Creative Staff:
Script: Christos Cage and Nicholas Brendon
Art: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Dan Jackson
Letters: Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt
What They Say:
“I Wish Part Two”
The rules of magic are literally being rewritten. With day-walking vampires and a male Slayer, Buffy & Co. are trying to keep the weirdness under control. Willow is focused on learning the new rules, while Giles is coming to terms with his newfound youth, and Xander is trying to save his relationship with Dawn. Still, Buffy has her family together again—and since their mission doesn’t yet feature Apocalypse being spelled out in big letters, life is pretty good…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
A lot happens in Buffy, but I can say that Xander and Spike moving in together was pretty low on my list of “Things Kory will predict will happen.” It wasn’t on my list. I also don’t have a list, so that might be why.
Their dynamic in this issue is spot on. Formerly passive Xander is now just helpless, and thus angry, enough to stand up to the more abrasive Spike. When we get through it, though, Xander isn’t really the jerk he comes off as and Spike isn’t the jerk he comes off as. They bring the good out in each other.
The more they fought, the closer they got. Once they went “[popped] round the pub for a pint,” the issue went from funny and confrontational to brilliant. Spike understands what Xander’s going through right now. He’s been after Buffy for more than five seasons through the series and the comics. He’s had her. He’s lost her. He’s got a soul because of her. She still says no.
What’s more is that Xander has love for Dawn and Dawn knows she had love for Xander. It’s just not there. And the one she does love, though not in the same sense, is Spike. As Xander says, Spike “understands her. Always have. Maybe better than I do.” That hurts because Spike’s no family, he’s just a friend who’s had a lot of practice with women in a multitude of ways (mostly in the sweaty, bite your neck way). When Xander finally breaks down and asks for help, Spike is more than happy to help.
They’re not the jerks you they act like. But they are both weak. They succumb easily to the Sirens that draw them in. Xander doesn’t want to listen to Anya and Spike nearly bit Xander’s head off when he stabbed his eardrums out. But Spike fights for Xander as Xander fought for Spike. This can only be the first step for both of them. The Sirens have to represent their love and the fact they fought against them means they’re willing to fight for the love they want. I hope they’re at least happy at the end.
Also Xander’s “MAGIC cards! Dungeons and Dragons MODULES!” was perhaps the most brilliant thing that’s happened in Buffy.
Also also, who’s Dylan?
In Summary:
Man, Angel and Faith AND Buffy both put in killer issues this week. I thought Buffy’s last week was good, but this is equally as good. I didn’t think it could match it, but a stringent insistence to characterization has kept it strong. I hope Buffy, Dawn, and Willow get the next issue!
Content Grade: A+
Art Grade: A
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: September 17, 2014
MSRP: $3.50
Dylan is the female love interest modelled after James Marsters’ wife, in his “Spike: Into the Light” comic for Dark Horse.
The issue was great until Dylan coming back, if she is here so the horrible issue that James MArsters did become canon, and this cant be because is so full of mistakes that you can even read it like canon.In fact Joss Whedon didnt produce it and his name is not on the comics Spike into the light. I left the comics Im not reading them anymore, they did a serious mistake here..again..
The comics was good until Dylan character came back, if she is here this means the horrible comics made by James Marsters is canon, and it cant be. Spike into the light is full with mistakes, about timeline, characterizacion and more. The comics is one of the worse things I’ve read by Dark horse. Marsters put a love intersent for Spike in season 7 before he come back to Buffy (Spike was crazy in that time and in love with Buffy, all Marsters Comics go exactly against season 7,he starts showing Spike is pucnhing humans and he was the chip in that time, you just have to see the first episode of season 7 to know that never could have happen) So with Dylan in season 10 they made it canon. For me thats enough. You cant write a comics if you dont ever care about what happened in the original series,or if you agree with something that go exacty with the series television. For me all the mistakes they did with all these years is to much to take.Im not losing my time anymore.I left the comics, they dont worth it.
Oh that’s right! Dylan, like Bob.