Comic Issue
"A Beautiful Sunset"
Publication date	February 6, 2008
Pages	22
Series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #11
previous "Anywhere But Here"	next "Wolves at the Gate, Part One"
Creative Team
Published by	Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s)	Joss Whedon
Penciller(s)	Georges Jeanty
Editor(s)	Scott Allie
Cover artist(s)	Jon Foster Georges Jeanty
Inker(s)	Andy Owens
Colorist(s)	Michelle Madsen
Letterer(s)	Richard Starkings & ComiCraft's Jimmy Betancourt

"A Beautiful Sunset" was the eleventh issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series, which was part of the Season Eight meta-series.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Continuity 3 Appearances 3.1 Individuals 3.2 Organizations and Titles 3.3 Species 3.4 Events 3.5 Locations 3.6 Weapons and Objects 4 Body Count 5 Behind the Scenes 5.1 Trivia 5.2 Collections 5.3 Pop Culture References 6 Quotes 7 References

Synopsis

Buffy reflected on her long history of being a Slayer and awakening the thousands of other girls around the world. In flashbacks of her narrative it was clear that each battle the Scoobies and the others had fought came with sacrifice, but in a way, came with connection as well. Buffy admitted that while it could be a bother sacrificing her life as well as others, it had always been done for the better. She had grown, she had moved on to the better and potential she always knew that she could live up to. Next, Xander and Buffy discussed a major problem: Simone Doffler, the punk, pink-haired Slayer from Rona's Chicago squad. Xander told Buffy that they tried to remove Simone from her rough, urban environment, but saw her on a security tape stealing ammunition and other things in a robbery, the unconscious bodies of two guards were also found in the tapes. Buffy felt worried that she was not making a big change in the Slayer community and felt that what the government and everyone else thought was true, she was not making the difference she said she was making. Xander comforted her and reassured her that things were going to be allright. The two then reflected on the revelation that Buffy stole from a bank in Switzerland to support her and the Slayer army and how she and Willow were having complex issues. Xander suggested that she ease her worries by going on a vampire hunt; Buffy decided to bring a "date" namely Satsu.

While the other Slayers and giant Dawn were celebrating at a huge party to ease their recent stresses, Buffy geared up to go on her vampire hunt. Satsu followed and Buffy forced her into the vampire lair. While the two were slaying, Buffy discussed how she knew that it had been Satsu who gave her the kiss of true love in to save her from Amy's curse and while Buffy appreciated the gesture as kind and sweet, she wasn't interested in Satsu in a romantic way. Buffy told Satsu of her romantic history and how all of her relationships, be it romantic, family, or friends, ended badly. Buffy stated that there was something wrong with her, that everyone noticed that something around her was wrong, that she could never really love, and like all Slayers, would be alone. She broke down in tears but the moment was interrupted with a crash from the malevolent Twilight. Satsu was knocked out, while Buffy and Twilight had a brawl in the air. Twilight bested Buffy in battle with moved she had never witnessed and took her fear of flight to a whole new level by flying her all around Scotland. When he was about to throw a roof at her, Buffy told him that killing her would only bring more Slayers to the call, that there would only be more to deal with. It was revealed that Twilight did not want to kill Buffy ... yet. He wanted to talk to her. He revealed that one Slayer in the world was enough to deal with, thousands was not tolerated. He replied that the world could not contain them and it would eventually suffer. Twilight further fed Buffy's insecurities by stating the obvious, that they had not changed the world, they had not helped it. He flew off before the rising of the Sun, while Buffy rushed back to the graveyard that Satsu and her were in to help Satsu. While Satsu felt she had failed Buffy, Buffy comforted her.

In an unknown base, Twilight told his comrades that to truly defeat the Slayer, one had to strip her of her greatest armor, her moral certainty. They had to twist her view of right and wrong, or twist the view of the ones she helped. Back in Scotland, in an infirmary, a bedridden and bandaged Satsu expressed her disappointment to a bandaged Buffy. Satsu understood Buffy's view on love and asked if she was hurt, Buffy stated that she would eventually heal, that together they would heal. Buffy talked to Xander of her confrontation with Twilight and how he was stronger than anything she had encountered so far. She expressed the fears that Twilight released in her, that she wasn't making a difference. Buffy felt that she wasn't making a difference, that the girls she had awoken weren't and that she didn't have any connection with them. Xander assured her that Buffy awakened confidence and purpose that the girls never had before. Buffy joked that Xander should just ask Renee out already, while Xander joked that she shouldn't state the obvious and that she shouldn't change the subject. He assured Buffy that what she created was more than a monster-fighting army, it was a connected state. Buffy still felt she had no connection amongst the girls. Xander replied that it was not her that was supposed to, that the person who brought all of it together gave up her connection so that the others would feel it, so that the other chosen girls could feel like they had a place to fit in, a place where they belonged. Buffy agreed, and saw that what she truly did...was all for the better.

Continuity

The events took place after "Anywhere But Here", but before "Wolves at the Gate, Part One".

• Twilight references Buffy killing Caleb using the scythe by slicing him in two from the crotch up.^[1] This is an early clue to his identity.
• The mud on Satsu's face mirrors the sequence in "Restless" in which Buffy spreads mud across her face during a dream.

Appearances

Individuals

• Buffy Summers (Also in flashbacks)
• Unidentified Slayer (Only in flashbacks)
• Willow Rosenberg (Only in flashbacks)
• Vi (Only in flashbacks)
• Rona (Only in flashbacks)
• Satsu (Also in flashbacks)
• Caleb (Only in flashbacks)
• Simone Doffler (Only in flashbacks)
• Xander Harris
• Andrew Wells (Only mentioned)
• Leah
• Rowena
• Dawn Summers
• Renee
• Spike (Only mentioned)
• Riley Finn (Only mentioned)
• Twilight
• Lieutenant Moulter

Organizations and Titles

• Slayer Organization
• Scooby Gang
• Twilight Group
• United States Armed Forces
• Simone Doffler's gang (Only in flashbacks)

Species

• Human
• Slayer
• Vampire
• Giant
• Unidentified demons

Events

Locations

• Scotland, U.K.
• Sunnydale, California, U.S. (Only in flashbacks)

Weapons and Objects

• Scythe
• Katana

Body Count

• two vampires, dusted by Satsu
• a vampire, dusted by Buffy
• a vampire, burned by the sun

Behind the Scenes

Trivia

Collections

• Wolves at the Gate
• Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 2

Pop Culture References

Quotes

“	Buffy Summers: "Once upon a time... I did something good."
- A Beautiful Sunset		”

References

1. ↑ "Chosen"