Undercover Empath (Kindred Demon #1) by RaShelle Workman - Ashley's Review

*I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Goodreads

Title: Undercover Empath (Kindred Demon #1)
Author: RaShelle Workman
Publication Date: June 1, 2015

Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old detective Rose Hansen has a secret. She can read a person’s intentions by touching their hands. It’s a curse! A power she never uses if she can help it.

Only one person knows. Her partner Jack.

At least that’s what she believes until a handsome, shirtless stranger appears on her doorstep in small town Blush Valley, California.

He leaves her an envelope, but not before articulating his disappointment in her for ignoring her powers.

The contents send Rose on a path toward the supernatural, solving her parents’ murders, and possibly even saving the world.

Aside from that, Rose and her partner have two important cases they’re working. The first involves a missing child. The other is the death of a stripper. Ruled a murder, a very hot FBI agent from L.A. shows up and is given lead. To make matters worse, he asks her to go undercover.

Her life is a disaster. Rose can’t strip. She doesn’t even own a dress.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Review: When I first heard about this book, RaShelle was pitching it as Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Bones and I knew immediately that I needed this book in my life. Especially since it's one of RaShelle's book, and I haven't been disappointed by one of them yet! It's certainly different from the books in her Blood and Snow world, but it's still a great read from RaShelle. I also love that it is different since it showcases just how diverse RaShelle is!

At first, I was unsure about Rose. She's nineteen years old and already a detective? She graduated high school at 14? I felt like she was going to be this arrogant young woman who gets into things that are way over her head because she's over-confidant and naïve. But honestly, I actually really liked Rose. She's just really smart and an overachiever and she doesn't let it get to her head. I think she's actually harder on herself than she should be and that makes her even more likable because she's very real. Even though this volume is on the shorter side, Rose still goes through quite a bit of character development and I can't wait to see more! 

As far as the men go though, I'm not sure I trust any of them entirely. There's Jack, who seems like he has the best intentions. But it kind of annoyed me how much he calls Rose "babe." Also, if I thought something was wrong with one of my friends and they suddenly stopped responding to my text messages, I'd start calling them until I found out what was going on. Maybe he doesn't want to be the over-bearing ex? But I do have to say that he does look out for her and makes sure that she doesn't end up in bad situations where he can't be there to cover her. I'm also definitely not convinced that Vincent is a good guy either, since we know pretty much nothing about him except his intentions. So far they've been ok, but if he knows (somehow) about Rose's abilities he might be able to play them.

There are two cases going on at the same time, and even though the Deputy Chief tells Rose to only focus on her stripper case, I actually really liked that she's got a soft spot for children and helps Jack out with the missing child case anyway. While I really want to know what happened with BITA and Rose's parents, and not knowing what's going on with the strippers is going to drive me crazy (I NEED to know who the demon is possessing) it was nice to have an open-and-closed case. It really made this book feel like an episode of Buffy - there's a "monster of the week," but there's also something bigger going on that affects the characters and the rest of the plot. RaShelle incorporated both cases very well, and they helped to move things along better than I think just one case would have. 

I have so many questions now, about Rose and her parents and what in the world is going on with the paranormal.supernatural side of things, so I'm really excited about the next installment in this series! I'd definitely recommend Undercover Empath to anyone looking for a new, exciting supernatural/paranormal series, especially if you're a fan of Buffy and/or Bones. I really think this series is going to be just as great as all of RaShelle's other books, and I can't wait for more! 4/5.

--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Last Gleaming (Season 8, #8) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Last Gleaming (Season 8, #8)
Authors: Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty, & Scott Allie
Publication Date: June 1, 2011

Synopsis: The season finale is here! At long last, the Big Bad stands revealed--Angel is back, and it’s tearing the Scoobies apart, testing the limits of their friendship. But Twilight’s unmasking is only the beginning, and Buffy must still face the ultimate betrayal.

Series creator Joss Whedon writes the final story arc of Buffy Season 8, taking  his greatest characters to places only he can! Teamed with series artist Georges Jeanty, Joss reunites the dysfunctional gang of Buffy, Angel, and Spike, in the thick of it together for the first time since Season 3, and gives the Scoobies their gravest challenge ever, defending reality itself from the onslaught of demons. It’s the biggest Buffy finale ever!

