Review: Buffy Season 8 Omnibus, Vol. 1

Buffy Season 8 Omnibus, Vol. 1

Joss Whedon and co.

(Buffy Season 8 Omnibus 1)

Publication Date: September 26, 2017

Paperback, 592 pages, Dark Horse

Genres: Comic, Paranormal

B&N | Book Depository | Amazon | Goodreads

Series creator Joss Whedon brought Buffy the Vampire Slayer back to life with this comics-only follow-up to Season 7 of the television show. Aptly named Season 8, these comics are the official sequel to Buffy and continue where the live-action series left off with the Slayer, her friends, and their ongoing challenge to fight the forces of darkness. After the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers--newly legion--have gotten organized, but it's not long before new and old enemies begin popping up. Buffy, Xander, Willow, and a very different Dawn are introduced to the season's big bad, Twilight, and begin to understand the incredible reach of this mysterious threat. Meanwhile, rebel Slayer Faith teams up with Giles to handle a menace on the other side of the Atlantic. It's a dirty job, and Faith is just the girl to do it! Then, as Twilight's ominous influence continues to expand Buffy and her Slayers travel to Tokyo to face a new kind of vampire with powers they've only witnessed in Dracula . . . And, when trouble with Buffy's scythe comes to light, Willow and Buffy head to New York to investigate the secrets behind the ancient weapon; ever full of the unexpected, Buffy is transported to a dystopian future where her first chance meeting is with Fray, future Slayer!

This oversized omnibus edition is one of two volumes that will contain the entirety of Season 8. It includes the first four arcs of the series along with one-shots and short stories written by Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, Drew Goddard, and Jeph Loeb, with art by the acclaimed Georges Jeanty, as well as Karl Moline, Paul Lee, Cliff Richards, and more.

My Review

I’m not very good with reviewing comics, so I thought I’d do this a little differently than my normal reviews. Basically, I’m just going to discuss the pros and cons of this volume as I saw them in no particular order.

Okay, so first off, I’m glad that I was able to have a piece of the Buffy world back. I definitely miss it (as my Hulu history can attest to). I was even glad to see two members of the Trio return. Even though they weren’t my favorite villains, I still enjoyed seeing that part of the show on the pages. And Willow got a big thumbs up, except for the weird flying thing. That was a little too far…

Xander was fine. He didn’t make a strong positive or negative impact either way. Faith is still cool. And Buffy is pretty much Buffy. Now Dawn on the other hand, wth!?! I actually liked show Dawn for the most part, but her storyline in this comic was just way too much. I hope it gets resolved soon ‘cause it’s just weird. Oh, and there were some very minute glimpses of Angel and Spike. Very nice. Very nice.

Okay, so here’s the more negative comments. One, minor characters like the extra slayers and villains were drawn super similar, so it was hard to tell some characters apart. Two, just because the writers didn’t have a budget in the show, doesn’t mean they should have gone crazy in the comics—it lost a little of its Buffy specialness with all the big action-y spy feels. Three, sometimes the jumps between characters/storylines was too confusing. Four, Dracula. Boo. Five, Buffy’s experimentation, while it could have been fine, just felt weird. I had no idea who the character was, and I want to know who Buffy’s potential love interests are. They should be worthy of her!

Oh, last but not least, is a mix of good and bad. The future setting. I hated the language mess, but I somewhat enjoyed the plot development. It’s an interesting concept.

All in all, the comic series isn’t for every Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show fan. But, if you really miss the Scooby gang, then you’ll look past the comic’s flaws just to get more time with the characters.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Top Ten Television Shows

It’s Top Ten Tuesday time!

If you’re unaware, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly original feature created by The Broke and the Bookish, and it’s now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there’s a new Top Ten theme that the blogger responds to with their own list of answers.

This week’s theme is… *drumroll please*…

Freebie!

Which basically means, I get to pick the topic. So, this week, I’m going a non-bookish route. I’m actually going to list my top ten favorite television shows! Yay!

Also, while I have a lot of other TV shows I love, please note that these are just the big ones. They’re kind of the ones that either are a staple of my childhood or that I’m super (probably unhealthily) obsessed with as an adult.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender

Daredevil

Voltron: Legendary Defender

SpongeBob (the early years)

Charmed

Danny Phantom

The Office

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Supernatural

Game of Thrones

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Alright, there you have it. My list of favorite television shows. What’s your topic this week? Let me know in the comments section.

The Buffy Book Tag

Well, I’ve officially gone around the Buffy bend. I’m currently obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I mean, I’m so obsessed that it’s interfering with my daily life. Grr. (Argh.)

I just want to binge watch the show, read fanfiction, and get my hands on the comics right now! What’s weird, though, is this isn’t my first time watching Buffy. I’ve watched the show numerous times and never been this obsessed. Oh well… Guess I need the new obsession to help me in my wait for Infinity War. I do wish it hadn’t started up during Camp NaNoWriMo, though. But that’s a post for tomorrow.

Anyway, today I’m doing The Buffy Book Tag, which was created by The Boy Who Cried Books.

