Buffy The Vampire Slayer #1
Written by Jordie Bellaire
Art by Dan Mora
Colors by Raúl Angulo
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
Covers by Matthew Taylor, Kevin Wada, Royal Dunlap, Becca Carey, Jen Bartel, Miguel Mercado, Kaiti Infante
Boom! Studios
Release Date: January 23, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

It seems only fitting that I should make this comic my first review of 2019. I have been absent due to a new job that was far more than I could have anticipated but I wanted to make my comeback this week and start writing again. To that point, Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 is the perfect vehicle for this as it is also a reboot of epic proportions!

I haven’t written anything about Buffy Summers since 2011, so I would definitely say it is about time. So without any further jabbering on my part, let me get to it!

Most fast food jobs are no fun and Buffy is quite aware of this situation, trying to power through the shift. Taking a fifteen minute break should allow for some relaxation but not when you are The Slayer, I guess. In this particular encounter, she meets a couple of people who will become akin to family in the near future. Their meeting is different this time, though several important pieces remain only slightly altered. Remember, this is something sanctioned by Joss Whedon, so it still smacks of the original.

As events transpire throughout this first issue, the reader will notice that many pieces are already put in place. It is my guess that this was done to expedite the storytelling without needing to build backstories that can be revealed as we go forward. Another part of me thinks it is so readers will get to witness the smaller changes as the comic progresses, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the new Buffyverse immediately, allowing for aha moments later on.

High school is still hell as we are welcomed back to the Hellmouth. Buffy does her normal thing of slaying in the evening and attending classes during the day. One night, however, she finds that not all vampires are slain by the stake. This little fact is the very beginning of what must be the first major story arc. But when the reader gets to the last few pages, much is revealed and even more is left unanswered, as any great tale must be!

When I first heard about this Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, I was hesitant, as I am sure many people were. What would happen to our beloved Scoobies? Who would make the cut? Who would be tossed aside? I was much relieved after the opening sequence in this first issue; hope blossomed and I am feeling much better now.

That said, I am on the edge of my seat after this read, especially as I witness the changes in the story line. I hope you will take the time to give this a whirl, it really does have a nostalgic yet modernized feel to it. I am anxiously awaiting the next issue, folks. I’m also (not so) secretly hoping for a new movie or series reboot to become a reality, too!

Go back to the beginning as the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer is reimagined under the guidance of series creator Joss Whedon. · This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil. · But her world looks a lot more like the one outside your window, as Eisner Award-Nominated writer Jordie Bellaire (Redlands) and Russ Manning Award-Winner Dan Mora (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers) bring Buffy into a new era with new challenges, new friends…and a few enemies you might already recognize. But the more things change, the more they stay the same, as the Gang faces brand new Big Bads, and the threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High confirms what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell. · WELCOME BACK TO THE HELLMOUTH, FOR THE FIRST TIME!