Nerdopolis

Part three of “The Long Way Home” arc drops us smack dab in the middle of Buffy’s dreamspace with an unlikely tour guide that’s done more harm than good in the past. Meanwhile, Willow and Amy battle it out high above Command Central as the undead army continues its slaughter below. The two witches put on one helluva light show that ends with Willow incapacitating the undead, showing off a little of the Dark Willow we all know and fear in the process, and Dawn actually serving a purpose as she literally stomps Amy into the ground.

With Amy now being held by an army of Slayers and one powerful witch, we turn back to Buffy’s dreamspace where things really couldn’t be much more cryptic. I’m sure the clues she picked up in the dreamspace are going to help in the future, but the whole dreamspace plot line in this issue really did nothing for me. As I read the pages, I really couldn’t help but wish they were used to show more of the battle between the Slayers and the undead. Thankfully, halfway through the issue, Buffy is awoken by a kiss of true love (By whom we’re not told.), and the gang finally reunites.

The final stretch of the issue brings Giles back, which is always a plus, as he chats with a demon about the slaying of his brood in issue 1. The dialog between Giles and the demon is great, but regrettably only lasts one page. I know this is only the first arc, but I crave me some Giles. I only hope the writers are smart enough to have a Giles-centric arc in the future, because this one page shows off how great it could be.

Next we jump back to Scotland where Xander checks in with a bored Andrew in Italy, then goes to visit his Slayer love interest, Renee, who was wounded in the battle against the undead. There’s some nice Xander dialog here, but Renee’s dialog continues to show no real character. Maybe it’s because we’re only three issues in and have no back story for Renee yet, but every time she has dialog with Xander, he’s great, and she’s just boring. It really just makes me miss Anya. She was quirky, funny, and differed from a generic Slayer. Sadly, Renee does not.

The issue comes to a close with Buffy, Willow and Xander beginning their magical interrogation of Amy. Things quickly go wrong, as they always seems to do, which results in Amy teleporting away with Willow, and readers finally learning who Amy’s boyfriend is with a last page reveal. It’s definitely cool to see this character making a reappearance because he played a big part in the television series, and the situation this puts Willow in really makes me excited for the next issue.

Overall, a lot happened in this issue, and that’s a good thing! There was some bad stuff, but I think that the good definitely outweighed it. The dreamspace stuff was boring for me, but I’m sure it’ll pay off in the long run. The major draw of this issue was the dialog of the main characters, which was top notch, especially the stuff with Giles and Xander.

The next issue is the 4th and final part of “The Long Way Home” arc, and if it’s anything like that past 3 issues, it’s going to be a great read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Long Way Home story arc continues into issue 2, and things are just heating up for The Scoobies. Right off the bat you’re treated to a peek at the three distinct training styles of the Slayers under the command of Giles, Buffy, and Andrew. Giles opts for ninjas, Buffy takes a more hands-on approach, and Andrew gives his take on Lando Calrissian’s outfit followed by the do’s and don’ts of headbutting. This is something I really loved seeing, and definitely want them to expand on in the future. The three completely different environments and workout regimens these Slayers are put through are going to make three different types of Slayer, and I want to see the outcome.

After the training sessions are done, you get a little bit of side story with Xander and Dawn discussing her current super-sized situation, and a little bit of insight into Buffy and Dawn’s relationship. Nothing new here, really. Just more of the sisterly squabble we’ve seen before, just on a bigger scale. Still, it is nice to see something different happening to the Dawn character, and it’d be cool to see her in the middle of a fray, flanked by Slayers…let’s just hope she stays the way she is for a little longer and they have a chance to do so.

The action heats up halfway through the comic when the Army’s secret-weapon launches a surprise attack on Command Central, unleashing a horde of Scottish zombies on the Slayers and leaving Buffy in an eternal nightmare that can only be broken by a kiss of true love. Just as Buffy’s struggle in her nightmare world is at its worst and the battle between kilt-wearing living dead and Slayer looks un-winnable, a familiar face reappears without a moment to spare.

It was great to see the first Big Bad of the series show up and make a definite impression. The appearance of an old friend at the end of the issue also guarantees a big battle is about to unfold, and this issue was a great setup for said battle. Overall the issue was pretty solid, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Buffy fans rejoice! Season eight is finally here, and it’s off to a great start. Starting more than a year after season seven, “The Long Way Home” is the first arc for the much anticipated season eight, and it’s easy to see that The Scoobies haven’t been sleeping on the job. After the events of the TV series finale, the Slayers now number in the thousands worldwide, and the gang has been busy recruiting and training them for their ongoing war against evil.

Issue 1 starts off with Buffy taking to the frontlines, leading a squad of Slayers up against a trio of truly terrific demons and setting up a mystery that we’ll surely be chasing after all season. While Buffy’s out doing what she does best, the Nick Fury-esque Xander stays behind at Slayer Command Central in Scotland, watching over little sister Dawn, who is dealing with a big problem of her own. Meanwhile the US Military is investigating the crater that used to be Sunnydale in hopes of finding something that’ll help them against the “Slayer Army” that they fear, and find something they do.

The art in this series is pretty amazing, the characters actually look like their on-screen counterparts, which is a big plus. The writing is great and the dialog between characters really feels like it belongs in an episode of Buffy, which it should, seeings how Joss Whedon is doing the first story arc.

I really can’t wait to see where this series heads in the future, but we can be sure that without the constraints of a tv show budget, it’ll be bigger and badder than we’re used to.

Rating: 5 out of 5