Buffy: Favorite female character

Hard questions right off the bat. Ugh. I had to think about this one a little. It was hard to really settle with one answer, but I thought I’d go with Shazi from The Wrath and the Dawn. Although, Hermione Granger popped into my head as well. She’s probably #1, but we’ll let a non-Harry Potter character shine this time.

Angel: Favorite male character

Okay, first off, I’m totally Team Spike. It’s canon as well. The comics confirm, so buh-bye Angel. Not nice to know you. However, I do have to admit Angel is attractive. *sigh*

My favorite male character is probably a toss up between Cole from the White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter and Cal from Red Queen.

Willow: Favorite book/series with witches/magic users

Umm… Is this a trick question? I have to say Harry Potter. However, if we take Harry Potter out of the equation, I’d go with L.J. Smith’s The Secret Circle series. Meg Cabot’s Jinx came in a close second, though.

Xander: A Book you have a love/hate relationship with

I don’t know why this tag say a love/hate relationship with. Maybe the creator just doesn’t like Xander? I think he’s funny. In later seasons he’s better. But I have a love/hate relationship with Gena Showalter and J.R. Ward’s paranormal romance books. Sometimes one will be good, but the next book in the series will just be pure awfulness.

Giles: Favorite parental figure in a book/series

Yikes. This tag really brings out the big questions. Well, the first person to come to mind was Father Dominic from Meg Cabot’s Mediator series, even though I do question some of this choices at times.

Cordelia: A book you didn’t expect to love as much as you did

Okay, I don’t like Cordelia. I never really have. Even after she appeared on Angel. She just got on my nerves. But whatevs.

For a book that I didn’t expect to love as much as I did, I’ll go with Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.

Anya: Favorite classic

I guess this is because Anya is so old? Anyway, my favorite classic is probably Pride & Prejudice, as it’s the only classic I’ve read on my own time and not for a class.

Oz: Favorite book/series with fictional beings

Oh, also was never a fan of Oz. I’m just not big into Seth Green. But my favorite series with fictional beings is The Chronicles of Narnia.

Tara: Favorite queer character/queer book

This is probably the easiest one: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

Dawn: Favorite sibling relationship

The Weasleys! Especially Fred and George together! Gotta love Fred and George. *sobs off in the corner*

Spike: Favorite book where a bad character goes good

You know, I’m not actually that in to bad characters turning good in books. I love it way more when it’s on TV. Usually, I like my bad guys/girls already morally gray to begin with. So, I’ll go with Roth from White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout, even though he’s not really all that bad.

Sunnydale: Favorite setting

Gosh! This tag is like a Harry Potter magnet! I just want to say Hogwarts. Can I just say Hogwarts? If not, I’ll go with any fantasy world. I think any author that can make up their own realistic fantasy world is pretty freakin’ awesome!

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Well, there you have it. I have officially done a Buffy book tag, and I’ve put way too many gifs in this one post. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you watch Buffy!

My Thoughts on The 100 Season Five Trailer

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about The 100 season five trailer. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted it below. Please don’t watch it if you haven’t seen the previous seasons. There are lots of spoilers in the video.

First off, I’m wary about the time jump. I don’t like it when TV shows jump five or six years into the future. It just throws off the timeline of the story. There’s also a loss of some of the tension that was carried over from previous seasons. And, on the note of the time jump, I don’t think I like how Clarke has an adopted daughter in this season. It just feels off to me.

Now, moving past the time jump, I’m also a little sad that we’re seeing the dynamics of previous seasons being reversed here. The Skaikru have been merged with Trikru, but now a new set of space outsiders have come to take over, exactly like Skaikru originally set out to do. I just feel that this plotline is too similar to what’s already been done. Thus, it makes the storyline for the season seem dull.

However, I don’t want to pass too many judgments. There have been seasons the of The 100 that I’ve thought would mega suck, but they didn’t. Season two and three’s arcs had me very disappointed at first, but once I was watching, I was hooked. I’m hoping that’s how this season plays out as well.

As for the characters, I’m glad we get to see some new faces. It increases the pressure. I’m also super happy to see Octavia still kicking butt. Whoop! Whoop! I seriously hope she and Bellamy work out their squabbling. I just want them to be a family again, gosh darnit!

All in all, this was a super long trailer, and it showed some exciting scenes. However, I’m conserving any verdicts until I’ve watched the first episode of the season.

Fall 2017 Shows I Plan to Watch

Whelp, it’s almost time for the fall television shows to come back on.

I’ve got a list of shows that I’m planning on watching, so I thought I’d share 'em with you.

1. Supernatural

I feel like this one’s a given. I mean, I do Dean Winchester Friday posts. I’ve watched Supernatural since its first season, and I’m not going to stop in its 13^th. Dean Winchester is bae. 

Season 13 starts Thursday, October 12.

2. Supergirl

Season two of Supergirl was good, and I want more Karamel (Kara + Mon-El). Plus, season two left off on a kind of cliffhanger, so I need answers. 

Season three premieres Monday, October 9.

3. The Flash

Another CW superhero show that left on a cliffhanger. Season four is coming up, and I’m interested to see where it’s going to go. Hopefully, Barry Allen gets faster and less dramatic. 

