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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8, Vol. 5: Predators and Prey
Buffy's world goes awry when former-classmate-turned-vampire Harmony Kendall lands her own reality TV show, Harmony Bites, bolstering bloodsucking fiends in the mainstream. Humans line up to have their blood consumed, and Slayers, through a series of missteps, misfortunes, and anti-Slayer propaganda driven by the mysterious Twilight, are forced into hiding.
In Germany, Faith and Giles discover a town where Slayers retreat from a world that has turned against them, only to find themselves in the arms of something far worse. A rogue-Slayer faction displaces an entire Italian village, living up to their tarnished reputation as power-hungry thieves. And finally, with the help of a would-be demon lover, Dawn addresses her unfaltering insecurities.
* Collects issues #21-#25 and the short stories "Harmony Bites" and "Vampy Cat Play Friend" from MySpace Dark Horse Presents!
In Germany, Faith and Giles discover a town where Slayers retreat from a world that has turned against them, only to find themselves in the arms of something far worse. A rogue-Slayer faction displaces an entire Italian village, living up to their tarnished reputation as power-hungry thieves. And finally, with the help of a would-be demon lover, Dawn addresses her unfaltering insecurities.
* Collects issues #21-#25 and the short stories "Harmony Bites" and "Vampy Cat Play Friend" from MySpace Dark Horse Presents!
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2009
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1975 people want to read
About the author
Jane Espenson
61 books123 followersJane Espenson is an American television writer and producer who has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and shared a Hugo Award for her writing on Conversations with Dead People. Between 2009-2010 she served on Caprica, as co-executive and executive producer for the series. In 2010 she wrote an episode of HBO's A Game of Thrones, and joined the writing staff for Series 4 of Torchwood, which will air on Starz in the US and the BBC in the UK in 2011. She will be co-writing the pilot episode for the US remake of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
September 17, 2020
Guys. GUYS. GUYS!
Harmony gets her own TV show and she is like, a celebrity. This is not a drill and it is the best worst thing to happen to anyone ever and I need more.
And we get to see new faces
And Buffy does her face
And there are monsters.
In all honesty, this is getting pretty great, in not a great way. The slayers are being hunted and hated, vampires are being sympathized, and “Twilight” is still trying to stop Buffy from doing literally anything.
Whoever decided that Twilight was a good name for an evil group against vampire slayers.. needs a head check.
I have a feeling my heart is going to burst with anticipation.
---
I'm laughing so hard right now. Lolololol RTC.
Harmony gets her own TV show and she is like, a celebrity. This is not a drill and it is the best worst thing to happen to anyone ever and I need more.
And we get to see new faces
And Buffy does her face
And there are monsters.
In all honesty, this is getting pretty great, in not a great way. The slayers are being hunted and hated, vampires are being sympathized, and “Twilight” is still trying to stop Buffy from doing literally anything.
Whoever decided that Twilight was a good name for an evil group against vampire slayers.. needs a head check.
I have a feeling my heart is going to burst with anticipation.
---
I'm laughing so hard right now. Lolololol RTC.
November 5, 2018
This Volume reminded me of those quirky wonderful moments in the show. There were so many moments in here that would have made this a favorite episode of mine.
The whole thing with Harmony in here is ridiculous and it so work. I'm sure reality TV would love Harmony bites if it was a thing. It can turn anything upside down. Look who's president. This part of the story with the media and entertainment seems to have been a little prophetic. It is directly talking about the mess we are in now.
The best moment of the entire volume is the road trip that Buffy and Andrew take. That was like the ultimate moment. Andrew goes on his Andrew tangent about pop culture and they finally realize they have some geek love to share. Daniel Craig. Indeed. Really, why hasn't Andrew come out yet. They have plenty of lesbian regulars and no gay regular. It's time Andrew came out of the closet. Hello.
I'm glad Faith and her story are continuing on. She and Giles are making a fantastic team up. We also find out that there are slayers out there that aren't party of the Buffy pact and they have gone rogue. Dawn's story is finally resolved, although, we never see that Dawn was kidnapped until she is a doll. That was rather abrupt. Oh well.
This is really getting good and I think it has found it's voice in the new medium and the story is really cooking now. I am looking forward to where this is all going to go.
The whole thing with Harmony in here is ridiculous and it so work. I'm sure reality TV would love Harmony bites if it was a thing. It can turn anything upside down. Look who's president. This part of the story with the media and entertainment seems to have been a little prophetic. It is directly talking about the mess we are in now.
The best moment of the entire volume is the road trip that Buffy and Andrew take. That was like the ultimate moment. Andrew goes on his Andrew tangent about pop culture and they finally realize they have some geek love to share. Daniel Craig. Indeed. Really, why hasn't Andrew come out yet. They have plenty of lesbian regulars and no gay regular. It's time Andrew came out of the closet. Hello.
I'm glad Faith and her story are continuing on. She and Giles are making a fantastic team up. We also find out that there are slayers out there that aren't party of the Buffy pact and they have gone rogue. Dawn's story is finally resolved, although, we never see that Dawn was kidnapped until she is a doll. That was rather abrupt. Oh well.
This is really getting good and I think it has found it's voice in the new medium and the story is really cooking now. I am looking forward to where this is all going to go.
June 21, 2018
2.5 For these six little stories, all of them connected among them but all of them also a little meh. That pretty much describes this fifth volume. I’m rounding up because it’s Buffy and I think that, overall, it’s unfair giving it less than 3 stars.
Part one: Introduction by Harmony and a reality show where she bites random willingly people and tells the audience (yes, she has an audience) how slayers are the great evil after nazis (and I’m quoting here).
Part two: Fluffy stuffed demonic kitties. Literally. Nothing to say about it. Even with the gay squad there, not appealing enough.
Part 3: (The best—humor related— but still didn’t wow me) Buffy and Andrew goes to Italy and Andrew talks about Galactica and “fat Lee”, and that was hilarious.
All the nerdy talk and references were funny but that’s all.
Part 5: Faith I love you so much, girl. Best short story in this volume.
Part 6: it starts like those crappy episodes that series like Fringe, Supernatural... and wth, Buffy, have in every season, the ones you want to skip because you know nothing is gonna happen. But surprisingly I ended up liking it. Meh but ok.
And it ends how it started, with Harmony. Not my favorite vampire in the world but it has some Clem and I liked that guy. Do you remember Clem?
In a sense, Predators and Prey has the scent of Watchmen, that “who watches the Watchmen” thing and that part, the essence, I loved but it was weak in a lot of things so nope, not my favorite in this season, the worst for me indeed.
Anyways, I’m jumping into the next one crossing my fingers and as eager as I start every single volumen. This is my Buffy after all.
Reviews for Book Lovers
Part one: Introduction by Harmony and a reality show where she bites random willingly people and tells the audience (yes, she has an audience) how slayers are the great evil after nazis (and I’m quoting here).
Part two: Fluffy stuffed demonic kitties. Literally. Nothing to say about it. Even with the gay squad there, not appealing enough.
Part 3: (The best—humor related— but still didn’t wow me) Buffy and Andrew goes to Italy and Andrew talks about Galactica and “fat Lee”, and that was hilarious.
All the nerdy talk and references were funny but that’s all.
Part 5: Faith I love you so much, girl. Best short story in this volume.
Part 6: it starts like those crappy episodes that series like Fringe, Supernatural... and wth, Buffy, have in every season, the ones you want to skip because you know nothing is gonna happen. But surprisingly I ended up liking it. Meh but ok.
And it ends how it started, with Harmony. Not my favorite vampire in the world but it has some Clem and I liked that guy. Do you remember Clem?
In a sense, Predators and Prey has the scent of Watchmen, that “who watches the Watchmen” thing and that part, the essence, I loved but it was weak in a lot of things so nope, not my favorite in this season, the worst for me indeed.
Anyways, I’m jumping into the next one crossing my fingers and as eager as I start every single volumen. This is my Buffy after all.
Reviews for Book Lovers
October 15, 2021
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
The stories in this collected edition felt lighter but when you take a step back and think about them, they actually change a lot of the Buffyverse. Vampires are out. The world has been turned against the Slayers.
All because of a reality TV show starring Harmony Kendall. I feel like only the Buffyverse can get away with something like that.
These weren’t my favourite issues to read however, I did appreciate the fact that while it didn’t seem like it, the story did move forward and even some plots were resolved!
The stories in this collected edition felt lighter but when you take a step back and think about them, they actually change a lot of the Buffyverse. Vampires are out. The world has been turned against the Slayers.
All because of a reality TV show starring Harmony Kendall. I feel like only the Buffyverse can get away with something like that.
These weren’t my favourite issues to read however, I did appreciate the fact that while it didn’t seem like it, the story did move forward and even some plots were resolved!
October 25, 2010
You remember how, when he was young and hungry and battling budgetary constraints and studio execs at every turn, George Lucas made the original Star Wars trilogy?
Then you remember how 20 years later, he had enough money and CGI to have complete control and tell whatever story he wanted and he subsequently made the prequel trilogy?
I can't remember why I brought that up.
Then you remember how 20 years later, he had enough money and CGI to have complete control and tell whatever story he wanted and he subsequently made the prequel trilogy?
I can't remember why I brought that up.
June 28, 2020
Despite more occurrences of casual monosexism and the fact that all the women seem to be drawn with the same "big boobs and super tiny waist" body type, I have to say I loved this volume because it was so funny! Andrew and Harmony being their ridiculous selves. Buffy's one liners! Vampy cat stuffed animals that attack! It was also great to get a little piece of so many characters in one volume.
December 10, 2014
Looks like I'm in the minority, but this was my favorite book of the season so far. It was overly silly, thanks to the Harmony storyline. But it was packed with some great humor, from more than just Xander. From vampy cats to Buffy/Andrew nerd-bonding, this was definitely a fun read.
July 12, 2010
This trade felt really rushed and disjointed. The arcs stand well enough on their own, but they don't come together into a cohesive, overall-plot-furthering story. The arc with Harmony coming out of the coffin and ending up spearheading the anti-Slayer movement makes sense as a logical reason for the general public to hate and fear the Slayers, but I don't know if it's because of the fact that we're seeing everything through Buffy's eyes, who's removed from civilization with her Slayer army or what, but there doesn't seem to be much of a fallout from a vampire's being on a reality show. Wouldn't people be in an uproar about this? (See: True Blood.) The issue just seemed glossed over.
I did like the interaction between Buffy and Andrew, and how well the story showcased Andrew's efforts to redeem himself and integrate himself into the team. Nerd bonding, heh.
The rest of the story was rushed and inconsequential. Faith and Giles in some tiny village, fighting the remains of the Countil who is killing Slayers to protect themselves? The rogue Slayer on a tiny island in Italy, wreaking havoc? How is this relevant and how does it tie into the greater arc? And the end of Dawn's storyline was, again, rushed and seemed too easily solved. And who the hell was that Gepetto guy? No explanations? I feel like I'm watching LOST, and not in a good way.
This review is not cohesive because I'm on cold meds. That's a disclaimer.
I did like the interaction between Buffy and Andrew, and how well the story showcased Andrew's efforts to redeem himself and integrate himself into the team. Nerd bonding, heh.
The rest of the story was rushed and inconsequential. Faith and Giles in some tiny village, fighting the remains of the Countil who is killing Slayers to protect themselves? The rogue Slayer on a tiny island in Italy, wreaking havoc? How is this relevant and how does it tie into the greater arc? And the end of Dawn's storyline was, again, rushed and seemed too easily solved. And who the hell was that Gepetto guy? No explanations? I feel like I'm watching LOST, and not in a good way.
This review is not cohesive because I'm on cold meds. That's a disclaimer.
April 1, 2015
***Buddyread with the Shallowreaders! Criteria: Where you go back so far that finding the banner is almost not an option!***
A world where Slayers are the villains and vampires are misunderstood? This should have been a great beginning to an awesome story. Instead, it was just okay. But they can't all be mega awesome, I guess.
The beginning was cool. I liked the fact that Harmony, the ditziest of all vampires in existence, has become THE FACE for vampires everywhere. Do they want to kill you? SOMETIMES! BUT THAT'S OKAY! BECAUSE IT ISN'T ALL THE TIME! And when she's attacked on her MTV reality show, Slayers become public enemy number one.
So why did this flop? Because there wasn't enough for me. Dawn's story line of being cursed is chopped up and put to rest with the finesse of a preschooler writing a story.
"I love you Dawn," says Kenny.
