Buffy is the last Slayer and the world in which she lives is not a happy one. Kicking off this new limited series, we get a wonderful glimpse of what-if and the mysteries to come.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Buffy is old and alone, wandering the streets of London in this new reality. Her destiny feels like it has become more of a curse, as she serves as the last Slayer in a world where her mission is illegal. The planet has gone dark and there is an uneasy alliance between humans and extra-humans. Neither side can hurt the other. It’s a depressing existence and we get more glimpses of how the world has changed as the issue continues.
Going into a bar in the dark afternoon, Buffy just wants a cup of coffee to remove the chill from her bones. Alas, she is not going to get that luxury. We see the door to the VID room, where humans offer themselves up to vampires and hope to get turned. And the presence of the Slayer among the group of vampires does not sit well with them, spurring Buffy to run away as they follow. She’s old and slower, but she’s still got good moves.
There is a now a Watcher’s Supernatural Advisement Council who claim they seek unity between humans and extra-humans. The former ways of having Slayers is no more. That is because they’ve all been wiped out, as we see in Buffy’s dream. Cordelia, Xander, Buffy, and Anya were at a Watcher’s ceremony, watching a new generation of Slayers being introduced. They were tasked to defend everyone, not just attack extra-humans. However, that destiny did not come to be. A group of masked individuals were there and they took over the stage before setting off a bomb. It was chaos and a bloody end to everything,
Waking up, we find out that for all Buffy has lost, she still has one contact. Someone named Hell Beast is texting her and they have a meeting scheduled. Navigating through London to her destination, we learn that Hell Beast is Anya and they have been training together. They’re not friends, but Anya is the only connection she has to her past. The demon has been researching why Buffy’s powers seem dormant, but she cannot die. Also, Buffy gushes blood every time she’s around vampires. Not a great extra-feature to have.
After a tense lunch together, Buffy is heading home when she hears a scream. A teenager is being pressured by a vampire in an alley, so Buffy swoops in to help. The girl seems to be holding her own as well, which is interesting. After the vampire is sent on his way, she introduces herself as Thessaly and seems to know exactly who Buffy is, wanting to tag along with the Slayer. That’s interesting, but Buffy doesn’t want anything to do with her, especially when the teenager claims she thinks she’s a Slayer in training. But Buffy may soon change her mind after the last revelation. Thessaly was sent to Buffy by her moms. She is Tara and Willow’s daughter.
The twists and turns of this introductory issue have definitely intrigued me and made me eager to read more. I look forward to seeing where we navigate to in this new reality!
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
