The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Buffy Season Eight Volume 1

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.

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 . . . ?

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 resonance that this book 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 love the Buffy/Angel universes as I grew up watching both and had high hopes for this series. I nearly threw away this item once I started reading. The art is so-so and the story is lousy. Calling this Season 8 is just a disgrace to the TV show.

*Book source ~ Library

Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer. Not something you’d put on a job application. Fortunately, she already has a job even if it’s one that pays zip, zilch, nada. But she’s been doing the job for 8 years and counting, ever since she was Chosen at age 15. After the destruction of the Hellmouth and her hometown of Sunnydale, Buffy and the Scoobies have been traveling the world and gathering all the potentials-now-turned-slayers in order to train them in their new powers. Powers and skills they’ll need to fight the supernatural evil in the world. But there are forces in opposition to this plan. Buffy and gang need to figure out who they are and what they’re planning before it’s too late.

Picking up not long after the end of the final episode of Buffy on tv, this graphic novel has a few threads running parallel to each other. The part about the decoy Buffys cracked me up. For those who have seen Angel S5:E20 The Girl in Question, you know what I’m talking about. Buffy’s dreamspace is also very interesting. Hubba hubba! The illustrations are wonderful and the plot isn’t bad with a new Big Bad in the offing, but the part with Dawn and what the military guys find in Sunnydale are especially stupid. Come on! Also why there was a need for a Buffy decoy underground? I’m a tad confused about that. I am curious as to what this “Twilight” thing is though and I’m looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.

Georges Jeanty's art isn't the type of art that I normally like in my comics, but this isn't your normal superhero comic. This is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Jeanty has done a great job of making the characters in the comic look like their real life counterprts from the TV series. That right there sold me on the art. If you can draw well enough that I immediately know what real life person you were drawing, then you got some skills. The demonic creatures/surroundings make me feel like I'm watching an episode of the series. Everything looks great. There isn't much more to say about the art beyond that. Art gets a 5.

I'm glad Joss Whedon wrote this first story arc in the comics. Who knows these characters better than their creator? I know there were a lot of different writers on the show that all know the characters well, but Joss has his own distinct style that always shine through in his writing. I love the pop culture references that are thrown in like Xander making one of the slayers call him Sergeant Fury. That was always one of my favorite things about the TV series. That and the humor. One of the the more humorous parts of this first collection is Andrew telling Xander that him and the slayers that he is in charge of were having to find games to play to pass the time because they were so bored. He then tells Xander that Xander would hate it. In the background behind Andrew, is a table full of Slayers playing strip poker. That just totally feels like a scene from the TV series and I love it. Writing is top notch. It gets a 5 only because there is no higher rating.

If you are a fan of the Buffy TV series, you HAVE to read this.

I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer pretty late. Somehow I missed it when it first aired on TV, and was introduced to it when all of the seasons were added to Netflix. I'm so glad my friends made me watch it though, because it's probably one of my favorite shows of all time. You can imagine that I was pretty excited to find that, after it was cancelled, Joss Whedon decided to continue the series in the form of comics!

This comic was a little confusing at times, and I think it was because there was too much information crammed into only a few chapters. The "Big Bad" for the season is briefly introduced, and there's also a "monster of the week." It almost felt like Joss didn't really know where to take this season now that its a comic and it took me a little bit to get into it and actually figure out what in the world was happening.

I really enjoyed seeing old characters and meeting the new ones, especially since there are so many active Slayers now. One of the villains was someone I never expected to see again, and I really enjoyed how there's a flashback to explain how he's still around. I also thought it was kind of hilarious that Dawn has grown up... quite a bit... I actually like her a lot more in these comics than I ever did in the show.

The comics still follow the continuity of the show, which was really nice. Things are referenced that wouldn't make sense unless you've watched all of the show and things are added that reinforce events that happened in the show. I hope that the next volume feels more like the Buffy I know and love, but this one still felt like it was getting there and I still very much enjoyed reading it. The artwork is fantastic, and it's easy to figure out who is who before they're even called by name.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you haven't watched the show, this comic probably won't make much sense at all... so I don't think it's something you can just pick up if you aren't familiar with BtVS. I'm excited to read the next installment! 4/5.

I liked this graphic novelization of Buffy better than the omnibus I read just before this. Since this contained new stories, it actually felt pretty new. I also loved the drawings-there were much more cohesive than the omnibus. The writing was also much less corny than the previous!

The characters stayed pretty true to what they were like at the end of the TV show. They looked very similar as well. I really liked how it explained parts of what happened in the TV show Angel. It was somewhat random who the villain(s) are, but I can potentially seeing that work.