Season four premieres Tuesday, October 10.

4. Stranger Things

I wasn’t as obsessed with Stranger Things as some people, but I still found it entertaining. I watched the first season in a week, so I expect season two will take even less time. #thankyouNetflix

Season two premieres Friday, October 22.

5. Fuller House

Yes, this spinoff series has a lot of flaws, but I’m still interested to see where the Tanner kids’ storyline goes. 

Season three airs Friday, September 22.

6. How to Get Away with Murder

I don’t know how I feel about seasons two and three of HtGAwM. Season one was awesome. Season two and three, not so much. I’m gonna keep watching, though, because I love me some Connor and Oliver. 

Season four airs Thursday, September 28.

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Those are the shows I plan on watching in fall of 2017, what are some that you’re excited for?

Television Thoughts: The Defenders Review

I binge-watched the first—and only—season of The Defenders on Netflix, and when I say binge-watched, I mean binge-watched. I woke up at 4 a.m. the morning it released, and I watched all eight episodes right in a row. Yikes. Needless to say, I love me some Marvel.

Here’s one of The Defenders’ trailers, just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about. (#Shame) Also, my review is really for people who have watched at least one of the four shows, either Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, or Luke Cage.

Okay, so the first thing I want to talk about is how glad I am that we finally got a season with all the Defenders. While I enjoy them all separately for different reasons, them together is a lot more fun. It also leads to a more fast-paced story compared to Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage.

The elements of the show that I enjoyed the most mainly revolve around Daredevil. I love me some Matt Murdock. Daredevil’s like the Batman of the Defenders without the money and fancy gadgets. He’s racked with guilt and so sullen that it’s almost annoying, but you still love him anyway. I loved his scenes, and I wish there were 20 more of them.

As for the other three, Jessica was her sassy, charming self, Luke was the rational one, and Danny was… Danny. While I’m not a huge fan of what the showrunners did with Iron Fist, I didn’t hate the character or his show.

That being said, some of Danny’s scenes were painful to watch, mainly because of his immaturity. That aspect of his personality made one large part of the overall conflict in The Defenders a little too predictable. HOWEVER, only that major part of the story was predictable. Stuff like how the Defenders got together wasn’t. I knew very little beyond what I’d seen in the trailers.

Speaking of trailers, I was worried about the villains in the show because of Sigourney Weaver. She just didn’t have that “evil” quality I expect from a Marvel bad guy. Yet, each villain was interesting, if not 100% unique. And Elektra. Well, I love Elektra. She’s bada$$, even though her full potential wasn’t highlighted very well. She surprised me. Oh, and that ending. Ugh. I need to know what happened!

I will say that some of the aspects of the show that I was looking forward to didn’t really pan out, though. I wanted more humor than I got. While Jessica was sassy and slightly funny, nothing about the show really made me chuckle. I also thought the plotline went by ridiculously fast. Most of the story took place in less than 72 hours… I think. I would have liked more team and character development through a longer period of time, but I can see why the writers decided to go for a faster pace. It’s a direct contrast to the way the individual Defender shows operate. It’s also more Avengers-esque.

All in all, if you haven’t watched the other, individual Defender shows, definitely don’t start out just watching The Defenders. I’d highly suggest watching both seasons of Daredevil and, even though it’s not the greatest, Iron Fist as well. Those two are the ones you’ll need to watch to understand the villains and overall plot of The Defenders.

Six days until Game of Thrones Season 7. I'm not going to make it.

Six days, ya’ll. SIX TORTUROUS DAYS!

The trailers for season seven of Game of Thrones have been out for a while now, but I can’t stop watching them! It’s seriously become a problem.

While I watched the trailers back when they were first released, I didn’t write up my thoughts. Now that I’ve finally had some time to relax, I really want to share with you all some quick thoughts about the most recent trailer: #WinterIsHere.

First and foremost, Jon freakin’ Snow. I don’t care if there are haters out there, Jon Snow is my favorite GoT character. He may make some stupid decisions sometimes, but those decisions are always about saving lives. The bit about the “pack survives” delivered by Sansa was breathtaking, and how it ends with Jon slashing Longclaw down. Well… just know that I fangirled. Hard.

After my initial Jon Snow reaction, most of my thoughts were all over the place. These trailers are so fast-paced. It’s brilliant editing in that it tells non-book readers (or even non-video-theory-watchers like myself) very little about what’s happening this season, but I have to watch the trailer over and over again to truly make things out. It was a very smart hype move on HBO’s part.

Jon Snow being bada$$.

Also, Beric Dondarrion’s flaming sword is back, Jaime is in some awesome armor, Grey Worm looks like he’s about to set himself loose on an unsuspecting location, and Arya is finally going north (or so it seems).

Oh, and then there are the dragons. Drogon is big. HUGE. But there aren’t any Ghost snippets. I know some were filmed though, so at least there’s that.

All in all, I loved the trailer. It’s everything a show fan could want. There are pyrotechnics (What would GoT be without a little fire?), white walkers, and dragons. I couldn’t have asked for more.

That’s enough about my feels. How pumped are you for season seven? Let me know in the comments.