* Collecting issues #36-40 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series.

* This volume also includes the spy-thriller Riley one-shot by Buffy series writer Jane Espenson and artist Karl Moline

My The Long Way Home (#1) Review                  My Predators and Prey (#5) Review
My No Future For You (#2) Review                    My Retreat (#6) Review
My Wolves at the Gate (#3) Review                   My Twilight (#7) ReviewMy Time of Your Life (#4) Review

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review: While I've actually enjoyed this season despite its twists and turns and the unexpected Big Bad reveal, I feel like this last volume - the season finale - should have been significantly more coherent and just... better. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it was just all over the place and kind of a mess.

Since the plot has been kind of wacky this whole season, this volume had a pretty large task in store for it in terms of wrapping up all the loose ends. Buffy and Angel have superpowers and are fighting for magic to stay in this world, but there are demons and other beasties trying to make them leave (I think?). The world that was created by Buffy and Angel wants its parents back and is trying to make Angel force Buffy back into the parallel dimension. The Slayers are fighting a losing battle. Faith is under-utilized. The rest of the Scoobies don't trust Angel (with good reason).

Oh, and the Master is back? And so is Spike, which was awesome. Because Spike is Spike and true to the character created in the show. But I don't understand why the Master came back... because this story would have been completely fine without him. Especially because he doesn't stick around very long. I wish there was more of Spike instead of going off on this random thing with the Master (the incident wasn't terribly random, just the Master being a part of it).

I think it's interesting that this volume ended the way that it did - with a major character death, Buffy making a choice and dealing with the consequences, and all that jazz - and I'm glad that Joss was able to tie everything up. I didn't really think it would be possible after all of the little rabbit trails going on this season, but it worked. I enjoyed seeing all the characters back together, and the heart-to-heart between Buffy and Faith. 

I'm excited to see where Season 9 goes, and it seems like it will be more reminiscent of the Sunnydale days. I'm not sure whether this will be a good thing or not, but it sounds like Joss has a clearer picture of where he wants to take Season 9 than he did with Season 9 Especially now that he's gotten used to telling the story in comic book form. I would still recommend this season to fans of the television show, and can't wait to get my hands on Season 9! 3/5.

--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Twilight (Season 8, #7) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Twilight (Season 8, #7)

Authors: Brad Meltzer (Scriptwriter), Joss Whedon (Scriptwriter), Georges Jeanty (Penciller), Karl Moline (Penciller), Andy Owens (Inker), Michelle Madsen (Colorist), Richard Starkings (Letterer), Jimmy Betancourt (Letterer)

Publication Date: October 6, 2010

Synopsis: Buffy Summers and her Slayer army have suffered heavy losses throughout Season Eight and faced scores of threats new and old, but the one mystery connecting it all has been the identity of the Big Bad-Twilight!

In this penultimate volume of Season Eight, New York Times best-selling novelist and comics writer Brad Meltzer (The Book of Lies, Identity Crisis) joins series artist Georges Jeanty in beginning the buildup to the season finale in the story line that finally reveals the identity of Twilight! In the aftermath of the battle with Twilight's army, Buffy has developed a host of new powers, but when will the other shoe drop, and will it be a cute shoe, or an ugly one? Still reeling from the losses of war, Willow goes looking for missing allies, and discovers a horrifying truth about several of the Slayer army's recent ordeals. Adding to the mayhem is the unexpected return of Angel, in his Season Eight debut!

This volume also features two stories from series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon!

* Collects Buffy Season Eight #31 — #35, and the Willow one-shot.

My The Long Way Home (#1) Review                 My Time of Your Life (#4) Review
My No Future For You (#2) Review                    My Predators and Prey (#5) Review
My Wolves at the Gate (#3) Review                   My Retreat (#6) Review

----------------------------------------------

Review: In the aftermath of the battle in Tibet, Buffy suddenly has all of these unexplained powers, Willow is trying to find their missing friends, and Twilight is causing more trouble. Oh, and we finally find out who Twilight actually is!

