This is the fourth book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that itThe final chapter!
This is the fourth book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that it was published in four separate parts to sell them in a lower price each. Later it was re-published in an omnibus edition.
The story is set at the beginning of Buffy’s freshman year at UC Sunnydale. (Season 4)
THE BOOK EVENT COMES TO AN END
Buffy Summers has been 5 years in the future dealing a dark scenario where Giles is king of the vampires controling all Sunnydale and several of her friends and allies are no more, even the supposed main villain Camaztoz, the Mayan god of the bats has fallen against this Vampire King Giles.
Vampire King Giles is by far, one of the best villains ever conceived in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, therefore, maybe my only complain in this final part of the story is that the heroes will be dealing with him like in the second act of three, where the climax would be getting back with Camazotz again in the present, obviously is something logical, but nevertheless this “god of the bats” not matter how powerful is and not matter how enhanced are his minions, a new kind of vampires, faster and more vicious, you can’t avoid to feel that once the arc of Vampire King Giles is resolved (I won’t say how), the hype of reading falls a lot since the “cool” threat was Vampire King and Camazotz is like a second banana compared to a Giles turned evil.
Refering to the whole story, the four parts, definitely is very cool novel, totally recommended to any Buffy, the Vampire Slayer fan where you have a dark future tale (someting always cool in any series) where familiar character like Willow and Xander are portraited having to deal with roles that aren’t typical of them but required to the story and where is really awesome to read about them.
Also, the story shows how important is the friendship of Buffy and Willow, where they are stronger together and where they argue for small things is where a mistake can be made causing fearsome repercusions.
Even, you’ll have a new Slayer around that I won’t say much but always a new girl answering the call of the Slayer is something cool to have in any Buffy story.
This is the third book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that itThe darkest future!
This is the third book of four, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The Lost Slayer” book event, This is a prose novel that it was published in four separate parts to sell them in a lower price each. Later it was re-published in an ómnibus edition.
The story is set at the beginning of Buffy’s freshman year at UC Sunnydale.
THE MOST FEARSOME ENEMY
Buffy Summers never faced such terrible villain, so far she had faced enemies such as The Master, Spike & Dru, Angelus and the Mayor…
…BUT…
…she never thought to have to face her own mentor!
In the previous two parts, Buffy and gang met a new kind a vampires, stronger and more vicious, led by Camazotz, known by the Mayans as “the god of the bats”. While they posed certainly a new level of threat, Buffy trusted to find a way to deal with these new vampires, however she is ambushed and Giles is captured. Buffy guessed that he was used as bait or hostage but Camazotz had other plans for the watcher, turning him into a vampire!…
…BUT…
…it was a terrible miscalculation by Camazotz since Giles resulted in the most cunning vampire ever, and soon Giles took control of Camazotz’s clan, meanwhile Buffy met an entity known as The Prophet that took her consciousness into her ownself five years in the future, finding out that she has been prisoner in a cell during all those five years, in a future where Giles is king of the vampires, reuniting a vast army of regular vampires along with the new kind of vampires, having total control of Sunnydale and beginning now to make moves to do the same on Los Angeles city.
Willow had to take lead of the gang along with new allies during those five years where close friends and allies fell or got missing.
Now, Buffy needs to find a way to stop this dark future if possible, along to get back her mind to her present.
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I've chosen this TPB edition to make a better overall review.
This TPB editioBuffy's last stand!
I bought this in its single comic book issues, but I've chosen this TPB edition to make a better overall review.
This TPB edition collects "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer - Season 12 - The Reckoning" #1-4.
Creative Team:
Writers: Joss Wheddon & Christos Gage
Illustrator: Georges Jeanty
Cover art: Stephanie Hans
THE END OF AN ERA
Dark Horse Comics were publishing Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (along with tons of other related titles) since 1998, and after 20 years, this massive journey of comic books comes to an end, since next year (2019), it will be Boom Studios who will take the title (getting back to Buffy's high school years).
At the beginning, Buffy comics were the typical media tie-in product where you read stories that while tring to be faithful to the franchise, those comics weren't canonical,...
...BUT...
...in 2007, that changed, pioneering in the marketing of comic books, since Joss Wheddon approach Dark Horse, starting a new line of Buffy comics with the "Season 8" indicator, and certifying that the comics were not only canon but the official continuation of the Buffy universe, after the finale on the TV series.