It did bother me how short this was and how little you really get to know the characters. Granted, it is a graphic novel so can't really complain too much there lol. Also, I don't like how it didn't really focus on the characters. The thing I loved most about the TV show was the characters themselves. They definitely took a back seat in this and the focus was more on the broad scale of their operation as well as all the new characters.

I will still definitely read the next volume though! I love Buffy and the Scooby Gang. :)

PJ Fact #24 - I am a Buffy nut. Buffy ran while I was in college and I was entranced with the snarky, pop-culture spouting, insanity of the whole show. I could literally watch rerun after rerun of the show - and for the year of 2005 my television dial never left TNT or TBS (one of those) because of the constant reruns. When I saw they had the Buffy Graphic Novel on netgalley.com I had to download it - even though graphic novels are best viewed on paper. Even with the silly scrolling and hard to read text boxes I still loved this comic!

REVIEW:
The characters looked so similar to the characters of the television show and the quirk and snark of the dialogue was still in full force. This is a must read for Buffy fans!

The comic picks up where Season 7 left off. All the slayers have been activated and Buffy is the general of this rag-tag bunch that has holed up in a castle halfway around the world from Sunnydale (now a crater). It is revealed that there are at least 1800 slayers that have been activated and 500 that are working for the Scooby Gang.

Buffy's gang is thought to be a terrorist organization though, especially after the destruction of Sunnydale, which according to a branch of the US Military is her sole doing. In the rubble, members of this military organization stumble across one of Buffy's old foes, who is determined to enact revenge on Buffy.

Must read for Buffy fans!

While this is going on, Buffy is investigating humans with odd tattoos on their chest and trying to placate her sister who by dating a demon has turned into a giant - all the while going on missions to snuff out demon infestations and training the novice slayers.

It was a great extension of the series, full of complex plot sequences, tremendous artwork and a great script. I can't wait to move on to Vol. 2.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
For fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I don't think I would recommend this to people that are not even slightly familiar with the series. You don't have to previously been into graphic novels...if you like/love/lust/covet Buffy - you MUST check out these comics.

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".

How to review this comic has been the main question swirling around in my head. I can't really approach it as a book because they are two separate things. So then, what do I do? So I'm just going to do my best and hopefully that works out. Essentially, reading this first volume is a lot like watching the Buffy t.v. show. From the drawings of the characters to the dialog, Whedon and the artist Jeanty were able to capture what you'd expect out of a Buffy episode.

Let's start with the artwork. When I originally flipped through the book, I was a little worried about recognizing which character was which. In some of the panels, the characters looked exactly like themselves but in others, it was a bit more difficult. For instance, Willow goes dark witch in one panel and I didn't recognize that she had for a moment until I went back and really looked at it. Sometimes in the action panels, Buffy is hard to tell apart from the other slayers. But for the most part, I could look at these panels all day and see these characters that I love so much portrayed completely accurately.

I will say that sometimes I had a difficult time following which panel came next. I'm not always sure where to look or how to read them but that could be because I don't have a lot of practice with comics. However, I'll get to certain pages and just be in awe at how they were arranged. I'm coming to realize that placing the panels on the page, especially to portray action or size, is an artform all of its own and can really affect the overall feeling the reader is left with.

So far, I'm enjoying the plot that is emerging. Like the t.v. show, everyone sort of has their own things going on. The action parts lend themselves well to comic form and combined with Whedon's trademark dialog, it is easyily addictive and fast to read. I've heard some people haven't liked the two villians in the first half of this series but I find Amy to be a good villian and her resurrected/brought back/saved boyfriend Warren to be every bit as terrifying as he was in the show when he was at his worst. There is a scene where they capture Willow and attempt to lobotomized her which is just terrible. I also like that they were able to capture Buffy's tough additude in scenes where she brushes off threats and kicks butt but also give her her funny soft side by her use of language and love of hairstyles and lip gloss. I'm also happy that we got a glimpse into Buffy's subconcious and got to see that she still thinks of Spike and Angel romantically! It gives me hope for Spike!

Whedon has set up a world one year after Sunnydale where slayers are coming into their powers everyday and being trained to use them by Buffy and her group of friends. It makes the scale bigger which is something I think they had a difficult time with in television. There can be grander battles without any restraints. I also want to talk about the last episode they added in this book called "The Chain" which shows the struggles of one of the women posing to be Buffy underground. Out of all the stories, it's this one which really affected me. It tells the story of a nameless girl that gives her life fighting evil in the name of someone else. I think that because this issue ended with it, it went from being a fun sort of story to a story that stuck with me.

I'm not saying that I would have rathered this season not be on t.v. If I could have kept Buffy going, I would have. But I can say that it does translate well into comics and thus far, has been able to capture the magic that made the show special. If you're a Buffy fan and interested in finding out what happens to your favorite characters, give this comic a chance. I think you'll discover something new with every page and you'll want to find out what happens! If nothing else, watching Buffy, Xander and Willow kick butt cartoon style is worth a looksee!

