Issue 9
No Future For You
Warning: All reviews may contain spoilers.
Here we are, at the end of our second story arc. And it's time for us to bid a fond farewell to Brian K. Vaughan, who's done such an awesome job with these characters, it's hard to remember sometimes that he isn't Joss. I am convinced that if I can't have the man himself, BKV is always a welcome writer in my fandom.
That being said, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed in this last issue. It started off with fireworks and all the great characterization and wonderful action I'd been hoping for. But then in the last few pages, it fell sort of flat. The supposed team up of Giles and Faith, though intriguing as it may lead us to view the darker side of Giles more often, seemed a bit rush. As a reader, I felt like I was being given no time to accept the information for what it truly meant and, only afterwards, did I realize the gravity of the situation. I realize a bit of that is the failing of the medium. We, as Buffy fans, are so used to television, where a lengthy close up can be used to show how seriously the characters are considering their options. But, when every panel is infinitely important, you don't have time to waste on dramatic pauses. Still, I thought it could have used a little more time. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We saw an important event in this issue. We saw the death of a Slayer at Faith's hands. Granted, it was an accident. But how accidental can we really expect it to be when Faith's entire purpose in that mansion was to destroy this girl? The fact that she had some misgivings doesn't change the fact that she went in to kill her, and she did. I'm not saying I think the girl deserved to die, but I think it was the only possible way to end it, knowing now where BKV was heading with the storyline. And that wasn't even the only death. For all of us fans who supported Giles so wholeheartedly when he killed Ben, well...our cheers might not be as loud this time around. Ben had to be killed in order to destroy Glory, a hell God. But this situation was a bit different I'd say. It makes me wonder just how much of Ripper is starting to bleed through into our beloved stuffy librarian. And that brings me back to Faith and Giles. I've often wondered just why it is that Faith never saw her potential as a kind of case worker. Imagine what she could have done if she'd been allowed to work with Genevieve without interruption. She could have saved that girl and been able to introduce an already highly trained and well connected Slayer into the fold. Though I still grate a bit at the idea of her and Giles working together, this new team merits some thought. The coming issues are going to be very interesting. |