Buffy: “Season Eight” Issues 1-4 - “The Long Way Home”

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Buffy: “Season Eight” Issues 1-4 - “The Long Way Home”

Much to the delight (and relief) of fans of the Joss Whedon television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show’s seventh season was not its last. After the show’s cancellation, Whedon decided to continue the Buffyverse in comic form, and March 2007 saw the premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight. Whedon has completed writing the first story arc, titled “The Long Way Home” and will release issue #5 after a July hiatus. A Brian K. Vaughan-penned story arc will begin with issue #6 in September, and the rest of the series will alternately be written by Vaughan, Whedon, and other writers from the Buffy television series, and the entire effort will be “executive-produced” by Whedon himself.

For those of you who missed it, or who are wondering whether “The Long Way Home” is worth the trouble and investment, here’s a recap and review:

Issue #1 starts with Buffy’s narration, and Whedon’s trademark humor - The thing about changing the world…once you do it, the world’s all different. Everybody calls me ma’am these days. From there, we learn that Buffy is now the elder stateswoman amongst a passel of young slayers - 1,800, to be exact. She is stationed in Scotland along with Xander, who is acting as her high-tech watcher. Slayers are now an organized force - and there’s much with the kicking ass and mutilation of demon-types - but at the end of their first mission, they come across a body with a mysterious symbol carved into its chest.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, the armed forces are dealing with the aftermath of Sunnydale’s destruction. Their attitude toward Buffy is reflected through General Voll, who sees her as “charismatic, uncompromising, and completely destructive.” He criticizes the fact that the slayer army’s interests do not “jibe” with American ones, and they are seen as terrorists.

Back at Buffy’s headquarters in Scotland, mysteries abound. Not only is she trying to figure out what the symbol carved into the body means, but she is also trying to get Dawn to explain how her, ahem, big problem came to pass. Uh…she’s a giant now. That’s what one gets for dating a thricewise…

The military in the States discusses what to do with two “subjects” found after “the decimation” of Sunnydale. One of them is being kept alive by magic. The other is a “nut-job” who “wants a lot of cheese.”

Yup. Amy is back!

REVIEW (Issue #1): This issue should make any Buffy fan happy - oh, who am I kidding? The Buffy fans have already read it. This is for the rest of you! For the rest of you, this issue effectively plops you into the slayer world, giving you all the back story a reader needs, while at the same time setting up the new slayer order. However, Whedon the writer never writes big battles and military intrigue at the expense of the human element. The characters have grown as well. Buffy has moved a bit past her darkness, and can see more clearly as a leader. Xander, is an effective leader as well, earning himself the respect of the other slayers, and an adorable crush from a young slayer named Renee. I appreciated the intimate conversations between Buffy and Xander, as well as Buffy and Dawn, whose relationship with her older sister is just as complicated as ever. I was intrigued by the position of the US government, and looked forward to what their view of the slayer army would mean for our beloved heroine. And the big reveal of Amy at the end flat-out made me squee with glee.

And aside from the writing, I have to give special props to the cover artist, Jo Chen, whose cover of Buffy casually wielding her slayer ax is lovely.

Issue #2 begins with Giles’ narration as he watches Buffy attempt to train her fellow slayers. Meanwhile, we see that Andrew has been incorporated into the organization, as he gives a pep talk to the slayers he’s watching in Italy later that evening.

The next day, Xander has a heart-to-heart with Dawn, and in his insightful way brings up the fact that she may have made herself a giant on purpose to get attention from Buffy. He is rewarded for his insight with a giant sploosh of water…

General Voll discusses their plan with an underling. Their op, Amy, has been “inserted.” When he is alone, he undresses for bed and reveals that the mysterious symbol on the body Buffy found is carved into his chest as well.

What the reader thinks is a long-overdue smooch for Buffy becomes a nightmare, and we see that Amy has Buffy tied down. She has inflicted her with nightmares and is about to stab her in the chest when Xander and some of the other slayers burst into the room with a crossbow and take her down. However, while Buffy was protected from Amy’s blade through mystical protection, Amy reveals that the nightmares that she’s inflicted on Buffy can only be stopped by the “kiss of true love.”

There’s an ATTACK ON THE CASTLE. The slayers are distracted from the Buffy situation by legions of demons. Amy laughs at their predicament, saying that in a room full of slayers “there’s not one person here who can take [her] on.”

Right on cue, Willow appears at the window, ready to take her on.

