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

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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

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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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 

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

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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.

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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