Hellmouth #1 // Review
Boom! Studios’ recently rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel titles have been building toward a crossover for a while. How could they not, since the original incarnations of these properties as TV series were so connected? That crossover finally begins with the one-shot, Hellmouth #1.
The story picks up after the events of the most recent issue of Buffy, with Buffy, Angel, and Xander dealing with the fallout of Drusilla’s awakening of the titular Hellmouth under Sunnydale High. Angel and Buffy work to find the disturbance, while Giles tries to recruit another ally elsewhere. Drusilla’s plans seem to be coming to fruition, but all might not be what it seems.
Regular Buffy writer Jordie Bellaire is joined by Jeremy Lambert for this one-shot, which mostly feels like just another issue of the main Buffy series. The dialogue between Buffy and Angel has Whedonesque wit appropriately, and pieces necessarily move around the board to continue the story. Still, nothing much elevates this to justify it being its own title.
The art by Eleonora Carlini (with coloring by Chris Peter and lettering by Ed Dukeshire) is a step up from the regular Buffy title, however. Her layouts and faces are both extremely dynamic, and her little monsters are appropriately alien and grotesque. Peter’s coloring, particularly when the Hellmouth explodes, is an excellent complement to Carlini’s work.
Hellmouth #1 is a compelling enough continuation of the story that’s been ongoing in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. It’s great to see the first official meeting of Buffy and Angel in the rebooted world of these titles.
