BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON EIGHT #1"The Long Way Home part 1"
Writer: Joss Whedon
Penciler: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Andy Owens
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art: Jo Chen
Designer: Heidi Fainza
Assistant Editor: Katie Moody
Associate Editor: Matt Dryer
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Mike Richardson
Buffy's back. Almost four years after the 144th episode aired, Buffy's back and she's brought Joss Whedon with her. And even though the issue barely even touches on all the questions that I have, even though it covers next-to-no ground, it still feels right.
Buffy is now the leader of a squadron of slayers, one of many actually. They have vehicles, harnesses, a big ol' headquarters, all the trimmings of S.H.I.E.L.D. itself (as noted by Xander; lordy how I missed Xander). This looks nothing like the Buffy we all remember fondly. There isn't a close sense of family and there's no cozy central location. Instead we have Buffy and Dawn who are barely speaking and a huge stone castle, both of which are interesting plot points since they tie together to establish just how different this world is. Buffy notes this, thankfully, so we know Joss is going somewhere with this.
What really makes this feel like Buffy is Joss' dialodue. Putting Nicholas Brendan's voice over those words, it sent shivers through the pages and into me. Same with Buffy and Dawn; these are the characters that I love and I'm so glad they're back with the man who created them.
The art is good. I'm used to being completely off put by the art in non-Marvel books, be it the pencils (usually my problem with Dark Horse) or the color (my problem with DC). Jeanty did some good work back on the most recent ongoing Gambit series and he's a decent fit. Still, what I wouldn't give to see Joshua Middleton or Adrian Alphona on this series. Well, perhaps not Middleton, since I think he's allergic to deadlines. Perhaps a cover, then?
This issue feels like the first act of an episode. The reveal at the end is what I'd normally be seeing at 7:15 (central time) on a Tuesday night, the start of the second act coming a mere four minutes away. Not anymore. This darn format is making me wait four weeks, but that's something I have to live with. Here's hoping the book doesn't fall prey to deadline issues like Joss' other book, Astonishing X-Men. Still, there's enough to ponder about in this issue to hold me over. While little is really accomplished in this issue, so many promises are made that I salivate thinking about them. Willow's MIA. Who's that hovering guy? What's that symbol? The army sure looks mad! Ah, so good!
My only real gripe is wondering what the dang series is called. The cover says Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Season Eight in teeny tiny print under the Dark Horse logo. The inidicia on the inside front cover says Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the comics price guide calls it Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Volume 2, and reviews online call it Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight. I'm going with the colon-version until I start seeing a uniform title. Things like this irk me. I'm still mad that Marvel doesn't include volume numbers in their indicias, especially since they relaunch titles like it's going out of style.
So yeah, this lived up to my expectations. The only way it could have been better is if Joss provided a single issue story, a perfect beginning-middle-end including Giles and Willow, complete with all the action and hilarity of the television series. Instead, Joss is treating us to something a lot bigger, a lot more epic. Both are valid ways to start the series and, honestly, I think the way he's doing it has me a lot more intrigued than if he went the other way.
This is gonna be fun.
MY SCORE: 9.1 (out of 10)
2 comments:
i to enjoyed this very very much. i will now go back and re-watch all 7 seasons. i figured the girl in the pit was going to anya who got all pissed off for being stuck down that hole for so long. although i didnt see how she could get angry enough to want to kill buffy, it just wouldnt ahve been in her character. but for it to be amy.. i REALLY gotta rewatch what happened to her, cause ive forgotten. anyway, ill be there sweatin it out with you till we get the new issue every month.
-jamie curtis
Amen! This issue barely felt like it moved beyond the opening credits. It set up a LOT, though, and I feel like we're in very good hands.
I'm filling in the blanks here, but I'm confident we won't have X-men bad deadlines this time, as it sounds as if Whedon has already written his entire first set arc to make room for the Faith arc (whose doing it again? Fury?), so I think we're ok. Once the other writers start their arcs, I'm sure Whedon's typical oversight of the issues will leave plenty of time for deadlines to be met.
I'm just so excited. And Xander's new central command role just fits. Ah, I loved it! Not enough, but isn't that what Joss was always so very good at (among other things)?
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