It was good to return to the Buffyverse for me. Since I am a new comer to it who purchased the entire series and watched Season 1-7 straight through earlier this year, it was not a long lost friend but someone who was on a brief sabatical while I watched Angel Seasons 1-5. I never watched them while they were on air so I don't know all the cancellation drama, just that they were well respected series.
While this is the start of Season 8, Buffy is now international and after watching the final season of Angel just these past couple of weeks I had to snicker at the indication that there were a couple of body double Buffy's out there as well as the genuine article, who is hanging out in Scotland with an Army of Slayers along with some old friends. We are also reintroduced to a couple of old enemies and a brand new one that will stir the pot for the entire season.
I did miss the snappy reparte and could envision the characters speaking their dialogue, just as if this were still an actual TV show. Good stuff and I have read the first three chapters of the season, all that has been produced up to this point, and I am already excited for more.

The continuation of Buffy! I've been watching the show since it first aired when I was ten years old, and am something of a "picky" fan. I throughly enjoy Season Eight thus far, and highly recommend this purchase to any and all BtVS fans!

That's pretty much the size of it. If you enjoyed the TV series, you'll enjoy this book. If you didn't enjoy the TV series, you should go out and purchase it, enjoy it, and then enjoy this book. And then get Firefly.

There is no doubt Buffy is back in this comicbook sequel. A change of medium from tv to comicbook is a big change for any series. I was then relived to discover that Buffy, Xander and Willow and all the other characters we love from the tv series are back are as we remember them, they haven't undergone any major personality changes that sadly happen in other cartoon adaptions. Much of this thanks to Buffy's (as you know) creator Josh Whedon himself did the script. This is no third party version with "fanfic"-quality script... it's the real and original story... it could be called Buffy - Season 8 - Volume 1. Actually it IS called Buffy - Season 8 - Volume 1 :) .So is it all good? Here's a quick rundown of the proos and cons:

Positive:

* Buffy and the scooby gang are all back as we remember them thanks to Joss Whedon
* Cartoon medium let's the series "fly" with no tight budgets. It's big scale this time, and it's good for a change. Buffy organizes almost five hundred slayers this time, and Xander leads the military-like control center with large tv screens monitoring it all.
* Great art! The characters are highly recognizable, including some almost photo real covers for each of the 4 episodes.
* Original covers from the smaller issues are included.
* Good plot (no spoilers sorry)!

Negative:

* Cartoon Buffy can't be real Buffy.
* The cartoon medium and can be a bit confusing to follow, and you've got to focus not to miss some points. If you don't like cartoons you could subtract one star for this.
* The use of magic has become all-present. Portals, protection and even Dawn has been enchanted into a giant - fun or not. A bit overdone, especially since Buffy can't use magic she seems pretty dependent on others, but hey... we all love Willow anyway.
* It's big, but is it too big? The tvseries is about the slayer in an ordinary world where the supernatural have been kept hidden. It's now apparently all present. This might not appeal to everyone. As there is no school/university Buffy anymore.

Summary:

If you don't like cartoons you could subtract one star.
If you like small-town-down-to-earth-Buffy much better than world-scale-super-hero-Buffy and don't like too much magic you might subtract another star.
If you're not a Buffy fan yet, start with the tv-series.

For the rest of us I say: Welcome back Buffy! You deserve all five stars!

I ordered the comic, because I was dying to find out what happened after the last episode. Though I am glad to know which characters are doing what,... I was thoroughly dissapointed in the comics. I have never been a comic book reader, and will remain that way. I am a huge Buffy fan and will always hope that the series will come back to TV, or go on in actual books.

I'm kind of disappointed--the comic version was hard to follow and it seemed like much more of an emphasis was placed on 'ooh, how much skin can we show' than how much character development & plot we can have. There's no development, the plot is very fuzzy and short, and we're just given more questions and no answers. I want to know what happened to Willow and Dawn and Xander and what the gang's been up to, instead of more bloody battles and what the heck, FAIRIES? I mean...there's demons and that kind of supernatural, but I really really didn't see fairies coming into this thing. Still, I have to say it's awesome, cause it's BUFFY, of course, and Joss is an incredibly sweet writer to actually want to continue the series, I just wish it was still televised or at least a movie, not a comic book, regular book would be great, too! Comic book is just too many pictures, not enough plot for me, but I'll still be following, of course, and I'm off to order Volume 2, now.

Being a buffy and angel fan, I was hestitant to actually start reading these. I read the other reviews, and noticed that the comics were written by the man himself. I also read the astonishing X-Men, written by Whedon, and knew he had a voice for comics. The only problem with this is it's too short. I was hoping for both volumes 1 & 2, to be combined into one for this. The stories are good and the quick quips that Whedon is known for continue. The line about Sergant Fury just made me put the book down and laugh. It's those little moments that make his work good.

This book is written/produced by Joss Whedon and like everything Joss touches some people will think it is wonderful, however, I can't find much good to say about this graphic novel.

Joss's work in comics has been very varaible. At points, he hits on the stellar characterization and emotional warmth that has drawn many to his tv works, however, at other times the work is pretty much drivel and poor pulp fan fare. His best works to date in comics IMHO are probably the first 12 issues of Amazing X-men and the Giant Size finale of his Amazing X-men run (all the rest of the comics in this series fail to fit well in the universe or produce truly enjoyable stories). Many people have blamed the lack of quality on Joss being over-worked.

Buffy Season 8 starts out as a very weak poorly characterized pulp fan service comic with little or no redeeming value. It does get better and the comics further into the series are decent and somewhat above average in writing and it is continually improving. However, the series is still far from the best thing out there.

