Comic: Giles #3 (Buffy Season 11)

Published By: Dark Horse Comics

Release Date: April 25, 2018

Retail Price: $3.99

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has provided several successful comic seasons, even some spectacularly entertaining spin-offs which has been the case with Joss Whedon’s return for the current Giles mini-series. As a four issue comic run, Giles (spoilers ahead for anyone whose a few seasons behind) has returned to high school as a young student with the molecular makeup of a teen but the mind of his adult self. In a brilliant way to bring the character back with a new spin on things, Joss Whedon quickly reminds us that his strongest examples of storytelling comes from one of his first creations – The Buffyverse.

Initially, it seems as if this is Giles version of BTVS, giving him demons to face in school but in more of a Buffy position than he was before. It allows for modern parallels between the series, while setting up Giles as a character who goes through more in his current lifetime than most could ever experience (skillfully referred to as Benjamin Button.) Being a limited run, we are quickly introduced to Roux, a young mysterious girl that Giles can’t help but be drawn to in one way or another. At first you can’t help but be confused due to their age difference, despite Giles time-warping anti-aging treatment – but this issues gives opportunity to properly introduce Roux in a way that makes their connection more understandable.

Roux opens up about her experiences, revealing herself as a vampire with a long life that easily trumps Giles age. It gives them both an aspect that challenges perceptions – putting two people with extreme maturity in the bodies of younger selves. They may be stuck due to circumstances, but in all honesty it puts them in a position where they both finally feel like they can connect on some intellectual level. Despite very different paths (one human and watcher, one vampire) both are able to attain some closeness that both were currently missing in life. Giles may have the support of his BTVS team, but it doesn’t change the fact that his rebirth impacted the way they treat him to some degree.

This particular issue puts Roux in the spotlight, giving a version of her past that isn’t quite accurate initially – but by the end you have both a better understanding of Roux, but somehow even more questions. Her loyalty is in the same nature as Giles, feeling responsible for a girl that is like a child or younger sibling to the vampire in a way that Giles has felt towards Buffy and the scoobies over the span of the entire series. In this distinct moment that Giles sees Roux’s life as if he were along for the ride and the two now share a bond that leads me to believe things are going to be put to the test in the final issue.

The writing is very Joss – which sounds obvious, but means that the script is magic as we can expect from the brilliant mastermind. Whedon has a way of staying true to the character’s core values and can introduce new characters you become invested in seamlessly (Ex. Roux.) It has been beyond excellent to see Whedon return to penning the comics, which is a great transition into Buffy season 12 that he will additional write for the four issue run beginning in June. With Buffy proving to be a timeless series in both television and comics, I hope that we aren’t heading into the dark ages of a world that’s Buffyless – we always need and want more!

Overall Grade: 8.5/10

Aedan’s Final Thoughts:

– Young Giles is doing his best to handle vampires, demons, high school and adolescence – fitting how that tends to come back full circle isn’t it?

– The Roux x Giles storyline has become interesting to say the least. We still have several questions about what she is, but we are also preparing for a potentially grim finale in that well known Whedony way.