Type of bind: Comic
Label: Dark Horse
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
Printing Date: 2007
Publishing house: Dark Horse
Sale Popularity Level: 617929
Studio: Dark Horse
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Rated by buyers 
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First off, if you pick up "Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season Eight" #9 because of Jo Chen's cover art showing a nude Faith burning a fancy dress, be aware than their is neither a nude scene nor a dress burning in this comic book. You will see Faith wearing a Hot Stuff the Little Devil t-shirt, which is both a nice pop culture blast from the past for those who remember the Harvey comic book and an appropriate metaphor for Faith as the second second Slayer. However, if you want to know the inspiration of Georges Jeanty's alternative cover for this issue, then just pay attention to what Giles says on page 22 (of 24) in this story. Now, back to the comic book itself.
Issue #9 has the fourth and final part of "No Future For You," which is scripted by guest writer Brian K. Vaughan, with pencils by Jeanty, and inks by Andy Owens (Joss Whedon receives an executive producer credit for this issue of the faux season of the "BtVS" television series). In the brave new world of almost two thousand Slayers that now exists, Faith is still getting the worst jobs, such as being sent in to a nest to dust a bunch of kids who have been turned into vampires by their mother. Giles comes up with a mission that could be the last one for Faith, requiring her to assassinate Lady Genevieve, a rogue Slayer who wants to take Buffy's crown as queen of the slayers. Giles has Faith do the whole "My Fair Lady" bit, so she can pass as an English aristocrat, get into to Lady Genevieve's 19th birthday party, and kill the birthday girl. Of course, that is not what happens. In the previous issue, Genevieve's warlock Roden uses magic to bring Buffy to England and the big fight ensues. Buffy defeats Genevieve but is about to be attacked by Roden when Faith jumps into the fray and we are into yet another rematch. Faith almost drowns Buffy but stops herself in time. Willow transports Buffy back home and now it is time for Genevieve and Faith to fight to the death.
The one thing we know is that in the Buffyverse if they say there is going to be a duel to the death between two Slayers one of the Slayers is going to be dead by the final page. Both Slayers have issues and an irrepressible need to discuss them while pummeling each other. The talking is actually better than the fighting (I liked Faith's advice on what to do when you are sick of bad dreams), especially when we get a bit of a Ripper revival. There are also some interesting long-term implications for several characters based on what happens in this issue, which goes well beyond Faith herself. The final couple of pages do not appear to set up the subsequent story (with cover art of Buffy holding onto Willow as she flies over a town), but provide ample evidence for rethinking who the Big Bad is going to be for Season 8.
Vaughn did a good job of scripting this story arc, with plenty of pop culture references and some nice character insights, but of course I am eager for Whedon to come back and write every single word of these comic books. I like the resolution here regarding Faith's character more than I did the set up, but now I am reconsidering the set up in terms of the resolution and looking at it in a different light. Jeanty's artwork is really starting to hit stride with these characters and I see noticeable improvement from the very first issue (or else familiarity breeds consent). The net result is not a great Faith story, which is sort of what we were promised here, but a pretty good one all things considered. That viewpoint pretty much sums up my feelings towards this comic book now that we are three-quarters through the very first year: I know it is going to be pretty good, so when are we going to get to the really great stuff?
Rated by buyers 
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This issue had a lot riding on it. As it is the climax of "No Future For You," it had to be more intense, more poignant, and overall better than the very first three issues of this arc. It also had to live up to Issue #4, the issue that ended "The Long Way Home" arc. This issue, despite how good the other three were, is the last statement that this arc is going to make, so it had to be the most powerful. Does it deliver?
Yeah, it does. Starting with a flashback to her days with the Mayor (who voice Vaughan nails), this issue makes a poignant parallel between his (the Mayor's) relationship with Faith and Roden's relationship with Gigi. What I like about this part of the issue is that Faith is shown to have recognized that the Mayor was wrong--and, yes, evil--but the relationship is never portrayed as anything but genuine. This sharply contrasts with Roden's relationship with his evil slayer, but Faith still relates to Gigi despite her mentor's true feelings about her. What it all comes down to here, though, is the unavoidable fight between the two rogue slayers. It's an emotional and bloody battle that Vaughan handles carefully, giving the characters some great one-liners, a few teary moments, and some really cool combat scenes (especially when Roden comes into the picture).
While this plot comes to a startling finish, things are just starling to boil over back at Buffy's place. Her anger at Giles (shown in the last issues) for not informing her about the mission comes to a head here, spawning surprising results. This issue seems to focus on both endings and new beginnings, opening the door for many, many stories in the future. And, like the slightly inferior Issue #4, this arc closes with a bang: The Big Bad is revealed. His short little exchange with a minion of his "Lieutenant Molter" changes everything we knew about this arc. His motives put a new, disturbing spin on the events of the Faith vs. Gigi fight, and it is shown that there is a traitor within Buffy's ranks. Oh, and for everyone complaining that Joss is taking to long to give us answers to the mysteries in the very first arc, one of the biggest questions gets answered in this issue: "Who is the person floating in Issue #1?"
Brian K. Vaughan did a wonderful job on both this issue and the entire arc. Introducing the theme of how slayers relate to their surrogate "watchers" (Faith to the Mayor, Gigi to Roden, Buffy to Giles) into this issue, he ends this issue with real emotional resonance. The ramificatons of "No Future For You" will change the Buffyverse forever, and I can't wait to see what follows.
9/10
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