As we prepare for Joss Whedon’s upcoming TV reboot of his iconic heroine, Boom! Studios has got there first with this restart of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book line after winning the licence from Dark Horse. Instead of continuing on from the TV show, the ongoing series takes it cues from Boom!’s successful approach to the Power Rangers franchise and reimagines the Buffyverse from the beginning, moving the characters to the present day.
As such, Buffy #1 retells the story of how Buffy first moves to the sleepy, vampire-filled town of Sunnydale, earns Giles as her new Watcher and befriends Willow and Xander. This approach could have felt like a lazy rehash of the TV’s pilot episode, but instead writer Jordie Bellaire keeps the focus on the Core Four characters and their burgeoning relationships and, most of all, the conflict between Buffy’s desire for a regular life and her responsibilities, but shuffles everything else around.
The big thing that fans will pick up on is the novel approach to mix in elements from across the series’ timeline. There’s no Cordelia or Angel yet – characters who were major elements of Buffy’s beginnings on TV – but we do meet alternative versions of other favourites like Anya and Drusilla. Their introductions here tell us that we can expect some slightly different characterisations for them to come. There’s also lots of easter eggs for die-hards to enjoy – though surely the fast food joint Buffy works at should be the Doublemeat Palace?
More important than playing with the mythos, though, is nailing the tone and feel of Whedon’s writing – that signature blend of quips, mangled use of the English language, and character development. Bellaire has already got the dialogue down pat and the gang’s personalities are mostly spot on too. Xander’s nerdy awkwardness is perhaps best captured so far, though the decision to characterise Willow as her more confident season 4-esque self feels slightly strange as her growth on TV was such a major part of her character.
Speaking of recreating the characters, Dan Mora does an absolutely stunning job with his likenesses for Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander – how well he captures Sarah Michelle Gellar, in particular, is uncanny. The colours also pop off the page, courtesy of Raul Angulo. The main cover from Matthew Taylor is likewise a striking image – featuring Buffy surrounded by an army of vamps with a stake in one hand and a smartphone in the other. That suggests the comic is going to make the most out of dropping Buffy into 2019 – that’s not too evident from this first instalment, but hopefully it will be explored in the future.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 operates as a much-needed restart for the Slayer’s comic book adventures and will surely please long-term Scooby Gang enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Not following the established canon still feels a little weird, but give it a few issues and no doubt the creative team will make the best of both worlds – borrowing from the show and following their own path. In other words, this series is gonna slay it.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1 / AUTHOR: JORDIE BELLAIRE / ARTIST: DAN MORA, MATTHEW TAYLOR (COVER) / PUBLISHER: BOOM! STUDIOS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
