Christos Gage and Nicholas Brendon assemble a hilariously scripted issue of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10”, that’s thoroughly engaging and authentically crafted; with great interior artwork from Rebekah Isaacs to boot.

WRITTEN BY: Christos Gage, Nicholas Brendon

ART BY: Rebekah Isaacs

PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: September 17, 2014

Reviewed By: ShadowJayd

After exorcizing a haunted apartment building at the behest of a desperate landlady in exchange for cheap rent, the gang begins settling into their new digs, whilst slowly, but surely, making progress with the VAMPYR book. It’s a responsibility that mustn’t be taken lightly, as any proposed addition to the book could potentially yield disastrous results for their world, and many power-hungry beings would love to get their hands on it. With that in mind, Willow starts to secure their apartments with protective spells, and suggests that new roommates, Xander and Spike, take care of the book until her shared apartment with Buffy and Dawn is locked down. What follows is a fabulous lesson in comedic storytelling and pop culture references from Gage and Brendon, as the boys bicker and bond over tempting fate in the name of love.

It’s really a treat to see such spot-on representations of Whedon’s characters brought to life through Gage and Brendon’s ability to effectively capture their subjects’ voices; although Spike is not without his awkward colloquial faults at times. The light tone, and back-and-forth between characters feels familiar; like home. And that’s not an easy feat to achieve when writing for a hugely popular franchise. Though to expect anything less from these two writers would be silly given the success of their previous collaborative work. The quick wit of both authors feed off each other to the inclusion of more amusing moments between Xander and Spike, of which there is no shortage in this issue. Seriously, there’s enough Spander fan-service for your spank bank to last until the next apocalypse, and it is magnificent.

We were unquestionably critical of Karl Moline and Cliff Richards’ artistic contributions last month, and while it isn’t particularly fair, it’s hard not to compare and contrast all the artwork the series has produced thus far. It’s very easy to pick favourites considering how seamlessly some artists manage to glide into our affections; while others sometimes put us off. And although it’s only a matter of personal taste and potential bias speaking, “I Wish” Part Two is a massive step-up from the last installment thanks to Rebekah Isaacs triumphant return on pencils. From panel to panel, her interior pages are consistently top shelf, and her knack for nailing Buffyverse character likeness is unparalleled. Dan Jackson is along for the ride to add his special touch of colour to her illustrations, effectively enhancing her artwork, and bringing out the best of her creativity; especially where those supernatural Sirens are concerned.

Overall, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10” #7 is a hilariously scripted and wonderfully drawn issue. It concludes with a significant nod to James Marsters’ “Spike: Into The Light”, which will ultimately reignite debates about canonical timelines and exasperate Spuffy shippers. The fandom will no doubt be buzzing with speculation, in anticipation for next month’s release.

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ShadowJayd, known everywhere else as Farah Jayden Hakkak, began writing for Bloody-Disgusting in July 2012. You can find her on Twitter, or praising legendary comic book artists in her art column, Visions of Horror.