Buffy Season Eight has had it’s ups and downs, and this issue was definitely one of the downs. The story follows an adventure shared by Buffy, who finally returns to a leading role in this issue after a hiatus over the last few months, and Andrew, one of the three nerds that led to such comic delights in seasons 6 and 7 in the television series.

Unfortunately the witty banter that was so well written on the television screen was inane on the comic page. The pages devoted to witty repertoire I found forced, and while normally this series is something to be enjoyed, this time around it seemed more like something I tolerated.

To start their madcap adventure, Andrew and Buffy travel to a forest where they find a towering mass of scaffolding? And in this scaffolding is a slayer who has gone rogue, this slayer is trapped in the pink force-field of a demon that Andrew summoned.. too… uhh. Are you lost? Me to. None of this was prefaced, explained or plotted well.

Just as startling is the end, in which a group of slayers saves Buffy from a group of other slayers, both who used to be under the command of Andrew or… not or something. Then ultimately Buffy tells Andrew he’s part of the family and we should all get a warm fuzzy feeling right?

While I liked the last issue with the killer vampire dolls just for the camp, it seems that Buffy and her gang are treading water with little direction from the production team. Next issue sees a return of Giles and Faith, hopefully this is see a much needed change in direction.

However, Georges’s art was nice as always, and Jo Chen’s covers continue to delight, at the least it was something nice to look at.