Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tinyzap 's review for:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home
by Joss Whedon
I was a devout Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan from 1997-2003. Watching Buffy on Tuesday nights was almost ritual and when I couldn’t watch it I diligently set up two VCRs to record it. Back then we had to set a timer on a VCR to record shows we were going to miss. We didn’t have DVR. Or Hulu.
When Buffy ended in 2001 I cried. When it ended again in 2003 I cried again. And when Dark Horse Comic released Season 8 I cried with joy (for the first time in regards to a Joss Whedon creation. The man is wicked!)
If you were a fan of the series you should pick up the first comic and check it out. While the format has changed, Whedon hasn’t lost his fantastic plot lines, character relationships and off-beat banter that we all loved. In fact its almost better because they aren’t limited to pesky things like physics, current special effects and the FCC. Don’t worry, its still kept clean, but he investigates subjects that network execs would have shrieked in horror over 6 years ago.
Season 8 seems more grown up than the TV show– and it should. As fans we grew and matured with Buffy. We went through first days first loves and first jobs with her. We went through bad breakups, ending friendships and parental disagreements with her. We saved the world with her (many times!) So it makes sense that the subjects and plots are also more grown up than they were. Buffy has grown up. And so have we.
But the true meaning of the show has not been lost. We can still relate to Buffy’s story in regards to our own. Instead of worrying about what to wear to the Bronze, Buffy worrys about which weapons to take into battle. But it was never about what to wear to a club, it was always about something greater, about making a decision that really could end the world. And that’s sort of how teenagers feel about everything, right? (As Joyce unknowingly pointed out several times, it really was for Buffy!) As we get older, our world expands, our perspective expands– and so has Buffy’s.
Along with the trifles of high school, the episodic ‘creature features’ are also gone. In the show there was a larger plot every season with ‘creature features’ peppered in here and there. The main plot made tiny appearances during the entire show; with major events usually happening in the beginning, middle and the big finale of the season. The new comics are completely about the larger plot, which also allows Whedon to grow those plots into something more than can just be carried by a 45 minute TV show. There isn’t just one main plot anymore, there are several that all weave in and out of one another in some “big picture” way that you could never get away with in a TV show back then. Though as we’ve seen with shows like 24 and LOST, its pretty acceptable now. Its a shame the networks didn’t realize Whedon’s genius back then.
If you were a fan of the show, you will be a fan of the comics. Even if you don’t really like comics. Dark Horse Comics has really allowed Whedon to express his true genius and talents. When you think about it, comics aren’t that different from a story board. Its obvious Whedon has true gift for conveying a story and a feeling in panels. I do hope he keeps making fantastic TV shows, but I wouldn’t mind it if he just stuck to comics either.
So far five volumes have been released in Season 8 with volume 6 out in March. (Volumes are collections of five comic books. The volumes are also paperback bound, so they feel more like a book than a comic. )
When Buffy ended in 2001 I cried. When it ended again in 2003 I cried again. And when Dark Horse Comic released Season 8 I cried with joy (for the first time in regards to a Joss Whedon creation. The man is wicked!)
If you were a fan of the series you should pick up the first comic and check it out. While the format has changed, Whedon hasn’t lost his fantastic plot lines, character relationships and off-beat banter that we all loved. In fact its almost better because they aren’t limited to pesky things like physics, current special effects and the FCC. Don’t worry, its still kept clean, but he investigates subjects that network execs would have shrieked in horror over 6 years ago.
Season 8 seems more grown up than the TV show– and it should. As fans we grew and matured with Buffy. We went through first days first loves and first jobs with her. We went through bad breakups, ending friendships and parental disagreements with her. We saved the world with her (many times!) So it makes sense that the subjects and plots are also more grown up than they were. Buffy has grown up. And so have we.
But the true meaning of the show has not been lost. We can still relate to Buffy’s story in regards to our own. Instead of worrying about what to wear to the Bronze, Buffy worrys about which weapons to take into battle. But it was never about what to wear to a club, it was always about something greater, about making a decision that really could end the world. And that’s sort of how teenagers feel about everything, right? (As Joyce unknowingly pointed out several times, it really was for Buffy!) As we get older, our world expands, our perspective expands– and so has Buffy’s.
Along with the trifles of high school, the episodic ‘creature features’ are also gone. In the show there was a larger plot every season with ‘creature features’ peppered in here and there. The main plot made tiny appearances during the entire show; with major events usually happening in the beginning, middle and the big finale of the season. The new comics are completely about the larger plot, which also allows Whedon to grow those plots into something more than can just be carried by a 45 minute TV show. There isn’t just one main plot anymore, there are several that all weave in and out of one another in some “big picture” way that you could never get away with in a TV show back then. Though as we’ve seen with shows like 24 and LOST, its pretty acceptable now. Its a shame the networks didn’t realize Whedon’s genius back then.
If you were a fan of the show, you will be a fan of the comics. Even if you don’t really like comics. Dark Horse Comics has really allowed Whedon to express his true genius and talents. When you think about it, comics aren’t that different from a story board. Its obvious Whedon has true gift for conveying a story and a feeling in panels. I do hope he keeps making fantastic TV shows, but I wouldn’t mind it if he just stuck to comics either.
So far five volumes have been released in Season 8 with volume 6 out in March. (Volumes are collections of five comic books. The volumes are also paperback bound, so they feel more like a book than a comic. )