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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Creatures of Habit
You're invited to the sickest party in Sunnydale. DJs will be mixing up somebody- moving grooves, smart drinks will be available at the bar, and we'll be giving up a virgin sacrifice for the blood goddess. An old friend of Spike is in town, and he's getting every teenager in Sunnydale to trip the light fantastic at some very special, underground raves. He has a plan that could mean big things for vampires everywhere, and Spike agrees to help him out. Everyone who is anyone is rolling at these after-hour parties, including a whole posse of vampires. Buffy and the Scooby gang are going out and getting down to put an end to what's become a euphoric feeding frenzy for some of the baddest baddies in town.
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 16, 2022
This is a short Buffy prose novel that was published by Dark Horse, not Pocket. It is quite well and liberally illustrated, and the art is the best thing about the book. It's set in the sixth season of Buffy, which was not my (or anyone else's) favorite. It's not a bad or poorly written story, but there's nothing particularly memorable about it. It struck me that all of the good guys are sad and frustrated and miserable all of the time and the evil ones seem to be having a lot of fun, so that's a pretty bleak message. Giles is sad because he's not in England and no one appreciates him, Spike is sad because he's chipped and not with Buffy, Buffy is sad because she's alive, Xander is sad because he's engaged, Anya is sad because Xander's not happy about being engaged, Tara is annoyingly stuttery and sad because Willow is an addict, Dawn is sad because she's an angsty teen and she doesn't have much to do except get in trouble every Tuesday.... It was an okay story, but not a fun book. Grrr...arrgh...
March 23, 2018
I’ve read a fair bit of Buffy novels, and this is one of the few that genuinely feels like an episode. The author captures the dialogue and the story beats surprisingly well. It’s not the best Buffy book, but one that definitely should’ve been an episode in the main series.
August 26, 2024
Pretty forgettable season 6 entry in the Buffyverse. A mopey drug themed story, both literal and metaphorical, the only point of interest is the art. Black and white line art is scattered throughout, as well as several full size colour pieces that add some visual appeal, though are a little stiff.
The writing is passable at best. Whedon-esqe dialogue can be fun and quippy but can easily come off as insufferable, and Creatures of Habit definitely falls into the latter camp. A lot of the writing, even if it's from the point of view of teens, can be painfully cringy:
'Skeeter felt an instant familiarity with the black man reclining in the chair behind the table. maybe it was the drugged-up and oh-so-sexy goth babe who reclined at the man's legs, her arms draped over his thigh, her eyes dreamily fixed on nothing at all, Maybe it was the man's threads that spoke to Skeeter. Whatever it was, Skeeter knew that they were cut from the same cloth. The man was pure cool.'
The story also feels incredibly unbalanced and tonally mismatched, from the apparently world ending Big Bad that the Scoobies eventually end up meandering towards, to the tonal clash of Xander and Anya arguing about their wedding vs the implied sexual violence inflicted by Parnassus Jones. And that's before we get to how appropriate it was for the said Parnassus Jones, one of the few black characters in the Buffyverse, to be a big bad drug dealer who's blood thirsty nature even dwarfs that of Spike's. Yikes.
There's a few nice images, both literal and descriptive, but Creatures of Habit is just another dull retread of the same drug metaphors that we already had plenty of in the show, let down by forced dialogue and a lack of pacing or drive.
The writing is passable at best. Whedon-esqe dialogue can be fun and quippy but can easily come off as insufferable, and Creatures of Habit definitely falls into the latter camp. A lot of the writing, even if it's from the point of view of teens, can be painfully cringy:
'Skeeter felt an instant familiarity with the black man reclining in the chair behind the table. maybe it was the drugged-up and oh-so-sexy goth babe who reclined at the man's legs, her arms draped over his thigh, her eyes dreamily fixed on nothing at all, Maybe it was the man's threads that spoke to Skeeter. Whatever it was, Skeeter knew that they were cut from the same cloth. The man was pure cool.'
The story also feels incredibly unbalanced and tonally mismatched, from the apparently world ending Big Bad that the Scoobies eventually end up meandering towards, to the tonal clash of Xander and Anya arguing about their wedding vs the implied sexual violence inflicted by Parnassus Jones. And that's before we get to how appropriate it was for the said Parnassus Jones, one of the few black characters in the Buffyverse, to be a big bad drug dealer who's blood thirsty nature even dwarfs that of Spike's. Yikes.
There's a few nice images, both literal and descriptive, but Creatures of Habit is just another dull retread of the same drug metaphors that we already had plenty of in the show, let down by forced dialogue and a lack of pacing or drive.
May 8, 2022
This was not good. 1 star just for being Buffy and 1 star because the artwork scattered throughout was good. Plot was boring, dialogue was horrible. This would have been better as a comic/graphic novel. As a novella, it just doesn't work very well. Of course, 2 of the people who wrote this also work on the Buffy comics, so that is probably why it felt like it should be a comic instead.
July 25, 2017
Creatures of Habit Aaawww....
I was always happier with Buffy/Spike than Buffy/Angel. I liked Angel with Cordie so much more. So glad Joss didn't kill Spike off in season 1 like originally intended.
I was always happier with Buffy/Spike than Buffy/Angel. I liked Angel with Cordie so much more. So glad Joss didn't kill Spike off in season 1 like originally intended.
October 29, 2017
This was not my favorite Scooby gang adventure but I think that is because it takes place during Season 6 and that is not my favorite season. I prefer more of the early Buffy. Still I enjoyed the story.
July 7, 2018
Season 6 Buffy is not my favourite, but I liked how this book captured the feeling of everyone before things came to a head in the musical episode.
October 1, 2019
Una de mis historias favoritas dentro de los libros de Buffy Cazavampiros, parece un capítulo más dentro de la sexta temporada.
June 6, 2022
Did not add anything to the characters. Read like a comic book.
October 21, 2024
I am just disappointed there aren’t MORE of these illustrated novels.
March 30, 2014
This is a novella that takes place during the sixth season. It has several illustrations that depicts a scene but these illustrations are not telling the story. The story is that Dawn finds a rave that moves its location every night but the problem is this rave is actually a front for a vampire who is planning something big for Sunnydale.
I didn't enjoy this novella. The illustrations are amazing and the likeness to the characters are phenomenal. The artists are definitely talented. That is where the good ended. The problem was the story. I am not sure if it was meant for a younger audience but that is the result. It was not polished and disjointed and I thought the story was nothing special. You can tell they are fans of the show as they did know the characters but this read like it was their debut novel (maybe it is).
If you are looking for a story within the Buffyverse, I would recommend skipping this one.
I didn't enjoy this novella. The illustrations are amazing and the likeness to the characters are phenomenal. The artists are definitely talented. That is where the good ended. The problem was the story. I am not sure if it was meant for a younger audience but that is the result. It was not polished and disjointed and I thought the story was nothing special. You can tell they are fans of the show as they did know the characters but this read like it was their debut novel (maybe it is).
If you are looking for a story within the Buffyverse, I would recommend skipping this one.
July 28, 2011
This is my favorite non-Joss Buffy comic that Darkhorse ever made. It is more of an illustrated story, with beautiful sketches and paintings that really capture the dark swirling sexy devastating beauty of Season 6.
August 11, 2021
The illustrations in this are amazing ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶
November 7, 2012
Pretty art. Story fit well enough into the season - though the writing quality was definitely at the lower range of YA, sadly. Could've been something, but at least the art was quite nice.
December 31, 2013
Not at all well written. Not at all.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews