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Spike: A Dark Place #1-5
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike - A Dark Place
Fresh from his latest attempt to get Buffy to act on her feelings for him, Spike has fled to the dark side of the moon. His trip leads him to a group of dangerous demons and a rude awakening from his reverie, which in turn leads him on an unexpected adventure to . . . Sunnydale! Collecting Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike—A Dark Place #1–#5.
* Cover by Jo Chen!
* A crucial episode in Season 9!
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2012
About the author
Victor Gischler
375 books422 followersVictor Gischler is an American author of humorous crime fiction.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
December 21, 2018
Seeing Spike sunbathing behind protected glass on the moon is worth the price of this comic. I think alien bugs is even too far for the Buffy verse, but if there can be demons, there can be aliens. So Spike goes to the moon. We meet a few interesting characters and we end up on Easter Island.
This is more cartoon than Buffy. It’s devolving into silliness. I guess Spike is the character to find the silliness. Spike is one of the best characters in the Buffy verse. So, it’s great he gets his own story. It’s only too bad the story isn’t a little better for him. It’s fun and entertaining if you don’t expect too much.
That’s all.
This is more cartoon than Buffy. It’s devolving into silliness. I guess Spike is the character to find the silliness. Spike is one of the best characters in the Buffy verse. So, it’s great he gets his own story. It’s only too bad the story isn’t a little better for him. It’s fun and entertaining if you don’t expect too much.
That’s all.
October 12, 2021
Actual rating 3.5 stars (the extra .5 is for Sebastian!)
I’m going to go right out and say, this is the weakest Spike spin-off (that I can remember).
It felt like the writers, much like Spike, had no idea where to go, which direction they wanted to take the character.
The best thing out of this series is that they finally made me like the alien bugs!
… Right before they leave Spike. But that’s okay, I’ve been wanting them to go for a while.
The addition of Morgan was kinda interesting.
I feel like her ‘charms’ weren’t shown to be useful nearly as much as the dialogue suggested it was.
I wouldn’t mind if Morgan showed up again although, I don’t think it would entirely be necessary.
Funny thing; was Easter Island really the next closest Hellmouth from Sunnydale??
I believe there was once mention of one in Cleveland…
I am interested in seeing how the writers portray Spike and Angel’s dynamic, especially with Faith thrown into the mix.
I’m going to go right out and say, this is the weakest Spike spin-off (that I can remember).
It felt like the writers, much like Spike, had no idea where to go, which direction they wanted to take the character.
The best thing out of this series is that they finally made me like the alien bugs!
… Right before they leave Spike. But that’s okay, I’ve been wanting them to go for a while.
The addition of Morgan was kinda interesting.
I feel like her ‘charms’ weren’t shown to be useful nearly as much as the dialogue suggested it was.
I wouldn’t mind if Morgan showed up again although, I don’t think it would entirely be necessary.
Funny thing; was Easter Island really the next closest Hellmouth from Sunnydale??
I believe there was once mention of one in Cleveland…
I am interested in seeing how the writers portray Spike and Angel’s dynamic, especially with Faith thrown into the mix.
May 10, 2013
A decent enough miniseries. Really, there are two purposes to this book: to make money and to settle the alien bug question. It does both, decently enough, so I guess it does what it set out to do. The actual storyline itself isn't terribly interesting. But at least Spike speaks and acts recognizably like himself, and the the art makes him look like himself, which is enough for me to give it a pass. I just realized that I have low standards for side stories in tie-in comics.
January 14, 2019
I mean, I love Spike, but this was still a so-so for me. I wasn't interested in the story and the femme fatale Succubus character was cliche and one dimensional. I did find the bugs who were serving Spike and piloting the spaceship amusing though.
March 6, 2013
REVIEW COURTESY OF ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY
I almost didn’t bother to read A DARK PLACE because I absolutely could not stand the whole Spike and the alien bugs plot line that first popped up in Season 8. I decided to give it a shot and, ugh, Spike’s still with his alien bug pals. Blah.
