Customer Reviews

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #1: The Long Way Home Part One (Dark Horse Comics)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Warning! There are spoilers ahead.

There is really no precedent for Joss Whedon's continuation of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER in comic book form. If Gene Roddenberry had continued Season Four of the original STAR TREK after it was cancelled by writing a series of comics it would have been the equivalent. But I'm not aware of any creator of a franchise of the level of BUFFY continuing it in a different medium excluding movies and television. While I would vastly prefer Joss Whedon focus his efforts on producing a new television series, I'll take new stories from him in any form I can get them. And that is what Joss truly is: a storyteller. But more importantly he understands something that most other storyteller don't quite grasp: it is less what happens in stories than how what happens affects the central characters. BUFFY was never really about killing vampires; it was about how killing vampires and fighting demons changed the ones doing the killing and fighting.

Another thing that Joss Whedon has always excelled at was not giving the fan what they were expecting. I've never encountered a storyteller who so persistently managed to surprise. Whedon resorts to clichés less than almost any other narrative artist I know and the start of the new BUFFY series is no exception. About the only thing that we knew about Buffy Summer following the destruction of Sunnydale was that she was living in Rome and dating some guy known as The Immortal. But here at the very beginning of this issue we learn that the Buffy in Rome wasn't our Buffy at all, but a decoy. So much for what we knew about Buffy! In fact, she is in Scotland and she is homesick, lonely, and sad. And everyone calls her ma'am.

With her in Scotland are only two of the Scoobies: Xander and her sister Dawn, who has grown too big for a britches. In fact, she has grown larger for anyone's britches, thanks to dating the wrong guy who caused her to grow to the size of Paul Bunyan, if not larger. Until Willow returns from wherever she is (we aren't told where), Dawn will remain a giantess.

Meanwhile Buffy has discovered some guys who have carved odd symbols into their chests and summoned demons. More about this in the future to be sure. And the military considers Buffy's new slayers to be terrorists and have struck a deal with an old friend to take her down, none other than Amy.

Anyone wanting to follow this story -- and any fan of the TV series definitely will -- I would strongly recommend early preordering of these books. They have been selling out at a record pace and both of the first two issues have already had to be reprinted. It is clear that this is going to be one of the best selling series of comics in the history of the genre. Be part of it.

*Possible spoilers within.*

I wonder if Joss Whedon originally had more story to tell after the end of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," or if he simply came up with more recently. As "Buffy" ended where he'd supposedly originally intended it to, but "Angel" was cancelled when Whedon expressedy stated that he had more story to tell, I would have expected him to continue "Angel" rather than "Buffy". (I still wish he would do so, and he has recently said that he's considering it.) However, I'll gobble up anything by Mr. Whedon, especially if it has something to do with the Buffyverse. And so when the first issue of the Season Eight comics was released, I devoured it. It's a tasty morsel indeed.

This season takes place a while after the epic finale of the TV show. The U.S. government, investigating the annihilation of Sunnydale, is now pursuing Buffy Summers, whom they consider to be a dangerous terrorist. Buffy herself is leading the thousands of Slayers currently in Europe in small groups, while the patched Xander Harris guides her from their base in Scotland. Obviously this is no small operation - in fact, it's huge.

Speaking of huge, Dawn Summers has recently lost her virginity to a "thricewise" - the result being Dawn's sudden growth spurt, from about five feet to about fifty feet. She's huge, unhappy, and currently housed in a warehouse where her tiny sister tries to sort things out with her. Buffy knows all about the repercussions of your "first time", but Dawn is waiting for Willow's return to vent. ("And anyhow Willow's the expert on boys since when now?" Buffy muses.)

In Part I of the season premiere, titled "The Long Way Home," Buffy battles a group of large, nasty beasts whose most recent victims appear to be members of a cult. (Expect a follow-up on that in future issues.) Meanwhile, in Sunnydale, government workers have unearthed someone from Buffy's past with a hankerin' for some vengeance. And cheese.

If the first issue is any indication, Season Eight of "Buffy" is gonna rock. Truly, this is going to be an absolute delight for any and all fans. Whedon's writing is as witty, creative, and shocking as ever, alluding to previous events and baddies like he so loves to do (and we love him to do) as well as the revelation from Season Five of "Angel" in which we learn that Buffy is currently dating some jerk called "the Immortal." Nope - that was one of three decoy Buffys used to throw enemies off her trail. As for the actual look of the comic, George Jeanty's artwork is excellent. Already he has the look of the characters down pat.

I was worried about how well "Buffy" would work as a comic as opposed to a TV show. I needn't have worried. "Buffy" works, and it works well. It's a blast to see the characters back, OFFICIALLY, and from Whedon's own hands at that. (In future issues, other writers from the series will be scripting the issues as well!) By all means, don't just go out and buy these, because they're selling like mad. Pre-order them well ahead of time so you can get your hands on some simply sumptuous "Buffy" action.

