Willow has found someone she’s been missing since Earth was cut off from other realms. But her ultimate quest to restore Earth’s magic is flailing . . . Her search is pulling her one way, her companion another, and a newly encountered society of witches has a completely different idea for the future of Willow.
* Anything could happen to this fan-favorite witch!
* Check out the first chapter of this fan favorite in the Buffyverse Sampler.
Well since there hasn’t been any advanced review so far (surprised!!!) I will try not to spoil much, and only talk about the issue properly in the comments when it will be out.
So, we find Willow trying to open the portal back, the one that connected her for a few moments with Earth in the previous issue. It’s a hard lesson that Willow must learn. No matter your power, you can’t always have it the way you want. And Willow is fully charged in this new world, with the aid of other powerful witches, plus the scythe, but still there is almost nothing she can do.
But Willow is not alone anymore. She has her friends. And when I say friends I mean the convent. And they promise to help her as long as she wants to. And this dimension is full of surprises and full of new wonders to discover, to taste, to see, to find out. Temptations, that is how I call them. And the other witches are willing to show them to Willow. So does her snake lover.
Will she be able to resist to those temptations? Will she be able to stay focused to her purpose? Will she be able to remember her friends? She certainly realises that is was her that missed and wanted the power back, than the world needs magic to survive. She realises what lied inside her heart, and that was the magic. Well, it seems that the help is coming from the least expected “person”. And maybe that person will be able to help her remember and stay focused to her cause.
It is a story like I said about temptations. About friends who are in need Vs new friends who are willing to do anything for us to help us. A story about what is the meaning of our journey, and the miracles we may find in our way. The new people we get to know, the old lovers we lost, and the family we left behind. And a story of trust. Who do you trust? Who can you trust?
I liked the issue after reading it for the second time, when I started thinking about its meanings and hidden messages. I can’t say if the writers have Willow’s voice, it seems to me that they do. But I am not a native english speaker and Willow hasn’t been in my list of favorite characters so I wasn’t paying that much attention to her words in the show. The art is consistent comparing to the previous 2 issues. Not my favorite kind of art, but it hasn’t changed. And the characters are recognizable, plus some panels that I really loved. I will review the art in one of the following days.
It was a lovely issue. Take my advice and read it. And please, be my guest and comment, s’il vous plaît!
Georgia
Light_Watcher 
I have mixed feelings about the issue.
1) Willow’s voice.
“I’m the greatest witch of my age!” Can you imagine TV-Willow saying something like that? I mean, when she’s not in the Dark!Willow mode?
In the end of the issue it looks like she was drugged by magic, so maybe it’s supposed to sound un-Willow-like.
2) The plot. It’s basically a rehash of season 8 “Twilight” arc with Willow, instead of Buffy, drugged with magic instead of glowhypnol. The only difference is that Buffy doesn’t need an outside force to remind her about her friends in danger.
3) The art. Liked it, especially the panels where Willow flies naked (another “Twilight” reference?) Could we, please, always have Xander drawn like this? 🙂 We don’t have Spike and Faith among “people who need Willow’s help” – apparently Dawn needs it more. Interesting.
1. I could hear her saying that in S6. In S7 she lost her confidence, but in S8 she was all way not only back, but more powerful that ever and than anyone.
2. You can also say that about the Spike mini. And the Buffy S9.
I think that maybe the word “temptations” so far describes the season.
3.Xander looks like Spike with brown hair and a missing eye.
I’m really struggling with the art in this miniseries. Some aspects I really like but Willow’s face and the size of her mouth are so variable it is a little on the creepy in some panels. Anyhooo….
As a middle issue I expected it to be weak and it was for me. My excitement over the last issue centred around the portal view so once we were firmly back in Wonderland I was a bit ‘bored now’ to be honest. I struggle with the troweled on hippie-esque dialogue throughout and find it makes the whole thing really clunky and the text staccatos constantly for me. I’m sure this mini will have significance to the overall S9 so I will stick with it but I don’t see any real character development so far and the visuals and text are just not working for me on balance. I would expect most out of the fourth issue for drama build up though so I may be more gushy about next month’s.
Now I feel like a right Grinch. 😀
I think I liked this issue better than the previous one, and certainly more than the 1st. It had to do with showing us what that world offers amd the monsters I think.
I can get used to this art for a mini or for a relief. Not in a main book though. Maybe once I get used to it more I’ll change my mind, I don’t know.
BTW, I got a reply from Christos, it’s Xander, Buffy (we knew that), Dawn and Angel in Willow’s dream.
Thanks, I asked Jeff but didn’t get a reply. A very odd looking Angel then, but it certainly does make more sense from Willow’s pov.
I liked art, too. Willow was even pretty. Leyki, Willow wasn’t my favorite character either, but still, I also think they the writers manage to voice her very well. IMO she sounds like Willow.
When Willow realizes that she is the one who wants magic back , I thought – ” Tell me about ” I always knew that she wants magic for herself. Because of herself. We see that the world can go on without magic, only Willow can’t.
I find her making out with snake witch very gross actually, Ewww. IMO it is OOC. On screen Willow never do it.
What do you think ? What was the point of this issue – all is lie ? The magic never will come back in the world ? Does Willow be able to move on without magic ?
The last – I said it in BF – but don’t you think that this Marrak looks a little like Giles ??? / in the eyes /.
I am afraid she does more than just making out with the snake lady 😆
The rest of that dimension seemed to much of chaotic, compared to the witches’ paradise. Maybe it is all an illusion, IDK.
I don’t think Marrak looks like Giles at all.
[…] (official term, there) for this issue, but Willow: Wonderland #3 still got positive reviews from Light_Watcher and Comics […]