Comic Review: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #4

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #4

BOOM! Studios

Writer: Jordie Bellaire

Artists: Dan Mora & Raúl Angulo

It’s been a whole month since Buffy discovered she has an ally against the forces of evil, Camazotz. And with Willow and Xander taking more active roles in the hands-on slaying, I was excited to see what adventures #4 would bring.

Story:

This comic stays true to the hit show and dedicates episodes (or issues) to different characters. #4 is definitely a Xander issue. The story follows Xander’s perspective and thoughts throughout and we get his ideas on girls, self-worth, and his desires. After the action-packed #3, this issue takes an abrupt turn and in classic Buffy fashion, dives into real life issues. Sunnydale is experiencing a down-tick in vampires and demons, so Buffy gets the night off. In an attempt to relax the Scooby gang makes plants to see a movie and Willow invites her girlfriend, and a boy named Robin. Xander already has a crush on Buffy, though, so isn’t excited about Robin’s attendance. But then Xander gets a text. . . from Buffy. . . who lost her phone.

Character:

While Xander narrates, we also get a dose of the titular character. Buffy faces the prospect of a movie date with a guy she obviously finds interesting. Furthermore, we get a nice look into Buffy’s home life. Her mom’s boyfriend, Eric, is a doctor, and while Buffy dismisses him early on in previous issues, we finally see how helpful Eric might be in subsequent episodes. The only question is, how big of a player will he be as a new cast member.

Earlier still we get a dose of reality about Willow’s relationship with Rose. While rose doesn’t feature much in the issue, there is a question of what she thinks Willow is doing when she stays out late with Buffy and Xander to fight vampires. It isn’t difficult to assume the Willow and Rose relationship isn’t meant to last.

Art:

The art, like in previous issues, is great. It captures what must be captured and leaves out extraneous details. One place where it shines the most is in texting sequences. The overlay panels of the texts, the cracked effect of the phone screen, all give a believable and intriguing pace to the later parts of this issue.

Where is Camazotz?

Right. After all this, I found myself wondering at this Camazotz free issue. Where did he go? What role will he play in the future? This issue is a strong and character focused one, but they really left us hangin’ compared to the excitement of # 3. Despite the lack of Buffy’s new mythical flying ally, this is a strong issue for anyone who loves these characters.