"Note from the Underground"
"The First Time"
"Mall Rats"
Writer: Fabien Nicieza & Scott Lobdell; Andi Watson
Artists: Cliff Richards(p), Will Conrad(i), Dave McCaig(c); Andi Watson
Publisher: Dark Horse
Way, way back before there were comic book stores, fans such as myself used to buy comic books at drug stores, department stores and newsstands. Not every issue was available. Subscription services were non-existent. Basically, we got what was there. Sometimes we would come in on the middle of a story. Other times, very rarely, we would enter at the beginning. It's a testament to the writing and the artwork of that era that quickly the reader caught up. This is the vibe I received while reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
We didn't leave off where Buffy stands. I could have sworn Angel and the gang were present at the cliffhanger scene. In any case I don't recall leaving off where the book starts, but the dialogue quickly catches you up with the events that have transpired. The dialogue also evokes the voices of the cast members and crackles with a delicious blend of dramatic and comedic delivery.
On the whole, the plot is pretty worthless with enough holes through which to drive a 1968 Plymouth Convertible. Adam being alive undermines the whole point of that season's finale--that crude technology is no match for the purer science of magic. Adam being the brains of the outfit doesn't make sense. The ultra racist Scourge being his underlings makes little sense. Angel and Faith being in this adventure make little sense, and pretty much their characters have been wasted. Still, you can do a helluva lot worse.
The characters are winningly portrayed through dialogue and the energetic and inventive artwork by Cliff Richards. Richards wows you with the first unusual page. He then surpasses his previous ventures with a three pose Buffy in action kicking the Scourge's sorry behind followed by a downright wincing coup-de-grace which Buffy has been known to deliver. All through this adventure, Buffy wears torn clothing. This enhances her primal role as the Slayer and alludes to Doc Savage--grandaddy of every larger than life hero save for Sherlock Holmes, yet all these scenes pale in comparison to the single comic/dramatic take-no-guff Buffy where she literally pulls the plug on dim-bulb Adam's schemes.
The extras in the book are hit and miss. The briefly illustrated text piece by Mr. Nicieza exemplifies how point of view should be used, how it changes the tone and the very words of a narrative. On the other hand, Andi Watson's super-deformed Buffy short really isn't worth anybody's time. Probably took ten seconds to draw too.
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