This take for Buffy, the Vampire Slayer did a revolution in how to manage the media tie-in comics for pop culture franchises, where soon enough many other franchises granted the "canon" status to their own comic book titles, giving a major boost to the readers to decide in buying those comics.
But nothing last forever, and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer comes to an end (for a while at least) since as I already commented, Boom Studios will take back to Buffy Summers to her high school's years, therefore, The Reckoning (Season 12) will be the most updated adventure of Buffy and the Scooby gang.
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE ARE INVITED
Buffy Summers has enjoyed a rare year of peace and quiet, in the field of paranormal threats. Xander Harris is married to Dawn Summers and they already have a baby girl, Joyce. Willow Rosenberg is in charge of the remaining Slayer army along with a new bunch of Wiccan trainees...
...however that tranquility is coming to an end due a menace from the future, that Buffy knows too well...
...Harth, the twin brother of Melaka Fray, the Vampire Slayer of the future, that due their singular share birth, giving to him the full memories of the Slayers from the past, but when Harth was bitten by a "lurk" (vampires' name used in the future), now Harth is very dangerous enemy for not only her sister but to all the Slayers legacy.
Harth is travelling to the present, making an unholy alliance with the infamous Wolfram & Hart legal firm, to build a fearsome force of demons and monsters...
...adding a secret surprising old enemy long thought beaten!
Harth is using his access to the past memories of all previous Slayers (Buffy included!) to know how to manipulate the legendary Reckoning crisis on his benefit!
Buffy, Willow, Xander & Dawn, need all the possible help so...
...Giles, Faith, Andrew, Spike, Angel and Illyria (in possession of Fred's body) will risk everything to stop this final challenge!
This is the third book of three, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The High School Years”, featuring new stories setParental love is murderous!
This is the third book of three, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The High School Years”, featuring new stories set at the very early arrival of Buffy to Sunnydale. Most likely before the TV episode “The Pack”, even I guess that they’re set even before of “Teacher’s Pet”. Published in prestige format and in a special reduced size. Each story is stand-alone, therefore each book (of three) can be read in any order.
Creative Team:
Writer: Kel McDonald
Illustrator: Yishan Li
Cover artist: Scott Fischer
PARENTAL PARASITE
This third book isn’t as good as the first one (Freaks & Geeks), certainly the change of writer (the one in the first book) affected since in this third story, you may find a compelling one, but using something that reminded me too much to the “Gingerbread” TV episode, therefore, I expected something more original to justify returning to that particular time of the franchise.
The good ol’ high school years!
This kinda of miniseries, featuring three separate stories, not only set in Buffy’s High School Years, BUT set back when Buffy was just beginning her Slayer duties in Sunnydale…
…The Slayer is still only one in the world, Cordelia is still antagonist to the “Scooby Gang”, Willow is just a computer hacker, Buffy doesn’t know that Angel is a vampire (with soul), and even Flutie is still principal of Sunnydale High School.
HERE…
…Joyce Summers is too worry about Buffy since she is skipping classes (of course, due Slayer business, but Joyce doesn’t know that!) so she thinks that she should invest more time with Buffy.
That, can become something complicated if Buffy wants to keep private her role as The Slayer from her mother…
…and things get even more complicated when suddenly Joyce instead isn’t interested in passing time with Buffy at all!
Not matter what, Buffy’s life is never easy…
…or absent of forces of darkness!
Oh! And Angel made a couple of cameos appearances here!
This is the second book of three, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The High School Years”, featuring new stories set at thHunger is murderous!
This is the second book of three, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The High School Years”, featuring new stories set at the very early arrival of Buffy to Sunnydale. Most likely before the TV episode “The Pack”, even I guess that they’re set even before of “Teacher’s Pet”. Published in prestige format and in a special reduced size. Each story is stand-alone, therefore each book (of three) can be read in any order.
Creative Team:
Writer: Kel McDonald
Illustrator: Yishan Li
Cover artist: Scott Fischer
GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT
This second book isn’t as good as the first one (Freaks & Geeks), certainly the change of writer affected since in this second story, you may find a compelling one, but using an angle quite often used in the High School TV season, therefore, I expected something more original to justify returning to that particular time of the franchise.
The good ol’ high school years!
