Reviews

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, Volume 1: Freefall by Jane Espenson, Andrew Chambliss, Joss Whedon

bookwyrm_kate's review

3.0

Absolutely gorgeous cover art (all the issue covers!), and a solid base for the next storyline. I like that it's more grounded. I lost patience with season 8, and certain things made me VERY angry, but I've been told the story improves a lot, so I'm hanging in there. There's a Buffy shaped hole in my heart that needs a Whedon fix every now and again, you know? ;)

gothamshire's review

3.0

This was... less good than previous volumes. Everyone just kind of craps on Buffy the whole time, for no particular reason really. Willow and Xander continue to be really mean friends and Dawn joins up with them. And, ick, can we stop with the thing with Buffy wanting to be with Xander after 9 years of rejecting him? The villain was interesting, but not fleshed out enough.

marobbins's review

3.0

I would probably give this 3 1/2 stars if I could. I've loved this comics series overall. This one was a little bit slow going at first. I just wasn't interested in Buffy's more "typical" life in San Francisco, until the characters more typical of a horror character showed up. Then, I was once again intrigued. Buffy is an interesting character in her own right, but I don't think her depth showed at the beginning of this comic. She seemed too much like a seemingly shallow, early twenty something who didn't finish college and was trying to find her way, both with her new roommates and friends and as a barista. It can be an interesting narrative if done well, but this one wasn't in the beginning. But then, about halfway through, it got a lot better, and I'm excited to read the rest of this season. San Francisco has the potential to be a great setting for a horror comic, as it's pretty much a second home to me. So, as this season goes on, I hope the writers and artists do more to emphasize the setting, the way Stephanie Perkins did in her novel Lola and the Boy Next Door.

mjfmjfmjf's review

4.0

A re-read. And I really don't remember reading this. And I guess I re-read this before? Yep, magic is mostly gone and Buffy is still broken, though still a slayer. And the dialogue is still snappy. This was a fun fast read - though I'd like to see more of the cast. 4 of 5.

A 3 on a skip, a confused 4 on a first read and a 5 on a reread. What a weird multifaceted addition to the Buffy universe. Magic is mostly gone and Buffy is still broken. The dialogue is still snappy. Definitely worth reading. 4 of 5.

elisetheninth's review

4.0

Liked this a lot better than Season 8. The Spike/Buffy banter was dead-on.

jenzun's review

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

valeskan's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

kkaste's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

emmapants's review

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

taskir's review

2.0

I was not at all impressed by the final books of Season 8, and the ending of the first part of the Freefall arc almost had me toss the book away in frustration.

The ending, however, is very powerful and surprised the hell out of me. I only wish the rest of the book could have done the same.

Really, my feelings can be summed up in one word: 'Zompire'.