This was an interesting enough volume, but it did leave me confused and wanting more in the way of plot. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was interesting to see Angel and Buffy reunited and to finally learn what all of this Twilight stuff is about. I did not really care for all of the Buffy/Angel space sex, but I guess maybe it was important to the Twilight mythology? I think it could have been covered in way fewer pages regardless. It was weird and definitely too long. (It's a little difficult for me to write this review because all I can really remember about this volume are the Twilight reveal and the Buffy/Angel space sex.)

I think I was more excited for Spike to come back than I was for Angel to be back. Spike has an awesome steampunk spaceship now! And weird bug minions. And I really enjoyed all the digs back and forth between Spike and Angel - I definitely missed that. I wish there had been more Spike though. 

The dialogue and the artwork in this volume was better, I think, than it has been in the past. There were more pop culture references, more jokes, and better explanations of things. I liked that Giles knew pretty much all along about Twilight. And I enjoyed the fight scene between Faith and Twilight - his taunts make SO much more sense once he's finally revealed. 

Overall, this wasn't one of my favorite volumes of this season. I think there was a lot lacking and a lot that could have been different. I was a little disappointed that Joss didn't take the lead on this script - you'd think he'd want to be in charge of the Big Reveal instead of leaving it to someone else. This volume was ambitious, and I'm not convinced it accomplished everything it set out to do. I'd only give it a 3/5, although there were parts that I did really like.


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Retreat (Season 8, #6) by Jane Espenson - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Retreat (Season 8, #6)
Authors: Jane Espenson (Scriptwriter), Georges Jeanty (Penciller), Andy Owens (Inker), Michelle Madsen (Colorist), Richard Starkings (Letterer), Jimmy Betancourt (Letterer)
Publication Date: March 3, 2010

Synopsis: Buffy Season Eight Volume 6 showcases the first retreat of the Slayer legion. Vampires have solid footing at the top of the totem and Slayers have been crushed to the bottom -- in short, no one likes Buffy anymore . . . least of all this season's mysterious Big Bad, Twilight, who is hot on her magical trail!

Now that it's the world against Slayers, Buffy must find a way to return the status quo to . . . status quo -- and keep her girls alive long enough to do it! Enter Oz, the only person/werewolf Buffy knows who is down with the suppression of magic, and can take the Slayer army off of Twilight's magic-specific radar.

With Oz's assistance, the Slayers and Wiccans try to become "normal" through meditation and hard labor -- although, not everyone sees the advantage of being magicless, namely, Willow, Giles, and Andrew. And they could be right. After all, is a peaceful life for a Slayer even possible?

* Oz appears in Buffy Season Eight!

* Collects issues #26-#30 of the ongoing series.


My The Long Way Home (#1) Review                    My Time of Your Life (#4) Review
My No Future For You (#2) Review                      My Predators and Prey (#5) Review
My Wolves at the Gate (#3) Review

-------------------------------------------------------

Review: I totally did not read the synopsis for this volume before I read it (who needs to do that, it's just more Buffy and the continuation of season 8!), so I had absolutely no idea that Oz was supposed to make an appearance. I was pleasantly surprised and I think it made me enjoy this volume even more! I also really enjoyed that the title, Retreat, is totally a pun. 

Retreat deals with the affects of Twilight making Slayers shunned in society. Vampires are (obviously) the better of the two, and Slayers everywhere are regarded as terrible, vicious, super-strong people who are killing off the innocent vampires. Everything is upside down, and Buffy does what she has to to keep her girls safe. She's also still trying to deal with what she learned about Willow in Time of Your Life, so this retreat is as much to save Willow as it is to save the Slayers.

I really enjoyed that Oz is the one to help the girls learn how to let go of their magic and channel it into the earth and manual labor. It's interesting to see what happens when the girls become human again. Especially Willow. She's been powerful for so long that it's hard for her to adjust to being normal again. I really liked the scenes with Willow and Oz too. Even though Willow isn't interested in Oz romantically anymore, she's still hurt by how he ran off and disappeared and started a new life without her. 

The Slayers end up taking on Twilight's army head on in this volume and calling on some ancient magicks to help them defeat said army. Things never go according to plan though, and the battle becomes a lot deadlier than intended. I think this is probably the most intense volume of this season, since most of it is the battle with Twilight and the ramifications of wakening three wrathful goddesses. We also get to see another character who hasn't been around for a while, so that was nice! 

