Great issue but Scott Allie's first paragraph in the letters page was my favorite thing this week

Jackal | July 11, 08:38 CET

Are you referring to the comment about people being happy to see so much of Kennedy? I didn't really get that. Was it sarcasm?

Squishy | July 11, 08:43 CET

I interpreted it as sarcasm. Made me giggle.

Jackal | July 11, 08:51 CET

Team Kennedy! Excited to read this.

hitnrun017 | July 11, 09:21 CET

Overall I enjoyed the issue, but it wasn't terribly exciting, which is to be expected. It really introduces the next chapter of the story for the season. While I'm not all that interested in seeing Buffy play bodyguard, I get the impression this will lead to something bigger very soon, with the reintroduction of Wolfram and Hart.

I wonder how much success the SFPD will have dealing with the Supernatural. I think they will find it a bigger challenge than expected. Zompires are not the only thing out there.

Finally, the book does feel a little empty without the rest of the crew. A&F is feeling like more of a team book right now, while Buffy is out on her own finding herself. I'm sure that will change as it looks like Eldre Koh will be around for a while.

Jelly | July 11, 09:42 CET

I can't get my copy until tomorrow but I read a summary and it sounds interesting.

[ edited by Buffyfantic on 2012-07-11 19:09 ]

Buffyfantic | July 11, 10:09 CET

The issue was fun, the letters page was hilarious.

Craig Oxbrow | July 11, 10:20 CET

Really enjoyed this one. A little action, some good humor, lots of the characters talking about their lives...kinda like the show.

UnpluggedCrazy | July 11, 12:04 CET

I think it's funny to revisit Anya's suggestion of "charge" that was so derided by the Scoobies. It's interesting to think of Buffy as an artist, someone with a calling, who also needs to eat and pay rent and has to struggle with how to do that. How willing is she to use her given skills in a way that feels less than pure for her? I think it's a question that a lot of people go through at Buffy's age when the idealism of "Action is his reward" starts to get a little scary with no health insurance and a little tiring with constantly scraping by year after year. She's like an actress who worked as a waitress doing projects she enjoyed at night... being asked to do advertisements for a pay check. I'm definitely hoping she finds a balance that works for her. :)

cderochefort | July 11, 13:22 CET

Good to have Chambliss and Jeanty back.

cderochefort | July 11, 13:23 CET

Really enjoyed this opener. Glad to be onto a new arc.

Random thought while reading the issue: What if Illyria is the one who imprisoned Koh. I know we are maybe supposed to see her in Buffy sometime this season? Or is that me misinterpreting Joss? Would be an interesting link and a convenient way to bring her into the story.

cazador | July 11, 14:24 CET

I was thinking that Illyria might be missing because maybe she is still under contract to IDW.... I would actually like it if she showed up here! I'm not finding the BtVS S9 to be very involving, I guess I need to read the letters at the back.

embers | July 11, 16:05 CET

The letters column was sort of funny. Their unflappable willingness to publish the most disparaging diatribes amuses me.

Squishy | July 11, 16:14 CET

Here's my summary and review. Kind of a boring issue, but boring in a nice quiet taking-a-break-from interesting way, not in an offensively boring way.

The only characters left at IDW, btw, are the ones that IDW itself invented, such as Betta George. Really interesting idea about Illyria imprisoning Koh, though I've had my fingers crossed for a long time that she'll be heavily involved in Willow's story.

Kairos | July 11, 16:48 CET

I also thought that this storyline might somehow lead to Illyria's debut in Dark Horse buffyverse. Though I didn't think it was because of Koh, but rather her/its somewhat connection to the reveal at the end of the issue. I dunno, grasping at straws with a series that hasn't really kept me interested yet.

zlbenson | July 11, 18:21 CET

I liked the issue. I still don't really like how Buffy is written, but I liked some of the situations it touched upon. Buffy really appears to not be as needed as she used to be, what with being in a new city with a whole new force of zompire slaying cops. It was very interesting, I thought, what Kennedy said about her being afraid too. It's true, really, but it's not Buffy's fault. Slaying is all she's ever known, and she doesn't know how to do anything else. I'm not too interested in the new job she's taking up, but the reveal of W&H might change that. I also want to see Buffy and Koh team up. I was scratching my head when he suddenly vanished after the first arc. I think he has a lot of potential, and I hope he does officially join the gang.