Take this piece as an weak introductory piece to a better series and ask yourself how much you like Buffy and the tv show. If you really liked the show, you probably should by this book, however, do not expect to get the quality you have grown to expect until you get further into the series.

Joss's other current productions most notably Angel: After the Fall are a little more solid (which starts out weak.. again). His work at Marvel started out good but ended on a lower note than this series acheives. Serenity: Better Days is so far ok but not great.

While this wasn't what I wanted to see for a next season type of thing, it's still Joss Whedon and his vision how he would have like to continue it, with no budget to worry about.

There are ups and downs in the storytelling, as there were when the TV series began, but just like that series, one is rewarded for their patience.

The art is more realistic than I had expected, but still stylish as all get out. The writing is very good as one would think, and the appearance of one of the Slayer's oldest enemies is cool, and I was left wanting more, and I was glad!

Buffy the movie was clever and fun. The seven TV seasons were some of the best entertainment ever, IMO. I have Fray and Tales of the Slayers comics and they're ok. Season 8 Vol 1 is ok as well, I guess. Calling this season 8 implies it's going to be TV-quality Buffy, but in a different medium. I don't see why that's not possible and, especially after reading other reviews, I actually believed it. But S8V1 is very low quality and I'd go as far as to say it is not entertaining, certainly not considering its pedigree. Good acting, storytelling and emotions can certainly be conveyed through the medium of comics but this isn't it.

Maybe you're happy to spend $15 to make up your own mind (I was). I really wanted to believe the good reviews, but please note that not all the reviews here are positive.

Whedon has done some great stuff because he's his own person and a risk-taker. This feels less like a risk that failed and more like just a pot-boiler. Maybe he's just run out of things to say in this genre. Whedon can certainly write music+lyrics: how about a rock opera next?

This is great.


At least until the investigate the fate of one of Buffy's doubles issue, but Whedon totally nails this for the story arc part, and the art is pretty reasonable, too, if a little shakier on some of the minor characters like Andrew, etc.

With Willow out of touch, Amy and Warren working with the military, and a giant Dawn, Xander's Nick Fury skills running a few hundred Slayer chicks are well tested.

Very well done.


4.5 out of 5

To put it in the simplest of terms, I'm hooked again on the Slayer story. The season eight storyline is really intresting and I can't wait for the concluding volume two!

Clearly Joss Whedon can do what he likes with the Buffy franchise and I wish him well.

Clearly many people have enjoyed this version of Buffy and I respect that.

I, however, did not enjoy it at all.

For me this was disjointed and lacked emotional depth. The tone of the series was absent.

It seemed to be all about one-liners and jumpy pacing.

The best of the series had a melancholy and emotional depth that this book completely lacks. It might be that this format is not conducive to the contemplative moments and soulful interactions that made the series so good.

I will not be reading future volumes.

I gave Amazon 1 star for the quick devilery, and the comic it self 3 stars. The art made it a little hard to understand who was who in the comic untill introductions were made. And I found the story/dialoge a little confusing, I predict that it will all become clearer with more of a plot buildup. I'll be buying the next collection of season 8 to better understand the story and see if it develops more which I'm sure it will. Overall I found the story to be very short, mainly written to explain what has happened since season 7. Hopefully the next novel won't be so introdutionary (and Faiths in it, so that should make it more interesting).And is it just me or did they off off Anya so that Xander could get a bunch in this season?Poor Anya.

But I still wish it were on television. It it sometimes hard to get into the characters in the comics. If you watch an old episode before reading it, though, it comes a little easier. You can actually "hear" the characters in your head instead of just reading it on paper.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: LONG WAY HOME BY JOSS WHEDON, ET. AL.: For Buffy fans who felt that when the show ended there was still more to be said about the Buffyverse, writer and creator Joss Whedon thankfully has turned to something else he does just as well as TV: comic books. With the first trade of what is officially being called "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" now out, it is clear that there is still much to be told by Whedon about Buffy and her friends.

Little time has past since the town of Sunnydale was turned into a giant crater. While there was originally one Chosen One, there is now a veritable army of "slayerettes" in training to be as good as the real thing. There are also two doppelgangers of Buffy, one in Rome and one literally underground in a different world, each intended to distract any enemies from the real Buffy. But at the same time there's a secret government group - not the Initiative - which feels that the world isn't safe when there's such a powerful slayer on the loose, and with some help from some of Buffy's old enemies, they intend to put an end to her once and for all. There's also a strange symbol that keeps showing up, indicating something much larger and more sinister going on.

Long Way Home features some beautiful artwork, giving life to characters that many fans thought were done with; the trade also has full pages of the alternate covers from the first five issues. It's the introduction to what looks to be a long series in the continuing story of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

For more reviews, please to go www.alexctelander.com.

Compressed into a bite sized package of comic goodness, BTVS season 8 gives fans a tasty morsel of Buffyness to take the edge off the loss of Joss Whedon's darkly brilliant show. Only Joss could transform an extraordinarily innovative TV show into an equally dynamic comic without missing a lick of action or losing any of the depth of character that made the TV show such a pleasure.

This comic is amazing in it's portrayal of life for Buffy & co. post sunnydale! I absolutely adore what places the writers and artists are bringing these beloved characters. The Scottish Castle as Buffy's headquarters is epic in itself but the stories are truly grand. The art is remarkable and often beautiful as well.
Perfect-except for the return of W.Meers. I don't love that character.

Having just finished Season 7 of the television series of Buffy, I was looking forward to seeing what Joss had brought to the comic book. This trade paperback is a collection of the first 5 issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, which is supposed to be a direct continuation of the television show, in comic book form.

