The Buffy Comic Project: "Love Sick Blues"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 13

Dark Horse (Volume 1, 1998-2003)

Creators: Andi Watson (writer), Cliff Richards (penciller), Joe Pimentel (inker)

Setting: Season Three

T.V. Character Appearances: Buffy, Oz, Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Giles, Angel

Major Original Characters: Selke (vampire), Dr. Flitter (Selke's aide), Rouleau (demon gangster), Lyle (nerdy student)

Summary: The big Quiz Bowl is coming up, and Willow and her nerdy partner Lyle are ready to take it by storm. Unfortunately, a certain Selke just happens to pick Lyle for her next snack and now the Sunnydale High Quiz Bowl Team is minus one nerd. Cordelia decides this is her chance to finally shed her brainless bimbo image, and steals one of Giles' mystical amulets designed to increase memorization. It works like a charm (see what I did there?), but then information-overload sets in and Cordy goes berserk-y. Fortunately, Willow manages to salvage the competition and brings home the trophy for Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Selke kills the demon gangster Rouleau in order to get some new henchmen, and then she gets her groove on at the Bronze. I would say she's a little old to be hanging out at a high school club, but then I don't imagine there's a lot of options in Sunnydale.

Review: The Quiz Bowl stuff was goofy fun, though I can't quite see Cordelia suddenly deciding she needs to prove herself in something she should think is incredibly geeky. The Selke subplot continues to very slowly inch forward. I think it's laudable to try to combine a story resolved in each issue (for the casual news-stand fans) with an over-arching story to keep readers coming back (for the diehard Buffy/comic shop fans), but I'm not convinced it's really working.

Notes

* The inside front cover includes "Apologies to MARVIN MARIANO, who drew backgrounds in issue twelve, but was not properly credited."

* Next ish promises Spike & Drusilla! One time I dressed up as classic Spike for Halloween and ended up vomiting in a churchyard. Good times.

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