"I love you, too," says Dawn. "But I boinked it out with your roommate, and that's a hurtle I can't look past. Let's be friends."
"Okay, bye bye now," says Kenny.
Um. Okay. I don't really have anything else to say about this other than there was enough action, enough wit, and awesome artwork to save this from a lower rating. Here's hoping for the next volume.
January 15, 2010
Graphic Novel. Meh. Harmony stars in her own vampire reality show; Latina gang member/slayer quits gang, dies anyway; Satsu and Kennedy talk about being lesbians and fight demonic stuffed animals; Andrew does some stuff while looking TOTALLY UNLIKE ANDREW SERIOUSLY JEANTY WATCH THE SHOW; Giles and Faith go somewhere -- and, dude, it's not like we have to pay Anthony Stewart Head anymore, why isn't he in more of these? -- with very serviceable pencils by Cliff Richards -- why isn't HE in more of these? -- and, finally, Dawn gets her day and the resolution of her transformation storyline.
These are all supporting character one-shots and they feel like it, not even the Dawn story managed to be satisfying, except for on an emotional level. And when did vampires become common knowledge? I absolutely missed that issue. Or was that the point of the Harmony story? All I know is these volumes would benefit from a brief "previously on" paragraph at the start. I read them one after another and I still can't keep track of all the bads.
Two stars. The dialogue's snappy, and the emotional connection between the characters still gives me the warm fuzzies, but not enough to make up for the weak story and confounding art. Jeanty can draw Andy Dick but not the Buffy crew why?
These are all supporting character one-shots and they feel like it, not even the Dawn story managed to be satisfying, except for on an emotional level. And when did vampires become common knowledge? I absolutely missed that issue. Or was that the point of the Harmony story? All I know is these volumes would benefit from a brief "previously on" paragraph at the start. I read them one after another and I still can't keep track of all the bads.
Two stars. The dialogue's snappy, and the emotional connection between the characters still gives me the warm fuzzies, but not enough to make up for the weak story and confounding art. Jeanty can draw Andy Dick but not the Buffy crew why?
September 29, 2018
These are basically just one shot stories throughout this volume. Felt like each issue or so was a episode of Buffy. So what does that mean? Some are better than others.
We have the whole dawn situation finally wrapped up in this volume. We also have Buffy sending one of her top Slayers to check up on a division in Tokyo, which leads to a lot of lesbian yelling (No really, they argue and complain about lesbian stuff I'm not being sexist) and then there's also story with Faith and Giles. Oh yeah, and remember the fancy annoying vampire Spike hooked up with? Harmony somehow got the bright idea to turn the world against slayers and love vampires...yep it happened.
Good: The storyline with Giles and Faith is pretty solid. Little predictable but something about faith in comic form is really well done. I also enjoyed Dawn storyline getting wrapped up and was wondering how long they could extend it. But it was well done and Dawn is back to being a regular girl.
Bad: The storyline with character's checking in, and dealing with the lesbian crush on buffy and sleeping with her wasn't all that interesting or fun and went on too long. I also thought the Harmony twist was kind of...dumb.
Overall it's a uneven volume. While not great, but not horrible, it stands to have a few good scenes in each issue worth reading. Hopefully series gets back on track soon. A 3 out of 5.
We have the whole dawn situation finally wrapped up in this volume. We also have Buffy sending one of her top Slayers to check up on a division in Tokyo, which leads to a lot of lesbian yelling (No really, they argue and complain about lesbian stuff I'm not being sexist) and then there's also story with Faith and Giles. Oh yeah, and remember the fancy annoying vampire Spike hooked up with? Harmony somehow got the bright idea to turn the world against slayers and love vampires...yep it happened.
Good: The storyline with Giles and Faith is pretty solid. Little predictable but something about faith in comic form is really well done. I also enjoyed Dawn storyline getting wrapped up and was wondering how long they could extend it. But it was well done and Dawn is back to being a regular girl.
Bad: The storyline with character's checking in, and dealing with the lesbian crush on buffy and sleeping with her wasn't all that interesting or fun and went on too long. I also thought the Harmony twist was kind of...dumb.
Overall it's a uneven volume. While not great, but not horrible, it stands to have a few good scenes in each issue worth reading. Hopefully series gets back on track soon. A 3 out of 5.
January 31, 2010
Buffy's adventures after the ending of the TV series continue with this volume of mostly stand-alone stories. The best idea presented yet is that former-classmate-turned-vamp Harmony has scored a TV reality show and when an inexperienced slayer botches an attempt to dust her while the cameras roll, Harmony uses it to make the media and the public belive that the vamps are just a poor persecuted minority group while Buffy and the slayers are painted as a violent cult of bigots. Hilarity ensues.
There's alot of good satire about the public embracing the vamps that feels like Whedon and company taking some more well-desrved shots at Twilight-mania.
There's alot of good satire about the public embracing the vamps that feels like Whedon and company taking some more well-desrved shots at Twilight-mania.
August 21, 2024
This volume was fun, just not a lot of plot progression. It felt like a compilation of all the unusual, quirky, shenanigans/hyjinks episodes.
The whole vampy cat plot line was a bit silly, but the Harmony narrative on how the media can spin something and paint a totally different picture than what is reality (I.e. vampires good, slayers bad) feels so real. I also liked getting an update on what had become of the old Watchers council. I'm also glad the plot line with Dawn being a giant/centaur/etc. can finally end.
The whole vampy cat plot line was a bit silly, but the Harmony narrative on how the media can spin something and paint a totally different picture than what is reality (I.e. vampires good, slayers bad) feels so real. I also liked getting an update on what had become of the old Watchers council. I'm also glad the plot line with Dawn being a giant/centaur/etc. can finally end.
April 14, 2023
3.5 stars ~ [6.91/10]
Season 8 continues to have the same issues as the earlier volumes, however I think the stories in this one felt closer to the tv series than the earlier ones. There was more focus on meaningful character interactions, I really liked the development for Andrew in Predators and Prey. At first I thought the Harmony tv show and vampy cat plushies were a little too silly but then I thought about PuppetAngel and remembered that the buffyverse shows steered hard into silliness on a numerous occasions and I ate it up; so this felt authentically btvs to me. I also quite like how the Harmony arc contributes to how the world views slayers because it feels right that they would have explored this in the show had it continued. (Especially with how discourse is handled on social media these days - the bad guys making the good guys look like bad guys, mass-manipulation, etc.)