The series takes place at least a year and a half after the last episode of Season 7, although I would guess it would have to be considerably longer, since Buffy and the Scoobys have a huge and extremely well-financed infrastructure in place. Buffy and Xander are now leading an organization ("army" would be a better word) of several hundred of the slayers that were called in Season 7. They appear to know what they are doing. Xander comes off as a hardened leader with presumably a lot of battle experience, based on the way he is leading attacks. Although it could be argued this is leftover from his stint as "army-guy" from Season 2. Buffy does not show the usual vulnerabilities in herself and her habit of making jokes to hide them.

The overall plot made little sense to me. I understood the gist of it, but it was way too mystical and over my head. There were subplots all over the place that I was trying to keep up with. Some fans may like this, and it does fit with Whedon's style of detailed and complex storytelling, but it was too complex for a comic. I almost read it a second time just to figure out what was going on. Xander's quips that work so well on the show do not translate as humorously to paper. Fans that are expecting the comic to flow seamlessly from the show will likely be in for a disappointment.

I will continue with the second volume of the series to see if it is any better, but overall I much preferred Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus, Vol. 1 to this book. The artwork, and especially the covers by Jo Chen are amazing.

I had to read it twice since I am not used to the modern comic narrative but it's an excellent follow up for the series. Nice drawings!

Since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its run in 2003, there have been a lot of rumors about spin-offs and movies, but except for the already-running Angel spin-off, we hadn't gotten anything. Until creator Joss Whedon brought back the slayer for "Season Eight," a new series from Dark Horse comics that is the official, in-continuity continuation of Buffy's tale.

This first volume acts, in essence, as the first "episode" of the season. Approximately a year and a half after the TV show ended, Buffy has taken all the girls whose powers were activated in that final battle and begun to construct a sort of global slayer network. Willow is missing, Dawn has befallen a rather unique misfortune, and Xander is slowly transforming into Nick Fury. Oh - and the government is getting antsy over what they perceive to be a sort of supernatural terrorist network, and as such, they're willing to cut a deal with an old friend of Buffy's.

Although I'm still, slowly getting into the Buffyverse, I didn't feel lost at all reading this book. Whedon has established his characters well even for a new reader. His trademark wit and skill at dialogue are evident, and Georges Jeanty's art is second-to-none. This was way to bring Buffy back, and I've got my fingers crossed for a nice, long run.

When I finished watching the final episode of "Buffy" it kept me wanting even more. So, needless to say, I was extremly excited when I heard the news that Buffy would come back to form in the art of comics. What a thrill it's been. I have picked up each and every issue of SEASON 8 since it's release last March.

"The Long Way Home" is the collection of the first story arc in the series. Buffy is now the leader to a whole new sect of "slayers" around the world, which have multipled into the thousands. The "Big Bad" is the US Military stopping at no costs to rid the world of this growing "slayer" problem.

Other sidenotes include Dawn's now "Giant" problem and Willow, Amy and Warren's return into the series. A must read for the ultimate Buffy fan!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 1: The Long Way Home

I am a fan of Joss Whedon, Buffy The Vampier Slayer tv series, Angel tv series, Firefly tv series and Serenity movie. I am not a fan of comics. However, since this particular comic was written by Joss and it continues the Buffy series, I gave it a shot. It was a very good read, the visuals were beautiful and it certainly made me wish that it had been the beginning of Season 8 of Buffy. The story was complete and well written, but like most comics, there just isn't enough writing space for an in depth exploration of a situation. If this had been an hour long episode or a season long arc, Joss would have put 1000% more and I can't help but think of that as I go thru it. If you are a comic book fan or a really devoted Buffy fan, then buy this. For the more casual fan of the tv show, this feels like the first 15 minutes of season 8, which you can enjoy or do without. It won't change your life to read this, but you should enjoy it as I did.

One is tempted to compare "Buffy" the comic to "Buffy" the TV show, but that would be a mistake. My first draft of this review tried to do just that and I got mired in useless equivocations and long-winded justifications. Suffice to say, as storytelling mediums, TV/Movies & Comics each have their strengths and weakness and Joss Whedon's marvelous creation stands out as a shining example of just how good each of them can be.

It's hard to feel cheated by the 7th Season of "Buffy." As much as I wanted more, the finale was, as Xander might say, finale-ish: Sunnydale is gone and there are thousands of Slayers running around. There isn't a need to focus on Buffy and the Scoobies anymore... At least, there wasn't enough of a need that could entice FOX to finance another season of the TV show. Thankfully, Dark Horse Comics & Mr. Whedon agreed to get together and give those of us who are devoted fans some post script.

Unlike many screen-to-comic adaptations, the dialogue in the first 4 issues of this series is almost audible in it's familiarity. Joss' words have lost little in their journey from TV. I laughed out loud as much as I ever did for any episode of the show, and I was just as bug-eyed at the plot twists. Reading this book was almost as good as getting a new episode on TV. I couldn't put it down, I'm excited by what's going on and I can't wait for more. You can't really ask for more from a piece of entertainment.

Lighting Directors, Cinemaphotographers and Production Designers can make or break a TV show; the artists involved in a comic share the same burden. Here, Georges Jeanty, Andy Owens & Dave Stewart's work is a huge boon. Characters are adequately familiar, while large, epic vistas get as much attention and care as close-ups of reaction shots. Evocative without being too gaudy, this team serves the story well by letting Joss do most of the talking, and Joss does himself a favor by letting *them* talk at just the right moments.