Now that I've spent a few years rewatching the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, I can finally check out the Whedon-penned Season 8 comics. Being an enthusiastic fan of the series, I've kind of built them up a little in my mind. Consequently, the first volume didn't quite bowl me over as much as I was hoping, but it is a worthy successor to the show (so far), and that's all that really matters.

This first volume largely picks up where the seventh season of the slow left off, albeit with some pretty major new developments. For example, Dawn is apparently a giantess, now, a side effect of an ill-advised and vaguely explained affair with a magical being called a Thricewise. Buffy is gathering all of the newly called slayers and training them, with Giles advising and Xander coordinating their squad attacks on various demon hotspots. Evil begins to stir again in the crater that was once Sunnydale, however, as familiar faces begin to rise from the dead and focus on Buffy. A mysterious reference to something called "Twilight" indicates that the new rise in demonic unrest may be more than a fluke.

These five issues seem to be an introduction to the Buffyverse for newcomers, and a transitional piece for those who are continuing on from the show. They feel very episodic, and while the larger plot arc gets established immediately, the story in each issue is very much self-contained. There are plenty of cool moments for established fans, and most importantly, Whedon's trademark witty dialogue is in full effect throughout the volume. The interaction between the characters and the overall tone of the story feels exactly like it is advertised: another season of the show.

This dedication to the format does come with a drawback, though. Whedon was fond of circuitous storytelling when writing for the show, using clever bookends and waiting until the last minute to tie plot strands together. He carries this tendency over into this first volume of Season 8, and it doesn't work quite as well in comic form, at least here in the beginning. The abrupt transitions between scenes are a lot more jarring in print, though the payoff when the story comes together at the end is still satisfying.

The artwork is great; I usually have trouble with comics based on real-life actors, but Jeanty does a wonderful job straddling the line between preserving the characters as portrayed by the actors and developing his own consistent visual interpretation of them. Also, it appears that both Whedon and Jeanty enthusiastically embraced the freedom from a special effects budget, as there is a definite trend towards more epic fantasy and sci-fi elements in this book.

Between the rampant experimentation with comic story structure and slight lack of cohesiveness in the separate issues, I left this volume feeling just the tiniest bit let down. However, the individual issues are strong (especially the last one), and the volume does a fine job of catering to both new readers and Whedonites looking for more Scooby action. I may have waited too long to start this series, and thus built it up a little too much in my own mind. I enjoyed finally diving in, though, and am excited to see what the next volume has in store.

Sunnydale may be gone, literally, but the Scooby Gang's fight against evil is far from over in the beginning of a new season of Buffy made up of 4 parts. There is no longer just 1 Slayer, but every possible Slayer out there is now a full-fledged Slayer. This makes kicking demon butt much easier. Holding headquarters at an old castle in Scotland, Xander has become a pseudo-Watcher still managing to be witty and funny (even with one eye). Dawn... she is huge, having literally been turned into a giant by a Thricewise. While Buffy may be the main Slayer, she is not the only one, helping Xander manage all the new Slayers fighting demons around the world, who are divided up into ten squads. To keep Buffy safe and the evils guessing, decoy Buffy's are scattered around the world as well.

Meanwhile, back in America, Buffy and her 'minions' are sought after by the US Government as a terrorist group. During the army's make their way deeper into the Hellmouth they find an old Nemesis of Buffy's of who finds a way to not only try to attack Buffy but finds Willow as well.

This is technically the first Buffy graphic novel that I have read since the show ended. And while this did make the plot a little confusing at first, as it took time to get use to the comic-flow of it, I loved it! The graphics are also just amazing! I cannot get over how real some of them look and how gorgeous they are. Jo Chen has really set herself apart from other artists in this series. Beyond the gorgeous art Joss Whedon has stayed true to what makes Buffy Buffy - the wit and dialogue. If anyone else but Mr. Whedon was writing this it would not be worth reading. So put aside your skepticism and wariness and read this series - if you are a Buffy freak like me, you won't regret it!!

Although Buffy, the TV Series ended, Joss Whedon decided to continue the story line in comic form. This allows him to go above and beyond in storyline and "special effects". There are no more budgetary constrictions, or physical limitations of the actors. If you can draw it, it can happen. Thus, I assumed this before I even started reading. It served me well because the magic component of the show (Willow, witches, etc.) has been exaggerated above and beyond everything we have seen in all the seasons, combined, times 1 million.

The Long Way Home is the first volume of the series and it is comprised of 5 issues. In the first issue we are introduced to the slayer army, the next big bad and Dawn's magical issues.

The story picks up after Season 7, all the slayers have been `awakened' and Buffy is now the leader of what has essentially become an army of slayers. But, Buffy has gone hi-tech: helicopters, forts, special anything. This is addressed later on in the series.

