to get the upper hand by using her wit and charm.

AGENT GRANT WARD - Quite the physical specimen and “cool under fire,” he sometimes botches interpersonal relations. He’s a quiet one with a bit of a temper, but he’s the kind of guy that grows on you.

AGENT ALTHEA RICE - Also known as “The Calvary,” this hard-core soldier has crazy skills when it comes to weapons and being a pilot. But her experiences have left her very quiet and a little damaged.

AGENT LEO FITZ and AGENT JEMMA SIMMONS - These two came through training together and still choose to spend most of their time in each other’s company. Their sibling-like relationship is reinforced by their shared nerd tendencies – she deals with biology and chemistry, he’s a whiz at the technical side of weaponry.

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Weekly Round-Up 25/08/2012

BATMAN INCORPORATED #3

After the brief respite of Talia's origin last issue, we're back, knee-deep in Wayne family affairs. It's quickly revealed that Damian is alive and well, hiding out from his mother's Leviathan army in the safety of the Batcave. But as anyone who's known Damian for more than five minutes will tell you, he's not likely to stay there! The majority of this issue falls to long-time Batman alter-ego, Matches Malone. It's been a while since Bruce donned this disguise, so it's good to see him take the wannabe-mobster out of mothballs. He puts so much gusto into his performance, it's hard to believe Bruce isn't having just a smidge of fun in the role. However, when coming to the aid of a hassled club singer, he gets himself into more trouble than he bargained for. Ultimately, a fantastic read with fantastic art. Why aren't you reading this already? 9/10

SUPERMAN #12

Continuing the trend of the past year, the adventures of this New 52 Superman have been spotty at best. No true drive or overarching storyline, they're simply random fights against forgettable foes. This issue is no different, opening on Superman held captive by an aggressive alien race (who bare an uncanny resemblance to Predators) and he's unable to communicate with them. Little more actually happens, besides a bizarre B-plot that bookends the issue, with Lucy Lane wanting to go bungee jumping. These don't feel like essential Superman tales that someone has been waiting a lifetime to tell. If anything, it's pure filler material. No one will remember this issue, no one will quote it in the future, it exists purely to have a Superman series on the racks. 2/10

THE PUNISHER #14

As this volume of The Punisher enters the home stretch, the reasons behind the upcoming War Zone mini-series become a little clearer. This issue opens on Frank surrounded by discarded Marvel Universe tech. Iron Man's helmet, Cyclops' visor, Spider-Man's webshooter, one of Doc Ock's mechanical arms, etc. How could he not draw the Avengers' scorn amassing an armory like that. But until then, he still has plenty of mobsters left to kill. To this end, he and his protege set up a buy for pieces of said technology, in an otherwise impenetrable location. Little do the criminals know, that's exactly where Frank wants them! The evolution of Rachel Cole-Alves over the past 13 issues has been fantastic and this installment provides yet another important piece of the puzzle. It'll be a wonder if this character isn't a permanent addition to the Punisher status quo going forward. 8/10

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SPIKE #1

While the idea of a Spike solo mini-series is a no-brainer, this book is so steeped in recent continuity, it's sure to confuse alot of casual readers. To clarify, in a recent issue of Buffy Season 9, Spike decided he could no longer be Buffy's consolation prize, the dark place she runs to when things don't go her way. As such, our favourite English vampire has taken his spaceship (that's right, he has a spaceship now) and retreated to the dark side of the Moon for the purposes of excessive drinking and all-around moping. His insectoid crew don't take kindly to their captain's new melancholy attitude and verge on mutiny. While being a fun issue in and of itself, I can't help but feel the character is so far out of his (and our) comfort zone, the point of this series is entirely lost. Take William the Bloody back to Earth and have him carve out a niche where it really counts. 6/10