Whedon, Joss. The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 1). Illustrated by Georges Jeanty. Dark Horse Comics, 2007. 136 pages. ISBN-10: 1593078226. ISBN-13: 978-1593078225Plot:
It’s been a year since Buffy and her friends destroyed the Hellmouth while taking on The First and its army of uber-vamps. There have been many changes, but one thing always remains the same: they devote their time to fight the demons that attack the human world. The army of slayers has been mobilized in different areas of the world, while Buffy and her friends are primarily stationed in the Scottish moors. There are even two more Buffies now, decoys who have taken on her identity to fool their enemies. Their troubles are just beginning, however. Dawn has become a giant after a spell was cast on her by her former lover. Willow has been gone for weeks. Worst of all, Buffy is being targeted by a new government agency that's being helped by an old enemy. The agency traps Buffy in a dream state and the Scooby Gang must once again band together to defeat this new evil.
Critical Evaluation:
For die-hard fans of the series, this is a decent follow-up. Jeanty’s illustrations complement Whedon’s storyline perfectly. With the storyline picking up a year after the series finale, many changes are able to be made, but doing that does make it rather confusing at times. The retroactive explanations of what has happened during the previous year don’t work as well in graphic novel form as they might have in a television show or book that allowed for more exposition. It does, however, allow for the story to pick up right in the middle of the action, including introducing the type of “big bad” that was the staple of the original series.
Possibly the most satisfying part of the graphic novel is how true to self the characters have remained. Part of Whedon’s talent as always lain in his ability to create likable, realistic characters who are allowed to grow and change without losing any of their original appeal. He continues this trend with the new format. The dialogue is snappy and clever. The characters are well-rounded despite the limited space to develop them. Those who were fans of the series will probably enjoy the graphic novel, but newcomers might be a little lost.
Reader's Annotation:
A year after fighting The First and destroying Sunnydale in the process, Buffy, the Scooby Gang, and the army of slayers have expanded their operations across several countries with new villains to defeat.
Author Information:
Joss Whedon was born June 23, 1964 in New York. Both his father and grandfather were television writers, which is the path Whedon would also follow. He attended Riverdale Country School where his mother taught. He then spent two years at Winchester College in England before graduating from Wesleyan University in 1987. He moved to Los Angeles and worked as a script doctor before writing his own television shows and movies.
His most well-known television series is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show is based on the movie of the same name, though the two have little in common. After his original movie script was altered drastically, Whedon was able to use the series to fulfill his original vision. It spawned a spin-off show, as well as several comic book series. He has written and directed several television shows and movies and is the creator of 5 television series. He often casts the same actors in many of his projects.
Genre:
Fantasy
Curriculum Ties:
None
Booktalking Ideas:
- Tell where each of the main characters are at the beginning of the graphic novel
- Discuss the differences between the graphic novel and the television series
- Talk about how the world changed with the creation of the Slayer army
Reading Level/Interest Age:
15 and older
Challenge Issues:
Witchcraft/Magic/The Occult
Violence
Sexual content
Demonic characters
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
This is the follow up to the popular television series. I loved the television series and have been wanting to read the comic for awhile.