Call me weird, but I don’t want hardcore sci-fi in my Buffyverse. Every single panel in this collection seems to have either an alien or a spaceship in it and I hated every second of it. Even the surprise visit from a succubus couldn’t save this yawn inducing story line. Spike. Aliens. Space. Boo. Suffice it to say that this storyline sums up everything that many, many fans hated about Season 8. Sometimes stories go off the rails and this is certainly one of them.
This review likely would have been even more harsh if I hadn’t managed to slog through everything to get to the final page. Oh, that final page! I’m glad I made it because that page alone took away all the pain of the preceding pages. Hell, I had such a goofy fanboy grin at the end of it that my fiancé asked me what I was so happy about. I lied and said I was just thinking about our upcoming wedding because if I had said “Spike! Angel! Back together!” she wouldn’t have understood.
If you understand why such a statement is completely awesome then you may want to check this out – though I recommend starting at issue six and going from there.
I almost didn’t bother to read A DARK PLACE because I absolutely could not stand the whole Spike and the alien bugs plot line that first popped up in Season 8. I decided to give it a shot and, ugh, Spike’s still with his alien bug pals. Blah.
Call me weird, but I don’t want hardcore sci-fi in my Buffyverse. Every single panel in this collection seems to have either an alien or a spaceship in it and I hated every second of it. Even the surprise visit from a succubus couldn’t save this yawn inducing story line. Spike. Aliens. Space. Boo. Suffice it to say that this storyline sums up everything that many, many fans hated about Season 8. Sometimes stories go off the rails and this is certainly one of them.
This review likely would have been even more harsh if I hadn’t managed to slog through everything to get to the final page. Oh, that final page! I’m glad I made it because that page alone took away all the pain of the preceding pages. Hell, I had such a goofy fanboy grin at the end of it that my fiancé asked me what I was so happy about. I lied and said I was just thinking about our upcoming wedding because if I had said “Spike! Angel! Back together!” she wouldn’t have understood.
If you understand why such a statement is completely awesome then you may want to check this out – though I recommend starting at issue six and going from there.
November 1, 2016
One one hand, I feel like Gischler got a lot of things right, with Spike's characterization and the dialogue between characters. I think he even manages to make Spike's space bugs amusing. But this also felt like it was trying way too hard. I mean, you do a Spike miniseries, and this is what you come up with? Kind of weaksauce. But ultimately harmless.
September 18, 2013
It would have been nice if the Willow/Spike spin-offs could have assembled creative teams as strong as the Buffy S9 and Angel& Faith comics have managed to do, but it was also wishful thinking to believe that would have been possible. In the end this miniseries is just one of those comics that is produced just to keep things ticking over, "oh yeah, we can have a Spike miniseries to bridge the gap between x and y because... we can and it'll make a bit of money from Buffy completists, which will ultimately be good for lovers of those Buffy comics that represent real quality, because we can afford to produce them". So here we are, Spike on a spaceship with some bugs and a demon who wants to become 50% of a power-couple with him. It's very sketchy stuff and doesn't fit into the buffyverse very well, but more painfully, the artwork - maybe it's the colouring - is just plain ugly, and at no point did I ever feel that I *wanted* to get heavily involved with this comic.
It's ultimately OK and never really boring, but I could easily have lived without it. I should probably stop being a Buffy completist. I don't *need* to buy and read everything that plugs a gap between x and y, do I? DO I????
It's ultimately OK and never really boring, but I could easily have lived without it. I should probably stop being a Buffy completist. I don't *need* to buy and read everything that plugs a gap between x and y, do I? DO I????
September 23, 2018
Spike goes to space because...why not!
Spike now has a bunch of bug like creatures following him around as he goes off to Space. When he lands on Mars (or something similar) he decides to live there. However, the bugs won't let him become too depressed and tell him to get up! Then demons/aliens attack and off we are to a new adventure.
