Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 Vol. 5
“Because Buffy the Idiot let three demon lords get their hands on a portal generator.” – Buffy Somers.
The story opens with Buffy and Spike lying in bed watching a news report on a lap top about a giant horned gorilla that’s been put down in Buenos Aries. Buffy laments that she’s responsible for this and other extra-dimensional attacks by her carelessness with the portal generator. Buffy’s old friend, Satsu, stops by to enlist her help with the U.S. Army. Buffy goes along with what Satsu tells her because she feels responsible for all the demon activity going on and wants to stop it. It’s going to be an all new type of adventure as Buffy and her friends suit up once more to take on the evils of the universe.
The Creative Team
Christos Gage knows how t0 create a page turner and this issue is no exception. As soon as you get to the end of the page you will not want to put the issue down. The fun is in seeing how the characters interact. We see Buffy, as always showing concern for her friends and not wanting them to go along on this mission but her friends insist. The characters are well-developed and we see their emotional level go back and forth. They fight with themselves over whether or not they have done the right thing. When a decision goes wrong we see that decision strain their relationships to the point where Spike and Buffy contemplate separating and seeing other people. Dawn finds herself in another dimension and can’t leave right away. Xander insists on staying with her even though he doesn’t have to. Gage has done it again giving these characters emotional conflict that reflects reality.
The artistic chores are split between Rebekah Isaacs and Megan Levens. Both ladies know how to balance a realistic tone with not quite cartoony renderings. Their artistic sensibilities fit Gage’s words perfectly as we know the feel of this story has a slightly tongue in cheek attitude while they’re winking at the audience. Leven’s and Isaac’s styles are so similar that it’s hard to tell the difference between the two when Leven’s takes over for a couple of chapters. both have panels that run smoothly and both deliver on having the characters resemble their television counterparts. If someone didn’t know any better you’d swear it was all done by the same artist.
The Cover
This cover immediately draws you in as we see a very concerned Buffy gazing into the distance while her friends are just below her. Dawn is half way in, half way out of the interdimensional portal to the dimension that she will spend a considerable amount of time in during this story. The backdrop appears to be a purple velvet which matches Buffy’s outfit. Lying on the ground is one of the bad ass demons they will have to face. This cover should catch the attention of the casual comic store surfer.
In Conclusion
Our heroes face a whole slew of bad as demons culminating with Kerberon God-King of the plane. The way in which Dawn deals with this creature leaves the group torn on whether or not to leave her in this dimensional plane while the rest head back to earth. Spike offers to stay with Dawn but vampires reaction to other dimensions are varied and in the end Xander once again stays with Dawn. Will Dawn and Xander have to stay in that dimension indefinitely? Will D’Hoffryn be defeated? Will our heroes turn out victorious? Read on and find out!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10 Vol. 5
Writer: Christos Gage
Art: Rebekah Isaacs, Megan Levens
Colors: Dan Jackson
Letters: Richard Starkings, Jimmy Betancourt
Publisher: Dark Horse Publishing
Publication date: July 13, 2016