I admit I was hesitant to read them, there is just nothing like the show. But, as I read this first volume, I was happily surprised that the comical relief was still there and that it translated well into paper. The artwork is really good and works well to bring the characters to life.

The only issue I have are the HUGE wholes all over the series. Things just happen and never explained. I feel as if I missed a whole page of events.

Otherwise, this is, without a doubt, a must read for all Buffy fans.

Note: I received this galley free from the publisher.

Like many fans of the TV show I wondered..what happened to Buffy and the gang after the show ended? Where did they go and would we ever see them again? Thankfully Joss and his crew have created a new season of Buffy adventures in comic book form that answers all of these questions and more.

Buffy and the Slayers are still out there. Fighting to protect the world from the monsters and the demons...and of course the vampires. Xander runs central command now, directing the teams of Slayers to various points around the world where they're needed. And three Buffy's roam the Earth for misdirection...and other surprises. But there's a new player in town a big bad planning something and they've got people all over the world ready and waiting, including in the US army. And they're gunning for destroying Buffy and the Slayers and an old friend or two has come back to help them do it.

Reading this first issue it feels like the TV series never ended and because it's Joss Whedon at the helm you know the storyline is going to be good. Even though some time has passed since we last say the characters, it feels like the same characters, but we can tell they've grown. And the dynamic has changed some between them. Joss keeps us on the edge of our seats constantly guessing...wondering who survived the collapse of Sunnydale and what is this mysterious group up to? The artwork for this series accurately captures what the main characters looked like without being overly cartoony or weird. Even better when they introduce characters not seen in the regular series, such as the General they look like actual human beings (trust me I've read series based off of TV shows and this is always one of the failings.)

This is a great continuation of a fantastic TV series. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next and I can't wait to read the next volume in the series.

Reading this graphic novel took me back to when I used to religiously watch my taped seasons of Buffy, hanging onto each & every thing that happened. I mourned when Oz & Willow broke up, when Angel went evil, & when Tara was killed. I've followed the comic sporadically but due to empty-wallet-itis & the fact that my local library is unable to keep entire collections of graphic novels on the shelves (they either get stolen or shredded after a year of circulation), I've been unable to really read the comic compilations like I've wanted to.

This was worth the wait, in my opinion.

I absolutely loved the artwork the first time I'd read this as it was getting released in individual issues, & that hasn't changed. I love how the artists interpreted the actors' looks into the comic without it being too obviously "this is Sarah Michelle Gellar" or "this is Allyson Hannigan". The characters individual personalities are very much brought into the artwork & it shows. (And Willow continues to be my favorite Buffy character ever.)

It'd been a while since I'd last watched Buffy or refreshed myself on the storyline so I'm glad to say that you can pretty much dive into this with little to no issues. People who are new to Buffy will be understandably lost, but the story here has enough to offer to where they can follow along & catch up via the internet & old episodes. I'll admit that I was a little afraid that this would be some cheap ploy to dive into the fandom's pockets, but this really is a well done comic adaptation. Luckily Netgalley has many more of the volumes up for perusal, so I'll let you guys know if any of this changes.

(Reader copy provided by Netgalley)

When I found out Joss was going to continue Buffy in comic form I was excited, kind of, at the point of original release I had never picked up a comic book, and then life got in the way until today, when I happened upon this book and had to pick it up. (Wow talk about some run-on sentence issues!) So, it's been awhile since I watched season seven of Buffy, and I was a little rusty on some things. As the story unfolded it did come rushing back to me. There is some new lore going on though and a lot more magic going on so as of finishing this story, I still don't know what all is happening. BUT season 8 has eight books to it, so I am pretty sure it will be flushed out, because well what isn't in the Joss universe? The villans don't feel villany quite yet, they are mostly just meh, I'm sure there's some more big bads coming, but the ones in this story weren't great. I mean eww, flashing back to that one episode of Buffy where Warren gets skinned by Willow was a memory I could have lived without. Mainly I felt like this book was just dipping the toe back into the water that I've been away from for a while. I did like getting back into the world of Buffy, even though it is drastically different from the series, it isn't perfect, but I still loved it.

When I found out Joss was going to continue Buffy in comic form I was excited, kind of, at the point of original release I had never picked up a comic book, and then life got in the way until today, when I happened upon this book and had to pick it up. (Wow talk about some run-on sentence issues!) So, it's been awhile since I watched season seven of Buffy, and I was a little rusty on some things. As the story unfolded it did come rushing back to me. There is some new lore going on though and a lot more magic going on so as of finishing this story, I still don't know what all is happening. BUT season 8 has eight books to it, so I am pretty sure it will be flushed out, because well what isn't in the Joss universe? The villans don't feel villany quite yet, they are mostly just meh, I'm sure there's some more big bads coming, but the ones in this story weren't great. I mean eww, flashing back to that one episode of Buffy where Warren gets skinned by Willow was a memory I could have lived without. Mainly I felt like this book was just dipping the toe back into the water that I've been away from for a while. I did like getting back into the world of Buffy, even though it is drastically different from the series, it isn't perfect, but I still loved it.