The only minor quibble that I might see myself having with this series going forward is it's format. I'm a recovering comic book addict and pack-rat, so I'm concerned about value and clutter. Will there be some longer story-arcs that come out in this Trade Paperback format (say, 8-12 issues) or will I have to buy one of these books every 4 months? I buy Trades to avoid having to go to the comic book store and to keep my bookshelves tidy. Are these first 4 issues to be considered the equivalent of a single "episode" or is each issue like an episode? How many "episodes" will Season 8 have? How far out has the story been mapped? Larger collections with more complete stories would be preferred going forward, IMHO.

Man, this book is so Whatever.

I think it's pretty awful.

Buffy is one of my for real favorite things. I love Buffy. I am the second biggest Buffy fan. I didn't really need an eight season though. I thought seven wrapped it up good.

But here it is, Season 8, holy damn. Mixed in with the above feelings, I was actually calmly excited for new canon Buffyness when I heard the news that'd this was a go project. But I didn't feel let down when I hated it after the second issue.

The writing and structure is confusing, and I read my fair share of a lot of so many comics. I couldn't articulate what it was the lost me until I heard someone comment it was trying to tell a story like a television show, rather than a comic book. Wasn't it Alan Moore who said "don't do that, that's dumb" ?
I'm frustrated with how some of the characters still behave when it seems like they worked through those problems already. It almost seems like character growth attained in the last two seasons got rewound to keep things "normal".

Then there's the art. I hate the art. For this kind of thing at least, Jeanty has his thing going on and I think he'll be pretty pro some day, but right now he's amateur (excluding backrounds, which are ace, but it's the character art I care about). Why let someone so underdeveloped handle SEASON EIGHT of goddamn BUFFY? It's nuts. Animals riding motorcycles. (Wacky? Dangerous?)
This isn't based on anything but it feels like a fan who networked his way into the position of main artist. Just thinking out loud here.
But what I'll say out loud is rock on Georges Jeanty, you draw your thing and keep on going. People who don't think you rule will think you rule eventually.

Thirdly, I just plain don't like what's happening. How it is written or drawn or not.

Anyway, I did give this series a second chance. I have to admit the first time I went through it I really didn't - it was hard for me to care after a few pages and I just sort of floated until 3/4 of the issue was done then I would find something to eat. I decided this wasn't so fair and I really sat down and read the thing. I liked it better. Looked forward to seeing issue 9 even, then issue 9 came out and I wished I didn't care again. Such were my emotions.

But in the end it is okay, because Joss Whedon is beautiful, and my feelings about the eighth season don't take away anything that the others gave me. And check out all the other fans who dig it. So, Whatever.

So why do a review? Well I know from talking to others that I don't have a monopoly on this opinion. I'm also a person who does a lot of decision-making using Amazon reviews. So with a page of glowing reviews (which are to me personally loaded with false promises) I'd like more of the Other Side to be represented.
So if Your a big B fan and You find some of my words familiar, You should not get Your hopes up. It can be a fun read, but it is not necessarily Your season eight, season eight being something that could represent an important thing to a guy. Give it a chance, You might like it, careful though. Not dive friendly.

How 'bout those covers though? Wow.

Man, this book is so Whatever.

I think it's pretty awful.

Buffy is one of my for real favorite things. I love Buffy. I am the second biggest Buffy fan. I didn't really need an eight season though. I thought seven wrapped it up good.

But here it is, Season 8, holy damn. Mixed in with the above feelings, I was actually calmly excited for new canon Buffyness when I heard the news that'd this was a go project. But I didn't feel let down when I hated it after the second issue.

The writing and structure is confusing, and I read my fair share of a lot of so many comics. I couldn't articulate what it was the lost me until I heard someone comment it was trying to tell a story like a television show, rather than a comic book. Wasn't it Alan Moore who said "don't do that, that's dumb" ?
I'm frustrated with how some of the characters still behave when it seems like they worked through those problems already. It almost seems like character growth attained in the last two seasons got rewound to keep things "normal".

Then there's the art. I hate the art. For this kind of thing at least, Jeanty has his thing going on and I think he'll be pretty pro some day, but right now he's amateur (excluding backrounds, which are ace, but it's the character art I care about). Why let someone so underdeveloped handle SEASON EIGHT of goddamn BUFFY? It's nuts. Animals riding motorcycles. (Wacky? Dangerous?)
This isn't based on anything but it feels like a fan who networked his way into the position of main artist. Just thinking out loud here.
But what I'll say out loud is rock on Georges Jeanty, you draw your thing and keep on going. People who don't think you rule will think you rule eventually.

Thirdly, I just plain don't like what's happening. How it is written or drawn or not.

Anyway, I did give this series a second chance. I have to admit the first time I went through it I really didn't - it was hard for me to care after a few pages and I just sort of floated until 3/4 of the issue was done then I would find something to eat. I decided this wasn't so fair and I really sat down and read the thing. I liked it better. Looked forward to seeing issue 9 even, then issue 9 came out and I wished I didn't care again. Such were my emotions.

But in the end it is okay, because Joss Whedon is beautiful, and my feelings about the eighth season don't take away anything that the others gave me. And check out all the other fans who dig it. So, Whatever.

So why do a review? Well I know from talking to others that I don't have a monopoly on this opinion. I'm also a person who does a lot of decision-making using Amazon reviews. So with a page of glowing reviews (which are to me personally loaded with false promises) I'd like more of the Other Side to be represented.
So if Your a big B fan and You find some of my words familiar, You should not get Your hopes up. It can be a fun read, but it is not necessarily Your season eight, season eight being something that could represent an important thing to a guy. Give it a chance, You might like it, careful though. Not dive friendly.

How 'bout those covers though? Wow.

