I don’t care.
And that’s the problem.
When Buffy had to kill Angel too save the world, I was riveted. When Buffy and Faith realized how different they were and fought for the destruction or salvation of Sunnydale, I know who I wanted to win but I always hoped that Buffy would find a way to save Faith. When Spike first professed his love for Buffy, I was floored, not believing what I was hearing but realizing that it made perfect sense. And when Buffy and her Slayers rode off into the sunset after the destruction of the Hellsmouth, I longed for just one more season, just one more story. And now that I have it in comic form, I can’t bring myself to work up enough enthusiasm for the book.
I don’t know who is to blame. Joss Whedon didn’t pull me in with the first story which reintroduced the characters and now Brian K. Vaughan miscalculates the importance of the lead character to the series. After just one story, Buffy has been moved to the background as errant Slayer Faith is sent on a black ops mission to infiltrate high society, sidle up to another potentially uncontrollable Slayer and kill her. Admittedly Vaughan’s idea is fun, sending Faith into a totally foreign situation for her. But it’s also an easy idea, placing a character in a totally alien environment and seeing how they act.
In Buffy The Vampire Slayer #8, in order to get near Gigi, the dangerous Slayer, Faith has to attend a formal ball, infiltrating the world of Gigi like she belongs there. The idea here is that Faith should have to be another person to gain Gigi’s trust but Vaughan doesn’t show that. We’ve all seen Faith “act” and it’s just a bit more of the same. Vaughan has her playing more to type than against it. While she’s dressed up as someone different, she barely acts like someone different and the author doesn’t take the time to explore how Faith would act in a high society crowd which would have been infinitely more fascinating and fun. Instead, she gets to act bitchy, gets into the party, shares a cigarette with Gigi when no one is looking and then has to fight Gigi’s supernatural bodyguards.
It’s not that Buffy has been bad so far; it’s just that it hasn’t been great yet. The first storyline moved quickly, establishing the new world order and Slayer army. This second storyline has moved away from that and focused mainly on one of the other slayers. Maybe the scope of the series has been too big so far but I want to see a story that focuses on the Scooby gang like in the old days. I want Buffy, Xander, Willow, not as the leaders of an army, but as a group of friends who happen to also be fighting against supernatural forces.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #7
“No Future for You Part II”
Written by: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciled by: Georges Jeanty
Inked by: Andy Owens
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Richard Starkings
Executive Producer: Joss Whedon