Buffy #26 Review
Writer: Jeremy Lambert
Artist: Marianna Ignazzi
Colours: Raúl Angulo
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
After the massive twenty-fifth issue and the first visit to the multiverse, as well as TV Buffy in her prime, readers might be expecting a slower issue while the Scoobies catch their breath. But that’s not what Jeremy Lambert has planned. Mysteries that have been teased since practically day one of Booms Buffyverse are on the cusp of being brought into the light. Anya is so close to telling Morgan everything in this issue, enough is said that will tantalise fans and have them excited for the eventual reveal. She even gives the big bad a name in this issue.
Lambert deliberately plays off readers knowledge of the TV series in this issue. The mayor features prominently in one scene, and it ends up being one of those moments where the reader knows more than the characters and are screaming at the screen (page?) to no avail. So many good moments in this issue. Anya and Giles share a fantastic scene, they have an excellent relationship with each other and it’s interesting seeing the banter between them. But there’s so much more to this issue. There’s Lurkers. Ethan Rayne. Betrayals. A brilliant cliffhanger ending which could play out in so many ways. Lamberts love for the original TV series comes across in each page and he knows exactly how to give the fans exactly what they want.
The only problem will be if answers aren’t forthcoming soon. The nature of the monthly release for a comic and only a limited amount of space to tell a story has this story arc threatening to tease readers for so long they begin to lose interest. Not quite there yet but the potential is there if Lambert doesn’t actually start telling readers exactly what’s going on.
Marianna Ignazzi is the artist on this issue. Probably the biggest problem with the Buffy comic is the ever-changing roster of different artists on the series. It would be nice to pick an artist and stay with them for a while. Having said that Ignazzi is a perfect fit, here’s hoping this won’t be her last foray into the Buffyverse, she would make a great regular artist going forward. She manages to capture the characters likenesses well, but it’s their mannerisms which really stand out. Giles taking his glasses off as he struggles with research, then putting them on with a classic scowl at something Anya has said. Faith walking through a graveyard with Kendra pulling out a stake. Ethan Rayne. Ignazzi manages to capture the way the characters move and translate it brilliantly into comic form. Then there is the one consistent part of the art team, Raúl Angulo with his colours. Angulo’s colours are a good match for the Buffyverse, and he helps it feel relatively consistent as the artist changes on an issue by issue basis.
It feels like the story is really heating up here, the big bad is about to be revealed, and readers will finally get a good idea of the overall story arc of the series. As long as these reveals aren’t dragged out too much longer then this is shaping up to be one of the best story arcs of the comics so far. This issue really captures the TV characters brilliantly, a combination of good writing and great art really does leave this issue feeling like an episode of the TV series.
Artist: Marianna Ignazzi
Colours: Raúl Angulo
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
After the massive twenty-fifth issue and the first visit to the multiverse, as well as TV Buffy in her prime, readers might be expecting a slower issue while the Scoobies catch their breath. But that’s not what Jeremy Lambert has planned. Mysteries that have been teased since practically day one of Booms Buffyverse are on the cusp of being brought into the light. Anya is so close to telling Morgan everything in this issue, enough is said that will tantalise fans and have them excited for the eventual reveal. She even gives the big bad a name in this issue.
Lambert deliberately plays off readers knowledge of the TV series in this issue. The mayor features prominently in one scene, and it ends up being one of those moments where the reader knows more than the characters and are screaming at the screen (page?) to no avail. So many good moments in this issue. Anya and Giles share a fantastic scene, they have an excellent relationship with each other and it’s interesting seeing the banter between them. But there’s so much more to this issue. There’s Lurkers. Ethan Rayne. Betrayals. A brilliant cliffhanger ending which could play out in so many ways. Lamberts love for the original TV series comes across in each page and he knows exactly how to give the fans exactly what they want.
The only problem will be if answers aren’t forthcoming soon. The nature of the monthly release for a comic and only a limited amount of space to tell a story has this story arc threatening to tease readers for so long they begin to lose interest. Not quite there yet but the potential is there if Lambert doesn’t actually start telling readers exactly what’s going on.
Marianna Ignazzi is the artist on this issue. Probably the biggest problem with the Buffy comic is the ever-changing roster of different artists on the series. It would be nice to pick an artist and stay with them for a while. Having said that Ignazzi is a perfect fit, here’s hoping this won’t be her last foray into the Buffyverse, she would make a great regular artist going forward. She manages to capture the characters likenesses well, but it’s their mannerisms which really stand out. Giles taking his glasses off as he struggles with research, then putting them on with a classic scowl at something Anya has said. Faith walking through a graveyard with Kendra pulling out a stake. Ethan Rayne. Ignazzi manages to capture the way the characters move and translate it brilliantly into comic form. Then there is the one consistent part of the art team, Raúl Angulo with his colours. Angulo’s colours are a good match for the Buffyverse, and he helps it feel relatively consistent as the artist changes on an issue by issue basis.
It feels like the story is really heating up here, the big bad is about to be revealed, and readers will finally get a good idea of the overall story arc of the series. As long as these reveals aren’t dragged out too much longer then this is shaping up to be one of the best story arcs of the comics so far. This issue really captures the TV characters brilliantly, a combination of good writing and great art really does leave this issue feeling like an episode of the TV series.
A Look Inside
