Customer Reviews
Hooked Again 
2008-04-11
To put it in the simplest of terms, I'm hooked again on the Slayer story. The season eight storyline is really intresting and I can't wait for the concluding volume two!
Not what I had hoped for 
2008-04-09
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.
Buffy, Okay 2008-03-31
I gave Amazon 1 star for the quick devilery, and the comic it self 3 stars. The art made it a little hard to understand who was who in the comic untill introductions were made. And I found the story/dialoge a little confusing, I predict that it will all become clearer with more of a plot buildup. I'll be buying the next collection of season 8 to better understand the story and see if it develops more which I'm sure it will. Overall I found the story to be very short, mainly written to explain what has happened since season 7. Hopefully the next novel won't be so introdutionary (and Faiths in it, so that should make it more interesting).And is it just me or did they off off Anya so that Xander could get a bunch in this season?Poor Anya.
Awesome 
2008-03-31
But I still wish it were on television. It it sometimes hard to get into the characters in the comics. If you watch an old episode before reading it, though, it comes a little easier. You can actually "hear" the characters in your head instead of just reading it on paper.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Volume 1: Long Way Home 2008-03-10
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.
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A void filled 2008-06-20
Being a buffy and angel fan, I was hestitant to actually start reading these. I read the other reviews, and noticed that the comics were written by the man himself. I also read the astonishing X-Men, written by Whedon, and knew he had a voice for comics. The only problem with this is it's too short. I was hoping for both volumes 1 & 2, to be combined into one for this. The stories are good and the quick quips that Whedon is known for continue. The line about Sergant Fury just made me put the book down and laugh. It's those little moments that make his work good.
Pretty average fair 
2008-06-05
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.
FANTASTIC! 2008-05-09
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!
Cauldron-boiler stuff 
2008-04-21
Buffy the movie was clever and fun. The seven TV seasons were some of the best entertainment ever, IMO. I have Fray and Tales of the Slayers comics and they're ok. Season 8 Vol 1 is ok as well, I guess. Calling this season 8 implies it's going to be TV-quality Buffy, but in a different medium. I don't see why that's not possible and, especially after reading other reviews, I actually believed it. But S8V1 is very low quality and I'd go as far as to say it is not entertaining, certainly not considering its pedigree. Good acting, storytelling and emotions can certainly be conveyed through the medium of comics but this isn't it.
Maybe you're happy to spend $15 to make up your own mind (I was). I really wanted to believe the good reviews, but please note that not all the reviews here are positive.
Whedon has done some great stuff because he's his own person and a risk-taker. This feels less like a risk that failed and more like just a pot-boiler. Maybe he's just run out of things to say in this genre. Whedon can certainly write music+lyrics: how about a rock opera next?
Graphic SF Reader 2008-04-20
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
