So wait, Buffy’s a what, now? When did that happen?
Well, I guess you’ll just have to click past the jump for the commentary on the latest issue of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer!”
Also: as usual, it carries a heavy spoiler warning. I hope you’ve read your copy already!
Written by Andrew Chambliss
Illustrated by Cliff RichardsThere is something seriously wrong with Buffy! She and Spike discover that the one person who can help her is actually . . . Andrew? Buffy’s situation becomes even more dire as she discovers that Simone, the Slayer with an enormous grudge, has been targeting her.
This book kind of had a lot riding on it. I had gone on and on about how important Issue #6 was because it dealt with a very real subject that women go through, but then issue #7 took all of that away as quickly as it was addressed. That’s kind of the way of Whedon books, but I expected more from the man who killed Joyce Summers in one of the darkest and most haunting episodes of television, let alone Buffy. It wasn’t supernatural, it was life. That was the magic of the show. It intertwined real life and the fantastic nearly seamlessly and never sacrificed either for the sake of the other. Issue 7 established that Buffy was in fact another Buffybot, switched without our knowledge. How would they explain their way out of this one?
Well, that was the entire point of this issue, and likely the whole arc, entitled “Apart of Me.” The title is likely a reference to the fact that the Buffy-Bot in pieces at the moment (since her right arm was severed at the end of the previous issue) and she’s “a part of Buffy.” It’s admittedly a clever play on words that complements the theme of the story.
One of the most welcome additions to the story was the return of everyone’s favorite narrator, Andrew, lovable rogue turned ally in Buffy’s mission to protect the world from the vampire and demon threat. Chambliss’ characterization of Andrew is pretty spot on, and probably the closest he’s been to the now classic character portrayed by the wonderful actor Tom Lenk, from his exuberance at the prospect of being abducted by aliens while surrounded by Star Wars toys and even an Iron Man poster, while wearing a Star Trek pajama top! There’s even a Meta Whedon reference, with an Avengers shirt of Andrew’s. He’s definitely the fandom character at this point, and probably the most grounded character, despite his silliness. He’s excited to be around all this crazy stuff!
But despite his status as the grounded yet silly character that Xander used to be before he started dating Dawn in Season 8. Andrew even has more of a purpose beyond being The-Guy-Who-Gets-Laid-By-Demons-And-Is-Kind-Of-Funny, as he’s the machine guy. This is where the Buffy Bot comes in. Who designed and built the Buffy Bot? That’s right, it was Andrew! It makes perfect sense, and there’s even a very Andrew explanation as to why Buffy-Bot thought she was pregnant. He didn’t program menstruation into her subroutines, and she was “barfy” because she couldn’t handle the food she was eating! Man, as twists go, it’s at least well thought out. We even got Andrew’s reasoning for the switcheroo, it being that there was something after Buffy, so they thought they would replace her with a robot and put the real Buffy into safekeeping until the coast was clear.
The problem with this is that Buffy is effectively being stripped of her agency as the lead character. Has she always been perfect? No. Does she make bad decisions from time to time? We all do. But to put her into hiding isn’t something Buffy would have wanted. She’s the type to take everything head-on. Hell, that was the basis of her being. From The Master to The First to Twilight, she took them on, and then reflected on it later. It doesn’t make sense for her friends to do this without her knowledge or even her consent. However, it was refreshing to see Buffy-Bot lament the fact she’s not human. The pregnancy scare and subsequent planned abortion was her shot to be “normal,” as odd as that is. There’s something to be said for her desire to be normal, even if it was taken from her. It’s actually rather poignant, in its own way.
Continued belowWhile that was the main focus of the story, there were two intersecting B and C stories rolling the issue, with the turning of one of the police characters introduced into a Zompire and Xander and Dawn adjusting to domestic “bliss.” Sadly, the “bliss” seems to be closer to something out of Mad Men, as Xander tries to give the appearance of normalcy, but it looks like he’s starting to crack. I’m looking forward to see where his arc goes from here.
But going back to the main arc; that bad slayer who makes Season Three Faith seem like a saint rears her pink hair again and causes problems for Buffy and company. And onto the next issue!
One of the things I missed in this issue compared to the last issue was the lack of Georges Jeanty. Jeanty is the glue that holds the book together. That’s not to say that fill-in penciller was terrible or even bad. Not by any means! He was a fine artist, but it was different enough that in trade it could be seen as a hiccup. I hope Jeanty comes back soon.
Please share any thoughts you have on the issue in the comments below!
