Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Willow #2
Mike Eakins
Recap
Willow is starting to settle in and feel out her new digs in Abhainn and start a new chapter in her life, however, as time goes on she starts to wonder if this town is too good to be true.
Review
It is no surprise to any Buffy fan how good Willow has been these past two issues. Willow has been not only a staple character in Buffy lore but is loved and adored throughout the Buffyverse. Issue 2 takes on us on a journey digging a little deeper into where she is currently and not getting too deep with what she has already endured.
Mariko Tamaki beautifully captures Willow’s need for something new and fresh. From the dream sequence with Xander to the ultra-perfect town of Abhainn and its attempt to grab a hold of Willow, you get a sense of Tamaki is playing the long game in uncovering why Abhainn is definitely not what it appears on the surface. Tamaki sets up future issues extremely well by playing with Willow’s vulnerability mixing with a touch of mystery making issue 2 that much more excellent.
Bringing Tamaki’s words to life is the incredible team of Natacha Bustos, Eleonora Bruni, and Jodi Wynne. Occasionally you get a creative team that “gets it” and that is what this team does. Bustos absolutely captures Willow’s essences but also summons a piece of Allison Hannigan but keeping it her own while paying tribute to Allison. The art is so neat and gorgeous that I don’t even what anyone else on this book for the remainder of the series. The way she captures the features of the characters, making them pop out from the pages but she brings the character to life and invites you to share in their emotions which speaks volumes about the love she has for her craft.
Eleonora Bruni and Jody Wynne round out this phenomenal team that brings Willow to life. Bruni’s inks are brilliantly spot on and perfect. The tints, the shading, the perfectly placed purples, and radiant greens shore up the brilliance of this issue. Wynne’s ability to capture the emotion of Tamaki’s words is remarkable and brings its own emotion as a part of telling the story. One of my favorite parts of the book is largely due to the lettering. The lettering is enjoyable because it’s not trying to be something it’s not, there are no overplayed word bubbles there is only great placement and usage and it works beautifully.
Final Thoughts
I loved the feeling the book carried of wanting to find your special place where you can belong. I think at some point in our lives we all look for that, some find it, others never do. I fell in love with the panel where Aelara tells Willow she is safe, and she belongs here and then a few panels later go into such a great look on Willow’s face with one word on the panel…safe. Obviously this is only the 2nd issue there are ways to go but if only for a minute if a comic can help us dream of a place where each of us is safe, then this issue was worth it regardless of what happens in the series because this issue gave us what we so desperately crave…hope.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Willow #2: New Beginnings
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10
