Here’s a quick summary of Issue #3:
This issue opens with Buffy meeting Severin, the man with the ability to literally suck the demon out of vampires with a touch. Severin tells Buffy how he discovered his powers, a tale of Severin and his girlfriend, a vampire wannabe. Severin and his girl decided to become vampires together. His girlfriend was turned first and turned feral, attacking Severin. When he put his hands on her, his powers kicked in for the first time, and soon she was both dead and human.
Buffy suspects the reason Severin’s girlfriend turned feral is connected to The Seed… or lack of it. She calls the Scoobies to order and gives them her theory. Xander names the new vamps Zompires, and Willow speculates that this phenomenon has to do with the demons possessing newly-turned vamps and their limited access to the post-Seed world. Still, in the end, Xander, Dawn, and Willow all urge Buffy to work with the police officers that have been looking for her.
Meanwhile, Spike continues his hunt for the big bad coming to town and meets Eldre Koh, the demon we saw escape a mystical prison in Issue #1. He reveals that he’s looking for Buffy to repay his debt for being freed when Buffy destroyed The Seed. He also warns Spike of The Siphon, the real evil that’s come to town. Eldre Koh describes it as “a being who rips mystical energies from all he touches.” Even Slayers!
Cut to Severin and our Slayer heading off alone to clear out a Zompire nest. Severin mentions that he gets stronger after every drain and that after a big nest, he’ll probably be more powerful than Buffy. Buffy swings open the door to the nest and finds all of the vamps both dead and human, telling Severin. He says, “I know,” and gives an evil smile as bolts of power begin to course through his hands.
The Good
Severin. It’s always nice for a new character to hit with a bang, and Severin is doing that for sure! His power along is intriguing enough, but this issue leaves us with nothing but questions, despite Severin’s revelations about his past. Can we trust him and his supposed origin? How does he have these powers since all magic is gone? What’s his plan for Buffy and why? One thing we do know is that our heroes are up against a character that may bench our supernatural team members.
Cliffhanger! Nothing like a Whedonverse twist! Chambliss does a great job setting this one up, and I have to imagine that I’m not the only one dying for the next issue.
The Bad
Is that supposed to be Andrew? This is a minor complaint, but I’m still having trouble with Jeanty’s Andrew depictions from time to time. Honestly, the rest of the issue is pretty stellar, so I had better not complain too loudly.
Zompires. While the idea of The Seed effecting newly-sired vampires is pretty cool, I need a little more explanation here. I admit that I’m no Willow Rosenberg, but how are demons “infecting” sired vampires from other dimensions and why is this affecting these feral vamps? My inner-geek demands to know!
The Ugly (Fan Buzz, that is…)
Fan reaction have been extremely positive for this issue, with positive reviews coming from Bamfas, CC2K, and other sites. It seems like Joss and company have fixed many of the complaints the fan base had with Buffy: Season 8.
Who’s wearing those snazzy red glasses? One big topic during this issue is who’s wearing the red glasses at the end of the last issue of Buffy: Season 8? The two current lead suspects are Severin and a young, soulless Giles. While it seems that many fans are casting their vote for Severin after this issue, there are still a few hardcore believers who are holding out for young, soulless Giles! Can we get some “Team Severin” and “Team Young, Soulless Giles” t-shirts made?
Will Willow tap The Siphon? There was one comment posted at Whedonesque.com that suggested that Willow may reverse Severin’s own power on him. If Severin is getting more powerful with every drain, the theory is that he’s storing that magical power somewhere. If anyone can tap it, it’ll be our girl Red.
Ahhh! Why isn’t it next month already? Don’t miss Angel & Faith #4 coming November 30th!
’Till the end of the world,
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer
