Buffy the Vampire Slayer Vol. 16: Slayer, Interrupted

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (trade paperbacks) #16

by Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza, Cliff Richards

Considering how Buffy Summers has burned down the school gym, run off to Vegas, and filled her diary with tales of vampires and demons, her parents see no other choice than to have her committed to a mental institution for a nice long rest. During her stay, Buffy finds that she rather likes not having to slay vampires and demons night after night. But there's something sinister going on here as some of the doctors may not be what they appear. Meanwhile, in England, Rupert Giles' use of black magic has stopped a corrupt Watcher from destroying the Council, but now, to prove himself worthy of the title Watcher, he must face the consequences of dabbling in the forbidden arts. Dark Horse recounts this turning point in Buffy's history before she got to Sunnydale, in a story we only saw a glimpse of in the television show.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Vampires, Fantasy, Horror, Fiction

104 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2003

About the author

Scott Lobdell (born 1960) is an American comic book writer.

He is mostly known for his work throughout the 1990s on Marvel Comics' X-Men-related titles specifically Uncanny X-Men, the main title itself, and the spin-off series that he conceived with artist Chris Bachalo, Generation X. Generation X focused on a number of young mutant students who attempted to become superheroes in their own right at a separate school with the guidance of veteran X-related characters Banshee and Emma Frost. He also had writing stints on Marvel's Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix mini-series with artist Gene Ha. He wrote the script to Stan Lee's Mosaic and an upcoming film from POW Entertainment featuring Ringo Starr. He also participated in the Marvel Comics and Image Comics (from Jim Lee's WildStorm) crossover mini-series WildC.A.T.s/X-Men.

Reviews

[Wren (fablesandwren) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember that episode where Buffy woke up in an asylum and her mother and father were together and they told her that she had to kill everyone in her other, fake life in order to get all better and go home with them?

And we never know which one is actually the real life and they never touch on it again because Joss Whedon hates all of us and is cackling evilly as we die from anxiety?

This one made me feel better.

The comic-Buffy actually has been to an asylum because Dawn read her diary and saw what Buffy thought she was (The Vampire Slayer) and her parents (who are still together) put her in there because they believe that she has lost it.

You see Willow for the first time! And Cordelia! But they don't talk or anything.

You see more of what Giles has to go through as well in order to become The Slayer's Watcher.

There's like a little snippet of Angel too.

I loved this issue so much. You get to see into comic-Buffy more and how she didn't ask to be The Slayer and how she deals with it. This issue feels more like the show than any of the ones that I have read so far.

It's my favorite and I'm going to go read it again.

[Arie ☂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume takes place before season one of the show and chronicles Buffy's time in a institution after Dawn reads her diary and learns about her vampire shenanigans. This volume was inspired by one of my favourite episodes - 'Normal Again' from season six. That episode was such a mindtrip. I think it's the only episode to have truly scared me (because that ending!!). This wasn't as good, but it was fun to see Buffy's time there.

This was also the first Buffy volume I ever purchased. I mean, look at the cover! PURRDY.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm...not sure what I was expecting here. The way people talked about this one was that it was a mind blowing twist on the episode Normal Again...but it was not. It was entertaining though...and absolutely felt like the real Buffy...not what I've read in rebooted comics that are just...blah. So.. it was good...just didn't live up to how it was hyped up to me.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so tired of hackneyed attempts to insert Alice in Wonderland into stories about mental institutions.

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This issue takes place between the original movie and the TV show. Buffy's family still lives in L.A. and her parents have not yet got a divorce. The back story of this issue is that after burning down her school and getting expelled, Buffy runs off with Pike to Las Vegas and ends up smoking out another vampire ring. But, she doesn't fill in her parents who are afraid she has run away and they eventually have her commited to a mental institution after her sister, Dawn, reads her diary and is spooked. I was an avid Buffy fan from season 1 and it is hard for me to read stories about Buffy's past that have Dawn in them. I know that when Dawn was introduced, memories of her were incorporated throughout Buffy's life. But, it is hard to reconcile her existence when it is just a fabricated one. But, she plays a key role in this plotline and in the added prologue called Dawn and Hoopy the Bear. And, once the story focused on Buffy and her struggle with accepting her destiny, it really had me riveted. I would recommend this story to fans who are interested in filling in some of Buffy's backstory that is missed once the TV show starts.

[YoSafBridg · Rating 4 out of 5]

More about Buffy before she comes to Sunnydale--this one puts her in hospital because she's seeing vampires and demons--referencing one of my favorite episodes which questions the whole reality of the Buffyverse--i love the continuity of these graphic novels and how it fills in background of a show that i miss but believe ended aptly.

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't care if this was somewhat cheesy, I loved it. Looooved :)

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following on from 'Viva Las Buffy!' and set in the run-up to the TV show's first season, here Dawn shows Buffy's diary of being the Slayer to their parents. Buffy is then admitted to a mental health institution where she doubts her own sanity, but discovers a sinister plot afoot.