I really enjoyed this volume, and I can definitely tell that the Twilight story-line is wrapping up. It's almost like this volume serves as a reason for Buffy to finally pursue Twilight, since he kind of steals some things that are pretty important to her. I would still recommend these comics to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! They're not exactly the same as the show, but the heart of the series is there and that's what counts. At least for me. 4/5!


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Predator and Prey (Season 8, #5) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Predator and Prey (Season 8, #5)
Authors:  Jane Espenson (Scriptwriter), Steven S. DeKnight (Scriptwriter), Drew Z. Greenberg (Scriptwriter), Jim Krueger (Scriptwriter), Doug Petrie (Scriptwriter), Georges Jeanty (Penciller), Cliff Richards (Penciller), Andy Owens (Inker) , Michelle Madsen (Colorist), Richard Starkings (Letterer), Jimmy Betancourt (Letterer)
Publication Date: September 30, 2009

Synopsis: Buffy's world goes awry when former-classmate-turned-vampire Harmony Kendall lands her own reality TV show, Harmony Bites, bolstering bloodsucking fiends in the mainstream. Humans line up to have their blood consumed, and Slayers, through a series of missteps, misfortunes, and anti-Slayer propaganda driven by the mysterious Twilight, are forced into hiding.

In Germany, Faith and Giles discover a town where Slayers retreat from a world that has turned against them, only to find themselves in the arms of something far worse. A rogue-Slayer faction displaces an entire Italian village, living up to their tarnished reputation as power-hungry thieves. And finally, with the help of a would-be demon lover, Dawn addresses her unfaltering insecurities.

* Collects issues #21-#25 and the short stories "Harmony Bites" and "Vampy Cat Play Friend" from MySpace Dark Horse Presents!


My The Long Way Home (#1) Review                My Wolves at the Gate (#3) Review
My No Future For You (#2) Review                   My Time of Your Life (#4) Review

------------------------------------------------

Review: This volume really felt like it belonged mid-season. There's so many story lines going all over the place and only one or two episodes are actually related to finding out more about the Big Bad. I think this is actually a collection of one-shots, because the stories really don't seem to be connected at all. It was still fun though, and I think maybe my favorite volume so far!

Harmony is back, and she's just as weird as ever. This time, she's got her own reality TV show. Which, as you can imagine, causes all sorts of problems for Buffy and the gang. Vampires are suddenly seen by the world as the misunderstood heroes, and Slayers are now the villains. Why would you hurt a creature that's just trying to find its way in the world? Vampires don't have to kill - they totally know when to stop! And who doesn't want to live forever? All of this mixed in with Harmony's usual antics is actually pretty humorous and I really enjoyed the sections with her show more than I thought I would. I probably would not watch it in real life, but it was entertaining for the sake of these comics

Twilight is behind the whole anti-Slayer thing, and the plot involving it was better than it has been in past volumes. We actually learn a little bit more (although not who or what Twilight actually is), and I didn't find myself rolling my eyes every time he talked. Oh, and there are also these evil Vampy Kitty toys which are absolutely hilarious. I think they crawl inside of people while they're sleeping and possess them? I'm not entirely sure, but it was kind of funny watching the Slayers battle an army of evil stuffed kittens.

Then we have the Slayers who have taken over an island. They're actually pretty annoying, and the only good thing was Andrew. His nerdy speeches have always been my favorite, especially when I know what he's talking about. And I had totally forgotten that he has the ability to control/speak with demons, and I'm glad it made an appearance here again. As always, he manages to bungle the job, but it wouldn't be an Andrew story if something didn't go wrong. 

Dawn is back to being pretty annoying in this volume and I wish someone would slap her and tell her that the world doesn't revolve around her. She was hilarious as a giant and a centaur but the doll thing just amplifies how annoying she is. And she's not even a doll long enough to really get into trouble before she's saved and makes up with the thricewise and is a normal human again. I hope she stays out of the way now. Which she probably won't. Because she's annoying.

Overall, I really enjoyed this volume. It was fun to see some more familiar faces, have my memory refreshed about characters who have been around since the beginning of Season 8, and see what people are up to when they aren't directly fighting Twilight. If you've read the rest of this series, I'd definitely recommend this volume. 5/5!