I just got this collection of the first arc a few days ago, and I am sooooo glad I finally get to find out what happened to the Scoobies after Buffy (and the world as we know it?) ended. The "big bad" villains here are familiar faces that still manage to surprise you, and there's also a continuing subplot about a shadowy group known only as "Twilight" which we'll hopefully find out more about in future issues.

I know I'm supposed to be reviewing the comic here, but I can't resist using this as a forum to plea generally for Joss Whedon to continue all of his beloved ended/abruptly canceled for no damn good reason shows with this medium. I know "Angel" has already gotten the treatment, but I really hope that "Firefly" will follow . . . preferably skipping over the events in "Serenity" . . .

It's nice when people truly appreciate their fans. I never mind lining Joss's pockets, and if he continues to put out fantastic quality products like this long-anticipated (at least by me) continuation of the Buffy cannon, I will continue to help him add to his kid's college fund. Long live Joss!!

To be fair, this was the first "comic book" I've read since I was a child, since long before comic books became graphic novels. I think the old comics were better. You could tell which frame led to which frame. Stories were completed or at least stopped at a good place until the next issue came out. Or maybe I've just been too long a reader to get any great thrill from looking at pictures.

I expected anything written by Joss Whedon to be very special, like Buffy and Angel, but this was, instead, very sophmoric. Maybe that is the function of grapnic novels, for adults with talent to have some kind of sophmoric outlet, like laser tag or paintball, like the old pulp magazines which provided light reading for people whose reading tastes were usually very serious; I'm talking Zane Grey to Proust.

I'd like to think that any reading is of some value, but this . . . ?

I was so looking forward to more Buffy. But I found this collection scattered and lacking in the character and depth of the show. The art is beautiful, and the basic ideas are OK, but the story is scattered and confusing. And though the 'future world' for Buffy and friends is neat, I was sad to see Buffy and Willow (and Xander in his own way) relagated to simple superheroes instead of richly charactered, complex people who had greatness thrust upon them. Still, I'll be back for more.

Listen, I am a HUGE Buffy fan; that is a given. But I'm also a fan of graphic novels (and comics in general), and I was really disappointed by Season 8, Vol 1 as a graphic novel. If the problems here are typical, then it's really clear why there was so much criticism of Joss' Xmen comics. The pacing is very tv-script-ish, with unartistic and needless cuts back and forth between the action--and pauses for commercial breaks. While rapid cutting can work in graphic novels (hello, Planetary), it fails utterly here. Joss also seems limited by the format, rather than liberated; most of the framing and imagery was pedestrian and commercial at best. So, sure, read it because you want to know what happens in Season 8--but not because it's a great graphic novel.

Its pretty much the most amazing thing to have happened to Buffy-philes. Joss is genius. That is all.

I admit, I was nervous about Joss returning to Buffy. Not because I haven't been eager for his return to the Buffyverse, far from it. But I didn't really love Angel (too campy, too many cheap-looking sets, too much soap opera, too much focus on sunlit fantasy instead of gloomy horror) and didn't know which Joss we were going to get here.

It turns out that Season 8 holds up to the best of the original series and is substantially better, in pacing, theme and tone, than the last few seasons. We jump forward in time (apparently about a year) from the 2003 end of the series, find out how much of what we thought we knew about Buffy's fate from the final season of Angel was true and immediately plunge into a new saga that both spins out of what's come before and stands alone as something new and different.

The dialogue is letter-perfect, as it should be, the art is almost perfect (Jeanty, strangely, can't draw a recognizable Andrew, and it took a phone call sequence for me to figure out who he was supposed to be) and Joss uses the unlimited special effects of comics to give us otherworldly menaces with nary a rubber suit in sight.

The worst part of this TPB is that the wait for the next volume will be so long. But that's a good problem to have.

Unreservedly recommended to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This is a wonderful book for comic and non comic fans alike. My only complaint was its brevity.

Have you wondered what Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles have been up to since Sunnydale imploded? Joss Whedon has the answers. Have you pondered the effect on the world of the sudden existence of countless powerful young women with Slayer powers? Joss knows, and he's willing to share. Has it occurred to you that someone -- or something -- might have survived in the rubble of Sunnydale? You might be surprised by that one.

Did you think it was kind of lame when we learned in "Angel" that Buffy was off bopping in Italy with the powerful Immortal? She wasn't. Whedon handily explains that away -- without messing up the continuity even a bit.

"The Long Way Home" is the first story arc of the new series, and it takes us to the Scottish castle where Buffy hangs her hat as leader of a Slayer commando unit, where Xander acts as a new Watcher and ops coordinator, where Willow takes care of both mystical and technical affairs, and where Dawn -- still kind of whiny, damn it -- parks her very, very, very large sneakers.

Without giving too much away, I'll say that Buffy is hit with a magical assassination attempt and the American military takes an unfriendly view of the Slayer army, which strikes where and when it sees fit without respect to international boundaries. And, to round out the book, there's the very touching and well-imagined stand-alone tale about a very special Slayer with a very unique assignment.

I was pretty sure that nothing would fill the large Buffy-shaped hole in my heart. I'm not sure a new comic series is as good as a new TV series or a string of big-budget films (hint, hint), but it does a far better job than I could have expected. With Joss at the helm, you know the story is good and the specific voices of his beloved characters sound exactly as they should. The art, by Georges Jeanty, falls just short of photorealism; it's beautiful stuff, well drawn and fluid, and the characters are instantly recognizable as the actors who portrayed them.