REVIEW (Issue #2): All I have to say is WILLOW!! Arguably every Buffy fan’s favorite character, the reappearance of Willow in this issue is definitely its highlight. There is much, though, that is wonderful about this issue. Seeing Giles and Andrew again also brought a smile to my face. General Voll being tied to the symbol Buffy discovered sets the stage for the next two issues. But again, the best moments are the intimate ones - Xander and Dawn talking as she bathes in a lake, Renee being forced to deny her crush on “Mr. Harris”, and the device of Buffy’s fears and insecurities being explored through her nightmares…all effective ways of revealing these characters fully, and in ways that are true to the Buffyverse. And Willow looks fabulous in that dress.

Issue #3 picks up on the “yay, Willow!” vibe right from the cover, with Jo Chen drawing Willow in a hot outfit and spelling out the title of the series in smoke, making everyone who looks at it wish they were half as cool as Willow is. The story itself starts in Buffy’s “dreamspace” as Ethan Rayne begins to explain what’s happening to her, revealing some of Buffy’s more embarrassing dreams in the process.It’s a Battle of the Witches as Willow and Amy duke it out using both magic and wit. Buffy is led through her dreamscape, and Ethan explains that Amy has weakened herself, not to mention given some access into her own dreamspace, by using her powers to interfere with Buffy’s subconscious. He also mentions “there’s a memory [they] need.” Amy gets just weak enough, and Willow gets just pissed enough to buy Dawn the time she needs to get over there and stomp on Amy Jack and the Beanstalk-style with a fi-fi-fo “fucking fum!”Ethan leads Buffy to the memory they need, belonging to Amy and set in her rat cage. He makes her take note of the fact that there are three crossbeams - Triple X - saying “I’m more an antique Roman than a Dane….Just remember what you see here. Twilight is falling. You’re going to need all the help you can get. Pet.”

Back in the waking world, Willow explains the true love spell, and forces everyone in the room to close their eyes so that the person who is in love with Buffy can kiss her to wake her whilst being spared embarrassment. Buffy is awakened…and we don’t know by whom.

As Giles speaks with one of the survivors of Buffy’s attack in issue #1 about shared interests and a possible conspiracy that affects both demons and the slayers, Andrew complains to Xander over the phone about how he’s having no fun in Italy as he’s forced to entertain himself by playing strip poker with the slayers…Xander looks in on Renee, who is healing from the most recent demon army attack, and it looks as though the romantic interest isn’t entirely one-sided! Willow, Buffy, and Xander catch up as they keep Amy bound under a spell, and while we learn that Willow and Kennedy are still together (although on a break since she died - “Oh no! She’s fine! Mystical thing, only lasted a month”), we don’t learn much else about what she’s been up to since Sunnydale went ka-blewie.

Amy suddenly drags Willow through a portal she’d opened, taking her to what looks like a military installation. Suddenly, Willow is mystically strapped to a metal gurney. Amy explains that she was “contracted” to bring in Buffy, but that she was sure that Buffy would come after her. Meanwhile, “they” had a reason to bring Willow there as well. Willow is confused. Amy isn’t alone? And then, the one referred to only as “her boyfriend” up until now steps out of the shadows.

Warren. Without skin, but with a really big grudge.

REVIEW (Issue #3): Jesus Harold Tap Dancing CHRIST, was that a great issue! The momentum that had been built through the first two issues culminates in a burst of information and yet another amazing reveal. Dawn’s size is used to excellent, hilarious effect. The seeds are planted for the idea that demons and slayers may have a common enemy. The connection between Amy and the US military gets ever closer. Yet, for every question that is close to being answered, several new, exciting questions are asked that signal some interesting plot shifts to come. What had Willow been up to while she was away? What were Ethan, and her dreamscape, trying to tell Buffy? What is the slayers’ and demons’ common enemy? Who is in love with Buffy? And most importantly, how does one survive flaying? Issue #3 kicked the story arc up a notch while, again, staying true to the characters and allowing them to develop as they need to. I will give this issue the biggest compliment I can think of: it was Buffy episode-worthy.

Issue #4, the final issue in this story arc, throws us right into the middle of Willow’s plight as Warren explains how he got to this point. Apparently, as he was being flayed, Amy was watching and had a four second window to save him before he died of shock - “Her magic is [his] skin.” He then reveals that he and Amy were responsible for Kennedy’s “death”, and he revels in having Willow in such a vulnerable position.

In an illuminating moment, Dawn reveals her frustration about not being able to do anything to save Willow, despite her size. She says “Will is like a mom to me” as we catch a glimpse of Buffy’s hurt face in shadow.

Later, Xander, Buffy and the other slayers are working on reopening the portal through which Amy dragged Willow. Xander reminds her that they will “…play it smart. And [they should] remember that [Willow] is stronger than all of [them].”

