Horror

• Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #9
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Christos Gage
• Artist: Rebekah Isaacs

The storyline of Andrew attempting to resurrect Tara thus unintentionally powering and Old One and sealing the fate of all mankind comes to a close as Buffy and Spike hold off the creature while Willow is forced to argue against bringing the love of her life back to the land of the living.

In a TV series and comic which has already brought back multiple dead characters (Giles, Buffy, Spike, Angel, Fred as Illyria, and ghost version of both Wesley and Anya) it seems fan favorite Tara doesn’t make the cut and like Joyce reminds us that some deaths are permanent even in the Buffyverse. The big takeaway of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #9 is Willow admitting out loud that resurrecting Buffy, for whatever reason, was a mistake and one that she doesn’t plan on repeating.

In the midst of the action the comic continues to pull Buffy and Spike together teasing the possibility of reuniting the couple. And although Andrew admits to his bad judgement he doesn’t exactly learn from his lesson as the final panel foreshadows more trouble on the way. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

• Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #8
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Christos Gage
• Artists: Richard Corben, Rebekah Isaacs

You know what they say about the best laid plans. Despite the effort the team spent in recovering the Vampyr tome from Dracula and locking it up safe in Xander and Spike‘s new apartment, the roomies discover the book has been taken by Andrew back to the giant gaping hole which was once Sunnydale (the site of a Burning Man-style celebration on Halloween) in order to fix a mistake.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten #8 works by obscuring the true motives of Andrew for multiple pages while allowing the Scoobies to fear the worst. Andrew’s guilt to bring back Jonathan makes sense, but it’s that final panel which suggests an unexpected return of a fan favorite that will likely get fans in a frenzy and have huge ramification for everyone involved.

The B-story involving a de-powered Old One with a very personal grudge against Slayers hunting Buffy isn’t as interesting, but I’m willing to see where it leads (especially as long as the main story continues to deliver). Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]