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302nd out of 1,207 books
—
6,934 voters
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Last Gleaming (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #8)
The season finale is here! At long last, the Big Bad stands revealed--Angel is back, and it’s tearing the Scoobies apart, testing the limits of their friendship. But Twilight’s unmasking is only the beginning, and Buffy must still face the ultimate betrayal.
Series creator Joss Whedon writes the final story arc of Buffy Season 8, taking his greatest characters to places onl...more
Series creator Joss Whedon writes the final story arc of Buffy Season 8, taking his greatest characters to places onl...more
Paperback, 168 pages
Published
June 1st 2011
by Dark Horse Comics
(first published March 17th 2011)
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It’s about time that Joss Whedon started listening to me.
In my review of Vol. 7 - Twilight, I complained that Whedon and his stable of writers had gotten so excited about being free of the limitations of a television show that they had made the scale too epic and the big sci-fi concepts too wacky and lost the emotional core that always made the show so good. In the afterwards of this collection, Whedon admits that he got carried away and that this finale of the so-called Season 8 was the start...more
In my review of Vol. 7 - Twilight, I complained that Whedon and his stable of writers had gotten so excited about being free of the limitations of a television show that they had made the scale too epic and the big sci-fi concepts too wacky and lost the emotional core that always made the show so good. In the afterwards of this collection, Whedon admits that he got carried away and that this finale of the so-called Season 8 was the start...more
The conclusion of "Buffy Season Eight" is a bit of a mess, plotwise, but it does more or less wrap up all the threads spun during the issues leading up to the finale. Buffy and friends return to Sunnydale to face a bunch of old friends and foes and deal with the threat to the entire universe. Buffy has to make a hard decision, and there are Consequences. Also, some major character deaths.
I think the chaotic nature of this denouement was inevitable because of all the balls Joss Whedon and his wri...more
I think the chaotic nature of this denouement was inevitable because of all the balls Joss Whedon and his wri...more
I'm reading these in their original comic form and BAH!! One more month to go and we'll be done with the whole of Season 8. I bought these, of course, because my favorite vamp is back. Team SPIKE, thank you very much. Thus far, it's been fast-paced and full of betrayal after betrayal. Plus, a heartbreaking development. Highly recommend.
ETA: After reading the last installment, I must say, "PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!!" I get where they're going and Season 9's set up seems intriguing, but I am annoyed. It...more
ETA: After reading the last installment, I must say, "PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!!" I get where they're going and Season 9's set up seems intriguing, but I am annoyed. It...more
... why, Joss Whedon, why?
Okay, less flippantly: Like the ending of Dollhouse, it's a mess and a mess that reads like the writer dumped in a lot of his favorite tropes without bothering to get there in a sensible way. Some of these are my favorite tropes, too, and I resent that they're being done so badly I don't even like them here.
Okay, less flippantly: Like the ending of Dollhouse, it's a mess and a mess that reads like the writer dumped in a lot of his favorite tropes without bothering to get there in a sensible way. Some of these are my favorite tropes, too, and I resent that they're being done so badly I don't even like them here.
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(lite spoiler alert)
OK, so the classic television series of Buffy had some very comic book aspects: ever increasing in power bad-guys, a focus on the 'wowness' of magical happenings, and crazy funny dialogue.
So in some respects I should not have been surprised in the direction the actual comic of Buffy has taken. It certainly is not the first comic to stumble under its ever-bloating superpowers. In the end though, I found watching Buffy and Angel fly around the sky like Goku and Vegeta or, Neo a...more
OK, so the classic television series of Buffy had some very comic book aspects: ever increasing in power bad-guys, a focus on the 'wowness' of magical happenings, and crazy funny dialogue.