Good: The art is solid, the bug army is entertaining, and Spike is funny as usual.
Bad: The story is just...there. The villains are weak. The love interest is boring.
Overall this was fun passable stuff but nothing worth really recommending. Maybe if want to read everything in Buffy it's worth it but not special. A 2.5 out of 5.
Spike now has a bunch of bug like creatures following him around as he goes off to Space. When he lands on Mars (or something similar) he decides to live there. However, the bugs won't let him become too depressed and tell him to get up! Then demons/aliens attack and off we are to a new adventure.
Good: The art is solid, the bug army is entertaining, and Spike is funny as usual.
Bad: The story is just...there. The villains are weak. The love interest is boring.
Overall this was fun passable stuff but nothing worth really recommending. Maybe if want to read everything in Buffy it's worth it but not special. A 2.5 out of 5.
December 2, 2016
I'm not really here for the Buffyverse going to space or the almost-romantic subplot. But I am always here for Spike adventures, so this was pretty fun.
June 2, 2013
Rating 3.5 stars
I just jumped right into the on-going Spike graphic novels series with this one. Spike has always been one of my favorite characters in the Buffyverse. I have to say, jumping in mid-stream may not have worked in my favor on this one. I was kind of confused at the whole space ship and the bug-like creatures that seemed to worship Spike. I decided to just roll with it and take it for what it was.
The story arc itself was typical Buffyverse and worked well with Spike’s particular charms. All he wants is a quiet place to mourn his unrequited love of Buffy, when some big bads come along and try to force him to help them find a shard of the seed. This launches him on quite an adventure based on trying to use a shard to rekindle some lost magic. The fight scenes are excellent. The scene where he douses a cigarette on the toad-like creatures tongue and then batters him with a broken wine-bottle captures Spike’s bar room brawl fighting style.
Speaking of Spike’s charm, they did a bloody good job of capturing it. Throughout the story, he was all condescension and sarcasm, seeming to talk down to his bug-like minions. He is surly and truculent, yet, he still has that soft & vulnerable center that makes him so loveable. You can see this in the scene where he won’t allow himself to bask in the artificial sun and how he tries to let the succubus down. Sigh, I do so love me some Spike.
As with any Joss Whedon project, the snark is ripe & juicy in this one. Some of my favorite lines include:
-"I hear only the cacophonous clamor of my own failure.” ~ Sebastian
-“So you like it rough, eh Kermit?” ~ Spike
-“Well, if it isn’t Flowers in the Attic.” ~ Spike
-“Have to give back the decoder ring, I s’pose.” ~ Spike
The artwork is good, if not as spectacular as the imagery of the primary Buffy series. As typically, the cover and splash pages are the most notable images. The best of these is the splash page of Spike all battered and bloody about to nurse his black eye with a bottle of whiskey. It is such a great depiction of Spike’s tough & resilient character.
Some of my favorite panels include:
-The cold determination in Spike’s expression as he puts his cigarette out on the toad creature’s tongue
-The panel that depicts sudden pause and Spike’s dawning realization that Sebastian may just be right about the existence of a shard of the seed remaining.
-The panel that sees Spike go all vampy and launch himself at the succubus after learning that she does intend to open the hell mouth is a great action image
-The visual of Spike and succubus dodging the blows of the animated Easter Island statues chasing them down with their glowy eyes is my favorite, but I really like most of the Easter Island images.
-This was a jolly fun read. I now appears I have some catching up to do.
*DISCLAIMER: This book was provided to me at no cost by the publisher as an advanced review copy through Net Galley.*
*NOTE: This review was originally published on Silk Screen Views review blog.
I just jumped right into the on-going Spike graphic novels series with this one. Spike has always been one of my favorite characters in the Buffyverse. I have to say, jumping in mid-stream may not have worked in my favor on this one. I was kind of confused at the whole space ship and the bug-like creatures that seemed to worship Spike. I decided to just roll with it and take it for what it was.