This kinda of miniseries, featuring three separate stories, not only set in Buffy’s High School Years, BUT set back when Buffy was just beginning her Slayer duties in Sunnydale…
…The Slayer is still only one in the world, Cordelia is still antagonist to the “Scooby Gang”, Willow is just a computer hacker, Buffy doesn’t know that Angel is a vampire (with soul), and even Flutie is still principal of Sunnydale High School.
HERE…
…a teacher in Sunnydale is substituted by a paranormal monster…
…mmh…
…where have I heard this before?
…oh, yes! Almost once (if not more) in every High School season! Geez!
Still, it was fun to read, so there’s that at least.
Xander (of course, Xander must be involved!) and Buffy are taking Cooking Class, hoping to get easy credits in their High School grades, but their new teacher is gr-r-reat (in the weird not-great really sense!), so while the new teacher is quite hungry…
…don’t offer him Froasted Flakes!
Ah! By the way! There is a “Hell’s Kitchen” reference joke, that shouldn’t be there since the story is happening in 1997.
This is the first book of three, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The High School Years”, featuring new stories set at thFitting is murderous!
This is the first book of three, part of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer – The High School Years”, featuring new stories set at the very early arrival of Buffy to Sunnydale. Most likely before the TV episode “The Pack”, even I guess that they’re set even before of “Teacher’s Pet”. Published in prestige format and in a special reduced size. Each story is stand-alone, therefore each book (of three) can be read in any order.
Creative Team:
Writer: Faith Erin Hicks
Illustrator: Yishan Li
Cover artist: Scott Fischer
FREAKS & GEEKS
This first book is easily the best of the three, since it features the best story, also the most original one, since the other two reminds you of ideas used on certain TV episodes.
The good ol’ high school years!
This kinda of miniseries, featuring three separate stories, not only set in Buffy’s High School Years, BUT set back when Buffy was just beginning her Slayer duties in Sunnydale…
…The Slayer is still only one in the world, Cordelia is still antagonist to the “Scooby Gang”, Willow is just a computer hacker, Buffy doesn’t know that Angel is a vampire (with soul), and even Flutie is still principal of Sunnydale High School.
HERE…
…Buffy is still consolidating her bonds with Willow and Xander, and she’s getting used to her dramatic change of school role from popular queen to social renegade due being chosen to The Slayer and passing her nights at the cemetery killing vampires.
Meet: Hester, former high schooler, now undead one.
She is a vampire newbie and she thought that now that she was a vampire, she would become popular in the paranormal underworld, but you can bet that not matter if you’re a creature of the night, if you’re new to any social group (even a supernatural one) you have to start at the bottom of the social scale…
…unless of course if she can kill The Slayer!
Yeah, right, as if that would happen, helloooo!
However, Hester is too obssessed to become popular that she is convinced that along with her vamp minions (formerly teenage friends), she can turn into an overnight sensation and of course, certain access to demon summoning stuff can help in her goal.
I was able to get the 5 single issues of this storyline but I chose this edition to make a better overall review.
WHO IS REALLY WILWillow rules!
I was able to get the 5 single issues of this storyline but I chose this edition to make a better overall review.
WHO IS REALLY WILLOW ROSENBERG?
This is an adventure of Willow Rosenberg that it's part of the canonical "Season 9" in comic book format of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.
Willow Rosenberg is easily the most popular character from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, even more than the very Buffy Summers.
Not only because she was a brainy hacker, at the beginning of the TV series, or a powerful witch, later in advanced seasons, not even because it was one of the first TV characters making a surprising turn to be lesbian after many time being concepted as a heterosexual character.
All that helps, no question in that,...
...but it's because she is the one with the biggest heart.
And in this storyline, you will realize how big, the heart of Willow, is.
Willow, the Red
Rosenberg, the Enchantress
The Slayer´s Hex Mistress
Supreme Witch of Terra Firma
Certainly it's cool watching Willow flying in the air or walking in the water, but this story is more than just about power over magic.
It's about the magic in our hearts.
A WORLD WITHOUT MAGIC
In the climax of "Season 8" of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer canonical comic books, Buffy Summers had to take a drastic decision and the world was left without magic.
That could be seen like something no big deal if you are not a warlock or witch, but it's awesome how Willow starting to realize that magic is shown in more ways around the world than anyone thinks.
Magic wasn't just a tool for sorcerers and such...
...magic is an integral part of why human race deals each of their days.
