by Emily Dorsett
Contributing Writer
Trouble for Spike continues when on a quest to forget about his love, Buffy, he falls prey to a woman of questionable intentions. In issue 3 of “Spike: the Dark Side of the Moon,” readers get to see how Spike reacts going down memory lane when he finds himself back on what’s left of Sunnydale. This may come as a shock, but he doesn’t handle it well.
Like the Buffy comics, the creators have a seamless way of blending past with present. Opening in Rome 1953, we come across a post sex, naked and satisfied woman who is about to be, guess what, killed. Ever attempting to be the villain, Spike continues to be the accidental hero. We taken from past to the present with unified drawings of a vamped Spike to modern day casual Spike.
Morgan is introduced into the Buffy mythos as a possible love interest for Spike. Labeled as a succubus (like it’s a bad thing), Morgan befriends Spike in order to acquire any remaining magical shards with plans to open a Hellmouth and return home. In true Joss Whedon form, the strong temptress explains that succubae or, “courtesan demons,” are more than sexual “gratifiers.”
Spike’s sadistic and dark comedic style translates well from the television series to the comic. The graphic novel does put too much emphasis on his edgy British slang, which comes off as forced. As a Spike fan, I like anything he stars in, though, for this series, I am more curious to see where the story goes.
Best Line of Spike Issue 3: “Hellmouths aren’t on every corner like Starbucks, you know?”
