A review by kimberlea
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5 by Raul Angulo, Marc Aspinall, Jordie Bellaire, David Lopez
2.0
Let me just take a deep breath in here before I start — I am sure that illustrating comic books is much more difficult than it looks. I am also sure that I could never be a comic book illustrator in a million years. Not if my life depended on it. However, I really do not like the direction that the art has taken in this issue (I'm really sorry, David López). Okay, let's get into it!
Dan Mora is no longer illustrating the Buffy comics, having gone on to illustrate BOOM!'s Once and Future comics (it's a limited series, so I'm hoping that means that Mora will return to pencilling Buffy once it's finished). I didn't realise what a huge impact that would have on Buffy, because everything that I loved about the art in the first four issues is missing here. Characters are drawn with minimal features if they're not the focus of the panel (not just background characters; the scene I'm thinking of features Buffy and Giles listening to Jenny Calendar discussing Xander's vampirism), or characters have indiscernible expressions on their faces. The characters no longer look similar to their television counterparts (particularly Jenny Calendar and Drusilla) and are frequently drawn without their eyelids which gives them a permanently shocked/surprised expression. That said, I really loved the colouring during Buffy's dream sequence and her subsequent talk with Willow, and when she was recounting her date with Robin (so, basically the first five pages of the issue).
I can finally (finally!) see the deep bond that Willow and Xander share. In the first few issues, it seemed that they weren't that close. Willow has so much going on in her life, which is the complete opposite of the Willow we meet in the television show. Willow is completely distraught by Xander being turned into a vampire, commenting that if Xander is home sick, then she wants to be home sick. Their friendship was such a strong element of the show, I'm glad that it's being built up in the comics more. This issue also highlights that while Buffy is friends with Willow and Xander, she doesn't understand them the way that they understand each other — they have a shorthand with one another. There's a dynamic to their relationship that others simply aren't privy to.
I don't think that the stakes are high enough in this issue — like, Bellaire has already given the Scoobies an out, so you know that Xander isn't going to be a vampire forever. Of course, Xander being a vampire would be straying incredibly far from canon, but given that this is an alternate universe of Buffy, I think kind of permissible. I am interested in the prospect of Joyce being put in danger, and perhaps learning of Buffy's role as the Slayer quite early on in the series. It's also finally become clear why Anya was introduced in the very first issue (although if I recall correctly, she hasn't played a role in the comics since, so I think her introduction could've waited until issue #6, instead of trying to cram as many familiar faces as possible in issue #1).
I think this could potentially be an interesting arc for the comics, but ultimately I was left wanting more. My biggest gripe is with the artwork because I don't think it's doing an adequate job of carrying the story, but hopefully this changes as López continues with the series.
Dan Mora is no longer illustrating the Buffy comics, having gone on to illustrate BOOM!'s Once and Future comics (it's a limited series, so I'm hoping that means that Mora will return to pencilling Buffy once it's finished). I didn't realise what a huge impact that would have on Buffy, because everything that I loved about the art in the first four issues is missing here. Characters are drawn with minimal features if they're not the focus of the panel (not just background characters; the scene I'm thinking of features Buffy and Giles listening to Jenny Calendar discussing Xander's vampirism), or characters have indiscernible expressions on their faces. The characters no longer look similar to their television counterparts (particularly Jenny Calendar and Drusilla) and are frequently drawn without their eyelids which gives them a permanently shocked/surprised expression. That said, I really loved the colouring during Buffy's dream sequence and her subsequent talk with Willow, and when she was recounting her date with Robin (so, basically the first five pages of the issue).
I can finally (finally!) see the deep bond that Willow and Xander share. In the first few issues, it seemed that they weren't that close. Willow has so much going on in her life, which is the complete opposite of the Willow we meet in the television show. Willow is completely distraught by Xander being turned into a vampire, commenting that if Xander is home sick, then she wants to be home sick. Their friendship was such a strong element of the show, I'm glad that it's being built up in the comics more. This issue also highlights that while Buffy is friends with Willow and Xander, she doesn't understand them the way that they understand each other — they have a shorthand with one another. There's a dynamic to their relationship that others simply aren't privy to.
I don't think that the stakes are high enough in this issue — like, Bellaire has already given the Scoobies an out, so you know that Xander isn't going to be a vampire forever. Of course, Xander being a vampire would be straying incredibly far from canon, but given that this is an alternate universe of Buffy, I think kind of permissible. I am interested in the prospect of Joyce being put in danger, and perhaps learning of Buffy's role as the Slayer quite early on in the series. It's also finally become clear why Anya was introduced in the very first issue (although if I recall correctly, she hasn't played a role in the comics since, so I think her introduction could've waited until issue #6, instead of trying to cram as many familiar faces as possible in issue #1).
I think this could potentially be an interesting arc for the comics, but ultimately I was left wanting more. My biggest gripe is with the artwork because I don't think it's doing an adequate job of carrying the story, but hopefully this changes as López continues with the series.