Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #12 Review

Dark Horse’s canonical continuation of the cult television series ventures into its third arc.
by dares

This issue starts a new story for the all new, all illustrated scoobies. “Wolves at the Gate” is being helmed by former Buffy and Angel television scribe, Drew “Cloverfield” Goddard and also features the ooey gooey deliciousness that is Georges Jeanty’s art.

Buffy #12 has received some attention in the media, spotlighting a certain moment in the book which is sort of hinted in the first arc and then sort of even more hinted in issue eleven, and while this spotlight receiving moment is very much memorable, it’s another scene in the book that has become my favorite part Buffy Season Eight. (Hint: It involves most of the main cast).

(Yes, the moment topped the “mask reveal” of issue eleven.)

Following two solidly boss arcs by Joss Whedon and Brian K. Vaughan, “Wolves at the Gate” has procured the title of "favorite issue of series" in one awesome swoop. Drew Goddard has hit it out of all parks in the world combined together to make one gigantic super-park. While the last two arcs have felt like episodes split into four parts, this single issue feels like an episode of Buffy all by its lonesome.

This issue also has the return of a character not seen since Season Five (or, if you’re a real Buffy keener, the Tales of the Vampire anthology series published by Dark Horse a few years back) and it’s a good one.

Georges Jeanty’s art on Buffy is another reason the comic is so great. He hits the personalities of the characters perfectly, ensuring that the reader is seeing Xander Harris and not Nicholas Brendon. It's a very fine line between the character and actor in comic tie-ins and Jeanty balances it perfectly. I think it’s safe to say that he is the definitive Buffy artist.

Drew Goddard is no stranger to Buffy comics either. He wrote a short for the previously mentioned Tales of the Vampire collection. If you’ve watched the television show and you love the comic book, I’d highly recommend picking up a copy of Tales of the Vampire. It definitely adds to the experience.

One Sentence Review: A great issue in an already fantastic series. 9.5/10

If you’re reading Buffy, let me know what your favorite moment of the book has been.

The next issue of Buffy The Vampire Slayer ships on April 2nd.

Later Days!

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