Buffy '97 Shows Why Ironic Horror Took Pop Culture by Storm

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Long before BOOM! Studios decided to continue the continuity with its own rendition of the story, it was always evident just how much Buffy the Vampire Slayer left an imprint on horror within pop culture, and the new one-shot Buffy '97 helps make that fact painfully clear. The year 1997 refers to the year that the first episode of the Emmy-winning first premiered on television screens. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was released at an interesting time as it came out one year removed from the release of Scream, which the Buffy '97 comic book appropriately spins off in a clever crossover variant cover.

Both franchises represent a point in time where horror became more ironic and self-aware of its tropes, outright commenting on them in sharp, snarky dialogue. The chain of releases following Scream and Buffy started a wave of horror where the writing directly reacts to old, tired cliches that were common in the genre, actively trying to subvert expectations in the process. The success of Buffy inspired several to follow in its footsteps, using the same blueprint.

Related: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Pays Tribute to Scream in Genius Mash-Up Art

It's hard not to read Buffy '97 by Jeremy Lambert and Marianna Ignazzi and not reflect on Buffy's impact on 90s pop culture when Buffy '97 is a throwback to 90s pop culture as a whole. As the story sees Buffy and Willow trapped inside a 90s fashion magazine, the one-shot encapsulates all of the vibrant colors and the cheesy (but rad) dialogue that makes that decade so instantly recognizable. To emphasize the tribute for all things '90s related, the one-shot even features its own sitcom montage at the start that would give Friends a run for its money.

The issue embodies that whimsical, colorful