I really like the dynamic between Faith and Giles, it was pretty genius to pair them up in the comics because they both really need each other in different ways. Faith gives Giles a purpose that had previously been unfulfilled since he did such a great job training Buffy to be the leader she is. Giles gives Faith the structure and direction she always craved - it's like a version 2 of what she thought she was getting from the Mayor, but much healthier.
I'm glad the curse arc for Dawn seems to be wrapped up, I think Dawn deserves a more interesting story arc because it feels like they have no idea what to do with her (a post-season 5 hang-up that I often felt in the tv show too.) I'd really like to see her go out on her own, perhaps over to the Angel crew.
My main issue with this volume is that it felt like the whole Twilight thing was forgotten about, except for a few mentions - I hope some of what we got here ends up playing into that arc because it makes sense to weaken the slayers in the eyes of the public otherwise they would probably be too over-powered when facing a big bad as an army.
Season 8 continues to have the same issues as the earlier volumes, however I think the stories in this one felt closer to the tv series than the earlier ones. There was more focus on meaningful character interactions, I really liked the development for Andrew in Predators and Prey. At first I thought the Harmony tv show and vampy cat plushies were a little too silly but then I thought about PuppetAngel and remembered that the buffyverse shows steered hard into silliness on a numerous occasions and I ate it up; so this felt authentically btvs to me. I also quite like how the Harmony arc contributes to how the world views slayers because it feels right that they would have explored this in the show had it continued. (Especially with how discourse is handled on social media these days - the bad guys making the good guys look like bad guys, mass-manipulation, etc.)
I really like the dynamic between Faith and Giles, it was pretty genius to pair them up in the comics because they both really need each other in different ways. Faith gives Giles a purpose that had previously been unfulfilled since he did such a great job training Buffy to be the leader she is. Giles gives Faith the structure and direction she always craved - it's like a version 2 of what she thought she was getting from the Mayor, but much healthier.
I'm glad the curse arc for Dawn seems to be wrapped up, I think Dawn deserves a more interesting story arc because it feels like they have no idea what to do with her (a post-season 5 hang-up that I often felt in the tv show too.) I'd really like to see her go out on her own, perhaps over to the Angel crew.
My main issue with this volume is that it felt like the whole Twilight thing was forgotten about, except for a few mentions - I hope some of what we got here ends up playing into that arc because it makes sense to weaken the slayers in the eyes of the public otherwise they would probably be too over-powered when facing a big bad as an army.
February 8, 2010
Just kind of lame. Not confusing like the last one, but not emotional or particularly funny like the first few. It was like one of the forgetable episodes, pleasant but not significant. The plot change introduced by Harmony having a reality show and vamps becoming popular, therefore Slayers being seen as the evil enemy, is interesting and will probably figure into the next set of comics. But this set were all shallow. And cheesy - suddenly Batman actions sounds abound: Thok, Thomp, krak, Clunk, Thnk, Shhirk. That's just in the first comic in the book. And the art was sub-par as well. It was fine, enjoyable to some degree, but not memorable.
September 24, 2014
This was a very enjoyable book. I would have to say though. I'm not a fan of Harmony. At all!!!! Can't wait to read the rest of seasons eight and nine.
February 23, 2023
The first story is where humanity has caught on that vampires are real thanks to video footage and Harmony is now famous and the spokesperson for all vampires and slayers are hunted and feared to the Slayers Organizations' shock.
My question is: who came up with the villain's name in the first place I mean really? I'm sure there are more names that will scare the bejesus outta everyone than "Twilight" cuz every time admittedly I giggle and think of sparkly vampires lol ...
oh, the latest Twilight's latest flunkies were vampire cats crossed with body snatchers? okay lol
The only parts I thoroughly enjoyed were Predators and Prey and Safe respectively continued on with the previous story arcs about Simone and her army of rogue vampire slayers, where there is a cute Buffy/Andrew bonding moment over pop culture references, maybe it's cuz I'm not a huge Daniel Craig fan.
I loved the many other pop culture references ie: Jedi/Superman, Terminator Heath Ledger and of course my fave: stargate sg1 with quirky Buffy-style lingo that reminds me of the TV series.
But it's nice to see these two bond still with the bickering but you can see Andrew's growth as a character, he may be annoying (reminds me of Joxer from Xena in some ways) but he's got, a heart.
It was awesome seeing Faith and Giles continue to work together, she clearly respects and listens to his advice even though she's still battling with her inner demons as she tries to help a new slayer, Courtney, whom they've encountered and a mysterious Slayer Sanctuary that holds a deadly secret.
What was interesting to see play out was the aftermath of the surviving Watchers after The First's attack on the institute back in Btvs S7 and even before then when Buffy defected from the Council in S3 when they refused to help save Angel after Faith poisoned him.
Here it comes to a head with the surviving members as many members, including Duncan whose introduced here bear a grudge and resentment towards Buffy and Slayers in general due to past events since Buffy and Faith rejected the Watcher's Council.
Duncan even coldly recalls Jenny's death with no regard to Giles' feelings on painful memories but instead blames the fall of the Watcher's Council for the former defecting in the first place cuz Buffy fell in love with a vampire so he uses a demon to as a protection ward against the vampires who are milling outside the village's borders unable to enter as the price for the demon's protection is Slayers who unwittingly under false pretenses think they've found sanctuary, die.
That is until Faith, Giles, and Courtney rock up, and with the demon's and Duncan's death, Giles becomes the last member of the extinct Watchers Council other than the potential slayers from BtV S7 and the Scoobies have formed the new Slayers Organization with a more holistic approach when it comes to training Slayers, even welcoming witches and other species who are aligned with the forces of good.
The quote that stood out for me here really shows the continual personal growth of Faith's character, she's learned from her past mistakes and ideologies that have been very similar to Gigi and now Simone, but thankfully due to Angel's, Wesley's, and now Giles' influences, she's changing for the better.
Oh, Dawn's not a centaur anymore, she got turned into a doll ... and now she's human again and made peace with Kenny, cool, glad that's over with.
I would've been happier if this volume completely 86 Harmony/Dawn from the story completely it didn't interest me (though the public finding out about the existence of vampires and slayers was good) I would've been happy if the entire volume focused on Simone and Faith/Giles' adventures but still a good read.
