Buffy

• Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #20
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Andrew Chambliss
• Artist: Karl Moline

Friendship is at the crux of the latest issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine as one of the Scoobies returns and another will make a choice that may leave his relationship with the Slayer forever damaged. Willow returns with a little newfound magic power (which I’m guessing she got in that recent mini-series I couldn’t be bothered enough to read).

Willow’s return and the return of her bestie’s magic mojo gives Buffy hope that they might be able to save Dawn from the magic (or lack of) which is killing her. Still blaming Buffy for Dawn’s condition, Xander is offered a second alternative to help his girlfriend. Despite dismissing the the offer, he eventually caves and agrees to help Severin and Simone get what they need to stop Twilight from ever happening (which, when you think of how monumentally Season Eight went of the rails, may not be that much of a betrayal).

I’m not sure I like Xander as Judas, especially betraying Buffy to a coldblooded killer like Simone, but I’m willing to wait and let this play out. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

• Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #19
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Andrew Chambliss
• Artist: Georges Jeanty

The main storyline is put pretty much on hold as Buffy and Koh catch up with the de-powered Illyria who has been completely drained of her powers by Severin. As to the time-shattereing plans of Severin, we’ll have to wait at least another month as the focus shifts back to the B-story and he strange illness which is slowly killing Dawn.

Even without her powers, Illyria quickly diagnoses the problem. The magic used to keep The Key in human form is failing and the mystical energy is slowly leaving Dawn’s body. Which means yet another person close to her may have been irrelevantly harmed by Buffy deciding to destroy The Seed and end magic in this reality.

The issue ends with Buffy taking responsibility for her action which still isn’t enough for Xander who is watching the woman he loves slowly fade away because Buffy and Angel couldn’t keep it in their pants. Despite the dustup, the pair put their issues aside and work together to help save Buffy’s little sister. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

• Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #18
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Andrew Chambliss
• Artist: Georges Jeanty

Buffy, Illyria, and Koh work together to take down Severin, but things get a little complicated when they discover what he’s after (Illyria’s power) and why (to rip apart the fabric of space and time and change the past to save his girlfriend’s life).

The issue also includes Xander‘s growing frustration with Dawn‘s mysterious illness (which apparently is leading to another “let’s trap Dawn in another goofy body” storyline), and the continuing misadventures of Billy the would-be Slayer who continues to investigate Buffy’s disappearance that left Billy and Detective Dowling at the mercy of a mob of zompires.

The Billy story aside, the comic works well as Severin’s motives (if not his logic) are easily understood and Illyria’s ego certainly hasn’t been damaged too much for her time in Los Angeles. However, the last few panels make me a little concerned that the old one’s time in Season Nine may be very short-lived. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

• Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #17
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Andrew Chambliss
• Artist: Georges Jeanty

Buffy Summers‘ world gets even more complicated by the arrival of Illyria who uses her mostly restored powers to rip the Slayer from her battle with zompires (forcing Billy and Detective Dowling to make do on their own) and transporting Buffy to a gathering of magical beings.

As Buffy meets with a council of magically-imbued creatures trapped in this dimension (including D’Hoffryn), Billy’s faith in his new profession is shaken, Dowling is almost killed, and back at home Xander‘s anger is out of control and Dawn is felled by some unseen force.

Unaware of what is happening with her friends, Buffy agrees to help the council stop Severin whose power continues to grow. She even accepts the help of Illyria and Koh, neither of whom Buffy is sure she can trust as the powerful threesome walk right into Severin’s trap.

A good issue and I’m happy to see Illyria, although her account of her recent activities does seem to contradict Angel After the Fall. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]