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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8, Vol. 4: Time of Your Life
Willow and Buffy head to New York City to unlock the secrets of Buffy's mysterious scythe, when something goes terribly awry. Buffy is propelled into a dystopian future where there's only one Slayer -- Fray, the title character of Joss Whedon's 2001 series, the first comic he ever wrote. Their uneasy alliance falls apart, leading to the death of a major character from the TV series, while back in the twenty-first century, the Scotland base falls prey to a mystical bomb courtesy of the Biggest Bad-Twilight.
* The first two volumes of Buffy Season Eight have combined to sell over 160,000 copies!
* Includes the highly anticipated Buffy/Fray crossover, "Time of Your Life," and "After These Messages . . . We'll Be Right Back," written by Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween).
* Collecting issue #16-20 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series.
* The first two volumes of Buffy Season Eight have combined to sell over 160,000 copies!
* Includes the highly anticipated Buffy/Fray crossover, "Time of Your Life," and "After These Messages . . . We'll Be Right Back," written by Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween).
* Collecting issue #16-20 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series.
136 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
2604 people want to read
About the author
Joss Whedon
484 books4,334 followersJoss Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon) is an American screenwriter, executive producer, film and television director, comic book writer, occasional composer, and actor, and the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures.
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009–2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon
He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)', 'Angel (1999–2004)', 'Firefly (2002)' and its film follow-up 'Serenity (2005)', and 'Dollhouse (2009–2010)', as well as the web-series' 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)'. Whedon co-wrote and produced the horror film 'The Cabin in the Woods (2012)', and wrote and directed the film adaptation of Marvel's 'The Avengers (2012)', the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Many of Whedon's projects have cult status and his work is notable for portraying strong female characters and a belief in equality.
credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
October 29, 2018
Kennedy is back! Yeah.
This is centered on time traveling and I hate when shows start messing with time. It is usually bad writing and does little for the plot. Buffy jumps to the future and has to fight more slayers and people wanting to kill her. Whatever.
It's an ok issue, but I didn't care for this bit of the story. I do like the last issue where she wakes up in season one and is living her life. She realizes it's easier a little than before and it's still not easy. She sees her mom again and that is good. It is fun to remember just how good those 1st 3 years are in Buffy. I mean that was some good TV. I would love to have time to watch them over again. The issue is a cartoon and she wakes up back in her stinky clothes with the weight of the world on her shoulders once again. It's a nice little dream/flashback.
The writing is amazing, I just didn't like the direction they chose to go in. I hope the next volume is better. I have it on the way. 'You drive like a spaz, Summers' - still love that line.
Anyone remember the sing-along they did of 'Once more with feeling' where they took it to movie houses. That was a great evening. It's too bad they shut that down. The studio could have made a lot of money on a yearly basis with that. Plus the trivia was fun. I was part of a Buffy Meet-up group and they knew all the good trivia questions. It was awesome. They even play Coin operated boy that a fan put together before hand. It was awesome. They should do that again.
Yeah, Buffy fan Love.
This is centered on time traveling and I hate when shows start messing with time. It is usually bad writing and does little for the plot. Buffy jumps to the future and has to fight more slayers and people wanting to kill her. Whatever.
It's an ok issue, but I didn't care for this bit of the story. I do like the last issue where she wakes up in season one and is living her life. She realizes it's easier a little than before and it's still not easy. She sees her mom again and that is good. It is fun to remember just how good those 1st 3 years are in Buffy. I mean that was some good TV. I would love to have time to watch them over again. The issue is a cartoon and she wakes up back in her stinky clothes with the weight of the world on her shoulders once again. It's a nice little dream/flashback.
The writing is amazing, I just didn't like the direction they chose to go in. I hope the next volume is better. I have it on the way. 'You drive like a spaz, Summers' - still love that line.
Anyone remember the sing-along they did of 'Once more with feeling' where they took it to movie houses. That was a great evening. It's too bad they shut that down. The studio could have made a lot of money on a yearly basis with that. Plus the trivia was fun. I was part of a Buffy Meet-up group and they knew all the good trivia questions. It was awesome. They even play Coin operated boy that a fan put together before hand. It was awesome. They should do that again.