My question is: who came up with the villain's name in the first place I mean really? I'm sure there are more names that will scare the bejesus outta everyone than "Twilight" cuz every time admittedly I giggle and think of sparkly vampires lol ...
oh, the latest Twilight's latest flunkies were vampire cats crossed with body snatchers? okay lol
The only parts I thoroughly enjoyed were Predators and Prey and Safe respectively continued on with the previous story arcs about Simone and her army of rogue vampire slayers, where there is a cute Buffy/Andrew bonding moment over pop culture references, maybe it's cuz I'm not a huge Daniel Craig fan.
I loved the many other pop culture references ie: Jedi/Superman, Terminator Heath Ledger and of course my fave: stargate sg1 with quirky Buffy-style lingo that reminds me of the TV series.
But it's nice to see these two bond still with the bickering but you can see Andrew's growth as a character, he may be annoying (reminds me of Joxer from Xena in some ways) but he's got, a heart.
It was awesome seeing Faith and Giles continue to work together, she clearly respects and listens to his advice even though she's still battling with her inner demons as she tries to help a new slayer, Courtney, whom they've encountered and a mysterious Slayer Sanctuary that holds a deadly secret.
What was interesting to see play out was the aftermath of the surviving Watchers after The First's attack on the institute back in Btvs S7 and even before then when Buffy defected from the Council in S3 when they refused to help save Angel after Faith poisoned him.
Here it comes to a head with the surviving members as many members, including Duncan whose introduced here bear a grudge and resentment towards Buffy and Slayers in general due to past events since Buffy and Faith rejected the Watcher's Council.
Duncan even coldly recalls Jenny's death with no regard to Giles' feelings on painful memories but instead blames the fall of the Watcher's Council for the former defecting in the first place cuz Buffy fell in love with a vampire so he uses a demon to as a protection ward against the vampires who are milling outside the village's borders unable to enter as the price for the demon's protection is Slayers who unwittingly under false pretenses think they've found sanctuary, die.
That is until Faith, Giles, and Courtney rock up, and with the demon's and Duncan's death, Giles becomes the last member of the extinct Watchers Council other than the potential slayers from BtV S7 and the Scoobies have formed the new Slayers Organization with a more holistic approach when it comes to training Slayers, even welcoming witches and other species who are aligned with the forces of good.
The quote that stood out for me here really shows the continual personal growth of Faith's character, she's learned from her past mistakes and ideologies that have been very similar to Gigi and now Simone, but thankfully due to Angel's, Wesley's, and now Giles' influences, she's changing for the better.
Courtney: "That's not our problem. You're murderers! You deserve to die!"
Faith: "Probably. But we're Slayers, and we don't let people die. Not even the crappy ones. You, people, wanna live? Then you fight."
Oh, Dawn's not a centaur anymore, she got turned into a doll ... and now she's human again and made peace with Kenny, cool, glad that's over with.
I would've been happier if this volume completely 86 Harmony/Dawn from the story completely it didn't interest me (though the public finding out about the existence of vampires and slayers was good) I would've been happy if the entire volume focused on Simone and Faith/Giles' adventures but still a good read.
March 21, 2022
This volume had a pretty distinct shift in tone and story from the previous Season 8 volumes, and it was fun in its own (slightly gimmicky) way! The Satsu and Dawn issues were the strongest; they did a good job of continuing or wrapping up plot points from earlier all while developing the bigger picture (although Kennedy is mega-annoying here). Also three cheers for seeing more of the FaithxGiles team-up!! That issue felt like random filler but it was enjoyable to see them in action nevertheless. :)
January 1, 2024
3/5
With this volume we get some goods and bads.
The goods are the familiar faces that were introduced here, the bads were all these single stories that somehow are still connected to main plot that felt kinda unecessary.
I personally would have used them as an extra volume after the main season ended, just to not create more confusion than the one there's already in this story.
With this volume we get some goods and bads.
The goods are the familiar faces that were introduced here, the bads were all these single stories that somehow are still connected to main plot that felt kinda unecessary.
I personally would have used them as an extra volume after the main season ended, just to not create more confusion than the one there's already in this story.
March 4, 2011
In a Sentence: A great look at some of the minor characters, but the inclusion of the Harmony arc made BTVS Season 8 #5 a bit slower than normal.
My Thoughts
I have a bit of a split opinion on this installment in the series. I loved three out of the five issues ("Predators and Prey" and "Safe"), and thought one ("Swell") was mediocre. The other two issues though ("Harmonic Divergence" and "Living Doll") I found to be a bit boring.
"Harmonic Divergence" focused on Buffy's high school classmate, Harmony Kendall, who was turned into a vampire at graduation. In this issue, Harmony gets her own reality show called "Harmony Bites," which has the effect of making vampires cool and in style. With the exception of parts of the fifth season of Angel, Harmony's character has always annoyed me, so I really didn't care for the issue that centered on her. However, the issue had value in the sense that it set up the tone of the rest of the book. Because of the increase in vampire popularity, the public opinion of Slayers starts to take a rapid slide downhill. This set-up will be important in the fourth issue, "Safe."
The second issue, "Swell," takes us to Japan, where we get to revisit Sansu, who is leading the Slayer cell there while trying to get over her love for Buffy. We even get a surprise visit from Kennedy, who is sent to check in on the girls. While I enjoyed the character development of both Kennedy and Sansu, the "Big Bad" of the issue was a bit ridiculous: mind controlling vampire-kitty stuffed animals. Seriously?
The third issue, "Predators and Prey," was probably my favorite. It focuses a lot on the character of Andrew--a character who's been steadily growing on me since Season 7 of Buffy. Buffy and Andrew take a trip to visit a group of "bad" rogue slayers, led by a mohawked, gun-wielding chick named Simone. On the plane ride over, Buffy and Andrew have this cute bonding moment over their shared love of Daniel Craig. However, Andrew makes a bit of an "oops" involving experimental demon DNA and a giant Ragna demon, which makes him desperate to prove his value to Buffy. The rest of the issue focuses on Andrew's insecurities. He really values the home he's found with Buffy and the gang, as well as the sense of purpose it's given him. However, he still feels like he has to prove himself, mainly to make up for his past. My favorite part of the entire book was the following scene, which was a huge turning point for Andrew:
"Buffy: Look, Andrew. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save innocent people. For a greater good. That's huge for you. You should be proud.