So in some respects I should not have been surprised in the direction the actual comic of Buffy has taken. It certainly is not the first comic to stumble under its ever-bloating superpowers. In the end though, I found watching Buffy and Angel fly around the sky like Goku and Vegeta or, Neo a...more
Ah, yes, it starts out very clear that Joss Whedon has again taken over the reins to finish out this season arc, and after the atrocities from Volume 7, he has a lot to fix. He did a lovely job trying to piece in some of the gaps, but the things that irk me about this entire season are still present. Everything is just getting a little overplayed. For instance: the whole Angel/Buffy/Spike triangle. The jokes made about it the beginning of the comics were hilarious. But this whole "Angel and Buff...more
So this is it, the culmination of the biggest, most epic, story arc in Buffy history thus far. It's been a pretty incredible ride, and really whether you enjoy this final part all depends on whether you've enjoyed the previous 7 volumes. This whole season has basically been Buffy - The Movie. A huge budget and completely full reign to tell any story Joss wanted. To my mind, it's been up and down. I've certainly enjoyed it but at the same time i've found the whole thing a bit odd and tricky to fo...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Just finished Buffy Season 8 and, well, hmm.
The season started out strong, but then got more and more complicated. Too many new characters, too many incoherent stories, too much mystical strangeness, and not enough of why I care for the core characters and the show. I loved, loved, loved the ending of Buffy on television. I loved the idea of sharing the power and Buffy basically giving one big f-u to the patriarchy. While I think it's interesting to consider the ramifications (both good and bad...more
The season started out strong, but then got more and more complicated. Too many new characters, too many incoherent stories, too much mystical strangeness, and not enough of why I care for the core characters and the show. I loved, loved, loved the ending of Buffy on television. I loved the idea of sharing the power and Buffy basically giving one big f-u to the patriarchy. While I think it's interesting to consider the ramifications (both good and bad...more
In volume 8 of season 8, Buffy and company are doing what they do best: kicking some supernatural butt. An organization know as Twilight (hehe) is trying to destroy the Seed, which will unleash all the monster of Hell into the world. It's already started, as Buffy and her fellow slayers have their hands full fighting off crazy alien monsters. Things get even more confusing for Buffy now that Angel is back, but whose side is he on?
Oh Buffy. Our love for you will never die. All the wonderful snark...more
Oh Buffy. Our love for you will never die. All the wonderful snark...more
After the hot mess of Season Eight, Joss comes in to wrap things up and tease us with Season Nine. I'm not sure it was the wisest decision for him to apologize in the afterward, but at least it was honest. Season Eight was all over the place, with no coherent plotline other than the vague threat of Twilight, never truly realized until the tone deaf and ridiculous Retreat story arc set him and the Slayers to all-out war. And Joss is right in his apology, this is not what Buffy is about. Buffy is...more
I received this as a free e-book ARC from NetGalley.
We finally reach the end of Buffy Season 8 and it's been a wild ride. Old friends have returned and some have come back in roles that no one expected. And we've said goodbye to some old friends and this issue is no exception. It begins with a bang as Angel now has superpowers and fly's into the night to save a crashing plane and it only continues from there. Spike makes a return appearance, with the help of some bug aliens, determined once agai...more
We finally reach the end of Buffy Season 8 and it's been a wild ride. Old friends have returned and some have come back in roles that no one expected. And we've said goodbye to some old friends and this issue is no exception. It begins with a bang as Angel now has superpowers and fly's into the night to save a crashing plane and it only continues from there. Spike makes a return appearance, with the help of some bug aliens, determined once agai...more
Joss Whedon brings Buffy fans to the conclusion of the comic season 8 with an epic battle that brings back most of their favorite characters as well as a return to the roots of what really made the series so popular to begin with. Demons from an alternate dimension are flooding into our's, and it is going to take everything Buffy has got to beat them back. Once again, it is the Scooby gang up to prevent Armageddon
Spike returns with the help of an insectoid crew aboard a bio-blimp with some infor...more
Last Gleaming is the season eight finale and boy did it pack a punch. As in, it punch me in the face and made it near impossible to understand everything that was going on! But I love being roughed up by Buffy and her Scooby Crew, so sign me up for more.
