Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, Vol. 1)

by Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty Andy Owens

book data

1,722 ratings, 4.09 average rating, 255 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		36%
4		40%
3		18%
2		3%
1		0%

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published

October 31st 2007 by Dark Horse

binding

Trade Paperback, 136 pages

characters

Buffy Summers

isbn

1593078226 (isbn13: 9781593078225)

description

Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers - newly legion - have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everythin...more

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04/20/08

Jlawrence rated it:

As a big Buffy and Joss Whedon fan, I really, really wanted to love this and expected to be giving it five stars, but I was somewhat disappointed. First, the good -- it's a fun and fast-paced read, the art is excellent overall, and it's of course great to see these characters again. Whedon's patented snappy dialog is in full effect, providing several awesome laugh-out-loud moments.

Small things that bothered me: Amy and a bizarrely resurrected Warren are not the most interesting vi...more

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02/26/08

Evan rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novel

recommended to Evan by: Jordan
recommends it for: Tamara, TJ, other Buffy fans

I was a late convert to Buffy--Season 7 to be exact. My ex LOVED the series, and initially I scoffed. But with his help, and armed with previous seasons on DVD, I too fell in love with these wonderful characters.

This trade paperback collects the first several issues of the newly-sanctioned, Joss Whedon-written and approved "Season 8" comic book. Whedon's trademark gift for gab is delightfully present, as were most of my favorite characters. His Buffy, Xander, and Willow ar...more

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12/30/07

Charles rated it:

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: hardcore fans

I finally got my hands on some Buffy comics, which totally exposes my nerddom, but I can't hold it in.

This collection of the first four comics of the "Season 8" series are shocking and interesting, going places the television show never could while remaining true to the characters and their histories. What's most surprising are the voices here, consistent with each actors' portrayals, and the new mysteries created by the time gap between the episode "Chosen" and ...more

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06/23/09

Beth rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy, graphic-novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I have to say, the first story arc of Season 8 really isn't that interesting. My favorite story in the bunch was the final one - it was the only one that had any genuine emotion. Buffy says she's isolated, but we don't really feel her isolation; there's a lot of exposition about what all of the Scoobies have been up to since the destruction of Sunnydale. Everything seems to happen because we have to have something happen - the plot as deus ex machina. There's really no focus to this installm...more

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05/28/09

Michele Lee rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, graphic-novels, urban-fantasy

Read in May, 2009

The Long Way Home doesn't start exactly where the last television season of Buffy left off, instead it starts a little past that, after Buffy and her crew have restarted their lives. In some ways, things are very different, but in others, they're exactly the same. Each character seems to have taken a level of bad ass as they push forward in the fight against evil in their own ways.

Training the new slayers for a fight that's longer and more eventful than the epic big bad battle season ...more

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05/13/09

Elizabeth rated it:

bookshelves: authors-i-ve-met, comics, vampires

Read in May, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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12/01/08

Kj rated it:

Read in December, 2008

As what I believe is the first case of a television show continuing as comic book (this first batch of comics is called Season 8, just as if it were the next series of episodes), this breaks all kinds of creative ground, and of course has the potential to step into some pot holes as it forges its way to unknown territory. (Have I mixed my metaphors enough yet?)

It's hard to imagine what it must be like to be in Joss Whedon's shoes. With the transition from sound stages and scripts to ...more As what I believe is the first case of a television show continuing as comic book (this first batch of comics is called Season 8, just as if it were the next series of episodes), this breaks all kinds of creative ground, and of course has the potential to step into some pot holes as it forges its way to unknown territory. (Have I mixed my metaphors enough yet?)

It's hard to imagine what it must be like to be in Joss Whedon's shoes. With the transition from sound stages and scripts to paperback and text boxes, your long-loved characters are no longer bound by location shoots, film crew budgets, actor schedules, or frankly, reality of any kind. The stories are free to go wherever the imagination takes these people. Far more significant than those thousands of Star Wars books that supposedly carry on the story, the Buffy comics are crafted by the creator himself, and are meant to hold the same tenor, language and quirkiness of the TV series. This transition from one television media to comic book media is both a total a paradigm shift, and in another way, a totally logical next step: from one pop culture temple to another. And I'd say, it pretty much does it perfectly. Though I'm not a comic book reader (i have trouble tracking the different text styles- dialogue, narration, etc, and I sometimes forget to look at the pictures) I can hear the characters voices clearly in the dialogue, and the stories still abound with Whedon's obsessive love of underlining his genre while subverting it. It's a meta meta meta comic book- always reminding you it's a comic book while totally engulfing you in the plot.

Though I agree with other critiques I've seen of this volume, that instead of being normal people in supernatural circumstances, the comic books have these characters basically becoming straight up- mega-institutionalized super heroes, I trust Whedon to take us to new places safely, even if its awkward sometimes.

It's a one of a kind experience that I recommend. (though not so one of a kind anymore since Whedon is doing comics for his canceled show Firefly as well). (less)

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06/15/09

Kris Larson rated it:

bookshelves: comics-graphic-novels, favorites, fiction

Buffy the TV series ended with a good solid bang (I'm referring here to the distribution of slayer power, not whatever may have happened with Spike in the basement), but if you are a Buffy addict you always want more. Enter the Buffy comics, which contain all the snappy dialogue and lighthearted relationships of the early TV seasons and (so far) very little of the make-you-want-to-defenestrate emotional vortexes of the later seasons. Plus, it's all drawn instead of real, so Xander is skinny agai...more

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02/08/09

Luann rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, adult, fantasy, graphic-novels, shelf-a-thon1, tv

Read in February, 2009

I would MUCH rather watch Buffy Season 8 on TV! But since that isn't ever going to happen, I finally broke down and bought the first two volumes of the graphic novel. I really haven't read many comic books or graphic novels - except for Firefly, now Buffy, and probably Angel at some point in the near future. It took me quite a few pages to get into this one. I had to keep reminding myself that it IS canon. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, flashbacks, dream sequences, and all ...more

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01/31/09

Angie rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels, read2009

Read in January, 2009

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01/24/09

Ryan Mishap rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novel

I actually have the original individuals, but this is easier to review.
Frankly, these kick ass and the only reason they don't get five stars is because each issue is so short it hardly takes any time to read. I have them all through issue sixteen or eighteen, and that's the way to go; it makes the story more cohesive, lets you follow the plot(s) better, and feels more like you're reading a story instead of an excerpt.
If you liked the tv show, you will like these, that s...more

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06/10/09

Sean rated it:

Buffy is back and now we see the story after Sunnydale is gone. Buffy is still having trouble with her new role. We had hope that she would feel connected and now she has a new issue. She is the leader of a band of Slayers and there is something after them all. The Gov't regards them as terrorists and want them gone. They have gained help from people of Buffy's past.

I was excited when I heard they were going to continue Buffy's story in comic form because I don't know what they woul...more

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12/23/08

David rated it:

Rocks. Rocks. Totally rocks. There's Buffy, Willow with a crazy-insane amount of power, Xander in charge of a bunch of slayers, evil Amy, skinless Warren, and Dawn is 60 feet tall!!! Why is she 60 feet tall? Who cares!! It's cool.

The characters are nailed. The premise is intriguing. Buffy is continually evolving. A great set up for "No Future For You", which is crazy good, "Wolves at the Gate" which is insanely pull-out-your-hair good, and "Time of Your Life"...more

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09/17/08

Aly Kirk rated it:

I loved this show and the syndication in my area seems to have timed out so I was thrilled to find these graphic novels at my local library. They are co-written by the shows creator, Joss Whedon, so there is a great deal of the droll humor that attracted me to the show in the first place. The images are fantastic, lending more to the storylines with the freedom of imaginative art and none of the pesky problems associated with live actors and television (such as gravity, depth of perception, li...more

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09/16/08

Cat rated it:

(review of isbn 1435227042)

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08/11/08

Rhea rated it:

bookshelves: comic-books

Read in July, 2008

There were actually only 5 or maybe 6 seasons of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, or at least there should have been. The final televised season 7 was so poorly written and sloppily executed I just wanted to skip it all together. If it wasn’t for the threats of not getting Season 8 comic books I would have read through the first graphic novel months ago.

Now as a reward for sitting through, with rolling eyes, season 7 I have been given the first graphic novel “Buffy the Vampire Sla...more

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08/08/08

Ryan rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy, graphic-novels, horror

Read in August, 2008

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06/26/08

Tracy rated it:

bookshelves: graphic-novels

Read in June, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

let me start off by saying, i really really enjoyed this first installment, and while it was really, really good, i just don't think it was nearly as good as the show was.

first of all, it's a little too superhero-y. part of buffy's appeal is the fact that she's a regular girl who just happened to also be the chosen one. it's her pain and the difficulty she has in dealing with balancing normal girl issues with the responsibility of keeping the world safe from the forces of darkness t...more let me start off by saying, i really really enjoyed this first installment, and while it was really, really good, i just don't think it was nearly as good as the show was.

