Comic Review – “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #6-9”

With issue 11 coming out tomorrow, I’ve decided to try and catch up on the reviews for the series. Issues 10 and 11 are both standalone issues written by Joss Whedon, so they’ll get two different reviews by the end of the week.

General Information

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer -9: No Future For You

Author: Brian K. Vaughan

Illustrator(s): Georges Jeanty (pencils), Andy Owens (inks) and Dave Stewart (colors)

Original Publication Date: Cover dated

ISBN: 159307963X

Cover Price: $15.95 for the collextion, or $2.99US per issue.

Buy from: Amazon.com
or Amazon.ca

Premise

A rogue slayer emerges, and Giles is convinced that lethal force is the only way to stop her. Wanting to keep Buffy’s hands clean, he calls in Faith to get the job done.

High Point

“It’s always about her.”

Low Point

The final conclusion. Details under spoiler guard: I don’t think Jeanty planned far enough ahead when doing his pencils. The ax changes the angle with which it was embedded in the scenery to make the ending work. End spoiler.

The Scores

This is a fairly original story, drawing in threads from several seasons of the show to highlight the previously underused similarities between Giles and Faith. I give it 5 out of 6.

The artwork is generally good. It took a few pages for Jeanty to get comfortable with Faith, and then there’s the low point, but otherwise things work out very well. Even when Faith doesn’t look much like Eliza Dushku, her facial expressions are still clear. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story is very well told. I’ve enjoyed all of Vaughan’s work that I’ve read, and this is better than his average work. The characters are nailed, right down to Faith’s extremely distinctive speech patterns. This highlights all of the characters, including the newly introduced ones, while accenting aspects of their lives and telling a story that works both individually and as a part of a bigger picture. I give it 6 out of 6.

The characterization is bang on for all involved. Vaughan has a firm grasp on all. Frankly, if I hadn’t read the credits, I couldn’t have been sure this was Vaughan’s work and not Whedon’s himself. I give it 6 out of 6.

The emotional response is excellent. Vaughan pulled me in and took me along for a well planned ride. I give it 6 out of 6.

The flow is only hurt by a couple of sudden transitions from flashback to present, but that’s not serious. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a very solid contribution to the Buffyverse in any medium. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, No Future For You receives 37 out of 42.

Additional Notes and Comments

Expect a review of issue 10 this Thursday.