Buffy's back, and she's just as awesome as ever.

I was one of the million fans who lamented the end of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" back in May 2003. After a seven-season run, we all bid farewell to one of the most truly imaginative series of the past decades. The series finale was really spectacular on its own and I felt that it left you satisfied while still wanting more.

Over the past couple of years, there has been possibilities of TV movies, big screen films, and even a Buffy Cartoon! Joss Whedon finally gives his faithful fans the continuation of "Buffy" that they had always hoped for, albeit in a medium many weren't expecting: comic.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive about this announcement. Admittedly, I've never been a frequent reader of comics and I wasn't sure how the show would make the transition. I'd always felt that one of the main strengths was its brilliant acting and I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy a Buffy story without Sarah Michelle Gellar or Alyson Hannigan bringing it to life.

All my apprehensions were relieved once I ordered the comic online. I just had to give it a chance, especially being that it's written by none other than Joss Whedon (or as Buffy aficionados refer to as "GOD"). What initially pops out about the comic is the breathtaking cover, illustrated by Jo Chen. Whedon has said that he wants to keep her around for the covers as long as possibly. Let's hope Chen sticks around. The rest of the illustrations in the comic (done by Georges Jeanty, Andy Owens, Dave Stewart & Richard Starkings) are beautiful as well. The images just jump out at you and are truly epic in scope.

Now, what about the most important aspect of the comic...the writing! To sum it up in just one word is difficult. Whedon alleviates my previous worry that I wouldn't be able to connect with the dialog without actors because he writes them so well and so true to who we came to love on the series that you can just hear Gellar saying it as if you were watching it on screen. One unique thing about this comic that we don't get in the series are private thoughts from Buffy's head. This provides some great insight and touching moments.

This comic exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait until the next issue. Whedon says "season eight" will go about 30 issues, or even more! With a new issue coming out every month, this means all us Buffy fans will be entertained for the next years to come!!

Here, at last, is the canon continuation of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as written by Joss Whedon.

Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the author of this comic, said it best--he wants readers to see this comic as, not a full episode of Buffy, but the teaser of an episode. The book--as a rule with comics--goes very fast. While this issue has two more pages than the norm (a total of 24, not counting ads), it is over before you even realize it. But there is a lot of goodness to take in; new information and characters, mingling with old loved characters and references to past episodes.

The plot is simple, but promises a lot. Not to mention, it's classic Joss. Buffy and Xander are leading a "24"-esque base. Buffy is the "Jack Bauer" to Xander's "Bill Buchanon." While on a field mission to kill a few baddies, Buffy and a small group of slayers find a dead body with a strange symbol carved into it. Xander and Buffy hit the books, researching like old times. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the US Government has noticed the slayers and, following the destruction of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, sees them as terrorist cells--and they enlist the help of a character from the TV series (don't worry, no spoilers) to defeat Buffy. After it is revealed who this character is, an even bigger bad is alluded to. Suspense is a-plenty!

The only plot-line that made me iffy is Dawn's problem in this book. I won't reveal it, but I'll say this; it's a bit hard to swallow. Yet, knowing Joss, he'll make me bite my tongue in the next few issues and sell me the plot... as he always tends to do.

Season Eight kicks off with a bang and I, for one, can't wait for the next issue. I do have to say though, it isn't the best place to start with Buffy. If you weren't a fan of the show but want to try the comic, I suggest you read up on what has happened so far. Wikipedia has an exceptional page devoted to Buffy.

9/10

I really miss the Buffy t.v. show, so I decided to read the comic. It was very interesting, but it cost quite a bit for a brief 5 - 10 minute read. I don't know if I'll purchase the others, unless I can find them at their original cost.

I only recently discovered that there was a Season 8 written by Joss Whedon and I immediately purchased the first 5 issues. After reading this first volume I'm left wanting more, but not quite as satisfied as I had hoped. Comics are okay, but seeing this on tv is so much better. If this had to be written I think I would have preferred a regular book instead of a comic book. All in all I think the first comic is just okay, but I still look forward to reading volume 2.

Let joy be undiminished. Joss Whedon is scripting the new Dark Horse comic book "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8." After having to make due with all of those post-"BtVS" novels that exist outside the canon, Joss himself will reveal to us what happened in what would have been the next season of our favorite television series. With Marvel doing an adaptation of the first Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novel, "Guilty Pleasures," and Whedon scripting first "Astonishing X-Men" and now "Runaways" for Marvel, the stars had clearly aligned and given a choice between an animated "BtVS" that goes back to the high school years but with Dawn running around the way everybody retroactively thinks she is because of all that mystical stuff and a comic book about Season Eight, I vote for the latter. That would explain why as soon as I read the announcement regarding this comic book I turned around to the clerk at my comic book store and told him to put me down for three copies of each issue. No, I am not salting away copies in mint condition: one copy is for me and the others are for my daughters. This is how I score parental points.