The story arc itself was typical Buffyverse and worked well with Spike’s particular charms. All he wants is a quiet place to mourn his unrequited love of Buffy, when some big bads come along and try to force him to help them find a shard of the seed. This launches him on quite an adventure based on trying to use a shard to rekindle some lost magic. The fight scenes are excellent. The scene where he douses a cigarette on the toad-like creatures tongue and then batters him with a broken wine-bottle captures Spike’s bar room brawl fighting style.
Speaking of Spike’s charm, they did a bloody good job of capturing it. Throughout the story, he was all condescension and sarcasm, seeming to talk down to his bug-like minions. He is surly and truculent, yet, he still has that soft & vulnerable center that makes him so loveable. You can see this in the scene where he won’t allow himself to bask in the artificial sun and how he tries to let the succubus down. Sigh, I do so love me some Spike.
As with any Joss Whedon project, the snark is ripe & juicy in this one. Some of my favorite lines include:
-"I hear only the cacophonous clamor of my own failure.” ~ Sebastian
-“So you like it rough, eh Kermit?” ~ Spike
-“Well, if it isn’t Flowers in the Attic.” ~ Spike
-“Have to give back the decoder ring, I s’pose.” ~ Spike
The artwork is good, if not as spectacular as the imagery of the primary Buffy series. As typically, the cover and splash pages are the most notable images. The best of these is the splash page of Spike all battered and bloody about to nurse his black eye with a bottle of whiskey. It is such a great depiction of Spike’s tough & resilient character.
Some of my favorite panels include:
-The cold determination in Spike’s expression as he puts his cigarette out on the toad creature’s tongue
-The panel that depicts sudden pause and Spike’s dawning realization that Sebastian may just be right about the existence of a shard of the seed remaining.
-The panel that sees Spike go all vampy and launch himself at the succubus after learning that she does intend to open the hell mouth is a great action image
-The visual of Spike and succubus dodging the blows of the animated Easter Island statues chasing them down with their glowy eyes is my favorite, but I really like most of the Easter Island images.
-This was a jolly fun read. I now appears I have some catching up to do.
*DISCLAIMER: This book was provided to me at no cost by the publisher as an advanced review copy through Net Galley.*
*NOTE: This review was originally published on Silk Screen Views review blog.
March 6, 2013
I looooooove me some Spike. I was always a Spuffy, especially after watching Angel and now reading the season 9 comics and how much Angel SUCKS in comparison. Also, Buffy's wishy-washy whiny character is starting to annoy the crap out of me, so I was happy to be able to read something new that focuses only on my favorite guy from the entire Buffyverse.
Spoilers AHEAD! Do NOT Read if you have not read Buffy Season 9!!
This volume picks up where Season 9 Volume 2 of Buffy ends - with Spike back in space with his giant buggy friends. He's trying to figure out how to live Buffy-free and basically trying to consume as much alcohol as possible. Enter some fish demons, and a super hot succucubus in a black leather catsuit. Throw in some humor as provided by the giant space-roaches and a good bit of delicious Spike shirtlessness and we have a winner!
Spoilers AHEAD! Do NOT Read if you have not read Buffy Season 9!!
This volume picks up where Season 9 Volume 2 of Buffy ends - with Spike back in space with his giant buggy friends. He's trying to figure out how to live Buffy-free and basically trying to consume as much alcohol as possible. Enter some fish demons, and a super hot succucubus in a black leather catsuit. Throw in some humor as provided by the giant space-roaches and a good bit of delicious Spike shirtlessness and we have a winner!
July 26, 2018
spike: shadow puppets ★★★☆☆
spike: old times ★★★☆☆
spike: asylum ★★★☆☆
spike: alone together now, vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
spike, volume 2: stranger things ★★★☆☆
spike: after the fall ★★★☆☆
spike: into the light ★★★☆☆
spike: a dark place ★★★☆☆
i love spike, and the bugs aren’t as annoying as i expected, but why waste so much story on morgan?
spike: old times ★★★☆☆
spike: asylum ★★★☆☆
spike: alone together now, vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
spike, volume 2: stranger things ★★★☆☆
spike: after the fall ★★★☆☆
spike: into the light ★★★☆☆
spike: a dark place ★★★☆☆
i love spike, and the bugs aren’t as annoying as i expected, but why waste so much story on morgan?