The Long Way Home starts off with a reference from the last television season of Angel, immediately bringing the reader back into the action. Visually, the book is perfect, capturing every minor detail in clear and recognizable depictions of the characters. In a way, the comics are actually better than the original because you get the chance to really know what's going on in the character's heads and there are no budget restrictions impeding Joss's creative ideas.

There are now 1800 slayers in the world, all connected and many "enlisted" to fight alongside Buffy and the rest of the Scooby Gang. Situations have changed and there seems to have been a lot of growing up for some of the characters. Our old friends (and any long-time Buffy fan knows that's what they truly are) still use the zany pop-culture laden humor that has always lightened up the darker subject matter.But, with Joss at the wheel, could you expect any less?

This first volume of Season 8 is simply amazing. I proudly confess to being a huge raving Buffy fangirl, but still this book blew my mind. This is Buffy on a grander scale - Buffy taken one step further. You completely forget you are reading and lose yourself in the pictures. You become so fully immersed in the story that you feel as though you have become a part of it.

I think I am correct in saying that this is the first graphic novel I have ever read. It's not a genre I have ever paid much attention too before, but the lure of Buffy brought me in.

On the whole, I enjoyed this first installment in season eight. There are a number of things in the plot that left me a little baffled, but I am working on the assumption that all will become clear as the season progresses.

The dialogue and characters are all there and they feel familiar and correct. I found the scenes jumped a bit, but I think that is just the fact I am not particularly used to the style of graphic novels as opposed to general fiction. Really, the graphic novel is more like a television show or film, with scenes cutting and changing quickly.

I enjoyed the illustrations. They were enough like the characters that you always knew who was who, but I loved some of the more realistic artwork displayed in between parts more.

I am keen to read on and find out who the Big Bad is and what will happen next. This is a must for any Buffy fans who want to know what happened to the characters after the end of the television show.

I received this book as a free review copy from NetGalley.

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!

Looking back at the endings of both the Buffy and Angel TV series, I was satisfied with how Buffy ended and much less satisfied with how Angel ended. I wanted a comic book continuation of Angel, but was wary of opening the Buffy story back up again.

Despite that, I'm giving the Buffy continuation 5 stars over only a 4 star rating for the Angel comic continuation.

The writing on this is top notch, as is the art. Both the writing and, to a slightly lesser extent, the art capture very well the personae we watched grow in the BTVS show.

It seems that most of the negative reviews come from folks who either a) aren't used to the medium of comics or b) are comic aficionados disappointed in the TV/comic hybrid pacing style of this series. This isn't television. This isn't Batman. This is a comic continuation of a television show story and designed to play out as well as the medium allows.

Highly recommended for Buffy fans, but those not used to comics as a medium might have some difficulty adapting.

Wrapping up loose ends from Season 7, developing a new world of empowered slayers, and giving me more Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: The Long Way Home is my new favorite thing. My only complaint is that Jeanty's artwork makes it rather hard to tell who anyone is when they are not introduced. Except for Willow, the characters here only slightly resemble the actors who originated the part. I had an especially hard time with Andrew.
Joss, however, proves that he is a genius of all media, writing graphic novel just as well as he does television and movie scripts.
What I would love is to have novelisations of these books, as I'm not terribly well-versed in reading the Graphic Novel style and had a hard time following it. This is more my failing, than the book's, though, so no points off. (As though I could rate anything even remotely related to Joss Whedon anything less than full marks.)

Okay, so, if you're here, you're obviously a big fan of the television show that ran on The WB and UPN from 1997-2003.

If you're here thinking that this will fill the void of the long-missed show, you're going to be disappointed. If you're here hoping for even a small continuation of your beloved show and don't have that high of expectations, then you will be pleased.

The first arc is not the best, but not the worst either. Its setting is much greater than that of Sunnydale, and not every main character is featured in this arc: Giles is gone; he's off training with Faith. Spike and Angel are gone; they're fighting their own good fight in hell in their own comic book series, "Angel: After the Fall."

Buffy, Xander, and Willow are holding up operations in Scotland, along with Dawn, Andrew, and a MASSIVE amount of Slayers from all over the globe.

The main villain of the series isn't discovered until the very end of the arc, but there are two minor villains that you will remember from the series.

This continuation of the series is highly recommended, but mainly because it's the only thing left for us Buffy devotees. Pick this up and enjoy it for what it is: more adventures with your favorite Scoobies.