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Time of Your Life (Season 8, #4) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Time of Your Life (Season 8, #4)
Authors: Joss Whedon (Scriptwriter), Jeph Loeb (Scriptwriter), Karl Moline (Penciller), Georges Jeanty (Penciller), Andy Owens (Inker), Eric Wight (Goodreads Author) (Animator), Ethen Beavers (Animator), Adam Van Wyk (Animator) , Michelle Madsen (Colorist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), and Richard Starkings (Letterer)
Publication Date: May 6, 2009

My The Long Way Home (#1) Review
My No Future For You (#2) Review
My Wolves at the Gate (#3) Review

Synopsis: Willow and Buffy head to New York City to unlock the secrets of Buffy's mysterious scythe, when something goes terribly awry. Buffy is propelled into a dystopian future where there's only one Slayer -- Fray, the title character of Joss Whedon's 2001 series, the first comic he ever wrote. Their uneasy alliance falls apart, leading to the death of a major character from the TV series, while back in the twenty-first century, the Scotland base falls prey to a mystical bomb courtesy of the Biggest Bad-Twilight.

* The first two volumes of Buffy Season Eight have combined to sell over 160,000 copies!

* Includes the highly anticipated Buffy/Fray crossover, "Time of Your Life," and "After These Messages . . . We'll Be Right Back," written by Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween).

* Collecting issue #16-20 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series.

-------------------------------------------------------

Review: I kind of feel like this volume would have made a lot more sense/been more exciting if I had read Fray first. I mean, it's exciting enough and there's just enough information to figure out what's going on, but it doesn't seem like it's the full story. It also doesn't really seem to fit in with this season. It's more like one of those episodes from the show that has nothing really to do with the Big Bad and just goes off on its own little tangent.

The story itself is interesting enough. Something Buffy does in the present changes the entire future, and the world is back to having one Slayer - Fray. Her Watcher is a water-dwelling demon, and she shares her powers with her twin brother. She has the strength and the skills, but he has the Slayer memories. I really wanted to know more about Fray and her life and why her world is the way it is, but I guess that's a story for another day. Anyone who has already read Fray will probably really enjoy this cross-over.

Buffy is long gone in the future, but Willow is still around. And of course, whatever Buffy does in the present has also changed her life. She's definitely not the same Willow that Buffy knows. She totally plays both sides of the conflict to benefit herself, and it was a really Willow thing to do... especially considering the circumstances. I also thought the artists did a great job translating her into comic book form. 

I did really enjoy getting to see Kennedy again though! Also, she was wearing a Marzipan shirt (see HomestarRunner.com), so 1000 extra cool points there. I love the ridiculous pet names she and Willow give each other and I'm glad that we actually get to see a little bit of what she's up to now. Especially since Willow keeps her far away in NYC so she doesn't get hurt. It's kind of ridiculous because Kennedy is a Slayer after all... but whatever. 

If you've read the first three volumes in this series, this one is a nice break from all of the Twilight stuff. It's also not necessarily one that you have to have read the first three to appreciate, although I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order of course. I would also say that any fans of BtVS should still read these comics, because they're pretty decent. Great artwork, interesting story, humor and wit, and (mostly) the Buffy we all know and love. 4/5.


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate (Season 8, #3) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate (Season 8, #3)
Authors: Drew Goddard (Scriptwriter), Joss Whedon (Scriptwriter), Georges Jeanty (Penciller), Andy Owens (Inker), Michelle Madsen (Colorist), and Richard Starkings (Letterer)
Publication Date: November 19, 2008

My The Long Way Home (#1) Review
My No Future For You (#2) Review

Synopsis: Vampires that, at will, can transform into wolves, panthers, insects, or fog invade the Slayer base of operations in northern Scotland, and not only walk away unscathed, but in possession of Buffy's scythe, the symbol of Slayer power worldwide. Buffy and the Slayer legion travel to Tokyo in order to learn more about their dangerous new foes, as Xander journeys to Transylvania to solicit the only person they've ever known to possess such power: Dracula.

* The celebrated Buffy Season Eight continues with Drew Goddard (Cloverfield, Lost) writing Wolves at the Gate, with Joss Whedon continuing his role as executive producer, and Georges Jeanty as series artist.

* Includes the stand-alone issue written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, "A Beautiful Sunset."