May 25, 2014
This story occurs after Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 issue #10 or if you're reading the collections after Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9, volume 2: On Your Own.
Read the beginning of BtVS season 9 first to get all the relevant back story.
Read the beginning of BtVS season 9 first to get all the relevant back story.
October 1, 2017
Read this as part of the Angel & Faith Season 9, Volume 2 Library Edition. Really enjoyed the deep dive into Spike's character, his ongoing feelings for Buffy, and especially his relationship with the bugs.
March 13, 2013
Review posted on http://diamondlovestoread.blogspot.com
I am a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. When it comes to comics and graphic novels there is nothing that has monopolized my collection more than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spike, and Angel. I have all the Omnibus, Season 8, and Season 9. I have been a little behind with season 9 of Buffy but had read enough to understand this story of Spike in the timeline.
Spike is one of my favorite characters of Buffyverse. Even on the show, Marsters’ characterization of Spike was so deep, making him flawed yet lovable in a way that completely differed from Angel. I always secretly vied for Spike and Buffy too, and his anguish was always something that I sympathized with. I felt he never really got enough credit for actually going to regain his soul to prove to Buffy he was a “man.” Angel never did anything like that, and no one besides Buffy really understood the significance of what Spike did when he purposefully gained a soul.
Anyways, onto the story-- I felt that the really had Spike down-pat. Like most readers I was leery when IDW had Spike and it was never really completely spot on—then I was also leery when Dark Horse took Spike, but since I knew they did a FAB job with Buffy and Angel & Faith I had confidence. I’m so glad to see that my intuition was right. It has never felt more like Spike than in this story. I loved his introspection and his personality was not watered down. I also liked the bugs and their storyline. It felt really almost like I was reading a version of a script made for television. I haven’t felt that a story arc could be synced into television very often with the Buffy comics. Even Whedon admitted that Season 8 had liberties taken simply because they could, in the comic-universe. This, on the other hand, wasn’t exaggerated or “comically comic” (hehe). I felt it really resonated with me. If you are a Spike fan I highly suggest it.
Ok, I loved it. Why 4 stars then instead of 5? The girl really bothered me. In fact, I despised her. I guess I felt the same way as Spike’s bug legion. I just didn’t like her and she wasn’t someone that truly fit into the Buffyverse, in my opinion. Eh, I don’t know.
I am a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. When it comes to comics and graphic novels there is nothing that has monopolized my collection more than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spike, and Angel. I have all the Omnibus, Season 8, and Season 9. I have been a little behind with season 9 of Buffy but had read enough to understand this story of Spike in the timeline.
Spike is one of my favorite characters of Buffyverse. Even on the show, Marsters’ characterization of Spike was so deep, making him flawed yet lovable in a way that completely differed from Angel. I always secretly vied for Spike and Buffy too, and his anguish was always something that I sympathized with. I felt he never really got enough credit for actually going to regain his soul to prove to Buffy he was a “man.” Angel never did anything like that, and no one besides Buffy really understood the significance of what Spike did when he purposefully gained a soul.
Anyways, onto the story-- I felt that the really had Spike down-pat. Like most readers I was leery when IDW had Spike and it was never really completely spot on—then I was also leery when Dark Horse took Spike, but since I knew they did a FAB job with Buffy and Angel & Faith I had confidence. I’m so glad to see that my intuition was right. It has never felt more like Spike than in this story. I loved his introspection and his personality was not watered down. I also liked the bugs and their storyline. It felt really almost like I was reading a version of a script made for television. I haven’t felt that a story arc could be synced into television very often with the Buffy comics. Even Whedon admitted that Season 8 had liberties taken simply because they could, in the comic-universe. This, on the other hand, wasn’t exaggerated or “comically comic” (hehe). I felt it really resonated with me. If you are a Spike fan I highly suggest it.
