Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike & Dru [Paperback]

James Marsters (Author), Christopher Golden (Author), Ryan Sook (Author), Eric Powell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Publication Date: August 7, 2001

Four tales of the most vile, murderous, and destructive -- not to mention codependent -- couple ever to visit Sunnydale are presented in one volume, covering an entire century of bloodshed, from China in 1900 to Rio in 1999. This 96-page book collects the original Spike and Dru one-shot by TV star James "Spike" Marsters, Christopher Golden, and Ryan Sook, which was heralded by Buffy creator Joss Whedon as the model for future Buffy comics. Also included are the two follow-ups by Golden and artists Sook and Eric Powell, plus the final word on the duo, the 10-page epilogue "Who Made Who?" telling the story of their final farewell in Brazil, refered to but never delved into on the show.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The actor who plays the vampire Spike on television's Buffy the Vampire Slayer is also an accomplished writer and aspiring director - two pursuits which are hampered only by James Marsters' demand as a hot, young actor in Hollywood. Marsters studied with and directed theater groups in Seattle and Chicago before heading to California in search of a screen career, which he found on an audition for the television version of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After portraying Spike for two years on the cult favorite TV show, Marsters used his skills as a screenwriter to craft a short story based on his vampire alter ego and his disturbed, bloodthirsty better half, Dru. This story, co-written with Buffy novelist Christopher Golden, is one of four stories included in the Dark Horse collection, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike and Dru.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (August 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569715416
• ISBN-13: 978-1569715413
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,281,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Spike & Dru, May 10, 2002

By 

Joanne S. Zhang (Aurora, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike & Dru (Paperback)

I found the writing to be excellent and the story flow to be very compelling. However, I did feel that the illustrations left much to be desired. Very crude drawings with very little artistic appeal. I feel that when one purchases a graphic novel like this, it is as much for the story line as the art work. The stories are wonderful, the art work is very lacking.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Spike and James Marsters fans!, June 13, 2003

By 

Madelyn Pryor "Goblyn Queen" (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike & Dru (Paperback)

Because I'm a huge fan of Spike, I knew that I had to find a copy of this rare graphic. I'm very glad that I did. It contains 3 reprinted stories, and 1 original story.

ALL'S FAIR- takes place during the World's Fair of 1933. The story follows Spike and Dru as they maim. Slash, and slay their way through the glitter and lights of the Fair. They also encounter hideous demons from another dimension and highly skilled assassins out for blood.

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS- As the pair travel to Sunnydale to be near the Hellmouth, the star-crossed lovers stop in St. Louis to do a bit of gambling and cause major mayhem on a riverboat casino. But, their blissful vacation is cut short by river demons.

PAINT THE TOWN RED- this story takes place shortly after Spike and Dru leave Sunnydale at the end of Buffy's second season. Dru's renewed love for Angel drives a wedge between the lovers. The end result is both of them trying to hurt the other as much as possible- which is a whole lot! With James Marsters helping with the writing, and Ryan Sook's artwork, this is by far the best story of all four.

WHO MADE WHO- tells the tale of Spike and Dru's final break up in Brazil. This is an epilog to Buffy's season three episode " Lover's Walk".

The only downside to this graphic is the artwork. Highly stylized, it's a deterant to fans who like Spike for his rugged good looks.

Still, if you like Buffy, Dru, or Spike and can find a copy of this graphic, than by all means buy it!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Other Great Romance, October 7, 2002

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike & Dru (Paperback)

Spike has gradually become one of the most popular figures in the Slayer world. A hopeless romantic when alive he managed to cross over to the dark side with his capacity for love intact. His loyalty to Drusilla, who made him, was remarkable considering Dru's own flighty nature. Of course, his complex relationship with Buffy once again showed us a Spike who can be stubbornly in love despite every possible roadblock.

Dru of course, is the mad mistress. Psychically hypersensitive and more than a little kinky, her relationship with Spike actually lasted for a very long time. Her beauty is hard to define and her mind is, well, let us just say she is a bit distracted. Sometimes it is hard to see what the two lovers saw in each other, other than Spike's willing compliance with Dru's every wish. Certainly, as Spike developed more independence, the relationship between the two deteriorated.

This trade paperback collects the contents of three Spike and Dru comics, two from 1999 and the other from the end of 2000. In addition, there is a short from the "Lover's Walk" comic issued in 2001. The stories run from the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 to a more contemporary Carnivale in Brazil. During this journey, we will learn much about what makes our anti-heroes tick.

"All's Fair" takes a short flashback to China and the Boxer Rebellion and then jumps forward to the Chicago Fair. Spike and Dru treat the fair as a giant delicatessen until they run into some characters bent on vengeance from their past and a demon who wants to make earth its home.

To open "The Queen of Hearts" the lovers eat an entire topless bar and then move on to a riverboat casino. No one seems to have warned Spike that winning too much draws the wrong kind of attention - in spades.

In "Paint the Town" Spike is so frustrated with Drusilla's obsession with Angel. He ends the relationship in a fiery blaze and heads of for Turkey for a prolonged escape. Unexpectedly Dru tracks him down with a new friend in tow - a necromancer. She wants to get even, but before long, everyone is in trouble.

The final story, "Who Made Who," is a short finds the newly made up lovers in Brazil. However, Dru's attention once again wanders and Spike spoils the party.

I don't care all that much for the pencil work in these stories. Two were done by Eric Powell and the other two are by Ryan Sook. The work isn't bad, just a little to simplified and roughed in for my tastes. Since Sook has become quite well known, I am probably in the minority. Regardless of the artwork, the stories are all excellent, Chris Golden doing the lion's share on all of them. Certainly, any Spike fan will find this required reading.