Boom! Studios’ Willow is a five-issue limited series set in the Buffyverse. The story follows Willow as she leaves Sunnydale after the events of Hellmouth.

In the fifth and final issue, the evil forces behind the town of Abhainn think they’ve figured out how to defeat Willow. But Willow’s survived Sunnydale, the Hellmouth AND high school – so her new enemies are in for the fight of their lives!

Willow #5 main cover art, featuring Willow surrounded by thorny plants

Need to catch up? Check out our reviews of the rest of the series here.

(Note: the following review contains some plot spoilers!)

Willow #5 Review

Willow #5 is the perfect culmination to the series. 

Really, it gives you everything you want: both epic magic and emotional resolution.

Willow goes head-to-head in a magical battle with Aelara and the witches of Abhainn. She reveals she’s not just been taking a relaxing vacation while in town. No, she’s been carefully studying magic and learning from her fellow witches. And now she’s using what she’s learned against them.

It’s the display I’d been waiting for! I loved seeing Willow use her powers so confidently. 

(Really, my only complaint is I wish the Willow limited series had been a bit longer. I would have liked a whole issue or two that focused just on all the fun magic and witchy bonding Willow got up to in Abhainn. Instead, she just makes reference to these events we didn’t get to see in issue 5.)

But Willow doesn’t actually want to harm her fellow witches with her magic. She just doesn’t want her freedom taken away. Ultimately, what these women have to do is talk it out. Aelara doesn’t want to hurt Willow either – she’s just afraid. Afraid of some impending supernatural battle where the witches will need all the power they can get to survive. 

And Willow gets that. She’s been through her fair share of supernatural battles and end-of-the-world events. With the wisdom of someone who’s been there, Willow reminds Aelara that power only matters when you’re fighting for something worthwhile. When they finally part ways, it’s with a deeper understanding of both magic and themselves.

Willow #5 ends with Willow in a completely different place mentally and emotionally than where she started. You get the sense that she’s really found herself again. She leaves Abhainn feeling more confident in her abilities and just generally more content with life. In short, it’s a beautiful, uplifting arc.

Willow and the Buffyverse

I also love that the Willow series works so well in tandem with the Buffy comics. The series can be read completely as a standalone for Willow fans, but it also easily slots into the overall Buffy lore. 

Willow’s journey to Abhainn starts after the events of Hellmouth. That arc is a good emotional setup for the events taking place in Willow, but you can still get everything you need to know directly from these pages. 

Similarly, Willow #5 ends with Aelara warning of impending doom. Some big supernatural battle lurks on the horizon. No doubt this showdown will prove important to the Slayer down the line. (As will Willow’s promise to align herself with Aelara’s witches in said battle. If I had to guess, I’d say this is somehow going to put her at odds with Buffy.)

Overall, the Willow limited series is definitely worth a read. Pick up your copies from Boom! Studios today! Willow #5, the final issue in the limited series, is available now.