Of all the characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, few are as beloved and deeply written as Willow Rosenberg, the bookish, lesbian witch with magnificent powers. After the events of the battle on the Hellmouth, a grief-stricken Willow goes on a globe-trotting quest to regain her sense of self, battling feelings of loss and displacement along the way.
A twist of fate lands her in the beautiful but isolated pastoral town of Abhainn, a paradise of cafes, boutiques, inns and like-minded women. All being witches who welcome her with open arms. One of them, the serene and charismatic Aelara, has taken a liking to her, and after taking Willow under her wing, a strong bond begins to grow between them. However, despite the vegan brownies, bonfires and cozy, fluffy sweaters, Willow senses something sinister in this otherwise ideal community -- and she's not wrong.
Artistically, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow is a marvel. Illustrator Natacha Bustos and colorist Eleonora Bruni have created some of the most beautiful comic pages in the Buffy comic series. The strong line art, organic environments and a cool, romantic color palette create a world as believable as any live-action setting. The comic jumps from Sunnydale to England to the secluded, pastoral New England style community of Abhainn, which looks as fairy tale sweet as it is played up to be. Special mention goes to the costumes in this comic. All of Willow's outfits, with black stockings, mini skirts, boots and, of course, soft and fluffy sweaters, are delightful. Despite being set in contemporary times, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow still pays some visual homage to the original series' 90s roots while still staying true to the comics' own continuity.
Willow's characterization is consistent: shy, awkward, self-deprecating, a bit goofy and spacey and lovable. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow stays true to her quirks, especially her distinctive, rambling speech patterns. The smooth new age life-coach style speech of Abhainn's inhabitants, especially Aelara, makes for a good, stark contrast. Writer Mariko Tamaki's attention to detail here is excellent, perfectly emulating the stylistic quirks of the original series well into the comic continuity.
While there is a lot to love about Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow, and the comic does an excellent job of building up a sense of menace throughout, the payoff at the climax is perhaps something of a letdown. Being that this is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer story, where battles ensue at the drop of a dime, the comic reads as though the climax would be a thrilling fight between good and evil.
Unfortunately, the stakes within the story end up being quite low, the battle short and too easily won, and the antagonist not particularly antagonistic. While there is something to be said about the delicate, nuanced approach toward morality played here, and the message given at the end about choice, the ending feels a bit too tame in comparison to how it was built up.
That being said, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow has a beautiful and powerful message. Despite falling in love with Aelara and feeling safe in the (literal) bubble community of Abhainn, when Willow realizes that her new friends are essentially coercing her to stay with them in safety forever, she declines.
Willow choosing to return to her old life and confront her problems head on rather than live in comfort and isolation forever is a powerful statement. Despite how much pain she endured in the real world, she is strong enough to ultimately find herself and face her problems. And of course, she credits her beloved Scooby Gang -- in particular Xander -- for allowing her the grace to choose to leave them and return at her own free will.
While Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow may not have the payoff it advertised, it certainly has a lot more to offer. Between beautiful art, solid writing, some killer witchy fashion, subtle but excellent morals and plenty of adorable Willow-isms, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow is a worthy addition to the Buffy canon and is worth a closer look.
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