People is recurring more to suicides. Artists are losing their inspiration. Rainbows have less colors...
...Hey, even Coca-Cola doesn't taste the same anymore!
So, Willow takes the Slayer's Scythe, the last bastion of magic in the world to break into some dimension with magic and finding a way to bring the magic again into our world.
IF THIS WONDERLAND, WHERE THE HECK IS THE HATTER AND THE CAT?
The title Wonderland can be deceiving, since it's not like Willow would go to Alice's Wonderland, but still, you get to meet the "original" caterpillar that claims was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll ;) 'Nuff to me!
While this seems to be a quest about magic...
...Willow will realize that it's a quest to know herself.
The art is nothing sensational but it's effective.
The story is well crafted.
Certainly a "must-have" for any Willow Rosenberg's fan.
Four druids come to the good ol' town of Sunnydale with an offer too good to refuse...
...they offer to make a spell able to close Hellmouth, and in that way Sunnydale will be a normal town again without the scourge of vampires, monsters and other forces of darkness!
Giles, obviously is skeptical about it, but Buffy is considering it since, after all, if those druids can really pull it off...
...Buffy will be able to have a normal life again.
However, Sunnydale is having a busy paranormal tourism season! Since the druids aren't the only new arrivals to the town, but also two powerful vampires, Eric & Naomi, with a vampire army to back them up and with an odd and dangerous obsession on Cordelia.
One of the coolest episodes of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer is "Once More, with For the first time, with feeling!
WAIT, DIDN'T I READ THIS BEFORE?
One of the coolest episodes of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer is "Once More, with Feeling", the breakthrough musical episode, waaaaaay before this concept would become a trendy in other TV shows like Scrubs, Community, The Flash or Once Upon a Time, hey! even before than Glee!
And definitely it stands, in my humble opinion, like the best one employing that concept, having even its own OST (yep, I have it!), BUT...
...when I watched it, I had this feeling (pun intended) that I had seen something like it.
Obviously, it was a musical and I like musical movies, but on TV, watching a musical episode was something odd, even for me, soooooo...
...where? And why it seems even related with Buffy, the Vampire Slayer too?
Mmmh...
...well, after watching the episode, enjoying to the fullest (and I still do everytime that I re-watch it again, with feeling (sorry, I couldn't resist))...
...I remembered where!
IT WAS HERE, IN THIS NOVEL!
I had read this prose novel, back then, in 2000, and you can bet that I read A LOT of other stuff, from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and from other franchise and other kind of books and comic books, so excuse me if I didn't remember any sooner...
...in this prose novel, there is a monster who sings to people, feeding of their auras, while the victims have to dance until dying.
So, it's not the same per se, but it's quite similar for not mentioning it.
This book was published in 1999 and the TV episode was produced in 2001, so it could astonishing if the production team of the TV series didn't get some inspiration out of this prose adventure.
At least, they are enough different in development and situations, it's not like the scam performed in Angel with the episode "Spin the Bottle" that it's absurdly too similar to Buffy episode "Tabula Rasa" (Hellooooo, people! We, fans of Buffy were watching Angel too, did you really think that we wouldn't notice it? Geez!).
DARK SIDE OF THE BUFFY, VOL.1
So, this story is set during the Third Season of Buffy and along with the singing beast, you'll have a surprising return of a recurrent enemy of the Scooby Gang, and not quite often there are several student characters made exclusively for this story, even a Watcher! But don't worry, Giles is there too!
I can't deny that a singing menace, developed in a prose novel, lacks of certain impact since you won't be hearing anything out of it, but still it's a cool adventure to read.
Specially one that I have no doubt it was an inspiration for one of the best episodes in the TV series.
Maybe I was too harsh on the book, while I keep it on the safe side of 3-stars Fair book, introducing the star of Buffy, tVS
THEY ARE THE STARS
Maybe I was too harsh on the book, while I keep it on the safe side of 3-stars rating, indicating that I liked it, however, I expected more about this book, since while indeed contains many behind-the-scenes information about the stars of the Buffy, the Vampire Slayer TV show, well, I found it quite basic and nothing too revealing.
Of course, it's a book that it was published when the TV show was just beginning, so, it's understandable that they didn't invest much effort on it, but certainly they could do a better job at it.
But, it's still a cool item to collect if you are a fan of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (like me!) to have along with your prose fiction novels about the franchise, since it was published in the same format and size.
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