Andrew: But you were right. I lied to you.
Buffy: Yeah, you're part of the family. Get used to screwing up for good reasons, it's what we do.
Andrew: I'm part of the family? ...(smiles)"
In "Safe," we get to see the return of Faith and Giles. The primary problem in this issue is that some of the Slayers (and in Giles' case, Watchers) are finding it harder and harder to find a reason to keep up the good fight. As Duncan Fillworthe, one of the two remaining (former) members of the Watchers' Council tells Giles (the other member):
"The vampires SLAUGHTERED us! EVERY ONE! And for WHAT?! For giving counsel to the girls who REJECTED us! Your Buffy. Think of what SHE's done to you. I remember when the teacher died. The one you loved. She died because Buffy ignored you and loved a vampire. Jenny Calendar? Do you remember HER, Rupert?"
Aww...poor Giles! Of course he remembers Jenny. How could he not?
"Living Doll" centers around Dawn, and while the Dawn parts kind of bored me (not because of Dawn, but because of the situation she was in), there was some great interaction between Buffy and Xander as well. Not to mention they threw in a reference to Veronica Mars, which has recently become one of my favorite shows of all time! Here are a few of my favorite Xander lines:
"Buffy: I mean, look at me. Who dresses like Wolverine for fun?
Xander: Certainly not me. Any proof you've seen to the contrary could have easily been photoshopped. And besides, I was drunk."
And then there's this one...
"Buffy: How can I not know this?"
Xander: (Face-palm) It cannot be because I just told you because I would never do that. Bugger.
Xander:...Hey, check me out. Now I can hate myself in British."
Wow. I kind of went crazy on this review, didn't I? Well, overall, this issue's definitely worth reading, even if you have to skip the Harmony and Dawn parts. If nothing else, read "Predators and Prey" and "Safe," because I promise you, they'll be worth your time!
My Thoughts
I have a bit of a split opinion on this installment in the series. I loved three out of the five issues ("Predators and Prey" and "Safe"), and thought one ("Swell") was mediocre. The other two issues though ("Harmonic Divergence" and "Living Doll") I found to be a bit boring.
"Harmonic Divergence" focused on Buffy's high school classmate, Harmony Kendall, who was turned into a vampire at graduation. In this issue, Harmony gets her own reality show called "Harmony Bites," which has the effect of making vampires cool and in style. With the exception of parts of the fifth season of Angel, Harmony's character has always annoyed me, so I really didn't care for the issue that centered on her. However, the issue had value in the sense that it set up the tone of the rest of the book. Because of the increase in vampire popularity, the public opinion of Slayers starts to take a rapid slide downhill. This set-up will be important in the fourth issue, "Safe."
The second issue, "Swell," takes us to Japan, where we get to revisit Sansu, who is leading the Slayer cell there while trying to get over her love for Buffy. We even get a surprise visit from Kennedy, who is sent to check in on the girls. While I enjoyed the character development of both Kennedy and Sansu, the "Big Bad" of the issue was a bit ridiculous: mind controlling vampire-kitty stuffed animals. Seriously?
The third issue, "Predators and Prey," was probably my favorite. It focuses a lot on the character of Andrew--a character who's been steadily growing on me since Season 7 of Buffy. Buffy and Andrew take a trip to visit a group of "bad" rogue slayers, led by a mohawked, gun-wielding chick named Simone. On the plane ride over, Buffy and Andrew have this cute bonding moment over their shared love of Daniel Craig. However, Andrew makes a bit of an "oops" involving experimental demon DNA and a giant Ragna demon, which makes him desperate to prove his value to Buffy. The rest of the issue focuses on Andrew's insecurities. He really values the home he's found with Buffy and the gang, as well as the sense of purpose it's given him. However, he still feels like he has to prove himself, mainly to make up for his past. My favorite part of the entire book was the following scene, which was a huge turning point for Andrew:
"Buffy: Look, Andrew. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save innocent people. For a greater good. That's huge for you. You should be proud.
Andrew: But you were right. I lied to you.
Buffy: Yeah, you're part of the family. Get used to screwing up for good reasons, it's what we do.
Andrew: I'm part of the family? ...(smiles)"
In "Safe," we get to see the return of Faith and Giles. The primary problem in this issue is that some of the Slayers (and in Giles' case, Watchers) are finding it harder and harder to find a reason to keep up the good fight. As Duncan Fillworthe, one of the two remaining (former) members of the Watchers' Council tells Giles (the other member):
"The vampires SLAUGHTERED us! EVERY ONE! And for WHAT?! For giving counsel to the girls who REJECTED us! Your Buffy. Think of what SHE's done to you. I remember when the teacher died. The one you loved. She died because Buffy ignored you and loved a vampire. Jenny Calendar? Do you remember HER, Rupert?"
Aww...poor Giles! Of course he remembers Jenny. How could he not?
"Living Doll" centers around Dawn, and while the Dawn parts kind of bored me (not because of Dawn, but because of the situation she was in), there was some great interaction between Buffy and Xander as well. Not to mention they threw in a reference to Veronica Mars, which has recently become one of my favorite shows of all time! Here are a few of my favorite Xander lines:
"Buffy: I mean, look at me. Who dresses like Wolverine for fun?
Xander: Certainly not me. Any proof you've seen to the contrary could have easily been photoshopped. And besides, I was drunk."
And then there's this one...
"Buffy: How can I not know this?"
Xander: (Face-palm) It cannot be because I just told you because I would never do that. Bugger.
Xander:...Hey, check me out. Now I can hate myself in British."
Wow. I kind of went crazy on this review, didn't I? Well, overall, this issue's definitely worth reading, even if you have to skip the Harmony and Dawn parts. If nothing else, read "Predators and Prey" and "Safe," because I promise you, they'll be worth your time!
June 4, 2011
Harmony (remember her?) gets her own reality television show. Twilight, the evil organization trying to stop the slayers, creates some seriously creepy vampire cat toys and uses Harmony's show to turn people against slayers and pro-vampire. Buffy and Andrew take on an evil sect of slayers. Giles and Faith are doing their thing, trying to help slayer outcasts. Dawn is now a doll and in the hands of some creepy guy. Volume 5 is like the middle of a season where there might be an episode here and there related to the big bad, but most of them are off the wall crazy things caused by other folks.
