Buffy The Vampire Slayer 1 - Season Eight Begins

I have seen practically each episode of every season at least twice, and never bought a comic book featuring The Chosen one. When I heard that Dark Horse was starting a Buffy series, to be done as "season eight", and with Joss Whedon at the writing helm, it was a dream come true. I missed getting the first release of issue one, but fortunately it was re-released and this Buffy fan got his grubby little hands on a copy. Fantastic issue. Buffy is leading a humongous team of Slayers, divided into several smaller teams, and Xander is now her official right-hand man correlating them all. He's grown, both in stature and confidence, but fortunately doesn't find jokes beneath him. In essence, he is very much the Xander he's always been, only better. And I love his set up where he can keep tabs on all the Slayer teams. Meanwhile, the military is on her ass as they seem to blame Buffy and her "squads" for the gigantic crater in the ground that was once Sunnydale. There are also some scientists investigating underneath said crater, and we find they are not alone. On one of her sweeps, Buffy and her team of Slayers defeat some creatures who have already killed. The Slayers discover a sign on the chest of one of the dead, a symbol which resembles a star, sweep and horizon (a sunset?). Back at the Scottish castle where they headquarter, it appears Buffy's sister Dawn has done the most growing: she is now of gigantic proportions. She and Buffy have a typical sibling relationship, with plenty of hurtful barbs shot back and forth. Feeling ignored and overlooked by her older sister, Dawn has latched onto the missing Willow for support, and this development in turn hurts Buffy. To close out this phenomenal first episode of season eight, the military have an as-yet unseen person in a locked room. The final page reveals this person to be Amy, who holds a power sphere and wears a mischievous look on her face. Now, I have seen each episode of the late television series, but I am not absolutely positive as to who Amy is. I want to say Willow's girlfriend, but didn't she die in the final episode? It's now been a few years ago so my recall on certain things is a little hazy. Anyway, with Joss Whedon writing at least a season's worth of stories, this title looks to be going to phenomenal heights where I am concerned.