A day off is never a day off.
Creative Staff:
Script: Christos Cage & Nicholas Brendon
Art: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Dan Jackson
Letters: Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt
What They Say:
“Freaky Giles Day”
Buffy and the gang put aside their awkward past and fought together to beat the Big Bad, Archaus. After they shattered his powerful portal-creating artifact and sent him packing, a trio of rival demons—the Soul Glutton, the Sculptor, and the Mistress—got their hands on the artifact’s remains and are now hoping to use it to place themselves in a position of great power on earth. But a quiet moment isn’t too much to ask for, is it? Probably…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
These single issue stories in both Buffy and Angel & Faith have been hit or miss for me. Sometimes they’re really funny and hit the mark, sometimes they’re prescient in other ways, sometimes they’re swing and miss. This one was prescient in the best of ways.
Buffy was just in the fight of her life for the approximate billionth time in the last decade and change. Moreover, she’s attached to someone now. Someone who, according to the one with the most lost-a-soul-and-gained-it experience, won’t last. But someone who she cares about right now and that’s what matters. But she’s also been in a place she hasn’t in a while. She’s afraid for her life and the lives of her family.
Her dad hasn’t been a part of her life since he ditched her and, since then, he’s hardly been a great father figure in the few times he has decided to show up. Giles has been the only father figure in her life and she’s shunned him unintentionally, subconsciously acting out against all men as a figurehead replacement for her father on the day when she sees him again. Thankfully, Giles and Xander are the only two she ran into before her father.
This issue was resolving though. Buffy and Dawn’s dad is finally not the douchebag he once was; he’s matured and his soon-to-be wife has kids of her own that are middle school age. Buffy’s her own kind of famous now and people know that where Buffy goes, trouble goes. Dawn is welcome at their wedding, Buffy isn’t. It’s for the kids. And it’s probably the most mature thing he’s said. It might also be the most hurtful thing he’s ever said. But it struck Buffy straight in the heart. For everything he’s done wrong, he said this one thing right. For their safety, she can’t be there. Even if he couldn’t even bother coming to their mom’s funeral.
In Summary:
This issue had everything that was needed from one of these breather issues. It directly related to the events prior and was very touching with its character moments. I didn’t even get around to talking about Giles, who had his own relapse into selfishness only to realize that it’s about the group. And the final page is absolutely beautiful; a culmination of not only the events of the last story, but even going back to Giles’ death and beyond. These are the only two that can truly comfort each other like this. Because they’re family.
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: A
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: September 23, 2015
MSRP: $3.50