Buffy the Comic Book has been hit-or-miss over the years. This new incarnation is a bullseye. I can only hope the creative team, led by Whedon, can maintain this outstanding level of quality.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(net) editor

I was a huge fan of the Buffy TV Series. I really enjoyed these books, especially as Joss Whedon has some involvement. Enjoy!

I was a huge fan of the seven seasons of "Buffy" -- even when some people complained about season six I saw exactly how it fit into the overall development of the characters. That developement continues in the graphic series. Rather than buy each separately I got the first five issues in one volume. Well worth the wait and I saved both money and paper in the process. We have the regular cast back -- Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, and even Dawn whose a bigger pain than ever before. I really like how we see some of the new slayers as well as the government reaction to what they preceive to be a new threat. Knowing that the 6th season of "Angel" is also coming to graphic series, I hope we get to see some interactions between the worlds again as we briefly did on the television shows. I look forward to volume 2 of season 8.

This was long awaited for many Buffy fans, who (like myself) would have loved for the show to continue as long as possible. Joss Whedon and his team of writers are just as cleaver as ever, and all of the characters stay true to their original selves. It was great, and I can't wait for the next one.

When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show ended after seven seasons, there was talk about an animated series, big screen films, etc..., but the Slayer saga has continued in perhaps the one area that could truly do it justice...the comic books. Dark Horse has revived the Buffy comic, which originally ran for some sixty plus issues but with a remarkable twist. The new series is a direct sequel to the TV show and even carries the label, "Season 8" to prove it. Furthermore, the first story arc, contained in this trade paperback, was written by series creator Joss Whedon. Whedeon took a risk with this venture. By calling it Season Eight he's got a large audience to appeal to, perhaps many who had not even read the previous Buffy comic.

The series begins approximately a year after the events in the final TV episode "Chosen" and the destruction of the Hellmouth, and Sunnydale. Buffy is leading a team of young slayers against a demon stronghold. Buffy has now developed a worldwide network of Slayer teams with Xander running the command post in Scotland. Former Trio member Andrew is in charge of a Slayer team in Italy. At the start Willow is missing and Buffy's sister, Dawn, has grown into a giant, evidently a result of losing her virginity to a "thricewise" named Kenny.

Buffy has a new and perhaps her most deadly foe yet...the American Government. The Government views the Slayers as a terrorist group, citing the destruction of Sunnydale but in reality, they fear the Slayer's power and their ideology. What will the Slayers do if all the demons and vampires are destroyed? The military even has their own Thunderbolt Ross in the form of General Voll who begrudgingly realizes he'll need the aid of magic to capture Buffy. To this end, he allies himself with a near-crazed magician they've captured, Willow's former friend turned rat-turned enemy...Amy Madison. She sets a trap to not only capture Buffy, but to also lure Willow out of the woodwork. But there's an even more sinister old foe back to cause trouble.

I was really leery of this series having been a fan of the TV show. One thing that has happened, and it kind of happened in the final season anyway, is that the show lost a bit of its intimacy. The cast, with all the additional Slayers and other supporting characters has become very large and as such we get somewhat less of the main characters. Whedon dispelled some of my fears by infusing this book with his trademark snappy banter, particularly between Xander and Buffy. There is also that ongoing sibling rivalry carried over from the TV show between Dawn and Buffy. Dawn relates more to Willow as a mother figure than her own sister, causing Buffy to question her own relationship with Dawn. The first series has everything Buffy fans grew to love about the series...great action, lots of humor and sharp dialog, and menacing villains.

Artistically, I'm not ready to put Georges Jeanty on a par with long-time Buffy Artist Cliff Richards, but his art was very good and captured the characters look quite well and the painted covers by Jo Chen are phenomenal. The real question going forth will be how well the series does without Whedon writing the series as he only wrote the first five issues.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

I'm not a comic book reader. Never have been and likely, I never will be. If this describes you, then likely you're not ready for the Buffy comic. This isn't a book or a show, it's a little of both while being entirely its own entity. Instead of having something described to you, like in a book, or being shown a thing, like in the television series, you get a snapshot and some poppy dialogue. This isn't a bad thing, it's a comic thing, but if comics are a new territory for you, as they were for me, it's nice to know ahead of time.

The comic works. I've read it a couple of times already and I find myself picking it up and flipping back to a favorite part every few days without even consciously considering it. For fans of the show it's a must-have, though anyone not well versed in the series will be quite lost. The characters voices are right on, the art is amazing, and the story just seems to fit. I should also note here that all of the regular comic covers are included in the back of the book (not the special 1 in 4 covers however) for you collectors. Great stuff.

Nobody loves his fans more than Joss Whedon. This is a man who once said he'd rather make something that 100 people NEED to see then something 1000 people WANT to see and the man works tirelessly and continuously to bring us the very best in sci-fi/horror/fantasy entertainment. So yeah, I'm a fan. "Buffy: Season 8" shoved off in spite of worthless television politics and Sarah Michelle Gellar's refusal to play the character (until her bank account bottoms out, anyway) by switching mediums entirely and making the official leap to the printed page. The transistion has been exemplary.

"The Long Way Home" picks up some time after the end of the 7th season. Buffy Summers is leading an army of awakened slayers in surgical strikes against demons worldwide. Instantly, the reader is greeted with a feeling of complete comfort in the old "Buffyverse"; the dialogue is so spot on you will hear the original actor's voices in your head as you read. Sly references to past events abound: Xander, still sporting his eyepatch, fancys himself a Nick Fury-type commander and fills the pages with geeky references, Dawn is suffering some very literal growing pains, Andrew makes us question his sexuality and continues pontificating at length about "Star Wars", etc; hardcore fans will not be let down. Villains with scores to settle return, including at least one you seriously never expected to see again. Each returning character is given the coolest possible introduction to the comic medium and if it possible to cheer while reading a book, you will.