Season eight's insane plot line was a bit of a departure from the TV series and frankly was all over the place: bigger drama, bigger sets, bigger BIG bads, bigger what-the-eff-just-happened moments, and over all just BIGGER. I loved that the wri...more
Season eight's insane plot line was a bit of a departure from the TV series and frankly was all over the place: bigger drama, bigger sets, bigger BIG bads, bigger what-the-eff-just-happened moments, and over all just BIGGER. I loved that the wri...more
Another difficult rating to assign. Two stars for too much convoluted exposition... three stars for bringing back my favorite character from the series and making him sound exactly like himself ("That wasn't our fault!" "Nobody said it was except me right now to your face!")... and eleven stars for page 35. Which I will leave cryptic, lest I divulge spoilers. So, four stars overall. I'm reluctant to get to specific in this review, because some of the surprises (in this volume and in the whole se...more
What a gorgeous end to Season 8. I mostly say that because I know there's going to be a season 9 with more baddies and familiar faces. This last issue of season 8 was really everything I hoped it would be. It hyped up to a huge climactic battle, scattered humor and wit, some key characters injured/killed and Buffy making another tough sacrifice. Then brought it back down to business as usual to lead into the next season. That's the best I can do without spoilers.
The transition from tv to comics...more
The transition from tv to comics...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Jan 12, 2012
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those Who Think Whedon Is God
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
Gerri's Gift
Buffy: "Wow, this guy is really challenged by the major plot points.
Dawn: "He's not the only one."
Right with you, Dawnie. This volume gets as high as two stars, because I have to put some distance between it and the trainwreck that was Volume 7: Twilight. This volume was, at best, "Okay" in a Season in which, if I ranked it against the seasons of the television series, I'd put dead last. And I'm a huge Buffy fan that considers it one of the best television series that ever aired. There wasn't on...more
Dawn: "He's not the only one."
Right with you, Dawnie. This volume gets as high as two stars, because I have to put some distance between it and the trainwreck that was Volume 7: Twilight. This volume was, at best, "Okay" in a Season in which, if I ranked it against the seasons of the television series, I'd put dead last. And I'm a huge Buffy fan that considers it one of the best television series that ever aired. There wasn't on...more
BUFFY FOREVER!!
I never thought I'd be a comic book reading type of girl, but I'm converted. I loved the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series which had 7 mostly good seasons (a couple low points). The comic book series (Dark Horse Books) pick up season 8 and are a very interesting extension and medium to carry on the excellence of Joss Whedon's iconic character "Buffy" and the rest of the gang (Angel, Spike, Giles, Willow, Zander, Faith, and Dawn--and several other cameos). My one criticism...more
I never thought I'd be a comic book reading type of girl, but I'm converted. I loved the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series which had 7 mostly good seasons (a couple low points). The comic book series (Dark Horse Books) pick up season 8 and are a very interesting extension and medium to carry on the excellence of Joss Whedon's iconic character "Buffy" and the rest of the gang (Angel, Spike, Giles, Willow, Zander, Faith, and Dawn--and several other cameos). My one criticism...more
Alla fine il primo approccio di Whedon con la serialità a fumetti applicata al Buffyverso non si è concluso nel migliore dei modi.
La serie, che aveva mantenuto un buon livello per sei volumi, nel penultimo numero era crollata -ancora non mi capacito di quanto si sia dimostrato idiota Angel, o di come i due creano un nuovo universo e su questo ottavo volume ricadeva la responsabilità di salvare la baracca restituendo la serie ai suoi standard abituali. Malgrado la storia riscritta dalle fondament...more
La serie, che aveva mantenuto un buon livello per sei volumi, nel penultimo numero era crollata -ancora non mi capacito di quanto si sia dimostrato idiota Angel, o di come i due creano un nuovo universo e su questo ottavo volume ricadeva la responsabilità di salvare la baracca restituendo la serie ai suoi standard abituali. Malgrado la storia riscritta dalle fondament...more
Oct 07, 2011
Jenn Dattilo Watts
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
any Whedon fan
Shelves:
graphic-novel
You're probably not going to want to read this review if you haven't read the graphic novel. There's going to be all kinds of spoilers and storyline mentioned. You've been warned...
