[Spoiler Alert: This overview contains key story line information. If you don’t want the story spoiled then take my word: It’s worth the purchase. Otherwise, read on J.]
Talk about a teaser! This issue delves into the past Sunnydale and how it impacted the present world of magic, slayer and supernatural. Starting with the usual suspects (Buffy, Spike, Willow, Giles, Xander and Dawn) we discover that the book of magic (y’know, the one that creates all the rules for magic…the one, when written in, alters reality real time) has been lost. The group is up in arms as to the suspect since Willow placed protection spells on the apartments. Was it an inside job? Who, among them, would benefit most from stealing the book of magic? In the midst of finger pointing Giles realizes someone is missing – someone who, in the past, was not exactly on the lighter side of the fence: Andrew.
Willow realizes that, when laying her protection spells, she accidentally included Andrew in the mix. But what could Andrew want with the book? To make matters worse, the tracking spell on the text shows him returning to Sunnydale: the city that fell into Hellmouth. Determined to stay ahead of disaster: Willow, Spike and Buffy follow the book to it’s location in Sunnydale. Much to their chagrin, the site has become a prime Halloween party spot. As they wade through the crowd Willow is able to locate the book just before Andrew seals it in a briefcase Faraday cage. Struggling to catch up with the devious Andrew, the team is suddenly assaulted by a tentacle clad hell demon (remember my jest about tentacle monsters in these comics? The creators are staying true to style and have moved from a slenderman-esque creature to Cthulu-like monster).
The first encounter is swift as the hell demon realizes he has underestimated the team. Unfortunately, Willow must break away from Buffy and Spike’s search to keep tabs on Andrew. It’s here where the story gets tricky. Willow thinks Andrew is trying to resurrect an old friend but when she arrives at his underground grave (everything that was once Sunnydale is a cavernous heap of rubble far underground) he is not there. She knows that Andrew is trying to resurrect someone – she can sense the magic in the air…but who could it be?
Tracking back to the dynamic duo (Buffy and Spike): they are on the hunt for mini-Cthulu. Only trouble is, when they rediscover him…he’s not so miniature anymore.
True to style, content and the characters themselves this comic really keeps a readers attention. Even though this issue resulted in a cliff hanger I can’t wait until the next Halloween Spooktacular Issue is released – there are sure to be much shenanigans for all the Buffy crew.