The art is more than a little bit endearing, stylish, and cool. And the covers! Good God, the covers! Each month I spend what seems like minutes on end admiring the jaw-dropping artwork that greets me before I can even turn a single page. I will boldly declare the cover art of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8" to be the best of any comic I've ever seen. Long may it continue.

The story is something much more epic than anyting that could realistically be portrayed on a television budget. The settings are varied and as cool as they come, the battles are large in scale, and the cast is expanded leading the series to become more of an ensemble than ever. Misleads (usually romantic) that make you gasp are dangled in front of your eyes and then expertly diverted in a way that will make you smile about being had. Well done, Mr. Whedon. The creatures are no longer limited to men in costumes and low-budget CG, the demons are large in size, and others are just odd, such as an underground colony of slug monsters and fairies. This adds yet more depth and possiblities to the story.

Issues #1-4 chronicle the actual "Long Way Home" arc, while #5 is an excellent self-contained story about a slayer chosen to serve as one of Buffy's several doubles. It is arguably the strongest issue in spite of the fact that Buffy isn't even in it and the supporting cast only make token appearances. It's a real testament to Joss Wheson's great storytelling skills. And did I forget to mention the excellent humor that peppers each issue? Well, I guess that goes without saying, doesn't it?

Even if you have never read a comic in your life, this is a great time to begin. "Buffy: Season 8" is off to a fantastic start and if you missed
the boat, thank God for trade paperbacks. If you are already a comic fan then you know what the potential here is and you can rest assured that the hype is warranted. Next stop: "Angel: Season 6".

Nobody loves his fans more than Joss Whedon. This is a man who once said he'd rather make something that 100 people NEED to see then something 1000 people WANT to see and the man works tirelessly and continuously to bring us the very best in sci-fi/horror/fantasy entertainment. So yeah, I'm a fan. "Buffy: Season 8" shoved off in spite of worthless television politics and Sarah Michelle Gellar's refusal to play the character (until her bank account bottoms out, anyway) by switching mediums entirely and making the official leap to the printed page. The transistion has been exemplary.

"The Long Way Home" picks up some time after the end of the 7th season. Buffy Summers is leading an army of awakened slayers in surgical strikes against demons worldwide. Instantly, the reader is greeted with a feeling of complete comfort in the old "Buffyverse"; the dialogue is so spot on you will hear the original actor's voices in your head as you read. Sly references to past events abound: Xander, still sporting his eyepatch, fancys himself a Nick Fury-type commander and fills the pages with geeky references, Dawn is suffering some very literal growing pains, Andrew makes us question his sexuality and continues pontificating at length about "Star Wars", etc; hardcore fans will not be let down. Villains with scores to settle return, including at least one you seriously never expected to see again. Each returning character is given the coolest possible introduction to the comic medium and if it possible to cheer while reading a book, you will.

The art is more than a little bit endearing, stylish, and cool. And the covers! Good God, the covers! Each month I spend what seems like minutes on end admiring the jaw-dropping artwork that greets me before I can even turn a single page. I will boldly declare the cover art of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8" to be the best of any comic I've ever seen. Long may it continue.

The story is something much more epic than anyting that could realistically be portrayed on a television budget. The settings are varied and as cool as they come, the battles are large in scale, and the cast is expanded leading the series to become more of an ensemble than ever. Misleads (usually romantic) that make you gasp are dangled in front of your eyes and then expertly diverted in a way that will make you smile about being had. Well done, Mr. Whedon. The creatures are no longer limited to men in costumes and low-budget CG, the demons are large in size, and others are just odd, such as an underground colony of slug monsters and fairies. This adds yet more depth and possiblities to the story.

Issues #1-4 chronicle the actual "Long Way Home" arc, while #5 is an excellent self-contained story about a slayer chosen to serve as one of Buffy's several doubles. It is arguably the strongest issue in spite of the fact that Buffy isn't even in it and the supporting cast only make token appearances. It's a real testament to Joss Wheson's great storytelling skills. And did I forget to mention the excellent humor that peppers each issue? Well, I guess that goes without saying, doesn't it?

Even if you have never read a comic in your life, this is a great time to begin. "Buffy: Season 8" is off to a fantastic start and if you missed
the boat, thank God for trade paperbacks. If you are already a comic fan then you know what the potential here is and you can rest assured that the hype is warranted. Next stop: "Angel: Season 6".

I came to the Buffy bandwagon a little late, I'll admit - I didn't start watching the show with any sort of regularity until after it had gotten cancelled, but it didn't take me long to realize that what was there on my television screen was genius. And so, after getting the boxed set and watching the whole series through, I was amazed at Joss Whedon's vision, and at the family of characters he'd created.

Thank God for Joss Whedon's devotion to his fans - deciding to continue Buffy as a comic series was a brilliant idea. "The Long Way Home," the first volume collecting the Buffy Season 8 Series, is a fine continuation of the TV show, and die-hard Buffy fans will be thrilled.

Picking up about a year after the end of the TV show, we find Buffy and her crew - Xander and Dawn (who was mysteriously turned into a giant) - as well as an army-in training of newly-minted slayers, holed up in a castle in Scotland, while Giles is out in the world doing recon. However, things heat up after a military organization with magical ties, and a pair of old enemies, show up to try and remove the chief slayer from existence. And "Twilight" is coming...

First, the good: Whedon's writing is as snappy as ever, with the quips and the wacky grammar coming fast and furious - as do the wild pop culture references. Fans will feel a weird sweep of nostalgia reading it - this is almost like watching the show itself. Georges Jeanty's artwork is also very good.

