Drusilla does the worst possible thing she could do – she opens the Hellmouth… and Buffy and her gang are in trouble.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 8
Written by Jordie Bellaire
Pencils and Inks by David Lopez
Colors by Raul Angulo

The threat of the Hellmouth has always been the scariest part of being a vampire slayer in Sunnydale. Buried deep below the high school, opening what is essentially the gates of Hell was the goal of most every big bad Buffy faced during the original TV series. It was surely going to become a key factor in the new revamp from BOOM! Studios. I’m just shocked they decided to tackle it so soon.

The latest issue of the new series is the first part of the upcoming “Hellmouth” crossover with ANGEL, and it sets the stage for some serious bad things happening. And if things are going to get worse than this opening chapter, this story is going to be a doozy.

Days before Halloween, Buffy and Xander are watching over her classmates at a Halloween dance while Giles and Jenny Calendar go to a gallery opening presented by Buffy’s mother. In the spirit of the original series, because Joyce is involved, the gallery’s opening becomes a target for Drusilla and Spike.

Giles tries to keep the key to the Hellmouth away from the two vampires, but when they threaten the lives of Joyce, her boyfriend and everyone else at the gallery, Jenny stops them and gives them the key. And Dru uses it to stab Spike, which starts to open the Hellmouth.

The updated versions of both Buffy and Angel have done such a great job adapting the series into the modern age while still keeping the feel of the characters in tact, and it’s such a relief for this fan of the Whedon-verse.