I never watched Buffy when I was younger. And not because of lack of interest, but because I was not allowed to watch the show. I remember begging to grow up faster & for the show not to stop airing when I did. But eventually Buffy ended & I forgot about it.

So when I heard about the graphic novel I was instantly excited to read it because it would be my chance to discover the amazingness of the fandom.

Firstly, in my opinion, you do NOT need to have watched the series to understand this. Yes, it's tehcnically season 8, but it's not necessary. If you know what a Slayer(demon killer, ALWAYS a woman) & a watcher(slayer's guide) is, then you are set.

The Long Way Home is the perfect combination of writing with mind-blowing graphics. Buffy is a strong girl & her sarcastic remarks & badassness makes her instantly our idol(if you are a girl) & coveting material(if you are a guy).

I spent half the time laughing my head off & the other half in awe of the drawings. The Long Way Home is not another marketing strategy to keep fans interested, it has soul and submerges you into the world and refuses to let go of you.

If you were fan of Buffy back in the day & never read it because you thought it would ruin your memories of the show, read it because it will give you new memories of the characters.

And if you, like me, never saw the series, read it too because it will make you wish you did.

Buffy had never been more alive than in the pages of this graphic novels.

A lot has changed in the Buffyverse since the hit show Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended in 2003. Now, instead of there being one Chosen Slayer, there are 1,800 of them. In addition to this, wicked witch Amy has teamed up with a skinless, reanimated Warren from Season 6. Oh, and did I mention that the United States Armed Forces is out for Buffy's head?

Where the TV seasons were made of 22 episodes, this graphic novel "season" is made up of eight volumes. There's not much I can say about The Long Way Home. While not exactly emotionally engaging, it still exhibits the series' trademark quirkiness, and acts as a nice foundation stone for continuing a much beloved series, albeit in a different genre.

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 [...]

Absolutely amazing. Buffy has finally come to her final form and she is now the full-blown super hero she was evolving into over the course of the TV series. I was an avid fan of the show, watching it every Tuesday and then Thursday religiously. This comic took me back and really brought Buffy into a new light that does the show worlds of justice. I tip my hat to you, Joss Whedon.

Not going to make this a very lengthy review since a lot of other people have covered this book extensively.. I will say I am a Buffy fan and watched all seven seasons of it on TV... like others I was skeptical as far as whether or not a comic book could capture the same "magic" of the TV series.. it's different than the TV series that's for certain, because it's a different medium.. graphic novel rather than "live action" in the form of a TV show or movie... and we Buffy fans would all love to see Buffy on TV again for sure .... but until and if that happens this is a good substitute for those craving Buffy if you're a big Buffy fan and if you love comics, which I do as well... Joss Whedon does a great job of capturing Buffy and her associates in these comic book narratives..

The comic picks up right where the TV series stops - Season 7 ends, Season 8 is seamlessly picked up in comic book format.Since I missed some episodes in season 7, a quick wikipedia refresher helped me remember some of the newer plot twists (Recommended). It is written by Josh Whedon, the creator of Buffy, who has plenty of street cred.

Plus: While the narrative is different, stylistically it is true to the fast-paced, dramatic visual format of the TV series. GREAT GREAT cover art - almost photographic in detail, beautifully drawn. In each section of the comic (Part 1, Part 2 and so on) there is a mini-cover art page, which is stellar work.
Witty one-liners that punch through into the heart of Buffy-ness? Action scenes that used Buffy's Scythe? All here and more.

Minus: Felt more like a TV-type pace, than a comic book. There were some cuts in scenes which felt too contrived, had to flip back and forth to get a grip on what was happening. Luckily, being a comic book, this is easy to do!
Really, almost a positive here, is that you can go back and forth, set the pace at which you read and re-read this story.

My one gripe is that I felt Buffy didn't look too Buffy-like in the comic, I certainly couldn't see Sarah Michelle Gellar there. Covers excepted, of course.

Finally, at 139 pages, this is good value for money.
I'd recommend this to: People who grew up with Buffy on TV, and would like more!

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.

Warning: A few mild spoilers listed here.

The Buffy television series ended with a bang. After seven seasons, Buffy and her friends defeated the First Evil and saved the world for what must have been the umpteenth time. At that point, it truly seemed like the perfect time to end this series, because after the defeating the greatest evil of all, where do you go from there? Were there any new storylines that could prove interesting enough for the franchise to explore?

Joss Whedon, the creator of the series, first attempted to revive the franchise as an animated series, but those efforts fell through. A few years later, Whedon struck a deal with Dark Horse Comics to bring Buffy back as a comic in what would be called "Season Eight". But could the franchise succeed in such a format?