At first I rolled my eyes at the fact that the asylum that Buffy is admitted to just happens to have a secret cult of demon-worshippers but one of the characters in the book actually addresses that exact issue, revealing that it is Buffy's destiny to always end up where she's needed most.

Similarly, at first I wasn't impressed by the 'hero doubts their own sanity and was it all a delusion' cliché but the self-same character shows that this is a process Buffy has to go through in order to choose for herself whether she wants to be the Slayer (it's stated that she's only been doing it for eleven days at this point!).

Overall this was a perfectly fine mix of good and bad that largely only left me with the question as to whether American parents really do immediately chuck their kids in an asylum if the kids write fantasies in their diaries.
We don't do that in the UK.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Margaret Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already read the first Buffy Omnibus series book that features these comics volumes; however, I wanted to read this collection to focus on the part of Buffy's narrative in which she goes to the mental hospital after her (mis)adventures with Pike and Dawn reading her diary. To me, these volumes made interesting statements about the power of imagination and metaphor as shown in the Buffyverse. (Ex: blood = family, vampires = peers, high school = Hell, slaying = ending youth). I was also fascinated by the Alice in Wonderland scene, as I haven't seen the film in years but remember it well. I'll leave it there for now, as I have writing ideas about this volume, but I found it fascinating.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to Buffy's life before she goes to Sunnydale. Following her exploits in The Origin and Viva Las Buffy, the slayer is institutionalised after her sister (interesting in a prequel to a time where her sister hadn't always existed yet...) reads her diary (why would you put THAT down anywhere?).
Of course, in the manner of Poirot, Miss Marple, Constantine, etc. poor Buffy can't go anywhere without there being a big bad up to no good and people end up in deadsville.
Some really good investment into Buffy's family and the cracks that are manifesting between her parents.

[Cher · Rating 4 out of 5]

We see Willow and Cordelia for if I remember right the first time in the graphic novels. I enjoyed the Giles B-plot, and the A-plot was a decently done example of the "Go among Mad People" trope. Now WHERE could they POSSIBLY have gotten the title idea for this one... *eyes Winona Ryder filmography*

One gripe- okay, so , but why is Dawn present considering she didn't exist in the first couple of seasons? Or is this meant to be the AU where she existed all along?

[Clare rushby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one might be a favourite of mine so far. I thought the setting was cool and I really loved that they incorporated the Buffy into the Alice in wonderland illustrations. This one was in 4 parts which i found interesting. There was a lot of of character development for Buffy and things are really ramping up.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving getting all of this Buffy/Giles backstory. As someone struggling with self doubt/esteem, this was a well timed and much needed story. Slaying one's inner demons, and choosing to become what you're destined to be...definitely a pick me up!

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, a bit kooky, so Dawn esists in a world before Sunnydale.
Buffy, Angel, Whisperer, Dawn, Joycy, Giles and Buffy's dad.
Interesting mix of timelines.

[Sammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolute banger of a prequel to that episode where Buffy thinks she is in a mental hospital…

[Nebahat Doğan]

🥹

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ve covered the fact that I’m on a Buffy binge, right? No need to repeat the same introduction over and over again….I’m finally watching the show, and since I’m a completist I’m going through the comics too. This particular volume picks up where Viva Las Buffy! left off, with Buffy finally returning home after her exploits in Las Vegas.

After they destroyed a particularly nasty nest of vampires in Vegas, Pike left Buffy because he was afraid he was going to get her killed if she kept having to look after him in a fight. Understandably crushed by this, Buffy returns home to a whole new set of problems: little sister Dawn has found her diary and been scared $#!^less by it, prompting an investigation by her parents. They conclude that she needs help, and Buffy goes to the asylum. In their defense, what would you conclude if your daughter started writing about slaying vampires in her diary? Anyway, Buffy’s problems don’t stop there, because there’s definitely something strange going on in that asylum….Meanwhile, Giles is forced to face the demons of his past if he is to be chosen as the next Watcher by the council, and is comedically horrified by the specifics of the posting.

So, you know how much griping I did about the art for the last set I reviewed? It’s all better here. I don’t know why, since Cliff Richards had been the lead artist since like issue #15, but I just wasn’t buying it in Viva Las Buffy! Whatever the reason, I have no real complaints on that score this time around. From a writing perspective, this was a great story to tell both because we’ve been told that she was briefly institutionalized (Buffy S06E17: Normal Again) and because it’s in this volume that we really see Buffy start to own her destiny, to understand that she needs to do this because she wants to, not because she has to, or she’s going to get herself killed real quick. It also sows the seeds of later events in how Buffy operates with regards to the Watchers’ Council. This one gets an A+ from me! My only minor complaint is that early in Buffy season 1 she is surprised to learn that she has to fight not only vampires but demons as well, but according to this she should already know that by the time she gets to Sunnydale.

