Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Issue 18. Written by Andi Watson, pencilled by Cliff Richards, inked by Joe Pimenthal, colors by Guy Major.

For a comic series that is only in its eighteenth number, the fact that this is Part 8 of the "Bad Blood" storyline is somewhat unexpected. I had thought that the pesky vampiress babe Selke and her blood specialist "human" minion would have been taken care of much earlier in the piece -- but I am not objecting. Actually, I am quite involved with the story, and the occasional breaks in the chronology afforded by a few stand-alone books amidst the series, has only added to the suspense. Issue #18 keeps the mysteries a'coming in true "tune in next time" fashion; there are so many questions as yet unanswered. What is Selke up to? How come Angel, at least, hasn't noticed that Buffy has been replaced by a pod-Slayer? Is Xander really going to dress like a clown in the parade?

All the big questions of life, as you see.

Set in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's third season -- in the narrow window of opportunity that existed between Angel's return to his vigilante self (post-Hell), and the arrival of the dreaded Wesley Wyndham-Price (so, pre-Hell) -- the gang find themselves in charge of decorating a float for the Mardi Gras Parade, Buffy is MIA, the "Dark Slayer" has usurped her life, and Angel is running about the place menacing the local demon populace and trying to figure out what on Earth is going on. Ah, the joys of having your very own Hellmouth!

Watson's writing is enjoyable and intriguing, the colors look great, and the art itself is more than adequate; in fact, Richards has actually managed a very creditable Oz here (a feat heretofore unseen in any of the Buffy books.) The story would certainly never work on the show, which is more than half of the fun and one of the main reasons that the comic books based on television series are so enjoyable. In the realm of graphic art, where the only limitation is the fact that it's 2D, favorite characters can tackle unimagined foes, encounter kindly sewer monster things, and even wear overalls willy nilly... oh, wait. Hold on.

If you're an existing fan of Buffy, then the comics are definitely worth it. They're pretty good to look at, always amusing, and look! It says Buffy right there on the front cover! Even if you've never considered yourself a comic kind of person -- believe me, you soon will be.

-- Rachel Hyland

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, published by Dark Horse Comics, is currently available only through comic retailers.

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