Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight No.5
Published by Dark Horse Comics. Plot and script by Joss Whedon. Pencils by Paul Lee. Inks by Andy Owens.
The Deal: Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its run on TV in its seventh season. So if you were a fan of the show, you were probably sad after watching the very last episode. Well, lucky for you, Buffy creator Joss Whedon recently decided to do an eighth season — but it’s not on TV. Whedon resurrected the Buffy franchise in the form of a comic book. Which brings us to this comic series. And seriously, the comic picks up right after the last episode of the TV show (so, remember, there are nearly 2,000 slayers now). And the stories within these comic pages are officially part of canonized Buffy lore. This particular issue is a stand-alone story that tells the tale of a young woman trained to serve as a Buffy decoy. You see, Buffy is more of a publicly known figure now, and her high visibility makes her a target. So now she’s got decoys.
The Good: I like how Whedon spins this tale. Fans of the show know that he frequently plays around with conventional modes of storytelling (a la the musical episode and the silent episode). In this issue, Whedon employs an extremely non-linear approach to his script — and the result is a challenging, engaging and unique comic book. It starts out a bit confusing, but pays off if you decide not to chuck it on the couch. On top of that, this ain’t just an action comic about shoving stakes through vampire hearts. Whedon has crafted a heartfelt and tragic (and funny) story this issue that stays with you long after you’ve bagged and boarded the book.
The Bad: The comic is usually drawn by penciller Georges Jeanty, and I dig the funky, angular style he uses on the book. This issue, however, is drawn by Paul Lee — who’s a competent artist but lacks Jeanty’s pizzazz.
The Verdict: If you’re a Buffy fan, you should be reading this. And if you’re not, pick it up because it’s a compelling read with action, humor and pathos. (But, damn, why aren’t you a fan of Buffy?!)
The Walking Dead No. 39
Published by Image Comics. Plot and script by Robert Kirkman. Pencils and inks by Charlie Adlard.
The Deal: Check it out — it’s the latest issue of Robert Kirkman’s ongoing soap opera about a group of humans trying to survive after zombies have decimated the Earth.
The Good: As I previously stated, this comic is a soap opera — meaning it’s an ensemble piece that follows multiple storylines. And generally, it’s pretty tough to jump on a soap opera. I mean, just try watching an episode of All My Children. I dare you! I must admit, however, I’ve only read two issues of The Walking Dead, but I get the gist of the story well enough to be totally enthralled. That’s a testament to Mr. Kirkman’s writing chops. He’s a master of writing about fairly mundane daily activities that are intertwined with bizarre moments. One second, people are having meaningless conversations, and the next second, somebody’s getting chomped by a friggin’ zombie. Fun stuff, eh? Kirkman’s characters are incredibly human and relatable (well, except for the zombies). Last issue alone, he crafted a scene about a guy taking a piss. It doesn’t get more human than that. And honestly, although zombies are the villains du jour in The Walking Dead, the humans in the series spend more time shooting, raping and torturing each other.
The Bad: Well, the comic is mundane. Not everyone digs reading about a dude taking a piss. Pick up the book and chances are you won’t see page after page of zombie attacks. And it is a little gory. But what do expect from a book about creatures who eat flesh?
The Verdict: I dig it: real people living mundane lives in a world dominated by zombies. It’s engaging and incredibly human.
Reviewed materials furnished by Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find: www.heroesonline.com.
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2007.