CONTENT: No profanity. A fair amount of violence; vampires and demons being slain, humans killed by said vampires and demons, a girl commits suicide as a result of said demons’ depredations. No explicit sexual content, but there is a demon recruiting “brides” from the asylum inmates. They dress skimpily, a couple panels avoid nudity only by conveniently-placed shadow, and the implications of the whole idea are creepily sexual. Occult content….I mentioned the demons, right? I’m not sure Whedon’s demons equate properly with the demons of Judeo-Christian mythology (that’s a discussion to be had, if anyone’s interested), but they are referred to as demons all the same.

[Emily Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Slayer, Interrupted read exactly as they are: prologues to the television series. They purport to be a bridge between the movie and the television show, but the television show did best to leave the gap not fully written.
The difference in tone between the movie and the television show is enormous, due partially to the fact that they were nearly a decade apart. In fact, I refused to watch the series for a considerable amount of time, because the movie was so silly. When I finally decided to watch, it was because an actor I particularly liked was on the show.
The Buffy in the movie and the Buffy on the television show did not seem to be the same person, and changes in her life were not enough to explain the transformation. For comic books to try to make the transition seems ridiculous at best.
The first story, “Dawn and the Hoopy Bear,” which features Buffy’s sister who only exists later in the television series, is just silly. It lacks the signature sarcasm of the television show, without revealing insight into the time period between the show and the movie.
“Slayer, Interrupted,” the second story, is closer to a story about Buffy, but comes off as completely unrealistic. Not only does it seem unlikely that Buffy’s parents would be introduced to her secret life in this manner, it does not seem like a convincing way to convince the slayer of her duties.
The reason I picked up the graphic novel, the reason I pick up any Buffy comic book is because the show is over. It is the same reason I began to watch Angel, the same reason that I succumb to any Joss Whedon adventure: because I want more. And that is the real need that the comic fulfills: not explaining or elucidating some untold part of the story, but seeing a beloved character in a new story.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place before Season 1.

In "Dawn and the Happy Bear", 10 year old Dawn Summers is mistaken for the Slayer and given a cursed teddy bear.

In "Slayer, Interrupted", Buffy has just recently learned that she is the slayer. Having fled to Las Vegas after burning her school gym to the ground, she is back home in Sunnydale. Dawn has found her diary and shown their parents - Buffy is sent to a mental institution, where she doubts herself and realizes that things are not as they seem at the facility.

Meanwhile, Giles is training in preparation for his new role as Buffy's Watcher. He has used witchcraft so must pay the price by facing his former self - Ripper.

The comic itself was okay, I liked the fleeting glimpse of a pre-Buffy Willow, and the little mention of Doublemeat. I definitely prefer the Buffy books, though. There's no comparison between this writing and that of people who worked on the show.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This BtVS graphic novel is set in between the events of the movie and the start of the TV series. Buffy's mother and father read her diary and discover that she thinks she is the Slayer -- something that's CLEARLY insane. Buffy ends up committed to a mental institution, and in the process becomes more committed to her role as the Slayer. This was pretty entertaining, but nothing terribly grounbreaking. Solid story, solid art, worth reading, but not one for the ages.

[Andie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall the comic was pretty great. It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be though. And I really hated that Dawn was in the comic due to the time that the story took place. If the comic was going to be true to the series, then Joyce should have found Buffy's diary, not Dawn. But if that had happened, we wouldn't have gotten Dawn and the bear story, which even I have to admit was cute.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite Buffy graphic novel so far. Buffy is institutionalized after Dawn reads her diary, where she talks about slaying vampires. It had a bunch of crazy twists that made it enojyable. I also liked the Hoopy the Bear story, that kind of went along with this, or was in front of it in the omnibus vol. 1.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost can't remember this, but it's stories of Buffy's life pre-Sunnydale, and include memories of Dawn inserted; choosing to insert a little sister character that was never there before meant changing not only the show's progression, but the comics, as well. Pretty well done, really.

[Brandy Shark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have much to say about this graphic novel; it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fantastic. I would have much rather have seen it as an actual episode, but I do like that the Buffy story verse is still continuing in any medium.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faced with the biggest responsibility of all and having to watch her parents split up, life gets to be a bit too much for newly slayered Buffy Summers. Her parents decide to give a mental institution a try, hoping it will help. But when you're the slayer, wherever you are you are destined to be.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the chapter illustrations in this issue! I enjoyed exploring the question of Buffy's sanity. Is she really a Slayer? She's on an journey of the mind while Giles ties up loose ends before he makes his way to Sunnydale, California.

[Allanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always wondered what went on between the movie and the series.

And I heart Giles, so learning a little more of his backstory is always cool.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm loving this Buffy back story! I think it makes her seem more real than just 'Oh, yea I was a cheerleader, now I'm a nobody who secretly fights demons' It's nice progression.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

it made the whole series of buffy the vampire slayer very clear, it showed how the what happened before the series begins

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was set in time before the series started, but I'm really not fond of graphic novels. I find them annoying as they skip around and try to put too much on a page.