Joss Whedon – BtVS S9, Vol. 1: Freefall
118. Buffy the Vampire Slayer S9, Vol. 1: Freefall by Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss, Georges Jeanty (2012)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9, Volume 1
Read my reviews of the Buffy, Season 8 graphic novels.
Length: 144 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel
Started/Finished: 13 October 2012 (readathon!)
Where did it come from? The library.
Why do I have it? More Buffy!
The Buffyverse: now
with less magic but just as
many vamps to fight.
Summary: Buffy thought destroying the seed and removing magic from the world would solve her problems, but it turns out that it just swapped them out for an entirely new set of problems. Because with the universe cut off from the magical seed, Willow and the other witches are powerless, demons are stuck in the wrong dimension, and newly-sired vampires are running feral. And to top it all off, there’s something out there that’s turning vampires into human corpses… and the police think Buffy’s to blame.
Review: I was not totally thrilled with the season 8 story arc… especially the last few volumes. Things just got too big, and the explanations too crazy, and it felt like the whole thing spiraled out of the writers’ control. But Whedon has said that he plans to keep season 9 smaller, more focused on Buffy and her everyday life, and I have to say: so far, so good. This season’s Big Bad (or at least its forerunner; I don’t expect the real Big Bad to show up right at the beginning) is creepy and dangerous and intriguing. The hints we get about the state of the relationships between the characters are also interesting, and even in this first installment, there are some quiet but nicely crafted emotional moments in between the Buffy-typical banter and snark. The artwork is about the same as in season 8 – i.e., no one looks much like themselves, but it’s consistent enough within the pages of the comic to tell who’s who. Overall, a promising new beginning, and enough to lure me back in after the end of season 8 had tempted me to check out. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I don’t know that reading season 8 is really all that necessary to understanding this one – they’re pretty good about summarizing the key plot points – but you definitely need to be a fan of the show at the least.
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First Line: “God… what have I done?”
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I think it’s really cool how these comics have carried on the show. From what everyone’s said in their many reviews, and what I’ve read in the first couple of volumes of Season Eight, it seems like it’s a true continuation of the show. Ack, I need to catch up! I have heard a few things about Season Eight that have caused me some trepidation, but if Season Nine is starting, it’s a good time to get myself up to date.
Jenny – The comics really are a good continuation of the show – I don’t think the characters always look like themselves, but they always sound like themselves, and the pacing and ironic scene cuts are just about the same. I did have some big problems with the end of S8, but I suspect it would be better reading it straight through, rather than one volume every 8 months or so… so I’d say now would be a good time to do it!
HUGE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 8:
I’ve just finished the last few volumes, and even I, who am ALL for Buffy and Angel sexytimes, though that the cosmic sex thing was a bit too much :S But despite all the WTFery I just couldn’t stop reading, which I guess is a good sign. Still, I’m glad things are returning to a more personal focus and I can’t wait to read this.
Ana – Oh, I know, I almost threw up my hands in defeat after the sexytimes bit and ensuing nonsensical craziness. But it’s Whedon, so I can’t, no matter how crazy it gets.