Buffy #22 The Blood of Carthage: Part II

Written by: Christopher Golden
Pencilled by: Cliff Richards & Chynna Clugston-Major
Inked by: Joe Pimentel & Chynna Clugston-Major
Cover by: Jeff Matsuda

The demons are gathering. Once more, Sunnydale is playing host to a congregation of the undead, and it's up to Buffy and her gang to find out why and put a stop to it. This issue continues the Blood of Carthage story line, and brings Buffy one step closer to discovering the secrets of Vraka, Xerxes the Blind, and the rest of the demon hordes. If she's lucky, she'll also get her term paper done!

Olwen says:
    Art: 4.5/5 ~ Very good. The carnival is full of nifty little background pieces like a child winning a Chucky doll, the flashback to Willow and Xander's childhood is wonderfully drawn (and very chilling), and the characters are quite recognizable.
    Cover: 4.5/5 ~ Neat! I really liked the use of color and imagery: creepy critters hiding in the shadows of our heroes!
    Story: 5/5 ~ The Blood of Carthage storyline really kicks off here, and with the introduction of Spike, Anya, and Lucy (ghost of a past slayer) it should feel crowded... but it never does. Golden balances all the guys neatly, each having a moment to shine. Buffy having doubts about staying in college is right in line with the theme of 'The Freshman' and is well handled.
 

Buffy #23 The Blood of Carthage: Part III

Written by: Christopher Golden
Pencilled by: Cliff Richards & Paul Lee & Brian Horton
Inked by: Joe Pimentel & Paul Lee & Brian Horton
Cover by: Jeff Matsuda & Jon Sibal

Who are the Blood of Carthage, and what is their relationship to the demon Vraka? Buffy will find out as she confronts them for the first time. We also discover how Spike is connected to this shadowy group. And Buffy may decide to leave college forever! Buffy fans cannot miss this issue!

Olwen says:
    Art: 4.5/5 ~ Richards grows on me more and more. The panels are simple, but that works fine, and there are lots of neat background details that really add to the realism of the story. Good use of color to denote night verses day scenes.
    Cover: 4/5 ~ Straightforward, done in a similar style to the previous one, and with the same color combination, but with simpler lines.
    Story: 5/5 ~ Great characterization, sharp quips and comebacks, tense battle scenes, all add up to another great issue. Buffy's angst over killing the wrong monster leads her to give up on college, and focus completely on the Slayer side of life, and that's never good. Spike's involved as well, though on which side is hard to say just yet...
 

Buffy #24 The Blood of Carthage: Part IV

Written by: Christopher Golden
Pencilled by: Cliff Richards & Paul Lee & Brian Horton
Inked by: Joe Pimentel & Paul Lee & Brian Horton
Cover by: Jeff Matsuda & Jon Sibal

In this penultimate issue of "The Blood of Carthage," the unthinkable occurs. With the rise of the demon Ky-Laag imminent, Buffy and the Scooby Gang must form an unholy alliance with the Blood of Carthage -- a mysterious cult of demons -- to prevent Ky-Laag from devastating Sunnydale and perhaps the world! And why would the Blood of Carthage want to stop a demon from rising? And for that matter, why would vampire creep Spike want to play peacemaker between Buffy and the demon Vraka?