First of all, let's talk about Harmony. I never liked her, which I suppose is how you are supposed to feel. However, I would have been totally happy with her not coming back at all, as I am mostly just annoyed by her. If she had to come back, though, this was a good way to do it. She definitely is reality show material. I'm guessing Harmony Bites would air on MTV. No, I would not watch it.
These Twilight plot lines were pretty great, much better than the previous, to me anyway. The evil toys were just funny, in the same way that the giant Stay Puft marshmallow man at the end of Ghostbusters is. The other prong of their attack, making slayers into the bad guys in the eyes of the public, was pretty nifty as well. It definitely plays nicely off of the vampire craze, suggesting that humans are dumb enough to want to become vamps even in the Buffy-verse with the nasty forehead wrinkles and the gruesome shots of Harmony eating folks on television. Yeah, humanity!
The slayers that are out for their own profit and kicked folks off an island so they can live there do not interest me much. What saved this section was definitely Andrew. His speeches about nerdy things, while boring to Buffy and most everyone else in the comic, are almost all delightful to me. Plus, he did the classic Andrew thing where he tries to be helpful, but does so using his talent with demons, which...yeah, oops.
Giles and Faith's section was pretty boring. They didn't really accomplish anything and they don't quite seem to have a dynamic down. I am all for odd pairings, like when Buffy and Andrew went on a car drive and bonded over Daniel Craig as Bond, but Giles and Faith just are not working out.
Dawn's new incarnation is not nearly as awesome as her previous ones. A doll is just not as funny or intense as a giant or a centaur. She also does some more of the "I don't get enough attention from my sister, so I act out" stuff, which I can't stand. This ends (somewhat of a spoiler here) with her turned back to a human. Everyone knew it had to happen eventually. I'm not really sure how to feel about this, since her crazy forms were some of the best parts of this series for me. However, I am sure she can still get into ridiculous antics (and from some of the spoilers my dear friends have mentioned, she will) as a human.
Good volume overall. A couple of the sections dragged, but there were some hilarious moments and most of the plot lines were solid.
First of all, let's talk about Harmony. I never liked her, which I suppose is how you are supposed to feel. However, I would have been totally happy with her not coming back at all, as I am mostly just annoyed by her. If she had to come back, though, this was a good way to do it. She definitely is reality show material. I'm guessing Harmony Bites would air on MTV. No, I would not watch it.
These Twilight plot lines were pretty great, much better than the previous, to me anyway. The evil toys were just funny, in the same way that the giant Stay Puft marshmallow man at the end of Ghostbusters is. The other prong of their attack, making slayers into the bad guys in the eyes of the public, was pretty nifty as well. It definitely plays nicely off of the vampire craze, suggesting that humans are dumb enough to want to become vamps even in the Buffy-verse with the nasty forehead wrinkles and the gruesome shots of Harmony eating folks on television. Yeah, humanity!
The slayers that are out for their own profit and kicked folks off an island so they can live there do not interest me much. What saved this section was definitely Andrew. His speeches about nerdy things, while boring to Buffy and most everyone else in the comic, are almost all delightful to me. Plus, he did the classic Andrew thing where he tries to be helpful, but does so using his talent with demons, which...yeah, oops.
Giles and Faith's section was pretty boring. They didn't really accomplish anything and they don't quite seem to have a dynamic down. I am all for odd pairings, like when Buffy and Andrew went on a car drive and bonded over Daniel Craig as Bond, but Giles and Faith just are not working out.
Dawn's new incarnation is not nearly as awesome as her previous ones. A doll is just not as funny or intense as a giant or a centaur. She also does some more of the "I don't get enough attention from my sister, so I act out" stuff, which I can't stand. This ends (somewhat of a spoiler here) with her turned back to a human. Everyone knew it had to happen eventually. I'm not really sure how to feel about this, since her crazy forms were some of the best parts of this series for me. However, I am sure she can still get into ridiculous antics (and from some of the spoilers my dear friends have mentioned, she will) as a human.
Good volume overall. A couple of the sections dragged, but there were some hilarious moments and most of the plot lines were solid.
February 29, 2016
BtVS Season 8 Volume 5
I purchased this book.
This volume of BtVS season eight is for fans, not newcomers. It's not really a book that pushes forward the drama of Twilight, the secret anti-Slayer group that's trying to destroy every Slayer on the streets. This collection of comics serves as housekeeping, as well as character and world building asides.
Perhaps channeling the modern day popularity of shows like True Blood and the urban fantasy genre (and irony since Buffy was an establishing factor in UF's popularity) this graphic novel starts off with a frivolous-feeling tale of the vapid vampire Harmony getting a reality TV show. (Not that the story arc is vapid or frivolous, it merely reflects the qualities of Harmony herself.) While the reality show is almost on its death bed Harmony is attacked by a Slayer and all of a sudden it becomes a hit, Harmony a star and Slayers the bad guys. It fits in the greater scale of the story arc, but this wasn't how I pictured vamps coming out in the Buffy-verse. Through Harmony everything seems shallow and empty, but that is the point.
Continuing, readers will find; a story about the Asian sect of Slayers that hints at, but doesn't come close to the hilarious third book of season eight; a story of Andrew, Buffy and the growing sect of bad Slayers that reads like it's seeding all kind of future things for the series, but just barely brushes against them; a story from Faith and Giles, which is absolutely fabulous, dark disturbing and wonderful; a resolution of sorts of the magical mess up Dawn got herself into; as well as bonus snippets of Harmony's reality show and an ad for a fictional product featured in this volume.
Each of the stories are stand alone, provided you already know the characters, which is the major factor leading to this book feeling more like a themed anthology than the next book in a series. It is almost impossible to pick up Predators and Prey without knowing the previous story lines. So readers should be forewarned that this book will probably not be a satisfying read if read out of order.
I purchased this book.
This volume of BtVS season eight is for fans, not newcomers. It's not really a book that pushes forward the drama of Twilight, the secret anti-Slayer group that's trying to destroy every Slayer on the streets. This collection of comics serves as housekeeping, as well as character and world building asides.
