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 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! ( )

Satisfying despite some dubious plot choices - hey, it's BtVS. ( )

This was one of my favorite tv shows and this volume takes up right where the show left off, the writing is superb and the art work top notch as the characters look like the actors. The cover art is especially good. ( )

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! ( )

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: http://positronchicago.blogspot.com/2016/10/think-galactic-buffy-season-8.html ( )

So yeah, I was hankering for a little snark and remembered that I still had a bunch of Buffy seasons I hadn't experienced. I should have picked these up and enjoyed them years ago. I was such a big fan, so what happened? Life and accident, I guess.

Thank god it's never too late to correct this kind of mistake unless I got slayed.

All the familiar characters feels like coming home. ( )

It didn't make a lot of sense. It started off okay, but about halfway through I had more questions than answers and was quite frustrated with the pace and the way it moved between scenes, places, and characters. ( )

This type of graphic novel is hard for me, even though I love Buffy so much I could cry. The story was tough to understand because of the jump in medium - tv to comic. I'd like to read the rest of these and hopefully get more of a sense of graphic novels as an art form. The story was interesting but I just couldn't help but with I was watching it on screen. ( )

It was okay, I love Buffy as a whole so I'll continue reading. ( )

This was pretty good but it had a few problems. It was very jumpy from scene to scene without a clear segway which often led to confusion. I will say the art was very well done however and the characters looked just like the actors that portrayed them on the tv show. The story plot wise was also pretty good and the dialogue was spot on to the tv show. There were a few times where I thought "OMG that's so Buffy!"

Overall, an enjoyable read, but I hope the series gets better with jump cut scenes as it goes along. That was definitely the area that needed the most improvement. It was really cool to be back in the Buffy-verse again! ( )

http://www.literaryfeline.com/2008/12/graphic-novels-reviews-challenge-wrap.html ( )

Read on December 22, 2016

How have I not read this sooner?! It's the continuation of one of my favorite TV shows EVER. I don't have to imagine what they're doing anymore, someone else will tell me! This first volume picks up about a year after the end of Season 7 when Buffy & Gang blew up Sunnydale. New bad guys (and still a kind of evil government), lots of slayers, and the best snark ever. ( )

Considering the difficulty of shifting formats, particularly across media as different as TV and graphic novel, it was relatively easy to recognize characters in their drawn forms. I was thrown off by the unexplained appearance of a NASA-like infrastructure and the move to Scotland, and I was not amused by the authors' choice to revive the Buffy/Xander storyline from Seasons 1 and 2. The plot was much less interesting in drawn form, and graphic novel battles are nothing like watching them on screen, but I'll keep reading to see if "Season Eight" is worth it.

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! ( )

Takes a little getting used to- the story in comic book format is a little fast paced and scattered. But all the elements that made Joss Whedon's series so good are still there. ( )

As I have never seen the show or read any of the other graphic novels, this was mostly very confusing. On the one hand I was impressed that Buffy dresses like a rational person might in her job, which is automatic proof of a feminist slant. On the other hand, there were still enough enormous-boobed and scantily-clad female characters to annoy me.

This book was on my list for a long time, and I was not disappointed when I read it. I love the idea of being able to continue a story in a universe you love after it has left it's primary media. I enjoyed the art and seeing where the characters go next. I plan to read the rest of season 8. ( )

*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. ( )

It moves too quickly - some things that might have taken entire episodes on TV go by in just a page or two. Other than that, it's completely awesome. ( )

Overall it was well done, but I have no familiarity with the series or characters, and honestly no interest in them either. That made it difficult for me to enjoy or even understand in some places. ( )

I'm so glad that Joss wrote Buffy comics while the show was still on, because when he decided to do a season 8 after the series had ended, he had the perfect medium all set up. And he was able to do things that might have not have come off quite as well in a television format. It's a year after the events of Season 7 and it's getting interesting. The Slayers are an army and some folks aren't too thrilled about that.

This book collects the first five issues of Buffy Season 8, which includes opening arc "The Long Way Home" and "The Chain," which deals with one of the decoys chosen for a very dangerous mission. Excellent opening salvo. Can't wait to read more. ( )

I just finished Buffy season 7 and jumped right into the comics, and I was not disappointed! Buffy is leading a ton (in the thousands) of slayers in the fight against demons and vampires. Willow comes back from a secret jaunt somewhere, Dawn is a giant (literally), Xander is the commander of the whole operation and a few old and forgotten characters are back. General chaos ensues and I was drawn right back into this great series!

Not sure if you should read it? Well take a look at this:



Curious? I bet you are! :)

Illustrations: 4 stars
Story: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars ( )

It's season 8, and full of pretty good writing, but I feel like these "episodes" are fairly nostalgic as opposed to innovative.

And call me crazy, but I really think they could have worked harder to capture likenesses in the art. I mean, doesn't Whedon have his pick of anybody on the planet? Why does Xander look like Batman? Why does Amy look like Buffy, and Buffy look like Faith?

I miss the show, I do. ( )

It's season 8, and full of pretty good writing, but I feel like these "episodes" are fairly nostalgic as opposed to innovative.

And call me crazy, but I really think they could have worked harder to capture likenesses in the art. I mean, doesn't Whedon have his pick of anybody on the planet? Why does Xander look like Batman? Why does Amy look like Buffy, and Buffy look like Faith?

I miss the show, I do. ( )

My first Buffy comic and you know, I was only ever in it for Angel. Of which he's not in this, well, drea sequences don't count. Impossible love and all that noise. That stuff is for the birds. ( )