I'd say this issue is a much better effort than previous story arcs in terms of general dialogue, but the humor still tends to fall flat. A forced Heroes/i> reference stuck out as particularly lame. Karl Moline's artwork is also fairly underwhelming. There are some genuinely good close-up panels on display here, but whenever the camera shifts back very far, Moline's figures tend to become comically simplistic and poorly proportioned. Riley #1 is rough around the edges in some ways, and arguably not that necessary in the grand scheme of things. That said, this one-shot is a worthy read for those anxiously awaiting the final arc of Season 8. Read Full Review
Fittingly, this issue mostly concerns how Riley and Samantha act as a couple in service of their country, in loyalty to each other, and as infiltrators of Twilight's misguided regime. Espenson makes sure to parallel his journey with Angel's own, as both are undertaking a ruse for Buffy's sake, or at least that's what they tell themselves. The character is the same man we've come to know and this is a solid issue of entertaining back story for those of us still immersed in season eight as it nears its end. Read Full Review
Still, with this series serving as season eight, this issue feels very much like a deleted scene from the DVD set. Its interesting, it adds a little bit, but is it really essential? No. Read Full Review
In terms of story, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Riley" is a bit dull. Actually, "a bit" is a slight understatement. I think we were all hoping for a little more meat to the story than what we got here. But still, the art is nice, and Espenson's dialogue succeeds where the plot itself fails. As part of a collection of issues, this will come across much better than it does as a singular one-shot. This could have been a lot better, but on the bright side, it also could have been much worse. Read Full Review
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