Today the first issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 hits shelves. So, since I’ve been catching up on Season 8 I thought it a fitting time to review the first volume of the series.

I was a bit wary of delving into Season 8. I’m a quite a fan of the television series — and of Joss Whedon’s work in general. But with few exceptions I haven’t read many comics that weren’t, well, comics. And what I have read that’s been transitioned and/or adapted into a comic has been resoundingly underwhelming. So, I was content to stay away from this even though it was confirmed as canon. Eventually curiosity — and many rave reviews and cast endorsements — finally cracked my resolve and I dug out my magnifier.¹

The one big plus that continuing Buffy in comic form has is that Whedon has a pretty extensive history writing comics already. This means that condensing what might have been an episode in the television show is done in such a way that retains all the hallmarks of the series, including the witty, pop-culture-peppered dialogue.

Volume 1 collects the first five issues of the comic: the four-issue arc “The Long Way Home” and the standalone “The Chain.” About a year-and-a-half has passed since the events of “Chosen,” the seventh season finale and a lot has changed for Buffy and the Scoobies now that the Hellmouth has been blown to smithereens and every Potential is now a full-on Slayer. To say the fight against evil has become epic is more than stating the obvious. Buffy now heads a command center with Xander overseeing several “squads” of Slayers and other magically-endowed fighters (witches and the like) all across the world. There’s lots of fancy tech at their disposal to help in their constant battle against a wide array of demons. And, of course, grounding things in a mystical form of reality, there’s a healthy helping of life problems including but not limited to Dawn “growing up.” Buffy also informs the reader that in an effort to keep her real location a secret from all the bad guys hellbent on her death, there are also two decoys of her out in the world. “The Long Way Home” sets all this up and introduces us to the new Big Bad. It’s a great beginning; a well-paced story arc with lots of action. But it’s “The Chain” that really stands out in this volume, which follows one of those aforementioned Buffy decoys. It’s a really great piece of writing and really shows off Whedon’s talent for mixing comedy into something dark. There’s a lot of deep meaning in this short piece about feminism, values, and social duty. I found it incredibly haunting.

The art is quite superb — especially the amazing Jo Chen covers. I was surprised how easily I was absorbed into this new medium, expecting to find the transition a bit more jarring. And while I’ve never thought of the show as a slouch in the special effects department, the comic really does allow for a much grander playground. One that’s also a bit more risque. With such a huge cast of characters and such enormous versatility in abilities, it can only grow more spectacular.

A very promising start to and a fresh new take on a truly phenomenal series. And probably the strongest endorsement I can give is that I think comic fans that aren’t necessarily fans of the television show will find this an enjoyable book to follow.

1. Being blind makes reading comics a right pain.