Warning: contains spoilers for The Vampire Slayer #3!
The Vampire Slayer - a new comic book series set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer 'Slayerverse' - is giving the franchise's most controversial pairing a chance to start again, as Spike and Buffy will soon meet in this new world.
Spike, born William Pratt, made his debut as a villain in season 2 of the Buffy TV show, becoming an instant hit with fans thanks to the nuanced portrayal by actor James Masters and a long character development that lasted until the very last episode of the show, when he gave his life to save the world. In the process, Spike became a love interest for Buffy in a dark relationship that was one of the show's most compelling and problematic. Set in a new version of the franchise's reality, The Vampire Slayer had yet to introduce Spike into the mix, but with issue 3, he's finally joining the cast.
In The Vampire Slayer #3, by Sarah Gailey, Michael Shelfer, Valentina Pinto, and Ed Dukeshire, Xander Harris is struggling with feelings of rejection both by his friends and by his boyfriend. After being attacked by a monster who feeds on insecurity, Xander is saved by an unusually friendly blond vampire. As soon as Spike hears about Xander's friendship with Buffy, he pretends to be a "good vampire" and old friend of hers, in order to gain the young man's trust and gather information on the Slayer.
Spike is obviously preying on Xander's insecurity to get access to Buffy. In this universe, it doesn't look like William is a Champion (a vampire with a soul) yet, so his intention is probably to kill the Slayer, just like when he made his debut in the TV show. What Spike does not know yet, however, is that Buffy lost all of her Slayer memories and abilities thanks to an ill-conceived spell cast by Willow and Giles, who wanted to take off some of the burden and suffering that their friend's mission was causing. The result is that Willow is now the Slayer, and she is obviously unable to cope with it, while unsuccessfully trying to restore things to normal. How this revelation will change Spike's objectives and his relationship with Buffy remains to be seen.
This version of Spike looks quite unique and interesting. It preserves some of the traits of the original, such as his obsession with the Slayer, but also adds new layers. Rather than being a bloodthirsty savage monster, this Spike is a manipulator who preys on his victims' psychological weaknesses, which makes him similar to Angelus, the vampire who would later be known as Angel. While The Vampire Slayer started with a wildly different outlook compared to the Buffy lore fans are most familiar with, the series has started to introduce familiar characters and situations. It will be interesting to see how this new encounter between Buffy and Spike changes their relationship, especially since the The Vampire Slayer is free to redefine them as enemies and allies in any way it wants.
The Vampire Slayer #3 is available now from Boom! Studios.