Customer Reviews

Tales of the Slayers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not the movie, not the TV show, never read any of the books or comics, nada, zip, nothing. I bought Tales of the Slayers because I'm a big fan of artist Gene Colan. The reason I'm spelling all of this out is to convince potential buyers that the 8 stories in this book stand up well on their own; No previous knowledge of the Buffy Universe is required.

Of the eight stories, three are written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, including my favorite, "Righteous", illustrated by artist Tim Sale, where a Slayer saves a French village from a horde of Bloodsuckers, only to face a very different fate. Whedon also contributes a "Fray" tale, which sees the future Slayer (Star of the Dark Horse Comics mini-series which is about a Year behind schedule...) discovering her legacy. Jane Espenson & P. Craig Russell contribute "Presumption" which delivers one hell of a surprising twist, so don't peek at the ending! All of the stories are excellent, with even the weakest one being well worth reading. Tales of the Slayers is well worth purchasing if you're a fan of Buffy and/or Vampire stories in general. Hey Dark Horse- Any chance of a sequel?

I should probably start out by mentioning that this is the Dark Horse comic novel, and not 'Tales of the Slayer, Part 1' issued by Pocket Books. While both are stories about 'ye slayers of olde,' they really are different. So, if you want everything you will have to buy both. If you are confused, don't feel bad, I thought I orders the other, and did all this research just so you wouldn't have to do so.

Of the eight stories in this collection, Joss Whedon wrote three, and the rest are all individual stars in their own right. Amber Benson also turns up as a writer in 'The Innocent,' a story of betrayal in pre-revolutionary France. Now that Tara is at least temporarily defunct, it appears she has great possibilities as a comic writer, with several Willow and Tara comics to her credit as well as the little showpiece she has here. The artists involved in this effort are to numerous to catalog. Whit the exception of Dave Stewart, no one does the same task twice.

The stories are in order by time, with 'Prologue' set in ancient Africa, and the finale, 'Tales,' set some time in the future. All of the stories have a certain poignant touch, as each Slayer must come to terms with the tragic nature of their existence, their sense of community based on the Slayer's historical continuity rather than the friendships they build during their 'turn.' Buffy (who does not appear here) truly was the only exception who formed a loyal company of friends. This, of course, is one of the most important reasons why she has lasted through six seasons (only dying twice).

Readers will find themselves in Africa, England, France, Germany, the U.S., and a few places if which I'm not entirely. All of the tales are notable. Perhaps my two favorites were 'Sonnenblume' about a Slayer in Nazi Germany who discovers that evil has many faces, and the final story, 'Tales,' in which a Slayer (Fray) who never had a watcher rediscovers her heritage. There is enough here for everyone to find some that are particularly meaningful. If I have any real complaint, it is that this volume is way too short. Everything feels abridged, especially at the very beginning when a very interesting fact about the nature of the Slayer is revealed. Fortunately, there is more to come.

I loved this book! Finally those of us who loved the episodes where we meet other slayers can have peace as this book brings a full course meal to ease all cravings. There are a bunch of stories each with a different attitude, plot, author, and artist. Starting with the first Slayer jumping a bit and ending eventually Fray (a great comic on it's own right). No Buffy. No Faith. We do get to see the Slayer in New York that Spike killed though. The stories are all great and somehow all keep the tone of they slayer universe..action, drama, humor, and a touch of sadness. I personaly think Joss (the creator) should make a series called Tales of the Slayers. Why? Because a few of the Slayers of the past have personalities and stories I find more remarkable than even Buffy.

This original graphic novel from Dark Horse is an absolute must have for Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatics, collecting eight short comic stories involving slayers of the past and future. Series creator Joss Whedon contributes three tales here, beginning with the opening Prologue which shows the reader the first Slayer with art by Leinil Francis Yu. He also contributes the standout rhyming Righteous with art by the great Tim Sale, giving us the glimpse of a Slayer that meets an untimely demise despite her good intentions. Whedon also contributes the closing Tales featuring Fray, the Slayer of the future, which sadly leaves the reader hanging and even more longfully wanting his long awaited sequel to his smash Fray mini-series. Amber Benson, better known as Tara on the TV series, contributes the surprising the Innocent, while series writers Jane Espenson and David Fury contribute the satisfying Presumption (with art by the great P. Craig Russell) and the Glittering World respectively. Rebecca Rand Kirshner and artist Mira Friedman weave Sonnenblume; a tale which features a German born Slayer in Nazi Germany, and her discovery of what evil really is, while series writer Doug Petrie teams up with legendary Tomb of Dracula artist Gene Colan for Nikki Goes Down! which seems to be about Principal Wood's (from the final season of Buffy) Slayer mother, and her encounter with a rather large bat-monster. While all of the stories themselves are great, as a whole, Tales of the Slayers is way too short for it's list price. Despite that, this is an absolute must own for Buffy fans, and is entirely enjoyable.