Ok, I loved it. Why 4 stars then instead of 5? The girl really bothered me. In fact, I despised her. I guess I felt the same way as Spike’s bug legion. I just didn’t like her and she wasn’t someone that truly fit into the Buffyverse, in my opinion. Eh, I don’t know.
May 23, 2013
So, I did not realize that this comic was set during Season 9 of Buffy or that there even was a Season 9! I haven't quite caught up on 8 yet and this threw me into the deep end of things without any real clue what was happening. All I know is that Spike is somehow Captaining a spaceship to the dark side of the moon (literally) and in charge of his own army of buggy, alien minions. The artificial sun-room on the ship was awesome and Spike trying to drown himself in alcohol was definitely in character. He has some wonderful sarcastic and smarmy remarks, but the bugs are pretty funny too especially head bug, Sebastian. I especially love when he's willing to commandeer the ship and get Spike away from a very suspicious (but hot) succubus who is trying to play him like a fiddle. The later part of this story arc is about Spike trying to prevent her and from opening up the Hellmouth with a shard of some alien seed. And some other characters from his past are also after the shard, for the power and magic that it will bring them the use of. My least favorite thing about this other than the slow burn of the plot is the weird, and overblown infiltration of straight sci-fi into the Buffyverse, which is strictly fantasy in my mind. There is a fine line between the two, and I definitely prefer demons/magic to aliens/spaceships. As much as I love Spike, this whole plot just felt like unnecessary filler and I reveled in his wonderful Spike-ness which I've missed. But overall it was a disappointment and if that's the direction Season 9 is going I'm not even going to bother catching up. It does get major points for kick-ass art and great action sequences, plus some truly funny remarks. Not highly recommended to fans of non-comic Buffy though unless you're diehard and have to read/see everything Buffy ever created. Otherwise I say you should just skip it.
VERDICT: 2/5 Stars
*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 5th, 2013.*
VERDICT: 2/5 Stars
*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 5th, 2013.*
June 18, 2013
3 going on 3 & 1/2 stars. this is a slight entry, designed to bridge a gap, and it shows a bit. should be a fine one, there's Spike in the spaceship with the bugs which is always fun, with his cheekbones intact (nice artwork) so bonus, gone all broody about his last encounter with the Slayer which is amusing (i mean, does this inevitably happen to everyone who takes up with Buffy?). there's this succubus that comes along, see, a Spike flashback, and a trip to Easter Island. and some insight into minor villains Pearl and Nash. and i'm very fond of the Spike-end SF elements this story embraces; Spike just feels right in a spaceship, with sympathetic cockroach minions. that works for me. so what's not to love, right?
but the whole deal with the succubus seems artificial and a bit tedious, Spike himself seems a bit of a cardboard figure (just between us, i think the author has no feel for the character), and the bug gets the really poignant moments (though Seb as the hero was an excellent excursion, still a bit of a problem). as narrative it's all exposition, and somehow along the way Spike becomes a bystander in his own story. which seems slight and contrived, just a plot device really to get Spike to the right spot (meeting up with Angel) to join up with both halves of season 9 now in progress. altogether, i can't help wondering idly how IDW might have chosen to lay this one out. so, workmanlike job, but to half-quote Willow, i think this book's only filler.
but the whole deal with the succubus seems artificial and a bit tedious, Spike himself seems a bit of a cardboard figure (just between us, i think the author has no feel for the character), and the bug gets the really poignant moments (though Seb as the hero was an excellent excursion, still a bit of a problem). as narrative it's all exposition, and somehow along the way Spike becomes a bystander in his own story. which seems slight and contrived, just a plot device really to get Spike to the right spot (meeting up with Angel) to join up with both halves of season 9 now in progress. altogether, i can't help wondering idly how IDW might have chosen to lay this one out. so, workmanlike job, but to half-quote Willow, i think this book's only filler.
