The second issue of the new comic series penned by Joss Whedon still feels like the opening act of a new episode. The first issue had the same sense, which is understandable, as that issue had to re-establish the cast and characters after almost four years of hiatus. Issue Two is still establishing. I hasten to add, this isn't a bad thing. Whedon has said that, although the comic is going to function as a canonical eighth season, by its nature the storylines will have to be drawn differently, functioning as a series of arcs rather than one overriding storyline for the "season" filled with "episodes." This is more in tune with traditional comics format, but may end up a harder sell to readers who are coming in from the television series.

The good: more of the Scoobies have come into place. Whedon's greatest achievements have always been his characters, and getting to see Giles and Willow again was -- though it's trite to say so -- like revisiting old friends. Andrew (drawn almost unrecognizably off-model) was a delight as well, and serves as my personal favorite reminder that, yes, Joss knows his fanbase and we are geeky.

It's also nice that the new team continues to have a brain and use it to their collective advantage, namely: "You really think we let Buffy sleep without mystical protection?" I'm loving the whole concept of the Slayers as a group of intelligent women led by people who are not stupid. I liked the dream sequence, too, and for once, didn't peg it for such until things got seriously creepy.

The bad: Amy is not the lamest villain ever used in the series, but she's close. I'm really hoping that after one very brief mystical scuffle with Willow, she'll go away and let the real Big Bad start taking focus. The government presence as the Big Bad is still lagging, though the scar link holds potential. Dawn's enormous presence in this issue didn't seem to cover any additional character ground from the last issue, save to tantalize anyone wanting to see a giant naked teenager covered in bubbles; for a series limited so severely by length and format, it seemed a waste of a page that could have been spent on advancing the story. (If it turns out that was exactly what was going on in hindsight, I'll happily withdraw the statement.)

Overall, the second issue of the series is still regaining ground lost since the show ended. There's a couple of fights brewing in the next issue, and that might pick up the pace a little. I'll give the series a few more months to get on its feet before saying it's better to wait for the trades; next month may very well make all the treading water worth it.