Buffy the Comic

"The thing about changing the world...once you do it, the world's all different."

Comic books based on the Buffyverse have been around for a while, but fans of the vampire slayer have pounced on the latest series from Dark Horse. Joss Whedon himself has taken the writing helm, and has said that the 20-issue comic book series should be viewed as Season 8 of the show.

Except that it takes place one and a half years after "Chosen."

Eighteen hundred Slayers, and counting, roam the planet. Buffy, the Scoobies, and the new recruits run a high-tech SWAT team of demon fighters. Within a few pages, it's clear that Whedon's behind the scenes. The dialog rings true for the characters, and since they're familiar faces, it's not hard to hear their voices in your head. The artwork has a lot of style: Buffy's conversation with Dawn, near the end of the book, has a great flow and a lot of character.

The first issue sets up a couple key premises for the arc: a worldwide demon cult, the government's newfound appreciation of magic, their view of Buffy's global group as terrorist cells. Familiar faces reappear, some in surprising ways, and several other characters get a mention. Whedon's hinted that some of the new Slayers might choose to go after humans they don't like instead of joining the demon hunters. With so many empowered women, it's only natural that some will have less noble hearts than Buffy.

Melissa and I are already ensnared in the colorful pages, and we can't wait for issue 2.