renee_will's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
merlin_reads's review
4.0
While I didn't love this one as much as I loved the first installment of season 8, it was still fun to see all of my characters - except Kennedy, I will never like Kennedy, it's just not going to happen. Also, why must Joss always hurt Xander so much????
This installment also took a slightly weird turn with Buffy's love life -not that I'm against it - it just seemed a little weird and out of character for her, which I think was the point but am not sure quite where they are going with this. Another nice surprise was seeing Fray. Having read the graphic novel for Fray prior to this collection, I had a knowledge of who the character was already and it was fun to see her interact with Buffy.
Hoping I can pick up the next volume this year at Comic Con. There's just something awesome about buying them at the Dark Horse booth :)
This installment also took a slightly weird turn with Buffy's love life -not that I'm against it - it just seemed a little weird and out of character for her, which I think was the point but am not sure quite where they are going with this. Another nice surprise was seeing Fray. Having read the graphic novel for Fray prior to this collection, I had a knowledge of who the character was already and it was fun to see her interact with Buffy.
Hoping I can pick up the next volume this year at Comic Con. There's just something awesome about buying them at the Dark Horse booth :)
misformorebooks's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was a fun volume with lots of twists and turns, all Buffy Style. I like the art & dialogue but I do get confused sometimes as to what is going on but that could be due to the nature of comic book storytelling?
I miss more vampire slaying and while I love how Buffy isn't the only slayer now, I don't really care for the other slayers.
I was happy to see Angel pop up!! Miss him and Spike - hoping they show their pretty faces in the future volumes
I miss more vampire slaying and while I love how Buffy isn't the only slayer now, I don't really care for the other slayers.
I was happy to see Angel pop up!! Miss him and Spike - hoping they show their pretty faces in the future volumes
orlesianmask's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alexampersand's review
4.0
I am kind of torn between 3 or 4 stars for this collection. It's hard to rate things like this, because it's made up of several individual pieces, but even put together they are still only a part of the whole of Season 8. But there are 5 star occurrences here (the high school flashback) and there are some only-just 3 star stories (the initial time travel issue...)
After a fairly promising start to Season 8, I think it begins to lose its footing just a little bit here. There are some redeeming points, but let's begin with the negative points.
The first arc, Wolves At The Gate, doesn't sit quite right with me. Xander's post-show backstory with Dracula seems weirdly shoehorned in, and not something I could ever see happening. Following on from that is an arc that introduces... time travelling. And technically Buffy has time travelled before on the show, in her spiritual quests with the First Slayer. But this time we are out-and-out creating a portal so that Buffy goes a couple of hundred years into the future. And yes, once again, the comic books lack of limitations proves to be (for me at least) more of a hindrance than a help. I didn't need out-and-out sci-fi, I was perfectly happy with the mystery-with-occaisonal-sci-fi-tech tone that the show held (and the first 10 issues of Season 8 maintained).
The other thing that got me, most noticeably about the first 2 issues of Time Of Your Life, was the lack of explanations; very vague things happened, and I felt very much like I had just been dropped in the middle of the action. It's like the writers were trying to race through the plot, so they would explain some plot points of circumstances or justifications in just a brief throwaway line. And maybe I need to re-read the season for a third time to fully piece everything back together, because it felt like a very white-knuckle ride with lots of things being thrown at me.
On the good side, however, I did enjoy the conclusion to Time Of Your Life. Once I had adjusted to the future, and it began to focus on the characters again, I found it really engaging in a way that almost rivaled the show. Because here is something that the show did very well - not just providing entertaining story, but incredibly true to life characters on top of that. And I think that is what I have been missing from the comics so far (maybe partly due to the fact that reading words on a page will NEVER be the same as watching real people portraying the characters). But in the latter half of Time Of Your Life, it was focused around the characters and their decisions - and I found the final confrontation between Buffy and the 'Mad Woman' kind of touching.
So this question of morals is something that has been brought up a few times within the comics - including when Buffy meets Twilight. Is she doing the right thing? Are they really making the world a better place? And even though there are never really any answers given, it's interesting to ponder.
The death featured in this volume also gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction. As if it's saying 'yes, this is still the same show that fearlessly killed off several major characters.' However, it is slightly worrying that one of the few new characters actually introduced in the comic met an end so suddenly, but to be honest I am not complaining too much about that. I genuinely think that the pace of the comics lends itself much more to plot than to character development. So with that in mind, I would rather have interesting plots based around characters we ALREADY know, than have to try and 'get to know' new characters when we are given little to work with.
(On the downside, though, the characters seem to get over the death quite quickly...)
So finally, let's talk about THAT ISSUE. "After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!" and this issue probably is my favourite issue of the entire season so far, because it seemed to encapsulate what the series was. We go back to high school, and not only is it amazing to just get to enjoy a bit of high school again (Willow being geeky, Cordelia being bitchy, Giles being uptight), it also provides a perfect bit of nostalgia and mourning from Buffy. The scene where Joyce talks to Buffy about her 'bright future', I almost got a lump in my throat. Plus, the whole thing was a pretty awesome way to finally get use from the unsuccessful animated show.
