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The subject of this article is of alternative canonicity. While created as part of licensed material, it is not part of the original Buffyverse, but its own developed story. |
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer #9 is the ninth issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2019) comic book series. Written by Jordie Bellaire and illustrated by David López, it was originally published by Boom! Studios on November 6, 2019.
Synopsis[]
The events of the historic Buffy and Angel event, HELLMOUTH, have left the town of Sunnydale without its Slayer. And since Buffy's missing in action, it’s up to the All-New Scooby Gang of Cordelia, Robin, Willow and Xander to save everyone in town. There's just one problem — the Hellmouth is spreading evil throughout the city, putting everyone under its thrall. As the inhabitants of Sunnydale turn on one another, will the Scooby Gang be enough to save the town from utter chaos and destruction?[1]
Summary[]
In the aftermath of the Hellmouth's opening, Joyce struggles with the trauma of the attack at the Egyptian exhibit and Eric tries to comfort her. Buffy, Joyce believes, is on a mandatory class trip with no cellphone service, and Joyce worries about her.
At Sunnydale High, Cordelia surveys the damage from the Hellmouth, including fissures in the ground and charred schoolbooks. Later, she thinks she catches a glimpse of Spike and is disappointed when it's only a lookalike.
Willow is struggling as well. During school, she pretends to study while secretly pouring over spell books and sketching runes. At home, she meditates with a candle and ignores a text from Rose.
Later, Willow plays a video game while Rose tries to study. When Rose asks for her help, Willow seems uninterested in school. The two begin to argue, Rose implying that Willow hasn't been acting like herself. When Willow says that she thinks the hell-on-earth situation is more important than studying, Rose reveals that she heard about Willow being involved with the events involving Camazotz at the cafe. Willow accuses Rose of being jealous of her friendship with Buffy, and Rose says that Willow has been self-absorbed lately. Willow decides that she wants some space from Rose.
In the library, Xander tells Giles that he hasn't been seeing much of Willow. Giles seems to think that since Buffy has gone into the Hellmouth, Willow should be doing more to help out. When Xander defends her, Giles snaps at him, revealing that along with everything else, Jenny has been avoiding him. Stung by Giles's sudden anger, Xander leaves to prepare for patrol.
At the cemetery, Xander reflects on the state of Sunnydale and Buffy's absence, and a vampire attacks him. Xander reveals his vamp-face, surprising the vampire, who had smelled that Xander is human and wonders what Xander is. He declares that Xander is unfinished and will one day succumb to the demon inside him. As Xander stakes the other vampire, he says that he knows what he is: a monster.
Giles goes to see Jenny, who tells him she doesn't want to see him. Suddenly aggressive, Giles pushes past her into her house. When Jenny accuses him of not acting like himself, Giles insists he has been trying to prove that he loves her. Giles grabs her and says he needs to explain something, but Jenny interrupts to ask if he has a fever. After receiving a glass of water, Giles points out that the changes in Sunnydale are what he was trying to avoid by keeping the dagger from Drusilla. When Jenny presses the issue of being willing to let Joyce die, Giles tells her that sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Jenny asks if he would have been willing to sacrifice her. When Giles struggles for an answer, Jenny tells him to leave. Outside, Giles wonders if everyone has gone mad as he surveys the fissures running through Jenny's yard.
The fissure continues into another house. Inside, a note rests on the table from a mother to her son, urging him to consider going to the school dance. A picture of a sweet-faced teenager hangs on the cracked wall. In a different room, the same boy scrolls through social media, telling himself that "all of 'em are gonna pay for this." He looks at pictures of the burning high school, Cordelia, Buffy, and Sandy with Robin. One of the comments mentions Sandy's disappearance.
A taxi arrives at the Sunnydale bus station. The driver apologizes for the fact that the buses aren't running and asks his passenger if she's sure she wouldn't rather go somewhere less dangerous. The young woman replies that she has a job to start. Before he leaves, the driver tells her to stay away from the creeps. She says she can't wait to meet them.
Robin is relaxing in his bedroom when he hears a noise. After checking to make sure his dad is okay, he returns to his room to find the girl from the bus station already there. She comments that he is a little short for a Watcher.
Continuity[]
- Rose reveals to Willow she has heard about the night the Scooby Gang was formed, in Welcome Back to the Hellmouth, Part Three.
- Giles disagrees with Xander that "no two journeys are the same," the exact advice he gave to Willow in issue #7.
- Giles and Jenny discuss the events in the exhibit opening that lead the Hellmouth's activation, in issue #8.
- Giles's exacerbated anger is eventually explained by the influence of the Hellmother over Sunnydale's men (issues #11–12), as he'll recognize in Hellmouth, Part Five.
- Jenny's cat, Dolly, will have her name first mentioned in issue #16.
- Sandy Noxon, Robin's dancing partner in the Halloween party in issue #8, is now declared missing. In Hellmouth, Part One, she was used as a sacrifice to open the Hellmouth and her body left in the school's basement.
- Kendra arrives in Sunnydale in a taxi; in the TV series, her original counterpart traveled hidden in an airplane cargo hold ("What's My Line? Part One") and left in a taxi after Buffy convinced her she didn't need to travel undercover ("What's My Line? Part Two").
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Jennifer Calendar
- Camazotz (Only mentioned)
- Cordelia Chase
- Dolly
- Drusilla (Only mentioned)
- Eric
- Rupert Giles
- Alexander Harris
- Luke
- Rose Martinez
- Sandy Noxon (Only image)
- Willow Rosenberg
- Spike (Only in visions)
- Buffy Summers (Only image)
- Joyce Summers
- Robin Wood
- Kendra Young
- Cordelia Chase's dog
- Robin Wood's father (Only voice)
- Unidentified taxi driver
- Unidentified vampire
Organizations and titles[]
Species[]
Locations[]
- Sunnydale
- 1630 Revello Drive
- Cemetery
- Gallery
- Hellmouth (Only mentioned)
- Jennifer Calendar's residence
- Martinez residence
- Robin Wood's residence
- Rosenberg residence
- Sunnydale High School
Objects[]
- Dagger of Sekhmet (Only mentioned)
- Soul (Only mentioned)
- Stake
Death count[]
- Unidentified vampire, staked by Xander at the cemetery.
Behind the scenes[]
Production[]
- Ryan Inzana's variant cover is a homage to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Band Candy."
- Goñi Montes's variant cover connect with his own for issues Angel #6 and Hellmouth, Part Two. It has Buffy posing as The Hanged Man tarot card.
Distribution[]
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer #9 was the 130th best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 16,237 sales in November 2019 at comic specialty stores.[2]
Collections[]
Pop culture references[]
- In the subject of art history, Willow mentions sculptor Auguste Rodin and painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Gallery[]
Covers[]
Cover artwork[]
Preview[]
References[]
- ↑ "HELLMOUTH is Coming to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #9". Boom! Studios, July 9, 2019.
- ↑ "Top 500 Comics--November 2019". ICv2, December 9, 2019.