Fortunately, the answer was yes. Although Season Eight would have its ups and downs, the Buffy franchise was reinvigorated because it allowed Whedon and company to tell stories on a much larger scale than was ever possible on a television budget. This becomes clear with the very first issue.

The season-opening story arc The Long Way Home (issues 1-4) is a winner, reintroducing the Scooby Gang (including a giant-sized Dawn) in a whole new setting with Buffy helming a Slayer army in a castle in Scotland. The story teases a Buffy-Xander romance, but then does a pivot and gives us something completely unexpected (and somewhat dissapointing). The other thing that really bothered me is the negative portrayal of the U.S. military, making it appear as if the United States was to be the Big Bad of the season (Fortunately, this wasn't the case.) It was also disturbing to see Buffy attacking and severely injuring U.S. soldiers. But overall, this is a great story arc and it's just a shame that the rest of Season 8 couldn't consistently be as good.

Occasionally veers too far into the realm of fan-service, and doesn't do the best job establishing itself as its own thing (lack of compelling new characters, places, etc.), but also very much in the tradition of the show. At it's best, really feels like it deserves the "next season" title.

Think Galactic discussion notes:[...]

Well, I have to say I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I admit it. I have a prejudice against graphic novels, but this is a success due to Joss Whedon's snappy writing and Georges Jeanty's beautiful artwork. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon and Allyson Hannigan's youthful appearance are forever preserved within the pages of this novel as the action takes place right at the end of the series' final season.

"The Long Way Home" is actually a compilation of comic books previously released and the cover art for each appears at the back of the book. There is also a mini story called "The Chain" which explores the Buffy decoy storylines originally introduced in the television series. The story is tragic and has Whedon's magic touch, weaving the camp with the drama flawlessly.

I had a hard time following the action at first because it was difficult to tell what was real and what was Buffy's fantasies. Reading these were like watching the series all over again and, as a fan, I really appreciated that. I do wonder why Joss Whedon hasn't developed another series, another alternative universe apart from Buffy's world. Could he perhaps be obssessed with the slayer?

Great story for those who asked themselves what happened after the series ended.

This is my third time reading this part of the comic and I love everything about it. Sure the story line may not go as I expected but that is the beauty of good story telling. I may not like the story-lines completely but I enjoyed the shock of what happens.

I enjoyed re-reading about my favorite characters Willow... heck I even liked Dawn in the comic book better then the t.v. series. There is something interesting about a girl turned into a giant.

The art is superior and fits the writing. For a Buffy fan the comics are pure heaven as for if you didn't watch I can't tell you but can only ask "Why don't you watch Buffy?! Seriously you can get the DVD's Now!"

The basis for my review will be a grade on writing and pacing, which Joss did an excellent job with in this comic trade. I haven't watched Buffy, and yes it was dumb of me to pick up season 8 when I haven't had a lick of Buffy at all. So I am here encouraging other people to not repeat my mistake. You should come into this comic with some solid knowledge of the Buffy universe, otherwise you'll be lost like me. I did however enjoy Whedon's witty banter from panel to panel, and watching the story unfold was more entertaining than I expected it to be. The good thing about this experience, is that now I wish to be exposed to more Buffy in the future. My mistake was not entirely fruitless, but I encourage everyone out there to not repeat that mistake.

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

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!

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.

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

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 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!!

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.

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 was a huge fan of the series and finally went out and bought the first graphic novel. I think I waited so long because I was afraid the comic might ruin the series for me. After reading it, I'm not quite at "Season 8 doesn't exist!", but it was certainly a disappointing introduction to the new medium. Some of the plot devices are so mind-numbingly idiotic that I really have to wonder what Joss was smoking (Warren again? REALLY?). Also, as a big fan of Spike's character development throughout the series, not having him around anymore is as big a void as not having Buffy or Giles around (also, Buffy got over him pretty quickly didn't she?). And Dawn is STILL annoying?! Didn't the show already go over her issues...like, a lot? I can understand a middle schooler being at her level of annoyance, but she's at high school age now, why is she still so needy and whiny? Can someone please kill her off already? NO ONE LIKES DAWN! STOP KILLING CHARACTERS WE LIKE AND ARE INTERESTED IN AND REPLACING THEM WITH ANNOYING SHALLOW PEOPLE THANKS.
Overall, the plot was boring, and the panel changes were sometimes incomprehensible. I'd have to read parts over again a few times to figure out what was going on. And the move to comics made the tone of the series into a generic superhero comic. Which kind of sucks if you enjoyed the close knit atmosphere of the series, where it focused on character development rather than flashy big stuff. Buffy works best when it's a core group of characters, but everyone is off sort of doing their own thing, and there's a lot of focus on people I don't care about. I've heard the series gets better, but I don't know if I really want to bother.