And I love the theory of Illyria being the one that imprisoned Koh! It'd tie her into the series perfectly. Can't wait until she shows up.

Fred_Sonja | July 11, 18:38 CET

I know it's unlikely, and that he would wouldn't really be descibed as a 'wunderkind' at this point, but I was still very disappointed that the client wasn't David Nabbit. Oh well. I found the end reveal exciting though, which was nice cause the rest of the issue was pretty blah. Important setup, sure, but not very exciting all on its own.

Bit of artwork/story continuity I appreciated-- the alley Buffy and Dowling talk in has a bunch of posters pasted behind them saying Tin Can on them, which at the end of the issue we find out is a facebook-like company run by the client. I don't know if they have that because it'll be important, which seems pretty unlikely to me, or if it was just a nice touch of Jeanty's but I liked it. Easy to spot little things when so little is going on in an issue...

(edited for typo)

[ edited by aphasia on 2012-07-12 04:03 ]

aphasia | July 11, 19:03 CET

I enjoyed the issue enough. It's an interesting set up for sure.

I'm thinking Eldre Koh and Wolfram and Hart have some kind of connection. Either they imprisoned him, or they hired someone to imprison him.

I like how the SFPD are now slaying zompires...in fact I really like this new turn. I wonder if it'll keep?

Tennyoelf | July 11, 19:46 CET

I actually really enjoyed the issue. I liked the slower pace. It lead to some nice non-hating Kennedy moments, which are few and far between :)
I think Chambliss is finally getting the tone and voices right. I don't think he was ever bad, but it was such an abrupt change from when Joss was writing. The issue definitely has me invested in Season 9 again, and I'm very excited for the W&H stuff.

slayerfreak5554 | July 11, 19:57 CET

tennyoelf-- Oh yes to the Wolfram and Hart/Eldre Koh thing-- I'm totally on board with that! And that is how come he and Buffy will end up working together...

aphasia | July 11, 23:01 CET

With Wolfram and Hart, I am totally bored with that! :-)

No, really. I never made it through the entire run of Angel, because the ooverarching metaphor, about the business world and shades of gray, held little interest for me. So bringing them in here is not very exciting for me. So I am worried about the direction the comic is taking, for once again I think it is losing its way and forgetting the series is really about the team- despite this being called Buffy- more than just about Buffy herself.The people I care about are not in the book any more.

Dana5140 | July 12, 03:28 CET

Decent enough issue, though it's interesting to me how Buffy has now become more like Angel than itself, what with first being paid to help people and now having to help people from Wolfram & Hart. But while I somewhat agree with Dana5140 about W&H and them always being involved, I also have say FINALLY! They were too big to never get talked about EVER in Buffy.

If Illyria shows up though, then why is this still called Buffy? "Her" people are either not showing up, over with Angel, or in their own stuff, it's just a bit odd to me how Dark Horse is working all of this out.

I also agree with the comments about the letters column, but if it gets us talking about it...then a tip of my hat to Scott Allie.

darknight814 | July 12, 05:49 CET

Buffy the show seems almost to be disappearing. All the cast members are gone except Buffy herself, (I don't count Kennedy) and they are bringing in Wolfram and Hart.

I'm not sure what the goal here is.

Xane | July 12, 06:08 CET

This was my favorite issue of Season 9, so far.

@aphasia: I totally agree about David Nabbit. It seemed like they were setting it up to be Nabbit throughout the whole issue.

Love that Wolfram and Hart were mentioned. Hope it pans out. Angel (especially Season 5) is my favorite, all time show (with Buffy at #2). Between the reunion with Gunn and Conner in ANGEL & FAITH and the return of Wolfram and Hart in BUFFY, I am in Angel-nerd heaven (I just hope they make better use of them here than in the SPIKE ongoing).

Jacksyattering | July 12, 09:17 CET

The next Georges Jeanty cover has Buffy fighting a tentacled demon. Dun, dun, dun. Can it be Illyria in it's true form? Or at least a suggestion about Koh's imprison-er?

