Buffy The Vampire Slayer #24

Buffy needs to get back to ongoing arcs. Like the series, these one-shot "episodes" don't add much to the overall story. They fill in little pieces of Buffy lore but don't make the reader crave the next issue so much as crave for any issue that has real substance behind it. In Faith's last appearance in the book, her story-arc was one of the best of the series. This time however, Faith's story feels rushed with too many holes left unanswered. The problem with the issue lies in the story itself. Faith, Giles and a new slayer named Courtney head to a place they have heard is a Slayer Sanctuary, a place for slayers who do not wish to answer their calling. Instead they find themselves in a trap, walking in to it knowing it is a trap. This felt very out of character for Faith as she was usually the more cynical and untrusting slayer. Then the plot holes start popping up. Faith and Courtney encounter a creature that feeds on their fears and regrets and Faith is quickly overcome by one of her fears. Courtney is distracted by her regrets of a broken family. However, when Giles finds out about this creature from his former Council member, he is somehow immune to its power as he goes to stop it. The former council member ends up being quickly devoured by the creature, despite the creature having just toyed with Faith and Courtney for an extended time. And then out of nowhere and without explanation, Faith has broken out of the creature's spell and quickly kills it. It is almost as if there was too much story for one issue but not enough for a second issue and the writer was forced to cram in so much material in to a single issue.

That said, the dialogue between the characters felt real and accurate to the original show. When Faith was talking, didn't feel like someone pretending to write for Faith. The artwork also had a very strange but likeable quality where it looked as though the characters resembled the actors from the show but not so much that it looked like the artist was trying to replicate moments of the show, but instead create new ones using the actors' images in his own way.

Long time Buffy fans may still appreciate the issue, but it is definitely one of the weakest showings since the series started. With the first half of the eighth season nearing its end, one can only hope that the Twilight story comes back in, stronger than ever to tie the heart of the series back in to its stories.