8 of 15: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: v. 6 Retreat”
For those reading along in the 15/15/15 project, the 8th book means we’re more than halfway there! My 8th book was a huge disappointment. It’s the 6th graphic novel collection, Retreat, of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book series, which has been written sometimes, and overseen always, by Joss Whedon, who referred to it as season 8.
I’ve tried hard to like it, and to find the good things about this series, because I have a huge affection for the Buffy television series, even if I thought seasons 6 and 7 were poorly executed (barring “Once More with Feeling”, the notable exception).
The comic-book series posits that there is now an army of slayers, spread around the world, training in unison against the forces of darkness. There’s also a big bad, named Twilight, who’s gunning for Buffy and her army of slayers. In “Retreat” the Twilight army keeps getting closer because they can track magic and power. Buffy and the Scooby gang head to Tibet to look up an old friend who might have something to say about using less magic and less power.
Penned by Jane Espenson, a Buffy scribe from the later seasons, this story was a mess. The humor was infrequent and unfunny. The art was hard to read; I often couldn’t tell which character was which, and if it wasn’t a close-up, the details were, literally, sketchy. The threats weren’t threatening, the relationships didn’t have depth, and while it ended on a mysterious cliff hanger, the bottom of the page had the audacity to read “The End”. I don’t care to find out what happens next. I’ll leave the character of Buffy in mid air (really) and be done with this series.
April 24th, 2010 at 8:02 am
8 of 15 … Touch the Dragon by Karen Connelly. If you have ever thought about visiting Thailand or living overseas (we have done both) this is a great place to start.
http://alwayschasingboys.blogspot.com/2010/04/journey-back-to-thailand.html
April 24th, 2010 at 8:05 am
I have to admit I never quite got into the Buffy graphic series. I’m an old-fashioned TV girl all the way on that one.
I read a teen novel about 9/11 for today’s post: http://www.newcenturyreading.com/2010/04/the-151515-projectday-8.html
April 24th, 2010 at 8:39 am
I didn’t even know that there was a comic book series of Buffy. I thought that she was limited to being a TV show character only. One makes new discoveries every day I guess!
Here is my eighth, a novella by D.H.Lawrence.
http://beanbagtales.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-8-virgin-and-gypsy.html
April 24th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I like “the details were literally sketchy”. Firstly, because it’s funny, and secondly because it uses “literally” correctly. (That’s too rare these days!)
Mine for day 8:
http://churchyear.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-8-of-15-living-by-fiction-by-annie.html