June 15, 2017
Spike: A Dark Place finds Buffy’s favorite “frenemy”, Spike the vampire, moping about his failed attempt at a relationship with the Slayer aboard a spaceship with some robot insects, who feel they must “take steps” to help their master out of his dark state. This all eventually leads to both Spike and his crew of bug bots heading back to Sunnydale as prisoner of some other unsightly creatures who are looking for shards of a seed that will help them open a gate to their home…as well as another character Spike meets along the way. While Paul Lee masterfully captures the image of the character created by James Marsters in the late 1990s, Spike’s sarcasm and dark humor really shines through in Gischler’s story. While on the surface Spike appears to sneakily help out those around him, from the strange creatures who imprison him at the beginning of the volume to the rather mysterious Morgan he meets in Sunnydale, Spike is always brooding over Buffy, as he always did in the later episodes of the television series. Fans of the old series will enjoy this title and others in the Dark Horse Buffy collection, and a couple of risqué scenes and occasional use of swear words make it suitable for a slightly older audience. Spike: A Dark Place is a supplemental purchase for public library collections.
August 28, 2017
Spike: A Dark Place follows Spike, the vampire, to the dark side of the moon. After being dumped by his love interest, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spike indulges in heavy drinking to cope. However, he seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he is forced to guide dangerous demons to an old temple that held powerful shards, which can open world-destroying hellmouths. Much of this story is Spike’s internal battles. He deals with the demons of his past, while also trying not to die at the hands of the physical foes. Spike undergoes moments where he almost regrets being with Buffy and growing soft as a vampire. Choosing to have a soul and conscience is an overall lesson in his story. There is some vulgar language in the text, but that is essential to Spike’s character. The storyline is easy to understand and uses concise language throughout. The illustrations are in multi-color and are appealing to readers. In the story, readers will see Spike evolve from sadness, to regret, to acceptance. Spike learns to get over Buffy’s rejection to become a stronger individual. This comic effectively conveys intense battle scenes and interesting character development by Spike and his other foes. Spike: A Dark Place is a good read for male readers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and those who are interested in horror genres.
July 15, 2014
Not a lot happens in this mini series within season 9. Set between Buffy trade paperbacks 4 & 5, this is Spike's personal exploration after being turned away from Buffy -- yet again. Of course there are things happening around him with his bugs, his space ship and a new succubus character, but most of that sets a frame for what is going on for him internally.
There were no extra things from the writers at the end of this, no insights on the series or mini comics right at the end, though I did like the inclusion of the phone call between Dowling and Spike at the very end. Have I mentioned yet that this character is so far my favourite original PC from this season? I'm almost ready to jump right into Buffy: The Core #5 right here and now, but I have #3 of Angel and Faith next, and so many other books vying for next read that I can't quite argue with myself to put another comic in first.
I think it'll be through reading more of this series that I'll really come to appreciate the internal developments in this text. You know, unless we see the succubus Morgan again.
There were no extra things from the writers at the end of this, no insights on the series or mini comics right at the end, though I did like the inclusion of the phone call between Dowling and Spike at the very end. Have I mentioned yet that this character is so far my favourite original PC from this season? I'm almost ready to jump right into Buffy: The Core #5 right here and now, but I have #3 of Angel and Faith next, and so many other books vying for next read that I can't quite argue with myself to put another comic in first.
I think it'll be through reading more of this series that I'll really come to appreciate the internal developments in this text. You know, unless we see the succubus Morgan again.
