Connect with us

Comics

Review: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9’ #19

Published

11 years ago

on

Dark Horse Comics’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #19 sees Buffy, Illyria, and Koh dealing with the consequences of a brutal showdown with the Siphon, who continues to gain power by ripping mystical energy from all he touches. On top of him being on the loose, Buffy is met with distressing news concerning Dawn, and an agitated Xander who is fed up with all the negative outcomes ultimately derived from Buffy’s heroic actions. It’s an issue that’s ripe with plot development, dramatic confrontations, and confirms some speculative theories the fandom already presumes.

WRITTEN BY: Andrew Chambliss
ART BY: Georges Jeanty
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: March 13th

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9” #19 is the last installment in Andrew Chambliss’ arc titled “Welcome to the Team”, and it sets the narrative in rapid motion. Illyria suffers a massive blow as a result of her confrontation with Severin. The mastermind behind the zompire epidemic is revealed, but in a very anti-climactic way due to accurate fandom speculation; and naturally, they’re cooking up a deliciously evil plan to disrupt Buffy’s life. Meanwhile, the latter faces some troubling news concerning the main reason behind Dawn’s deteriorating health; and as expected, the ramifications of the destruction of the Seed have directly affected The Key and the magic used to create her.

If Buffy wasn’t feeling guilty enough, this is just another horrible consequence of her actions, and Xander lets her know it. This issue features amazing writing and emotional imagery from both Chambliss and Jeanty, particularly regarding the panels showcasing Xander and Buffy’s blowout. It’s raw and dramatic, and really captures the voices of our two main characters. It’s a fantastic scene but it might rub readers in a negative way. While Xander has some valid points when it comes to placing blame on Buffy’s shoulders, she made a choice that needed to be made in order to save the world.

Joss Whedon is known to victimize Buffy by throwing terrible things at the character in order to garner sympathy, but it’s somewhat unnecessary at this point in the game, and borderline exhausting. Especially when it comes to reading Xander’s hypocrisy concerning the situation with Dawn. Once upon a time, he was perfectly content with the possibility of having to kill Buffy’s sister in order to save the world, but now that he’s sleeping with her he feels it necessary to condemn Buffy’s involvement and attempt to save her on his own.

This is so reminiscent of TV-verse Xander, blaming Buffy for things that are so completely out of her control, that it’s only a testament to Chambliss’ amazing characterization and writing. This is a man who really understands Joss Whedon’s world and characters. George Jeanty’s art takes a step up this time around, along with Michelle Madsen’s colours. Her talents shine through the opening panels featuring Buffy, Illyria, and Koh, post Severin showdown.

Anticipation for next month’s issue is rising due to all the dramatic build-up this installment has to offer. Definitely looking forward to it.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd

Related Topics:
Advertisement
1 Comment

Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

14 hours ago

on

April 17, 2024

By

Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

Continue Reading