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The penultimate part of THE BLOOD OF CARTHAGE sees the Scooby Gang forced into a couple of uneasy alliances. First, Spike gets to trade information he holds on the Blood of Carthage, before the gang and their new ally come to the realisation that they and Vraka both have the same goal. At least when it comes to Ky-Laag...

It's always (well, almost always) good to see Spike and Dru back, even if it's only a fleeting appearance in a flashback which helps fill in the backstory between Spike and the Blood of Carthage.

Then it's back to present day Sunnydale for the Buffy/Vraka stuff, which involves a lot of fighting. Much better are Spike and Xander in the sewers, where the Spikester gets to deliver a few home truths.

Meanwhile, Giles and Willow are in New York for a scene which leads into the Giles one-shot, before it's back to Sunnydale for a bit of magic.

Like the middle episodes of a long DOCTOR WHO story, there's a lot of marking time here. The flashback stuff is interesting, the Spike/Xander exchanges are sure to raise a laugh and the trip to NYC leaves issues to be resolved later. However, it seemed pretty obvious that the spell either wouldn't work or would backfire since this is only the penultimate installment.

The art is okay, and it's easy to tell the difference between the flashback and present day scenes, but it has to be said that Anya looks nothing like Emma Caulfield, even for a strip that doesn't always go in for exact likenesses of the actors involved. BACK TO THE TOP

THE BLOOD OF CARTHAGE, PART IV

Writer: CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN

Pencils: CLIFF RICHARDS
and CHYNNA CLUGGSTON-MAJOR

Inks: JOE PIMENTEL

Cover: JOE MATSUDA


RATING: 5/10


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THE BLOOD OF CARTHAGE, PART V

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THE BLOOD OF CARTHAGE, PART III