Buffy Season 8 Comics: Volumes 4 & 5
I didn’t even bother writing up a review for Volume 4 when I read it last December. I enjoyed the four issues of “Time of Your Life” but I don’t know that I was quite as engaged. (Back to my old problem with anything Whedon-penned?) I read Fray back in 2007 so some of that was harder for me than it might have been had it been fresh. Like, I didn’t recognize Melaka’s cop sister at first and she was drawn so similarly to Buffy that it wasn’t until they were in front of each other that I realized who she was. I was struck by a try-hard feeling with the future slang in Haddyn. It didn’t seem like a natural language extension the way the dialogue in Firefly always did. But I did like that Harth was working with future Dark Willow. Having Buffy kill her was a truly meaningful moment, though I don’t know how long it’ll take for there to be any psychological ramifications.
And now Dawn’s a centaur? Oy. All the Scotland stuff was the weakest this time, and I normally love me some comics Xander. I am just done with flayed Warren and his consort Amy. Twilight is starting to annoy me as much as the Master did, and that’s saying something. And now Riley’s involved with the baddies? Just…ugh. I can’t work up enough energy to care about that “reveal”. So much like everything bad about the final seasons of Show.
I did enjoy the single issue "After These Messages ... We'll Be Right Back!" It was fun to play with such a different artistic style and it was lovely to revisit the high school years, even in a dream state. I can’t believe I’m saying that! I was so relieved when Buffy finally went to college! But my girl Cordy was there, and she wasn’t snogging Connor, and that counts for more than I realized. It was light and fluffy and ultimately inconsequential. So I left off with this volume feeling rather unsatisfied and not particularly concerned with when the next one was being released.
Volume 5? Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! Holy shit. Awesome right off the bat. I admit I was a trifle skeptical when I looked at the issue listing and saw that they were all one-offs. But then I turned the page and: Harmony! “Harmonic Divergence” was the best kind of game changer. Fun, frothy, perfectly in character, and excitingly logical within the universe. Of course Harmony would go to MTV and get her own reality show. Of course a little newly enslayened Latina gangster would quit her sisterhood, refuse the Slayers, and strike out on her own. Of course she would get into Harmony’s house party as a hot extra and then try to stake her on camera. Of course the media would run with it and now vamps are totes awes and slayers are rilly mean. Obviously! Also great were the extras at the end of the volume. I loved the "episode" of her show, Harmony Bites, (co-starring Clem!) and the advertisement for the premiere.
“Swell” made me realize that I genuinely like Kennedy. I never had the major problem with her that so many others did but she definitely annoyed me a couple of times. But she’s been really pitch perfect in the comics and was particularly fantastic in this story. The fall-out from Buffy sleeping with Satsu needed to be addressed and I thought it was handled perfectly. Satsu is turning out to be a fabulous character. And I actually kind of liked the fluffy kitty demon dolls. It was all very Japanese, in the best possible way.
I loved the Buffy and Andrew geek-bonding interactions in "Predators and Prey". Andrew grew to be one of my favorite characters by the end of the series and I’m glad to see him continuing on the same path of awesomeness in this format. Dealing with the rogue Slayer faction in the midst of the bad publicity thanks to Harmony puts a very nice spin on it all.
It was so fantastic to see Faith and Giles again in "Safe". The story was very Hellboy, fighting off a child-eating demon, only to be forced to face down the vamps that were staying away only because of the child-eating demon. Ending it with the townsfolk ready to fight, pitchforks in hand, was perfect. I really would be happy to read an entire series of Faith and Giles.
And lastly was "Living Doll". I...didn't love it but I guess it was OK. Glad to have Dawn back to being human. Hey look it's Willow! (Haven't seen much of her in the better part of 10 issues now.) The thricewise is apparently a Lovecraftian Old One? I didn't understand the cover art. Why was Kenny - or are all thricewise vagina-mouthed eyeball monsters? - licking on Willow? But hey, one weak story to four kick-ass ones isn't so bad a ratio.