-Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 2 : Halloween-

Cover Artists: Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend. Colorist: Liquid!

Regular Photo Cover

Writer:	Andi Watson
Penciller:	Joe Bennett
Inker:	Rick Ketcham
Letterer:	Janice Chiang
Colorist:	Guy Major
Format:	Comic
Details:	32 pages - $2.95 US
Published:	October 28, 1998
Publisher:	Dark Horse
Story:	Halloween

Buffy #2 came from the exactly same crew as in #1, so there wasn't exactly any surprises in the art work.

Writer Andi Watson continues to show off his taste of the Buffyverse, within the limitation of ending the story within single issue. There's a nice feel for the characters throughout, and he combines different aspect well. I also find the art work improving as they become more familiar with the characters and the Sunnydale feel,... maybe with an exception for Buffy's eyes on several occasions in this number.

Overall it's a strong single-issue story, but I can hardly wait to they start doing their continuous storylines in just a few numbers. Then they'll have the room to kick it up the notch to produce absolute gold on more regular basis.

★★★★☆ # 2 -Halloween-

The cover used for post-header is my Dynamic Forces exclusive Bloodchrome edition, one of five thousand, and here's the COA.

-Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 1 : Wu-Tang Fang-

Cover Artist: Art Adams

Regular photo cover

Writer:	Andi Watson
Penciller:	Joe Bennett
Inker:	Rick Ketcham
Letterer:	Janice Chiang
Colorist:	Guy Major
Format:	Comic
Details:	32 pages - $2.95 US
Published:	September 23, 1998
Publisher:	Dark Horse
Story:	Wu-Tang Fang

Whatever concerns I had with MacGuffins, wasn't exactly put at ease with the opening page of Buffy's own # 1.

It's not the semi-bimbo Ross gave us, but Bennett's opening Buffy isn't exactly oozing nailed-it either.

Thankfully writer Andi Watson only use a couple of pages to convince me he's nailed-it. He's captured the essence of Buffy in every way. I find myself hearing the lines as spoken by the actors and actresses them self in the TV-show, and a bigger complement is impossible to give. He understands the humor, he get the banter and puns in whether it's dialogue or fight scenes, and it balances the dark and the light in Whedonesque fashion. Add several small and bigger references to prior events and current circumstances in the TV-series, and it's pretty clear Mr. Watson and the editor knows exactly what is needed.

The artwork also draw me in as page by page run by, and soon enough it's familiar and almost there. The darkness and shadows are very well done, the bad guys and fight scenes are well drawn and only a few of the main characters remain an issue for me every so often. It still can't take away the joy of this comic, with its story that adds to the well known and familiar TV-series with a well deserved new life on its comic own.

Overall there's no doubt this is an incredible tight opening issue of own comic, and must have brought in a lot of the TV-audience as sure buyers for future releases.

★★★★☆ # 1 -Wu-Tang Fang-

Special and alternate variants I also own:

COA for Dynamic Forces Art cover signed by Art Adams as one of 10.000 copies. The comic used as header for this post.

Another Universe exclusive Gold Foil edition of photo cover

Another Universe exclusive Gold Foil edition of photo cover, signed by Joe Bennett (COA below)

Dark Horse 1 for 1 re-release