* Collecting issue #11-15 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series

-----------------------------------------------

Review: This is the first volume where the title is just so obvious that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. There are literally wolves at the gate. And then I laughed a little bit because the villain is called Twilight and the vampires transform in wolves. 

I'm just going to throw it out there that vampires who can transform into wolves, bees, panthers, fog, etc. are way more terrifying than your normal, every day vampires. Dracula was bad enough by himself, but a whole legion of vamps with his powers? NO THANK YOU. I'm glad these vamps didn't show up until the comics, because I'm pretty sure they would have given me nightmares had they been in the show. 

My favorite part about this volume was that Dracula was back and that we got to learn a little bit more about what Xander did between the end of Season 7 and the beginning of Season 8. I mean, everyone just assumes he jumped right into running the Slayer operations, right? I did. But I like that he went to Transylvania even more! And I loved that the relationship between Xander and Drac is still very much the same. Maybe a little more respect from Drac, but still basically the same. 

This was actually a pretty Xander heavy volume. Between the explanation of his travels, his relationship with Dracula, and his budding relationship with Renee, it was nice to see more about him. I missed his wit and his humor in the first two volumes (it's there, but not as much as I would have liked), and I just missed him in general. 

Oh, there's also a giant mechatronic Dawn. Which is kind of awesome. I was definitely on the same page as Andrew for that one, although I did not ever think that this was a viable scenario. It was fun and exciting and broke up the whole Slayers-staking-Vampires thing happening for the majority of the fight scenes. 

I really enjoyed this volume, and would recommend Wolves at the Gate to anyone who has read the first two volumes. Might as well keep reading, right? I'm glad the show got continued in comic book form, and I can't wait to read the next volume! 4/5.


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future For You (Season 8, #2) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future For You (Season 8, #2)
Authors: Brian K. Vaughan (Scriptwriter), Joss Whedon (Scriptwriter), Georges Jeanty (Penciller), Cliff Richards (Penciller), Andy Owens (Inker), Dave Stewart (Colorist), and Richard Starkings (Letterer)
Publication Date: May 14, 2008

My The Long Way Home (#1) Review

Synopsis: When a rogue debutant Slayer begins to use her power for evil, Giles is forced to recruit the rebellious Faith, who isn’t exactly known for her good deeds. Giles offers Faith a clean slate if she can stop this snooty Slayer from wreaking total havoc--that is, if Buffy doesn’t beat her to it.

Georges Jeanty (The American Way) remains at the top of his game as series artist, and Whedon continues as Executive Producer in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.

* Eisner award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y:The Last Man, Ex Machina) tackles Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight.

* Collecting issue #6-10 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight 

---------------------------------------

Review: I was really excited when I found out that Faith would be featured in No Future For You. She's always been one of my favorites, so I'm glad that she factors in to this season of Buffy! I thought it was really interesting that Giles chose Faith to save Buffy from the crazy English debutante Slayer, considering Faith & Buffy's history. It makes sense, I guess, since Buffy won't hurt another human, but still. 

This volume seemed to be way more cohesive than the first volume, The Long Way Home. There's still a little bit about Twilight, but most of this volume is focused on Faith. I enjoyed the flashbacks from her perspective, even though I'd already known about them from the show. It was still interesting to see that, through everything, the only time she had felt loved was with the Mayor. She's felt alone at every other point in her life, and that's just so sad. I also enjoyed how Robin made a brief appearance, since he was such a big part of Season 7.

It did kind of annoy me how rude Buffy is to Faith. I mean, I know they don't like each other, but Buffy doesn't even give Faith any chance to explain anything. She just jumps right in to assuming Faith is the bad guy...even when her mission is to save Buffy. I was also annoyed when Buffy got mad at Giles for calling Faith instead of her. Come on, get over yourself. Things like this annoyed me about Buffy in the show too though, so at least she's consistently annoying.

The art in No Future For You was just as excellent as in the previous volume, and I was really excited that I could tell who Faith was supposed to be before they even mention her name. I love that the characters aren't exact portraits of the actors/actresses who played them (although the resemblance is much closer on the covers and included artwork), and that the artists portray them in their own style. 