Now, the bad: Unfortunately, as good as Joss's dialogue is, I have to admit that there are places where the pacing of the comics don't quite work - you'll find yourself not quite sure just what the heck is going on in at least three points in the book, and some of the motivations are a little muddy. This, however, is a quibble, not enough to outright disregard this book.

A word to the wise, however - this book is certainly only meant for hardcore Buffy fans; you'll have to be familiar with the series entire to be able to get into it. Enjoy!

I must admit that as a Buffy fan who hasn't read a comic since age 7 I was a skeptic...but a skeptic in serious withdrawal willing to slurp down just about any Buffy chum Joss flung my way (sorry fan-fictors but there's Payless and then there's Prada). This volume seriously delivers. I read it twice in 24 hours, once quickly to get the major points (who's back, who's bad, who's bedding who), and then again slowly to savor the dialogue and story line. It comes off as basically a two-hour, two-dimensional Buffy movie in what would naturally be a trilogy of films (ahh, only in my and James Marster's dreams I'm afraid). Artwork really pops, transitions are smooth and cinematic, and the trademark Buffy-speech humor is dead-on. Sure there are a few small holes in the storyline (like where a certain character mysteriously recovers from grotesque disfiguring brain surgery w/out a single panel's explanation). Ok, that's a big hole. And yes there are baby slayers with bad Euro trash accents to ignore. But let's chock it up to suspension of disbelief and ooh! look at Buffy she still has her shiny red axe thingy! This volume probably would be meaningless to anyone who had not watched all 7 seasons and memorized the lyrics to Once More with Feeling when they couldn't get a date to the prom, but who cares about them! Losers!

Joss Whedon (creator of cult classics Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly) certainly didn't need to continue "Buffy" in the comics medium. He's got two feature films in the script-writing stage, has recently made a deal for a new weekly television series starring Eliza Dushky, and he's also in talks with the BBC to write/direct a made-for-television movie starring Anthony Stewart Head as Giles. Not to mention, he's currently writing "Astonishing X-Men" and "Runaways." So, with or without this comic, we fans would have been satisfied with a very Jossy year.

But Joss couldn't stay away from Buffy, his dream story, and we--the fans who found themselves helpless captivated by the seven seasons we caught on television--couldn't be happy to have the continuation to the series coming our way, written by the only man who could have done it justice: Joss Whedon himself.

Season Eight, though it is a comic series, is very much like a season of television. We're meant to think of this volume (collecting "The Long Way Home" arc, issues #1-4, and #5 "The Chain", which is an unrelated one-shot) as the first episode of a season. And everyone who loved Joss' work enough to be disappointed by the flaws (as uncommon as they are) know that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was never good with season premieres. The first episodes of Season Two, Three, Four (in some circles), Five, Six (though it wasn't as bad as the rest), and Seven (again, in some circles) failed to kick off the seasons with a bang. That was always reserved for the later episodes. Not since Season One's "Welcome to the Hellmouth" did we have a season opener that completely delivered.

Well now, we do.

"The Long Way Home" takes the time to reintroduce us to the characters, set up the season, and bring up points that will have us asking questions for issues to come. Unlike the aforementioned season premieres, we have a solid story about Buffy and the gang battling both new and old foes, delivering a story that begins and ends within the four issues given here, but also introduces a few mysteries that will no doubt play throughout the entire season. "The Chain", the standalone one-shot issue (in television terms, think of it as sort of a one-act bonus story), isn't nearly as good as "The Long Way Home", but it certainly isn't bad. Further comments on the artwork and stories of the individual five issues can be found here: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 1, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 3, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 4, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 5.

This trade paperback itself is well-made, as with all Dark Horse volumes. The beautiful Jo Chen cover is thing that will attract all those who have already bought the individual five issues but, to those who haven't, you can rejoice. All the covers and the variant covers are reprinted here. The color leaps off the pages just like Joss' snappy dialogue. What I did expect, however, and didn't get were a few extras. The layout of the comic (red pages with the Twilight sign between issues) is beautiful, but since this series is the biggest thing Dark Horse has ever put out, I expected a little extra tidbits. But that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of this volume.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is true to its form in Season Eight, proving that is was, is, and always will be Joss' most important work. Let's just hope that he keeps it coming for a long, long time.

9/10

It's no secret that every Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan on the planet has been missing the snappy brilliance of Joss Whedon's critically acclaimed series, but fear not. Whedon, who has crafted the best X-Men stories in quite some time for Marvel with Astonishing X-Men, returns to his most popular creation with Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight; a canon comic continuation of the series that picks up where the show left off. Buffy is in Scotland training and leading groups of newly cristened Slayers in the battle against evil demons and vamps, but soon finds that a sinister plot is at hand which involves a cult and the government. Soon enough, some surprising old foes re-appear to wreak havoc on Buffy, Xander, Willow, and the rest of the old crew. What makes Long Way Home so good is that Whedon is relishing in crafting a Buffy flavored comic, while he also ties up some loose ends and adds a nice deal of in-jokes to boot. The dialogue is poppy and snappy, the action is fierce, the twists and surprises are great, and by the book's end, you'll be begging for more. The TPB concludes with a stand alone segment entitled "The Chain" (featuring guest art from Paul Lee), in which a newly powered Slayer is given a very special mission. The rest of the artwork by Georges Jeanty and Whedon's Fray inker Andy Owens is great as well, and rounds out this excellent package. Needless to say, The Long Way Home is a must own for any and every Buffy afficiondo, regardless of whether or not you're into comics in the least.