The top 25 ‘Buffy’ and ‘Angel’ comic book arcs
Comic book list: From Dark Horse to IDW, John scours the long boxes to find his 25 favorite “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” comic book arcs.
‘Buffy’ flashback: ‘Season 12: The Reckoning’ (2018) (Comic book review)
“Buffy” Season 12 should ideally be longer than four issues, and I’m guessing it would’ve been 12 issues if the timing had worked out better. But Fox brought the “Buffy” license back in-house – ending Dark Horse’s 21-year run with the title and canceling this 11-year canonical continuation of the TV series – so Joss
‘Buffy’ flashback: Season 11 (2016-17) (Comic book review)
Just as “The X-Files” returned for shorter TV seasons in recent years, the “Buffy” comics take a crack at the miniseries format in Season 11, which is only 12 issues long, compared to at least 25 in the previous three seasons. On one hand, important side stories are missing within the overall arc of the
‘Buffy’ flashback: Season 10, Issues 21-30 and ‘Where Are They Now?’ (2015-16) (Comic book reviews)
Season 10 started with Buffy and the gang being modest about their callings, and it ends with them realizing the mature response is to embrace their callings, because the world will be worse off they don’t. Too many bad actors will seek to fill the power vacuum. It’s a pretty great way to dig into
‘Buffy’ flashback: Season 10, Issues 11-20 (2015) (Comic book reviews)
I gave some leeway to the start of “Buffy” Season 10, allowing writer Christos Gage to get up to speed. But the middle batch continues to be uneven, showing that he’s not quite as good as Andrew Chambliss (“Buffy” Season 9) and that he himself has taken a step back from “Angel & Faith” Season 9.
‘Buffy’ flashback: Season 10, Issues 1-10 (2014) (Comic book reviews)
After their strong run on “Angel & Faith” Season 9, writer Christos Gage and artist Rebekah Isaacs switch over to “Buffy” for the 30-issue Season 10. Off the bat, the quality of their work drops, as this season seems less planned out. The notion of the rules of magic being rewritten in the “Vampyr” book
‘Angel & Faith’ flashback: Season 9, Issues 21-25 (2013) (Comic book reviews)
“Angel & Faith” Season 9 comes to an epic conclusion that’s not quite as great as the end of “Buffy” Season 9, but still pretty darn good, especially with the way it charts a new course for Giles. In the end, the best thing about Season 9 in the Buffyverse is that it was split
‘Angel & Faith’ flashback: Season 9, Issues 11-20 (2012-13) (Comic book reviews)
The second batch of 10 issues in “Angel & Faith” Season 9 starts with a slight midseason dip in quality. It’s nice to catch up with Connor and Gunn, but distracting for readers of the IDW “Angel” comics who know a different continuity. The last five issues of this batch are gold, though: first the
‘Angel & Faith’ flashback: Season 9, Issues 1-10 (2011-12) (Comic book reviews)
As with “Buffy” Season 9, “Angel & Faith” Season 9 gets off to a great start from the pen of a rookie Buffyverse writer. Christos Gage, who will go on to be the most ubiquitous of the canonical Dark Horse comics scribes, has a good grasp of the relationship between Angel and Faith. He invents
‘Buffy’ flashback: Season 9 ‘Spike’ and ‘Willow’ miniseries (2012-13) (Comic book reviews)
When Spike and Willow duck out of the main “Buffy” Season 9 series, their solo adventures are told in a pair of five-issue miniseries, with Spike brooding over his purpose in life without Buffy, and Willow seeking a way to regain some of her magic powers.