Buffy : Season 9

Buffy Season Nine #1 (Published Dark Horse Comics; Review by Teresa Jusino; ’Rama Rating: 9 out of 10):

It has been a long while since Buffy has been this funny and Issue #1 of Buffy Season Nine, written by Joss Whedon, hearkens back to the original television show after an ultimately good, but slightly wayward Season Eight in comics. Buffy is finally allowed to cut loose a bit, reminding us of the cheerleader that was as she gets ridiculously drunk at a party in her new San Fransisco apartment and adjusts to life in a magic-free world. The Scoobies are there, and we get caught up with where everyone is in the new status quo. Concerning encounter with Xander aside, all the relationships seem to be exactly where they should be. Buffy is thirty now, and she and the gang have a deeper maturity even as they maintain their sense of playfulness. But it isn’t all parties and humor. There are forces building against Buffy; forces that aren’t very happy with what Buffy’s done to the world. Knowing the slayer future that is depicted in Whedon’s other slayer comic, Fray, I’m looking forward to seeing how this story will unfold and lead to centuries without a slayer. George Jeanty’s pencils are gorgeous in this issue, particularly in the slightly more elegant style he uses to differentiate reality from the more bold party flashbacks, and Steve Morris’ cover matches Jeanty’s elegance, giving us an arresting image of Buffy falling through the air. Season Nine of Buffy is off to an amazing and hilarious start.