Buffy, off the screen and on to the page: seasons 8 and 9 (guest post by Maria Selke)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer appeared on TV for 7 seasons, but that is not the end of the story.  In a unique twist, Joss Whedon continued the story of the Buffy verse in comic book seasons.  So far there has been a season 8 and 9.  They are released as serial comics and then compiled into a graphic novel that works much better for libraries.  I love that Joss Whedon is using the written word to continue to spread his message even though the tv show is no longer.  Today, guest blogger Maria Selke reviews seasons 8 and 9 for us.

I have a confession to make – I didn’t start watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer until partway through season two. It was at the recommendation of some online gaming friends that my husband and I took the plunge and started to watch the series. For you young things out there, that online RPG required us to have dialup Internet access! Ahem… but I digress. 

I moved on, though the powerful messages of the Whedonverse stuck with me. So many of the Sunnydale Project posts have done an excellent job explaining exactly what those messages have meant to us all over the years.

Volume 4: Time of Your Life: This arc jumps into the future world, with the slayer Fray. I was glad I read this as a trade, because it took a bit to get into the swing of it all. The final issue of this set was a dream Buffy has of being in Sunnydale. Definitely enjoyed that one. http://www.fandompost.com/2011/09/02/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-season-8-vol-04-%E2%80%93-time-of-your-life-review/

Buffy picks up where season 8 left off, with the loss of magic in the world. The first arc is appropriately called “Free Fall”, as Buffy is tumbling into a life more ordinary than she could have expected.  Spike is here to help, though he keeps warning about something mysterious rumbling on the horizon.

Issue 1 http://www.fandompost.com/2011/09/13/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-season-9-1-review/

Buffy handles a new job, Xander and Dawn juggle helping Buffy with their budding relationship, and Willow deals with the fallout of the disappearance of magic. Andrew even jumps back into the storyline with humorous results. Even though there were some plot points I felt were handled poorly, overall it’s been a fun season so far.

While both series have fabulous teams of writers and artists, I’m finding Angel and Faithto be my favorite right now. 

Desperate to learn more about Giles and his younger years? The first arc of Angel and Faith, “Live Through This”, has some amazing flashbacks to his younger years.  The dialogue between Angel and Faith is dead on, and they make a dramatic team.

Love Drusilla’s broody insanity? Angel and Faith brings her back in the arc “Daddy Issues”. We also get a peek into Faith’s past as we meet her father. Check out a review of the issue 6, which is the start of this arc. http://www.fandompost.com/2012/01/25/angel-faith-6-review/

Issue 14 came out September 26^th, and I haven’t gotten a review in yet, but I’d be a failure if I didn’t show you this adorable variant cover. Check out more information at the Dark Horse site: http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/19-622/Angel-Faith-14-Rebekah-Isaacs-variant-cover

http://www.fandompost.com/2012/09/18/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-spike-1-review/

Even if you’ve never been a comic reader, I encourage you to give this season a shot. I hadn’t read any comics, and I loved how the art, lettering, and writing brought my beloved characters back into my life.

• Each week on our Slayer Saturday posts look for the words highlighted. There will be 3 sets of words each weekend, so make sure to visit all three blogs (Bookish Comforts, Patricia’s Particularity and Teen Librarian Toolbox).
• Write down the words each week (Sept. 8 – Oct. 20), putting them in an order that makes sense. All together these words create a quote from Buffy.
• During the last week a form will be made available on all three blogs where you can turn in the quote that you have pieced together.
• On the last weekend of The Sunnydale Project, Oct. 27, the quote will be revealed! We will then draw a winner from those who have correctly completed the quote.

Filed under: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Comic Books, Graphic Novels, The Sunnydale Project