SEASON 10: LOVE ACTUALLY /// Issue 5 {SPOILERS}

ISSUE 5

Dracula gets really batshit. The book of VAMPYR is rewritten and Dracula comes back in the form of Maloker (huge monster - last seen in Season 9). Maloker is also enormous and takes a lot of effort to take down. Buffy and company freak out. Fight ensues. Dawn returns to giant mode (a la Season 8) for a few pages. Elaborate but kiiiiiinda funny plot to stake Maloker/Dracula with Stake-Shaped building. Also some sexy (lame perv weirdo here) butt shots of Dracula....for a comic book. If you were watching the TV show - this issue would be happening around the 8:45-9:00pm mark.

Porny

The thrust of this issue is mainly about Xander dealing with love. Xander has to make some choices when it comes down to Dracula and Dawn. "Ghost Anya" makes an appearance to remind Xander about what's important - serving as a voicebox for his subconscious (Six Feet Under-style). ALSO....I get the feeling Anya might be making more of a comeback this season. But I'm not exactly sure.... I am an amateur reviewer not a psychic.

Questions.

The issue ends with Buffy keeping the book of VAMPYR. It seems like this season will involve a lot of intrigue regarding the book. There is a sweet beat at the end with Spike and Buffy on a rooftop. I do miss the way the TV show ended. Where it would have a quick cut to black and the credits rolled.

Will She? Or Won't She Come Back?

Issues 3-5 play out as an episode. I have said it before. I enjoy the job that Christos Gage and Rebecca Isaacs are doing. We are really getting back to the tone and shape of Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv show. The beats in the new season are very respectful of what the show was about. Also I haven't talked about how Rebecca Isaacs really gets Buffy's "stylish" wardrobe and "funkaay" hairstyles. There's such a fun and bouncy vibe to this new season, it is hard not to like. It's real refreshing to get these stories. The style is reminiscent of the prior seasons where it wasn't so complicated with the new status quo and the blah blah blah. It seems to respect that there have been changes - but also wants to regard what was important. As a fan - THANK YOU. Although, it seems like one of those cases where you need some variety. I don't know if I could just read this Buffy comic if it was ALWAYS reminiscent of other good eras in Buffy. And to be honest, all Buffy seasons are pretty different. What it really comes down to is ...Can We Relate to Buffy and company? We get to see the characters go through something deeply human but we enjoy it through a really fun horror action comic. Like Friday Night Lights - It's about the lives of the people around the Vampire Slayer.

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I think people new to Buffy would be able to jump in. I think it's real important to know it from the start. At the same time, I don't want to be one of those backward looking nostalgic people where the best days were yesterday. It's hard to have that attitude with a comic based on a TV show that ended over 10 years ago. But as Buffy thrives and is still going through changes - Just like Life....I am curious to see where this all goes.

Next Month: ISSUE 6