first of all, it's a little too superhero-y. part of buffy's appeal is the fact that she's a regular girl who just happened to also be the chosen one. it's her pain and the difficulty she has in dealing with balancing normal girl issues with the responsibility of keeping the world safe from the forces of darkness that has been heaped upon her shoulders through no choice of her own. THAT'S why we love her. sure, it's also cool that she's really strong and blah blah blah, but that's not why we lover her. so, it kind of takes away a little bit that now all of a sudden, not only is she suddenly at peace with being the protector of the world, but that she's almost cocky about it. also, i would like someone to explain to me why the story has veered so far away from where the final series finale seemed to point the charaters? i mean, one of the very last lines of the series was faith saying, "so, what are you going to do now? i mean, now you can just be a person," or something like that. so why isn't buffy still trying to just be a person? why is she holed up in some scottish castle with an army of slayers, jumping out of helicopters with some futuristic ray gun? seriously.

all that being said though, i did still really enjoy this story so far. i'm not completely clear on how long after the end of the series this story is taking place, and a little clarification on that point would be sort of nice (and i'm sorry to have missed out on the whole kennedy sort of dying/willow going off on some mystical sabbatical/possible buffy-xander hookup/dawn attempting college stuff). but i do get why it's skipped ahead to the twilight situation, since the show would often skip a lot of filler time and just get to the beginning of the current big-bad rearing it's ugly head. plus, the art is terrific. i wish the rest of the comics had been done by the same artist, because it's a lot easier to tell who's whom and all of that (although the willow/amy fight did get a bit confusing, especially when willow went all black haired again mid-frame). my main disappointment though, would be ethan raines... i was really hoping he and giles would get to face off at least once more, becuase i really love when the two of them get together. i also think it could use a bit more andrew. because really, with anya gone, he's the funniest character left.

i'm just hoping at some point soon joss whedon gets over his newfound "unlimited budget" and stops pulling out all the dragons and zombies and flying and stuff, and gets back to the heart of the buffy mythos.(less)

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04/04/08

Stephen rated it:

Read in March, 2008

For the seven years that it was on television Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my absolute favourite programme. Apart from loving the writing, the fighting and the biting, I think I really, truly fell in love with Buffy herself. (I think it was her incredibly sad eyes that did it.) Whenever I see Sarah Michelle Gellar in other roles now I’m filled with a huge sadness, as if I’d actually had a romantic relationship with Buffy, one that ended amicably, maybe because we moved to different cities. A...more For the seven years that it was on television Buffy the Vampire Slayer was my absolute favourite programme. Apart from loving the writing, the fighting and the biting, I think I really, truly fell in love with Buffy herself. (I think it was her incredibly sad eyes that did it.) Whenever I see Sarah Michelle Gellar in other roles now I’m filled with a huge sadness, as if I’d actually had a romantic relationship with Buffy, one that ended amicably, maybe because we moved to different cities. And now I see a doppelganger of her appearing in Scooby Doo and The Grudge. It’s a bizarre feeling!
I’d heard about the Season Eight comic being published by Dark Horse, and that it was being written by Joss Whedon, the creator of the original show. I’d held off from buying it, though, partly because I’ve given up on collecting individual comics, but also from a reluctance to spoil the old memories. So I waited for the trade paperback, put that on my wishlist when it came out, and waited for someone to buy it for me. I was easing myself back into it.
I should have pre-ordered it myself! This is a fab book, continuing the story from season seven and moving it forward. Things can happen! Things can change! Tie-ins are nearly always much more exciting when the programme is off the air or when they aren’t forced to maintain a strict continuity – see the Doctor Who New Adventures or the Star Trek New Frontier books, for example, and compare them to the stultifying dullness of most Star Trek comics – but with the original creator on board this takes that principle to a new level. Everything really counts. It seems stupid that that makes a difference, but it does.
And the stories are great. It’s quite easy to imagine these stories as they might have looked on television, but here they are portrayed with the budget of a movie – while still being paced perfectly for a comic book. It’s wonderful to see Buffy, Xander and Willow interacting again, in a way that was often quite rarely seen in later seasons of the programme, and it’s fascinating to see the reactions of those in power to the multitude of female heroes now in their midst. It’s also nice to see some payoff on Xander losing his eye, which seemed a bit random onscreen.
Huge credit must also go to the artist, Georges Jeanty, who achieves the remarkable and rare feat of capturing the likenesses of the cast members while sacrificing nothing in expression, movement or character.
Highly recommended!(less)

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03/06/08

Alex rated it:

bookshelves: books-read-in-2008

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: LONG WAY HOME BY JOSS WHEDON, ET. AL.: For Buffy fans who felt that when the show ended there was still more to be said about the Buffyverse, writer and creator Joss Whedon thankfully has turned to something else he does just as well as TV: comic books. With the first trade of what is officially being called “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight” now out, it is clear that there is still much to be told by Whedon about Buffy and her friends.

Little time ...more

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