Joss Whedon brings Buffy Summers back to life (again) with Season 8 of the cult TV hit-exclusively in the comics aisle. Following the destruction of Sunnydale, Buffy-now in command of literally hundreds of Slayers-continues the war against the forces of darkness. But an investigation into a mysterious cult, combined with the return of old enemies, raises the stakes higher than before. With artist Georges Jeanty at his side, Whedon continues Buffy's adventures with the same flare of the show, but he's now doing a lot more with a lot less. Included is the usual cover gallery.

This comic is unrated: Graphic Violence.

I wish I hadn't waited so long to start this comic series! Joss Whedon is a genius, and Georges Jeanty's art is beautiful - he depicted the characters perfectly. It's been a while since I've watched Buffy season 7, so I had to Wiki a few things to remember who the evil characters were. I highly recommend this comic series to anyone that's a fan of the series, or Joss Whedon!

I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer with an insane passion, but I'm going to have to declare Season 8 to be Discontinuity. Joss Whedon's talent lies with a certain format of storytelling, and this just ain't it. Either that, or Buffy just doesn't lend itself to this form. I had a lot of trouble seeing who was who (they all look a bit alike) and had no idea what was going on some of the time. You miss so much of the complexity and subtext in this form, and it's just plain derailed a lot of the time. Some characters act completely different from how they used to act, and the plots are too complex for comic form. Plus, I would much rather imagine happily-ever-after than the hell Whedon puts these characters right back into. Despite all these problems, it IS Buffy, so I'm all with the reading. It does disappoint me a bit, though.

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 didn't know what to expect but was really pleased with Whendon's Season Eight of Buffy. I liked that the story doesn't take place exactly the day after season seven's finale. Most season premiere's don't. This leaves many ideas to sort through and stories to be told. Jeantty's art is gorgeous and makes all the human figures recognizable. Can't wait for volume two.

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.

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.

"I’m sold. I need to read the next one. The back of this book says the trade costs 16 dollars and if I had spent that much money on this I wouldn’t have felt..."

Read the full review here:
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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.

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

It took me a while to find out that there were comics based on a "Season 8" of my beloved buffy, and i was so excited and couldnt wait to give them a read.

Needless to say i've enjoyed them so far but the long way home is not one of the ones that i have enjoyed. Joss' writing in this book is (for the most part) horrible, i can honestly say that i have no idea what he was thinking. Giant dawn, bringing a certain dead character back. Just because he doesn't have a budget to work with anymore doesnt mean it shouldnt lose the feel of the show.

The thing that saved this TPB for me was #5 entitled "the chain" which is a fantastic issue and if the others were even half as good it could have been a classic.

I gave the store 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.

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!

The Long Way Home was ok...I was really excited to get it and a little disapointed when I read it. It was really short and kind of spendy for not alot of story in it. I will buy the next one but I know now what to expect.

As disappointing as it was for the show to end, Season 8 is Buffy at its finest in a new medium. The animation is beautiful, writing exquisit (as always), and the villain could possibly be the best the series has had. Season 8 is worth adding to the collection.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 the store 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.

We watched "The Long Way Home" at a friends house. I'm just wondering, what kind of pills did everyone take to rave about this waste of film? No one from the original show was dumb enough to sign up for this. That was hint one, people. The story line.... take the storyline from BTVS, keep the characters but lose the logic, rip the plot line to shreds. Throw in some of the stupidity from that trash movie, do some major mind-altering drugs and you come close to what I saw in those first 4 episodes of season 8.(Please don't call it season 8. That is a deep insult to the great work done by Mr. Whedon and that amazing cast.) The live show is television history. And to follow it up with this bad fantasy land version,.......

I own the entire Buffy series. I would look into the fan writings and comic books (sorry, I mean graphic novels), but I know I'd be so hooked if there were even a few good story lines, I'd be doing much more reading than I am now. But these rip-offs, I'm glad I'm out of this before I bought the entire set. I hate to waste money.

If you got annoyed with Whedon's seemingly frat-boy infatuation with girl on girl action in Buffy the TV series, then this series is not for you. If you felt like the scenes between Willow and Tara in the TV series were focused more on a self-serving agenda (gratuitous frat-boy fantasy fulfillment for Whedon or a 'look how hip we are' attitude) than on a realistic relationship, get ready; this series takes it a step further: Buffy's love interest in these books is another female slayer. Apparently, Whedon is incapable of writing a romance between a man and a woman without having the male be either touched by evil (vampires, werewolves, etc.) or an emasculated male with no strengths whatsoever. He also seems incapable of writing or conceiving of a strong female character that is opposite-sex-oriented. Very disappointing that Whedon couldn't write a Buffy story without satisfying his juvenile infatuation with seeing two girls make out. I threw the book out with the trash and will not buy the next edition. Grow up Whedon.