March 13, 2013
Spike! What more do I need to say? If you're a Buffy fan, and if you've been keeping up with season 8 and 9 in comic form, then you'll need to check out this stand-along Spike volume, which fits into the storyline just after volume #2 in Buffy season 9. (Got that? It makes sense once you're reading them). Spike is back, kicking butt when his own isn't being kicked, fighting icky monsters, flying around with bugs, pining for his favorite Slayer -- you know, same Spike, different day. Spike: A Dark Place is a ton of fun, featuring our vampire-with-a-soul on a solo adventure, and bridging events from the previous volume of Buffy-ness to whatever's next (hints provided on the very last page). You can check out my fangirl gushing (aka, my mini-review)here. Short version: Loved it!
June 16, 2014
This trade paperback bridges the gap when Spike left Buffy in the middle of season 9 and him traveling to help Angel. This tells the story of Spike brooding over his departure from Buffy and how he accepts it and starts on the road of becoming himself.
The artwork was fine in this story and the story ties in nicely with the overall story arc. This was missing something. I believe it was the dialogue. The overall atmosphere was too gloomy and it did not have that overall Spike feeling. Another problem I had is the bug companions. I have never been a fan of this idea and they were prevalent through the whole story. The only positive thing I can say about this paperback is the bug situation is finally resolved.
The only was I can recommend this story is if you are a completionist and have to read everything in this universe. If not you can bypass this and not miss a thing.
The artwork was fine in this story and the story ties in nicely with the overall story arc. This was missing something. I believe it was the dialogue. The overall atmosphere was too gloomy and it did not have that overall Spike feeling. Another problem I had is the bug companions. I have never been a fan of this idea and they were prevalent through the whole story. The only positive thing I can say about this paperback is the bug situation is finally resolved.
The only was I can recommend this story is if you are a completionist and have to read everything in this universe. If not you can bypass this and not miss a thing.
March 14, 2015
Finally. After Season 8, most of the Buffy/Angel books that I've read have missed the tone of the shows, which, above all else were about teamwork and friendship. Despite only featuring Spike, this one recaptures that feeling. It also features a good helping of the random craziness that makes this narrative universe fun. To take a break from Buffy, Spike decides to take his steampunk spaceship and it's crew of cockroaches to the dark side of the moon. There, they accidentally meet up with some fish demons. This then takes them back to Sunnydale, where Spike meets and befriends a succubus. The interplay between Spike and the bugs, Spike and the succubus, and the bugs with one another is great. I can't recommend it to a random person, as there's about eight years of backstory to catch up on first. But for people following the comics, I would tell them not to miss this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2018
I have to say that Spike is one of my least favorite characters so how is that his standalone books is far and beyond way better than most of the Buffy volumes? Probably because he's mostly there to be a broody fun time and the Buffy books have to delve into real subjects and sometimes they get to weird or too uncomfortable. I don't know, but I genuinely had a good time reading this volume. I loved the bug guys and how everything turned out at Easter Island. I thought it did a good job referencing things that were going on in the larger series, but it wasn't absolutely necessary to have read them in order to have a good time reading this one. Honestly maybe I should cut Spike more slack and be less on team Angel, but I just can't help it.
January 18, 2015
It wasn't a bad sequence, per se, but it left a lot to be desired. I'm gonna miss the bugs, I think. The whole story seemed kinda rushed and pointless except for two things: getting rid of his ride and making him face how he's lying to himself.
May 18, 2017
Spike with an army of Alien bugs and a space ship.
Why is it that Spike always gets the army? Fun read and despite being so different and unexpected to the Buffy-verse, it still FEELS like the Buffy-Verse. Weird. It was fun.
Why is it that Spike always gets the army? Fun read and despite being so different and unexpected to the Buffy-verse, it still FEELS like the Buffy-Verse. Weird. It was fun.
November 1, 2018
The succubus storyline kinda came out of nowhere. Would be interested to see more from her in the future...
February 25, 2015
Demons and Space-bugs, two great things that go great together.
February 28, 2017
I love Spike and the bugs! This one is so introspective, I just love it. Team Spike forever.
May 16, 2017
I really enjoyed this Spike stand-alone. Great to see things from his point of view for a bit to get more character arc for him. Nice complementary series to go with Buffy Season 9.
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