Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #5
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Natacha Bastos
Colorist: Eleonora Bruno
Letterer: Jodi Wynne
Reviewer:Â Tony Farina
Summary
The evil forces behind the town of Abhainn think they’ve figured out how to defeat Willow.
But Willow’s survived Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, AND high school – so her new enemies are in for the fight of their lives!
Positives
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #5 wraps up a satisfying series written by arguably one of the best comic writers in the business, Mariko Tamaki. I love her take on everyone’s favorite witch. She has crawled around inside her head and gets her. I am so glad she got to go out into the world and do things on her own. She is a great character who deserved her time in the sun. Of course, we are also thrilled she is going back to Sunnydale too. I mean, we have to have her.
Bustos was just the most perfect artist for this series as well. Willow is magic and she requires an artist who can capture that feeling. The otherworldly setting for this series never felt so far out of reach in Bustos’ hands, but it never really felt quite right either. She always kept the right amount of spooky and welcoming in Abhainn. You wanted to go, but you didn’t really. It was a tough needle to thread, but it worked. Bruno’s colors rounded the whole thing out. It was just a great time done by great artists.
Negatives
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #5 does not have a ton of weaknesses. The pacing was not perfect, but a five issue mini-series is a strange number. Overall, this is a satisfying way for things to end for Willow, and if anyone deserves a sort of happy ending, it’s her.
Verdict
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #5 brings this mini-series to an end. It has been pretty satisfying, but due to the pandemic, it has been told out of order. Willow has already returned in the main continuity and that lowers the stakes of this book. Tamaki is a great writer and if Jordie ever were to leave the main series (which I hope she never does), Tamaki would be a great fit. If you missed this one, definitely pick up the trade next month. It’s a great time.
