Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 1: The Long Way Home

Unengaging graphic sequel - apparently the first 'episodes' in a notional Season 8 - to the TV Series, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. It misses the point - the Buffy series was fantasy, sure, but it was also about the psychological development of, and the tensions within, its Scooby Gang.

'Season 8' (at least based on reading this first volume) is filled with stereotypes and seems a forced attempt to drive the 'girl power' message of the last minutes of the final show of Season 7 to ridiculous lengths. Much of this comic is just silly, portentous and disconnected.

It also gives us a clue as to why Joss Whedon literally lost the plot with Firefly, less so with Serenity, when he tried to paint on a much bigger canvas. The point was that Buffy show more was not such a big canvas in time and space when you got down to it.

It was a small town living under the shadow of many dimensions and, as HP Lovecraft and Stephen King have both shown us, a relatively tight 'real' universe can often be more effective at making us believe in cosmic horrors than a world of limitless fantasy ... perhaps Whedon should leave big fantasy to the top graphic design 'auteurs' like Alan Moore and Mike Mignola who can create characters and situations that are limitless from the start.

The novel is also ridiculously expensive for what it is. There is something irritating about a marketing mentality that hooks kids on a product and then prises £11.99 of their pocket money for something so unstimulating. It feels like exploitation.

Perhaps it gets much better in Volume 2 (and afterwards) but I am not going to bother to find out. I don't believe in completism for its own sake.

If Whedon cannot continue the story on the small screen in episodic form, then I, for one, will be happy to close the mythos with the Scooby Gang (minus Anya) standing by their commandeered school bus, looking down into the gaping hole that was Sunnydale and the (presumed) vapourised grave of the redeemed Spike. And so it goes .... show less

This volume feels like a very natural continuation of the "Buffy" show from where things ended in Season 7! It has a nice balance of action and fighting; some looking into the question of what the world is going to look like now; and touching little family/friend moments, like Buffy and Dawn working to find their balance, as well as Buffy's mysterious kisser. The fifth issue also really was wonderfully done and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this side story.
My one major nitpick is that the return of Amy and Warren felt a bit weird? I think the story would have been strengthened if Buffy had to face a new foe instead of the writers rehashing old faces. Also, I hope this military-ish plot doesn't become too like the Initiative plot show more from Season 4. It was kinda a slog in the show and it would be nice to see some baddies other than just men with guns and convoluted military ops.
Either way, I'm excited to keep reading into Season 8 and have high hopes for what's next! show less

*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 show more 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. show less

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 show more 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.) show less

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 show more 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. show less

This is a collection of comics #1-5. I read them originally when they came out, but it's been a while and I couldn't remember where I'd left off. So I started this series again properly. I found that I liked it more this time around--even giant!Dawn. It's interesting to see where things might have gone, given how the series ended. I like the idea of the Scoobies embracing and training so many slayers. However, it definitely has room to backfire. And all the hints about the next big bad definitely have me continuing to read. Not to mention lots of familiar faces.

I look forward to reading more of the series!

I wish I could give this a 3 1/2. It had moments where I felt I could hear the characters of the TV show speaking through the script, and others where I was confused or it seemed strained. I liked it enough I've ordered the next!