Nice issue. It helped that the last panels reminded me where it started: Buffy hiring herself for a comfortable paycheck. All other characters are already sold out.

anca | July 12, 10:01 CET

Thematically, Angel-verse as an environment is a better fit for S9 - because the characters are supposed to be grown-ups now. Well, I don't feel they are - but they are 'supposed' to be. The whole post-traumatic doom and gloom and magic-less world with demons a common feature of your everyday landscape - vs demons popping up on graveyards occasionally - tis AtS all the way, which used to have demon fight clubs, demon run casinos, demon-starring shows in Vegas and demon 'massage parlors' - for the lack of better acronym. Lets see if DH can take at least some advantage from adapting AtS atmosphere.

dorotea | July 12, 10:55 CET

I have my copy of Buffy S9 # 11,"Guarded Part I of II."

First I should say that in season 7 I was indifferent to Kennedy.Didn't like her,didn't not like her.I had no real opinion on the character.She was just there.Season 8 moved me to full like category.And this issue continues that.It was interesting seeing Kennedy again post Willow and what she was up to.

The whole bodyguard angle is actually a idea that I can see making sense for slayers and it will be interesting to see how Buffy fits into this especially in the new role of follower(and following Kennedy specfically).This issue already shows that is not a role she is comfortable in and I doubt this is a job she'll still have by the end of the arc.Still,I think it's great that Kennedy is giving her a shot.

As the summaries suggested,this issue is more setup.

It was also good to see Elder Koh re-enter the story and I liked the interaction with Buffy and the way he pressed her buttons on her new job.As for the demon responsible for his imprisoment.I've seen speculation about Illyria and I could buy that as a good way to bring her into the story.It would also be a good way for Spike to re-enter the story when he returns to this title later in the season.As Buffy already pointed out,he has already developed a bromance with Koh and would put him in a tough spot if Illyria was the demon Koh wants revenge on given his obvious past relationship with Illyria and friendship with Fred.

Also really liked Dowling in this issue.I really do like the idea of a special task force of the police to handle zompires and other supernatural threats and being trained to handle them.

This is probably a pipe dream but like I said in my thoughts on Angel & Faith # 11 two weeks ago, I really think this would be a great way to bring Kate back in the story.We know she's back with the police and she was already experienced with vampires and demons so I think she would be a perfect person for this task force and perfect way to bring her into Buffy much like Wolfram & Hart.Speaking of....

Oh man,I love this.This time last year at last years SDCC in fact,Joss said they would get crazy with the crossovers in year two of season 9 and he wasn't kidding.Buffy taking on Angel's number 1 baddies is very exciting and in my mind what getting crazy with the crossovers means.Yes i want to see Buffy and Angel interact again and I'm already enjoying Willow's crossover in Angel & Faith but to me,getting crazy with the crossovers means doing crossovers never done on the shows.In some cases that never could be done on the shows due to real world reasons and such.

Buffy vs Wolfram & Hart falls right in those lines(as does Illyria appearing in Buffy or my idea of Kate joining the police task force in Buffy).This is such a exciting idea to me and the cliffhanger end has me salivating over next issue and Buffy's reaction to dealing with Angel's number 1 foes from his time in L.A.This is the most excited I've been over the Buffy side of season 9 at all so far.The only thing possibly more exciting to me would be if Connor crossed over to Buffy.It sounds like Wolfram & Hart is where we left them at the end of After The land/or the IDW Spike miniseries depending on your canon barometer.I think either or both work for where canon is at on them.

The issue itself was okay.Not very exciting but some interesting and great setup for the rest of the arc.

Buffyfantic | July 12, 12:34 CET

I'm just so psyched that Wolfram & Hart and Buffy are gonna cross paths (one hopes)! That is so, stinking epic.

Can Illyria be far behind?

Jonnathan | July 13, 13:22 CET

I hope the Wolfram & Hart angle gets interesting, because the slaying vs. job thing has already been beaten to death. And raised and beaten some more. Anyone placing bets on Buffy still working as a bodyguard beyond the next issue? Are we then going to be subjected to the next job Buffy can't keep because she's the Slayer? Bored now.

BringItOn5x5 | July 21, 04:53 CET

I really liked this new issue.

I understand that a lot of you feel that it is moving away from the show, but I think it is an important journey for Buffy to take.

And remember that this is only about the half-way point. There's nothing stopping the whole gang coming back together before the end.

kantgitrite101 | July 26, 05:51 CET

My waaaaay late review of this issue is now up on my BLOG. Comments and criticisms are always accepted and appreciated.

wenxina | July 29, 15:25 CET