We begin "in media res," which is to say that we do not begin "Season Eight" right after the final scene of the series finale with Buffy and the Scoobies standing at the precipise of the giant hole in the ground that used to be Sunnydale. After all, we do have some specific references to Buffy and the gang during the fifth season of "Angel," although Whedon is already engaging in revisionist interpretation (the Buffy partying very publicly in Rome "and supposedly dating some guy called 'The Immortal'" turns out to be a Slayer set up as a decoy when it became clear Buffy was a target). It has been a long time (technically the end of Season 1) since there has been only "One girl, in all the world, a Chosen One" yadda yadda yadda. Now there are eighteen hundred, with five hundred of them working with Buffy in ten separate squads.

The key thing to remember when you read through issue #1 of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" is that is Part I of a story entitled "The Long Way Home." Consequently, this 24-page comic book does not exactly translate into the equivalent of one episode of the "BtVS" television show. My inclination is to assume that what we will end up with here will be more like a television movie than an individual episode or mini-series. Both of the first two issues end with the surprise reveal of a familiar character and these could just as easily be the equivalents of the fade to black at the end of an act of a television drama as it could be the cliffhanger at the end of the entire episode. We shall see. But be forewarned that not everybody from the cast of Season Seven shows up in this first issue. Remember, Anya is dead and Spike has an excused absence since he is still busy with Season Five of "Angel" (at least that is my short term assumption).

The vampires in this world might be gone (all of the soulless ones, anyway), but there are still demons and Buffy is still fighting the good fight. Buffy has a new Watcher (well, she thinks she does anyway) as a result of one of Whedon's patented character upgrades and all I can say about Dawn is that she certainly has grown up. But the big development is that the U.S. government has noticed that giant pit where Sunnydale used to be. What Buffy calls "squads" the military thinks of as "cells" (as in "terrorist cells"), and what they see is an army with power, resources, a "charismatic, uncompromising, and completely destructive" leader and "a hard-line ideology that does not jibe with American interests." No wonder Buffy is in Scotland.

Issue #1 is scripted by Whedon, with pencils by Georges Jeanty (Marvel's "Weapon X"), Inks by Andy Owens ("Fray"), colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy, along with a cover paint of Buffy by Jo Chen. It is great to have a "BtVS" comic book written by Joss Whedon, but we really have no idea as to what constitutes a great "BtVS" comic book written by Joss Whedon. Like I said above, this story is labeled "Part I" for a reason and what is important here is that as we move from the anticipation of getting to hold this comic book in our hands to actually reading it we are now salivating over what Joss and company are setting up. One of the tragedies of the cancellation of "Firefly" was that we were just getting to point where Joss was upping the ante and moving into the second-half of the season story arc as River started to display her fighting skills. I have no doubt that Whedon will be able to get to the end of the road this time around. Final Note: If reading one issue a month strikes you as being as bad as watching one new episode of "BtVS" a month, you could wait until the inevitable trade paperback is produced collecting all of the issues of "The Long Way Home." But that probably means waiting until early next year. You were warned.

This was a wonderful comic! I loved it and I can not wait to see what comes next! I have watched the complete Buffy series and this was a great place to start. :D

The eighth season of Buffy begins with a drift across the sky, Buffy and three slayers seemingly floating through space, though Buffy is carrying what looks like a huge gun. Gun? What happened to the prohibition against slayers using firepower? Oh well she was always on her own trip anyway and answerable only to her late mother, sometimes. Whedon must have made a deal with actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, for it's her face, at least the best stab illustrator Georges Jeanty can give at it. Wonder if SMG is feeling a little, I don't know, overexposed right now? Maybe that's part of the joke about there being three doubles for Buffy, one in Rome dating the Immortal, one to come in "The Chain" I guess, and the other working as a decoy drawing vampire fire with her looks and general Buffy demeanor. And a fourth in Hollywood still trying for that acting career in such bombs as THE GRUDGE and SOUTHLAND TALES--the way Cordelia started out on ANGEL, a hasbeen before she really gets started!

Anyway, Xander is directing operations and has a lovely, shy second in command, Renee, who's halfway in love with him and don't think he don't know it! What a switch from the old days when Xander still had two eyes and his virginity.

The main Big Bad this season is going to be some kind of military industrial thing trying to rally the American public around the concept of the Slayers as "terrorists." Tall order but, to his credit, Joss is making this development more or less thinkable. They have that huge crater that used to be Sunnydale as evidence of nuclear-like power manifested by Buffy . . . And it looks like a familiar rival of Buffy and Willow's has been waiting for just this moment to resurface . . .

But which one? Here's a clue, the old mnemonic for remembering the spelling of "arithmetic." A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream!

Fans of the series should pick this up ASAP! Just like watching an episode on TV. Joss brings you back to his universe kicking and screaming.