Okay, now to get into the story. There were lots of things I liked (even loved), and there were other things that just didn't set well with me. First, the things I loved -
Spike! The way Spike is portrayed in Last Gleaming has me more convinced than ever that he's twice the character Angel is. Think about it - Spike ha...more
Okay, now to get into the story. There were lots of things I liked (even loved), and there were other things that just didn't set well with me. First, the things I loved -
Spike! The way Spike is portrayed in Last Gleaming has me more convinced than ever that he's twice the character Angel is. Think about it - Spike ha...more
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I was very hesitant at first to read season 8 of Buffy continued in comic book form, but I'm so glad that I gave it a chance. Buffy the Vampire was, and still is, my religion, my laughter, my sanity, and my therapy. And I was so worried that in some way that was going to be disrupted if I read these. Glad I put that myth in the grave (HAHAHA). Sure, I know it's not Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters themselves, but the characters are just the same as they always were. I was a little worrie...more
Favorite Lines: “You getting this, Breathless? I’m Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and you’re a bunch of whiny thugs. You come after me again–you so much as look at me funny…then I will fight you.” (e-galley)
I gotta admit that I haven’t kept up with the Buffy comics the way I did the tv series. I know I’m not alone, but it seemed like the comics went somewhere I wasn’t ready to go. This final installment goes even further, but ends back where it all started with the Buffy we met in early on who had n...more
I gotta admit that I haven’t kept up with the Buffy comics the way I did the tv series. I know I’m not alone, but it seemed like the comics went somewhere I wasn’t ready to go. This final installment goes even further, but ends back where it all started with the Buffy we met in early on who had n...more
Confused. Disappointed. Depressed. Betrayed. These are just a few of the adjectives I would use to describe the ultimately perplexing end to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight. I'm still not even clear on minor things like plot details, so it's going to be a long time before I ever accept the fate of any of these characters. If ever. I'm strongly leaning towards never on that one. "Chosen" was the perfect ending to the series, and Season Eight takes away everything that was happy about it. B...more
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Note: this review is more about the season 8 series than this particular volume.
Not a bad season of Buffy, but not one of the best. I think Joss was trying to hard to do stuff that he couldn't do on TV. It was bigger and badder and a lot more sex. But the story line suffered for it. I do like the notes that he added at the end of the last volume saying that Season 9 was going to be back to the basics, Buffy in an alley staking a vamp.
The illustration throughout the series was very sporadic. I c...more
Not a bad season of Buffy, but not one of the best. I think Joss was trying to hard to do stuff that he couldn't do on TV. It was bigger and badder and a lot more sex. But the story line suffered for it. I do like the notes that he added at the end of the last volume saying that Season 9 was going to be back to the basics, Buffy in an alley staking a vamp.
The illustration throughout the series was very sporadic. I c...more
The final book in Buffy's eighth season does a good job of wrapping up the various plot lines and setting up the dystopian world view of the future stand-alone novel "Fray." I do see why the Twilight motivations from the prior book occurred, but I still don't have to like it :) Also, the big spoilery death that I won't reveal seemed cheap and thrown in there just to have a death at the end of the season, and I don't approve of that either. But hey, Joss is boss.
The season had its highs and lows,...more
The season had its highs and lows,...more
I picked up the first few issues of Season Eight when they first came out, but quickly realized I hated buying single issue comics, because I was done with them in minutes and then I'd have to wait an entire week for the next paltry few pages. So I missed a few, and then a few more, and eventually I just decided to wait for the collection. Well, I missed the first ones when Dark Horse released them on Netgalley, but I pulled up this last book just to see what was going on. I certainly felt lost,...more
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Joss Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon) is an American screenwriter, executive producer, film and television director, comic book writer, occasional composer, and actor, and the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures.
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)'...more
More about Joss Whedon...
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)'...more
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