Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #16

I've used the word enough times in the review, so why not once more: perfection in every way! Read Full Review

If you haven't picked upBuffy yet, this is a good point to show up. It's the start of a new arc, and all the previous arcs will be out soon (if not already) in trades soon. Don't have them? Ask for them for Christmas! It's only 2 weeks away! But if you are a BtVS fan, this is definitely an issue that brings it back to its roots. Read Full Review

Georges Jeanty is back on pencils this month. The extra time off has helped his pencils immensely. At this point in his Buffy career, you either like that Jeanty doesn't stick to the exact look of the actors or you don't. Funny enough, the character on the final page looks exactly like their actor counterpart. It's funny, as every time I've seen this character, the penciler can't seem to nail down the actor's looks. The action scenes flow well, and Jeanty's panel progression is better than in recent issues. There are plenty of dustings When Jeanty is rushed, many of the characters lose their detail in the big fight scenes. He'd do well on a bimonthly book. Dexter Vines, one of the best inkers in the industry, inks a great issue. The numerous dustings must have been time consuming. Michelle Madsen's colors are good as always. The flu color for Dawn was sickening, but very funny. Same with the puke from her. Read Full Review

There is a slow and steady build up to the end of this issue, but by the time Chambliss gets there, you dont want to put the book down. Especially with the return of Illyria! Unlike Buffy, Illyria still has access to her powers, and in the middle of a major zompire battle, she teleports Buffy to L.A. Things are far worse than before due to the destruction of the Seed. Because of this, Illyria gives her no choice, Join us, or perish. Join who, or what? Youll have to pick up next months issue to find out. Read Full Review

Overall, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9" #16 was a haphazard beginning for a new storyline. The story trajectory was muddled by too many intersecting plot points to have a strong core. Some fans may be pleased just to see Buffy and other favorite characters back in the saddle, but overall, it lacks the cohesion and sense of greater purpose of the previous mini-storyline focusing on Billy the Vampire Slayer. Read Full Review

Honestly, the Billy storyline curtailed my interest in the season by quite a bit. However, flipping through the comic and seeing the introduction of (the still magically-imbued) Illyria into the new arc was enough for me to pick this one up and stick around to see where things go from here. Worth a look. Read Full Review