I got this book primarily because of Joss Whedon's contributions (3 out of 8), but also because Amber Benson, 'Tara', also wrote an entry. You get eight stories and about that many writing styles along with different artwork accompanying each entry.
I'm not really a comic book fan but believe there is something here for everyone. My favorites were 'Prologue','Righteous', and 'Tales' all written by Joss Whedon followed by'Presumption' by Jane Espenson. Amber Benson's 'The Innocent' was also interesting, good to see that a Buffy cast member took an interest and could do a pretty good story.
If you aren't a Buffy fan you might not care for this book but those of us who are will be able to find plenty, even if the stories are so short. My favorites were Whedon's Righteous, a sort of Joan of Arc story, followed by his Tales, the story of a future slayer finding her lost heritage (in her mind she sees past slayers, Buffy is one of them). Jane Espenson's Presumption is an interesting tale about people not being what they seem, if you don't read ahead on that one it might surprise you.

While this pales in comparison to the current Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight series being put out by Dark Horse now, "Tales of the Slayers" is a treat for the open-minded Buffy fan.

Like any Whedon product, this trade paperback supports a much larger theme than it appears to have. These stories about slayers stretching back over time are about loneliness, solidarity, but at the same time, they're about how each slayer is connected to the slayers of the past. Reading this book can give new perspective on Buffy, Faith, and all of the other slayers shown in the television series.

As a whole, the book is good, but not each individual story is satisfactory. The best in the book are Prologue (Joss Whedon), Righteous (Joss Whedon), Sonnenblume (Rebecca Rand Kirshner), and Tales (Joss Whedon). Righteous is told completely in rhyming verse, and has the most intriguing story and unique slayer of the collection. Sonnenblume has the worst art of the collection, but also one of the most solid stories; a young German girl in 1938 struggles between what her Nazi teachers tell her and what she feels is right. Tales is a treat, as it is about Melaka Fray from Joss Whedon's miniseries "Fray" and it wraps up this collection nicely, paying off to the over-all theme (a complicated one at that) of isolation/togetherness.

Some of the not-so-good stories are The Glittering World (David Fury) and Nikki Goes Down (Doug Petrie). Fury and Petrie are both competent, if not astounding, writers who have made note-worthy contributions to the Buffyverse, particularly Petrie's "Fool for Love" which makes nearly every Buffy top-ten list. However, these two stories in "Tales of the Slayers" seem forced, paced oddly, and suffer from the incoherent narration. Perhaps, had these writers has an entire twenty-two page issue to play their story out, they would have done better. Or maybe they are just better television writers.

To sum it all up, the good outweighs the bad. This is an item that every fan of Joss Whedon's work needs, and it is a great companion to the Buffy series (the television show as well as the comic).

7/10

If you are a Buffy fan (especially a Fray fan) then you will love this comic book. Remember the first TV spot for Buffy when they went through the ages: "in 1810 all these people were dying which stopped by the arrival of a young girl named..." Well this comic is most of those stories. The negative is that none of these characters are developed, you just get to see snip-its of their lives. However, it does widen the Buffyverse, so it's a definite read for fans. Also you get to see a bit more of Fray, the future slayer.

I wouldn't consider myself much of a critic, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tales of the Slayers. It was great that pretty much all of the writers of the stories each in some way had something to do with the Buffy franchise, therefore guaranteeing that the stories would be true to the Buffyverse. It was especially cool to see the connections that have been seen in previous comics and tv episodes, like the Mayor being seen at the end of one story and Fray being given her own story (and drawn by the same artist as in the original mini-series). Highly recommend to any Buffy fan who wishes to see some connections between slayers past and present.

I've never been into graphic novels, but I am a big fan of Buffy, and when I saw that these stories were written by the actual writers (and an actor) of Buffy, I tried it out. The stories were so interesting, I really wanted to know more. I liked that connections were made to the tv series (beyond just the basic slayer connection). I also liked the different visual styles for each story. I'm not sure how this measures up to graphic novels in general, but as a Buffy fan I enjoyed the embellishments on the slayer lore.

Since Joss Whedon, no less than the creator and god of the Buffyverse himself, contributed to this collection of stories about past and future slayers, I think we can count this work as part of the Buffy "canon". There are other cast and crew from the show putting their mark here as well. The stories are all interesting and fun, and some even help to expand our understanding of all things Buffy. What more can you ask for?

You may have been burned by the various Buffy novels available, or you may have devoured them happily. Either way, if you are a fan of the show you NEED to give this a try.