Perhaps channeling the modern day popularity of shows like True Blood and the urban fantasy genre (and irony since Buffy was an establishing factor in UF's popularity) this graphic novel starts off with a frivolous-feeling tale of the vapid vampire Harmony getting a reality TV show. (Not that the story arc is vapid or frivolous, it merely reflects the qualities of Harmony herself.) While the reality show is almost on its death bed Harmony is attacked by a Slayer and all of a sudden it becomes a hit, Harmony a star and Slayers the bad guys. It fits in the greater scale of the story arc, but this wasn't how I pictured vamps coming out in the Buffy-verse. Through Harmony everything seems shallow and empty, but that is the point.
Continuing, readers will find; a story about the Asian sect of Slayers that hints at, but doesn't come close to the hilarious third book of season eight; a story of Andrew, Buffy and the growing sect of bad Slayers that reads like it's seeding all kind of future things for the series, but just barely brushes against them; a story from Faith and Giles, which is absolutely fabulous, dark disturbing and wonderful; a resolution of sorts of the magical mess up Dawn got herself into; as well as bonus snippets of Harmony's reality show and an ad for a fictional product featured in this volume.
Each of the stories are stand alone, provided you already know the characters, which is the major factor leading to this book feeling more like a themed anthology than the next book in a series. It is almost impossible to pick up Predators and Prey without knowing the previous story lines. So readers should be forewarned that this book will probably not be a satisfying read if read out of order.
June 17, 2011
Unlike previous volumes where all of the issues went together this one is each issue is standalone and without an overall arcing theme. Harmon's back...and this time she's got her own reality TV show. And she, along with the Twilight, are working at setting up the slayers as villains. In the second story kitty vampire toy's are being shipped, but they have a dark side to them. They're demons coming to kill they slayers, but when the slayer's have stopped them things take a nasty turn in the polls of public opinion. Faith and Giles make their return, still tracking down outcast slayers to help them out...only this time their journey leads them to another surviving Watcher and a demon watching over a town. And in the last story Dawn has suffered her 3rd transformation and is now a living doll, can Willow and Buffy help her out of this one?
Frankly I'm just not really sure what to say about this volume. If you examine each issue as its on TV episode it isn't bad...just a bit quirky. But taken as an entire volume it doesn't quite work together. There's no continuity between the issues and in some places the humor just falls flat. And it just isn't as interesting. It feels like the longer this series is going on the less coherence it has from the earlier issues where they're fighting the big bad guy. Lately it feels more like a slice of life comic and not even the most interesting parts of it. I get they maybe working towards something bigger with the branding of slayers as evil, but its just lacking a bit for me.
Frankly I'm just not really sure what to say about this volume. If you examine each issue as its on TV episode it isn't bad...just a bit quirky. But taken as an entire volume it doesn't quite work together. There's no continuity between the issues and in some places the humor just falls flat. And it just isn't as interesting. It feels like the longer this series is going on the less coherence it has from the earlier issues where they're fighting the big bad guy. Lately it feels more like a slice of life comic and not even the most interesting parts of it. I get they maybe working towards something bigger with the branding of slayers as evil, but its just lacking a bit for me.
August 5, 2016
"Predators and Prey" is extremely uneven giving us two outright terrible issues, one okay issue, one pretty good issue and one really good issue. It's all over the place. "Harmonic Divergence" was the decent one. There were things I did not like about it at all but I like the idea of Harmony being front and center for an issue, the idea behind the public hating the Slayers and how that strengthens with her reality show. The woman who dies at the end I saw coming but it was still effective especially with that moment when Buffy tries to recruit her. "Swell" is terrible. Just terrible. My least favorite issue by far. I hate Kennedy, Satsu is annoying and their conversations are boring. Also; vampire dolls? Ugh. "Predators and Prey" is the pretty good issue that gives us some more depth to Andrew and his appreciation for being an accepted and valued member of the group. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Battlestar Galactica reference and the Mad Men reference. Andrew watches Mad Men? Weird. "Safe" was fantastic. Not only are Giles and Faith so brilliant together but they are given stories that really compliment and enhance the quality of their pairing. "Living Doll"....ugh. Terrible. Terrible. I liked the end with Buffy and Dawn but overall I just did not care at all. So as you can see, this was all over the place but since each issue was so difference from the next it offered a lot of difference things both good and bad.
February 26, 2016
Rightfully, I would give it 2.5 stars, mayyyybe 2.75 stars.
Seemed kind of out of place in the series. Felt like I missed a book somewhere. Vampires are now "out", Harmony killed someone on TV, and the only fall out is Slayer hate??
Lots of secondary character action here, but as lots of people are pointing out, it seems rushed and/or completely unnecessary. I find I don't really care about the characters that much - even Kennedy.
The artwork was not very good in this one; I found it difficult to tell who some characters were. Andrew has very rarely looked like Andrew. Why can't anyone draw him? It's a little frustrating.
I found Dawn's story arc completion to be unsatisfying; too easy. But also confusing. Creepy puppet dude much?
Seemed kind of out of place in the series. Felt like I missed a book somewhere. Vampires are now "out", Harmony killed someone on TV, and the only fall out is Slayer hate??
Lots of secondary character action here, but as lots of people are pointing out, it seems rushed and/or completely unnecessary. I find I don't really care about the characters that much - even Kennedy.
The artwork was not very good in this one; I found it difficult to tell who some characters were. Andrew has very rarely looked like Andrew. Why can't anyone draw him? It's a little frustrating.
I found Dawn's story arc completion to be unsatisfying; too easy. But also confusing. Creepy puppet dude much?
May 14, 2012
So far, my least favorite volume in season 8. It felt rather more disjointed than previous volumes, though there were some good, strong scenes. Harmony's reality show, and how Dawn's story arc was closed. But it didn't really hang together as a smooth whole, the way that previous volumes had. After dragging on a bit, I was surprised at how rushed the last stage of Dawn's curse was. And I have to say, the art could be particularly bad in how it portrayed established characters. (That was really supposed to be Harmony? Wow.) I could be wrong later on, but this is the most skippable volume to date.
June 10, 2009
Ehhh...this volume didn't make sense to me. It sort of took the whole, war against evil in secret bust out. Harmony having so much power after everything that happened in Angel sort of made me sick. It just seemed it was something to fill a couple of issues since they didn't have anything to do.
September 9, 2015
2nd Read: 9/9/2015
Original Read: June 2014
Original Read: June 2014
February 26, 2016
This whole series has so many delicious throwback to the series it makes my little fangirl heart soar.
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