So overall, this is a bit of a mixed bag. I think the character interaction in Time Of Your Life, and the whole presence of After These Messages.. is what brings the overall collection up to a 4 from a 3.
After a fairly promising start to Season 8, I think it begins to lose its footing just a little bit here. There are some redeeming points, but let's begin with the negative points.
The first arc, Wolves At The Gate, doesn't sit quite right with me. Xander's post-show backstory with Dracula seems weirdly shoehorned in, and not something I could ever see happening. Following on from that is an arc that introduces... time travelling. And technically Buffy has time travelled before on the show, in her spiritual quests with the First Slayer. But this time we are out-and-out creating a portal so that Buffy goes a couple of hundred years into the future. And yes, once again, the comic books lack of limitations proves to be (for me at least) more of a hindrance than a help. I didn't need out-and-out sci-fi, I was perfectly happy with the mystery-with-occaisonal-sci-fi-tech tone that the show held (and the first 10 issues of Season 8 maintained).
The other thing that got me, most noticeably about the first 2 issues of Time Of Your Life, was the lack of explanations; very vague things happened, and I felt very much like I had just been dropped in the middle of the action. It's like the writers were trying to race through the plot, so they would explain some plot points of circumstances or justifications in just a brief throwaway line. And maybe I need to re-read the season for a third time to fully piece everything back together, because it felt like a very white-knuckle ride with lots of things being thrown at me.
On the good side, however, I did enjoy the conclusion to Time Of Your Life. Once I had adjusted to the future, and it began to focus on the characters again, I found it really engaging in a way that almost rivaled the show. Because here is something that the show did very well - not just providing entertaining story, but incredibly true to life characters on top of that. And I think that is what I have been missing from the comics so far (maybe partly due to the fact that reading words on a page will NEVER be the same as watching real people portraying the characters). But in the latter half of Time Of Your Life, it was focused around the characters and their decisions - and I found the final confrontation between Buffy and the 'Mad Woman' kind of touching.
So this question of morals is something that has been brought up a few times within the comics - including when Buffy meets Twilight. Is she doing the right thing? Are they really making the world a better place? And even though there are never really any answers given, it's interesting to ponder.
The death featured in this volume also gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction. As if it's saying 'yes, this is still the same show that fearlessly killed off several major characters.' However, it is slightly worrying that one of the few new characters actually introduced in the comic met an end so suddenly, but to be honest I am not complaining too much about that. I genuinely think that the pace of the comics lends itself much more to plot than to character development. So with that in mind, I would rather have interesting plots based around characters we ALREADY know, than have to try and 'get to know' new characters when we are given little to work with.
(On the downside, though, the characters seem to get over the death quite quickly...
Spoiler
The very same issue where he is apparently mourning, Xander is also hinted at hitting on Dawn.So finally, let's talk about THAT ISSUE. "After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!" and this issue probably is my favourite issue of the entire season so far, because it seemed to encapsulate what the series was. We go back to high school, and not only is it amazing to just get to enjoy a bit of high school again (Willow being geeky, Cordelia being bitchy, Giles being uptight), it also provides a perfect bit of nostalgia and mourning from Buffy. The scene where Joyce talks to Buffy about her 'bright future', I almost got a lump in my throat. Plus, the whole thing was a pretty awesome way to finally get use from the unsuccessful animated show.
So overall, this is a bit of a mixed bag. I think the character interaction in Time Of Your Life, and the whole presence of After These Messages.. is what brings the overall collection up to a 4 from a 3.
mxlibrarian's review
5.0
I just love the many ways the comics are progressing the characters and furthering the story, and I'm certainly interested in the rest of this season, and the ones to come.
catalines's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
Quería saber un poco más de twilight y Riley en twilight porq wtff
bookdingo's review
3.0
From Tokyo to New York to New York in-the-future! This volume is a must-read if you're a fan of Fray, and if you're really into seeing Dracula again.
This volume contains a futuristic ableist slur ("I'm so needs" in place of "special needs" which is even lazier), kills off a WOC love interest, shoos away another WOC love interest, and oh yeah, Dracula's quite racist. Phooey. Would I expect Dracula to be racist? Eh, depends. Is it *necessary* for him to be racist? NO. That's the point. It doesn't nothing for the plot. Did killing off a WOC and pushing away another one do anything for the plot? Not really. It keeps the core base white and ensures that "We're all ALONE" message (there are better ways to keep the latter).
This volume contains a futuristic ableist slur ("I'm so needs" in place of "special needs" which is even lazier), kills off a WOC love interest, shoos away another WOC love interest, and oh yeah, Dracula's quite racist. Phooey. Would I expect Dracula to be racist? Eh, depends. Is it *necessary* for him to be racist? NO. That's the point. It doesn't nothing for the plot. Did killing off a WOC and pushing away another one do anything for the plot? Not really. It keeps the core base white and ensures that "We're all ALONE" message (there are better ways to keep the latter).