Back at the military installation, Warren explains that the mystical bonds that hold Willow feed off her own power. The stronger she becomes, the tighter she is held, and he menacingly brings a scalpel to her head.

Buffy chooses one of the younger slayers, Satsu, to accompany her through the portal. Amy prepares General Voll and Co, telling them to point their weapons at the portal, because she’s sure Buffy will come after Willow, and that will be their chance to apprehend her. But she warns them to leave Willow to Warren, because they have “history.”

Willow uses her powers to take her non-corporeal self into a spiritual plane of existence, where she speaks with other spirits/demons she seems to know. They say that her “heart” can stay there with them until she is free, but that this “refuge” is temporary and they can’t stop what Warren is doing to her.

Buffy and Co. open the portal, but when the military tries to shoot into it with a massive super-weapon, the beam is deflected by a concave mirror the slayers have set up on their side of the portal, sending it shooting right back at them. Buffy and Satsu spring into action, go through the portal, and begin taking out military types using good old fashioned hand-to-hand combat. After defeating them, Buffy finds a general and says “We tried to be nice here, but some of your men are dying. There’s one person in this complex powerful enough to heal them. You can tell me where she is, or…” Xander, communicating with her to tell her where they are and where they need to go to find Amy, interrupts her. The military installation is two miles outside of Sunnydale. Says Buffy as she approaches Amy: “I’m the one who wanted to go home.”

Willow, however, has a plan. She gives Buffy some of her power - or perhaps they really are a part of each other, as Willow puts it - but in any case, Buffy is able to use some of Willow’s power to show Amy her own nightmares that she shared with Buffy when invading her dreamspace. This distracts Amy long enough for Satsu to throw a grenade at her. But the blast doesn’t prevent Amy and Warren from getting away through another portal. Willow, however, is saved, and the slayers rejoice.

On the way out, Buffy notices a door labeled “30″ - Triple X. She opens it and finds Ethan Rayne’s dead body, and General Voll’s live one. He tries to shoot her the way he shot Ethan, but Buffy flings him across the cell, knocking the gun out of his hand. His shirt has come loose, and she notices the mysterious symbol on his chest (a sun setting and a star rising) - Twilight. She puts together Ethan’s warnings. Then, General Voll reveals Buffy’s newest enemy: Twilight is coming….You’re not human. You’ve been to war with the demons, with The First, but believe me you picked the wrong side. ‘Cause God help us if you win then you’ll decide the world still isn’t the way you want it and the demon in you will say just one thing. “Slay.” We’re not waiting for that to happen. We will wipe you out. Not just monsters anymore. It’s you against the world. You’re at war with the human race. O…..kay.

REVIEW (Issue #4): Upon first reading, I was a bit disappointed with this issue. The resolution with Willow, Warren and Amy seemed too pat. The story seemed jumbled and confusing. However, on my second reading for this review, I was better equipped to get more out of it. I absolutely adore the new direction the series is taking - Buffy against the world. While I could have done without a preachy line about the world being afraid of women having power - we could have figured that out without it being spelled out for us - this new direction makes sense, as Buffy’s always been an outsider among “regular” humans. Now, though, she has an army backing her up, and so she’s ready for this fight that’s been a long time coming. That really is the best thing about this issue - the introduction of this “new war.”

What made this issue less successful than the first three had less to do with story, and more to do with story telling. As we know, this series is based on a television show, where quick cuts and certain visuals are effective. However, many of those same techniques employed on a comic page can sometimes be too much for the eye to handle, causing a reader to lose track of what is actually happening. The transitions were clearer in the first three issues. This issue was a bit visually unwieldy and may require a second reading to get everything one can out of it.

However, “The Long Way Home” as a whole is an extremely strong start to what is sure to be a successful series for Dark Horse. Thank you, Joss Whedon, for bringing back the beloved Buffyverse in a medium at which you excel.

TERESA JUSINO entered the world kicking and screaming in 1979 and hasn’t stopped screaming since. An actress, writer, producer, Teresa’s work has been seen in several venues and mediums. As an actress, she has appeared at several venues in NYC and regional theater. As a writer, her work has appeared in Elmont Life newspaper, and on the sadly defunct website, CentralBooking.com. As a producer, she is currently producing two new theater pieces - Emergency Contraception!: The Musical, and Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here (2008), as well as the short film, Hassan/Ali. As a geek, Teresa loves Star Trek, Lost, comics, and anything Joss Whedon ever touched. Also, she has a fangirl *squee-ing* crush on Brian K. Vaughan. Yes, she knows he’s married.