No Future for You is a closer return to the television show than The Long Way Home, I thought, and I'm hoping that the rest of the series continues in this direction. We don't learn too much more about Twilight here, but it's ok because we get to see a little bit of what Faith has been up to. I would definitely recommend this volume to anyone who has already read The Long Way Home, and I would recommend these comics to fans of the show in general. It's definitely not the same as watching season 1-7, but I think it's getting there! 4/5. 


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Coyote Moon by John Vornholt - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Coyote Moon
Author: John Vornholt
Publication Date: January 1, 1997

Synopsis: The seedy carnival looks like just the thing to give Buffy and her best buds, Xander and Willow, a break from staking bloodsuckers. Some greasy food, a few cheap thrills - what more could a Slayer ask for?

But then Buffy senses something evil behind this carnival. Xander and Willow aren't so sure. They don't buy Buffy's notion that the carneys are somehow connected to the corpses turning up around Sunnydale. It doesn't help that her two best friends are each interested in someone at the carnival. Which puts the burden of proof on Buffy.

Can she find out what's going on in time to save her friends?

Or has the Slayer become the prey?

------------------------------------------------

Review: I think I should have read this book after I finished watching Season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was really weird to jump back in time, and I think that took away from some of my enjoyment of this book. Which is really unfortunate, because I actually thought it was a great escape from all of the vampires in most other Buffy things. 

This book deals with a shady carnival, werecoyotes, and a weird ritual to bring back some old guy from the dead. It's definitely a story that I could see being an actual BtVS episode. Willow is still in love with Xander and isn't all powerful, Xander still has a thing for Buffy, Giles is still the school librarian, and Buffy is still getting used to being a Slayer. I thought it was interesting to go back in time and see the gang how they used to be (although I can't say that I miss them like that!).

I think the plot itself was a little weak and parts of this book dragged. There was quite a bit of exposition - like did Xander and Willow really have to explain what coyotes were and how they acted to Buffy? I'm pretty sure she knows what they are.. - but I still think this book captured the essence of the characters and their world. I wish there had been more action and less of Buffy running around trying to convince everyone that something weird was going on. 

Coyote Moon was a pretty quick read, and I think it'd be something fun for any fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It doesn't have anything that's really essential to knowing about the Buffyverse, but it was fun to revisit season 1 Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles. I think this book would also work pretty well without any background knowledge on the characters if you're looking for a place to start with Buffy & friends. I'll be reading more of the books in the Buffyverse, so I can't wait to see what the gang is up to next! 3/5.


--Ashley

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, #1) by Joss Whedon - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, #1)
Author: Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Andy Owens, & Jo Chen
Publication Date: October 31, 2007

Synopsis: Collects: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight, #1–5

Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers-newly legion-have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own.

Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues 1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.

-------------------------------------------------

Review: I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer pretty late. Somehow I missed it when it first aired on TV, and was introduced to it when all of the seasons were added to Netflix. I'm so glad my friends made me watch it though, because it's probably one of my favorite shows of all time. You can imagine that I was pretty excited to find that, after it was cancelled, Joss Whedon decided to continue the series in the form of comics!

This comic was a little confusing at times, and I think it was because there was too much information crammed into only a few chapters. The "Big Bad" for the season is briefly introduced, and there's also a "monster of the week." It almost felt like Joss didn't really know where to take this season now that its a comic and it took me a little bit to get into it and actually figure out what in the world was happening. 

I really enjoyed seeing old characters and meeting the new ones, especially since there are so many active Slayers now. One of the villains was someone I never expected to see again, and I really enjoyed how there's a flashback to explain how he's still around. I also thought it was kind of hilarious that Dawn has grown up... quite a bit... I actually like her a lot more in these comics than I ever did in the show. 

The comics still follow the continuity of the show, which was really nice. Things are referenced that wouldn't make sense unless you've watched all of the show and things are added that reinforce events that happened in the show. I hope that the next volume feels more like the Buffy I know and love, but this one still felt like it was getting there and I still very much enjoyed reading it. The artwork is fantastic, and it's easy to figure out who is who before they're even called by name. 

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you haven't watched the show, this comic probably won't make much sense at all... so I don't think it's something you can just pick up if you aren't familiar with BtVS. I'm excited to read the next installment! 4/5. 


--Ashley