Buffy The Last Vampire Slayer #1: Never Alone, Love

A new slayer emerges in an alternate universe where Buffy has been the last vampire slayer for so long: Thessaly, the daughter of Willow and Tara. Buffy, in her 60s, has taken on the role of Watcher to train Thessaly but still has trouble letting go of the Slayer’s life and instincts. Meanwhile, Thssaly is trying to balance her life as a slayer, holding down a day job and pursuing a romantic interest. That is on top of the fact that Buffy and Spike leave Thessaly behind for a week while having a temporary Watcher: Anya, a longtime friend of Buffy.

Cover Art

The main cover art was created by Ario Anindito (Star Wars: The High Republic, Atlantis Attacks). It depicts Buffy in her late age holding up a crossbow in tactical gear while Spike and Thessaly are in the background with their weapons, facing away from some red-eyed vampires ready to strike behind them. The style captures the essence of the story of Buffy training a new slayer but still has that need to take charge when it comes to crushing demons.

There are a total of 4 variant covers for this issue. One was created by Suspiria Vilchez (Hunt for the Skinwalker, Star Trek). It is a medium close-up image of Buffy with white hair, pounding her stake-clasped fist into her open-palm hand as though she’s saying she’s ready to take on some baddies with enlarged vampire teeth overshadowing her in the back. This cover demonstrates how Buffy can still kick some ass even in her older age.

Writing

This issue was written by Casey Gilly (My Little Pony: Generations, Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft – Orphan of Agony Isle). Overall, the story holds up well, mostly progressing in a way that makes sense and is easy to follow. But some areas in the story were either weak or lacked details that were needed for the story. The issue opens up with Thessaly doing what appears to be a YouTube video about her slaying routine, with the help of props and Spike standing in as the demons she attacks. However, this scene didn’t make any sense other than serving as a setup for the plot since it is rarely mentioned that she has a YouTube channel or why she recorded it in the first place other than to show fans of the Slayer. It seems to miss what it was trying to accomplish outside of being used as a plot device.

There were also other writing issues, such as how the reader doesn’t get a clear sense of why Buffy and Spike leave for San Francisco, leaving Thessaly behind. It’s clear that they’re going on a trip away with just the two of them, but why is uncertain. The reader also gets introduced to Thessaly’s temporary Watcher. Still, they do not get to know her name or who she is precisely until much later in the issue (almost at the end), when Thessaly calls her by her name, Anya. Not having her name or a proper introduction at the beginning of the issue leaves the reader confused about who the person is and gets distracting.

Artwork

Oriol Roig did the art for this issue as the illustrator, Gloria Martinelli on colors (All New Firefly, Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker), and Ed Dukeshire on letters (Irredeemable, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). The artwork here was done well, with colors having an excellent selection of complimentary colors, and the use of lighting and the layouts were consistent enough to allow the reader to follow along for the most part. There were some rougher areas, though. For example, Anya and Thessaly look so similar next to each other that it was hard to make out who was who when they appeared together initially. There were also moments in the story where it wasn’t clear how much time may have passed from scene to scene or if it was in another location.

That said, there was a beautiful page that captures the nature of Buffy and Spike’s relationship so well that it must be recognized and commemorated. After Spike asks Buffy if she wants to talk about her Slayer life struggles, she walks away, indicating that she will shower alone. After a moment of frustration, Buffy slams her fist against the glass door, then sits down on the floor against the wall of the bathroom in a yellowish hue, while Spike sits on the other side of the border in blue-purple lighting, reassuring her that she’s never alone. The juxtaposition of these two characters and the contrasting colors is a beautiful way of showing this moment that represents their strength as a couple. This is the best page in the issue by far for this reason.