A callback to friends of old…
Creative Staff:
Script: Christos Cage
Art: Rebekah Isaacs
Colors: Dan Jackson
Letters: Richard Starkings and Jimmy Betancourt
What They Say:
“In Pieces on the Ground Part One”
Buffy and the Scoobies have managed to get their act together and send the Big Bad Archaeus packing. Unfortunately, his powerful artifact, the Restless Door, disappeared in the heat of the battle and fell into enemy hands. And now lesser demonds are invading everywhere. The gang can’t fight this war alone. They’ll need to find help from the most unlikely of allies.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This is one of the best issues of Buffy in a while probably, at least one that’s the beginning of an arc. Archaeus may be gone, but there’s three more—The Triumvirate—that took the artifact the gang destroyed and is using it to create portals to bring demons from hell dimensions. The world is going to end yet again if everyone can’t stop it.
Satsu, the girl Buffy had a one-time hook up with, reappears as part of the military, probably working under Riley’s command. She calls Buffy and Spike in because the vampire alliance—new brood and old brood—have request those two, and those two only, for a meeting to ally the military with the vampires. The only way to do this? Trial by combat.
Around this are references about to old characters. First was Graham Miller, Riley’s old bud who is now an “expert supernatural analyst” on the news. Satsu, of course. Then Harmony and Vicki, leader of the old and new brood of vampires respectively. Then is Clem, never mentioned by name but obvious from his excess skin and adorable demeanor. There’s a callback to Harmony’s truce with the humans to only suck enough blood to live, but not to kill. Cecily, Spike’s old flame from the 1880s who Harmony calls Cecilia to rile him up. And finally Dylan, who Spike met in Into the Light. This issue was full of references and it goes so deep into the Buffy lore, I had to google a lot of it because I had forgotten.
This issue digs deep into the psyches of Buffy and Spike though. Every insecurity they might have had about each other was drudged up. Spike wants to be the brooding anti-hero, but he’s now with the hero in war and in love. He can’t be the poetry stricken young man of the 1880s anymore. Buffy, purportedly, wants what she can’t have…Angel, Riley, Satsu, Dowling, Spike… But here’s the thing: people change, and Buffy and Spike have. Spike’s feelings for Buffy have been boiling over for the longest time and it’s finally come to fruition now. Buffy has felt stuff for Spike, but it’s never been serious. He’s been her worst enemy and best friend at times, but never a lover. Now they are. Now they seemingly will be.
In Summary:
The war that’s coming is likely going to bring Angel back into the Buffy story, but not quite yet. There’s a lot of moving parts that have to get going before that happens. But the parts they have moving are moving perfectly. It’s digging deep into lore and character in a way I haven’t seen recently.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: November 18, 2015
MSRP: $3.50