Yeah, Buffy fan Love.
February 2, 2018
2.5 stars actually. But I’m rounding up because even if disappointing, it wasn’t bad. Not near. But I’m so excited reading this series that I was expecting bright fireworks and I got an amateur bonfire with little sparks here and there.
The ironic thing of all this it’s that this volume is about one of my favorite things ever: time travel and some things are super interesting. BUT it felt rushed and for that reason it wasn’t enough, I needed more because something was missing and the essence of Buffy was pretty lost. Good setting, appealing approach but sadly, not up to my expectations.
They touch a lot of things and trying to explain everything is difficult. If you have that many plots or factions open you can’t keep adding more fuel to the fire because it makes the whole thing confusing and unnerving. I need some explanation about what I’ve just read. Don’t leave me hanging this way please, tell me why.
Careful, spoilers ahead, so read it at your own risk
The best? Drum rolls are required please: Dark Willow could be back and with a really cool name: The Black Hope
The worst? Mostly Dawn and her ridiculous situation. The only thing saving her from my anger is that she’s with Xander most of the time and he’s still hilarious.
So, yes, Read it! because it’s vital to be able to keep going with the series since revelations are made and also, who knows? Maybe you love it. I’m waiting for my hubby to read it and tell me what he thinks because it could be just me and my necessity of great humor and great old Buffy stuff.
Reviews for Book Lovers
The ironic thing of all this it’s that this volume is about one of my favorite things ever: time travel and some things are super interesting. BUT it felt rushed and for that reason it wasn’t enough, I needed more because something was missing and the essence of Buffy was pretty lost. Good setting, appealing approach but sadly, not up to my expectations.
They touch a lot of things and trying to explain everything is difficult. If you have that many plots or factions open you can’t keep adding more fuel to the fire because it makes the whole thing confusing and unnerving. I need some explanation about what I’ve just read. Don’t leave me hanging this way please, tell me why.
Careful, spoilers ahead, so read it at your own risk
The best? Drum rolls are required please: Dark Willow could be back and with a really cool name: The Black Hope
The worst? Mostly Dawn and her ridiculous situation. The only thing saving her from my anger is that she’s with Xander most of the time and he’s still hilarious.
So, yes, Read it! because it’s vital to be able to keep going with the series since revelations are made and also, who knows? Maybe you love it. I’m waiting for my hubby to read it and tell me what he thinks because it could be just me and my necessity of great humor and great old Buffy stuff.
Reviews for Book Lovers
March 25, 2016
The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars is because I love Moline (apparently most people don't? How can you not like Karl Moline's work? It's so bright and pretty!) and I love Melaka. If the volume didn't have those 2 elements, I'd give this zero stars. It was that bad. As a whole though, this story made no sense. I DID NOT GET IT.
This volume was set to be my favorite, but the story telling was really convoluted and confused the crap out of me. Super, super disappointed.
Off to google to see if someone on the internet can explain to me what I just read.
This volume was set to be my favorite, but the story telling was really convoluted and confused the crap out of me. Super, super disappointed.
Off to google to see if someone on the internet can explain to me what I just read.
September 17, 2020
Well, Buffy time-travels... a big-bad we have seen before is the big bad in the future... a huge deal happens...
Also we meet the last living slayer in that time:
...and she doesn't really know Buffy all that well either. She was pretty upset there were no books about her in the future. Come on Buffy, you were famous for your time.
Anyway, I loved this volume. It reminded me a lot of the later seasons of Buffy plus a little Doctor Who.
Also we meet the last living slayer in that time:
...and she doesn't really know Buffy all that well either. She was pretty upset there were no books about her in the future. Come on Buffy, you were famous for your time.
Anyway, I loved this volume. It reminded me a lot of the later seasons of Buffy plus a little Doctor Who.
June 24, 2009
I may need to reread this volume again to see if I missed something, but it seems to me that Whedon totally dropped the ball on this episode of BUFFY SEASON 8. What should have been an awesome story -- Buffy's crossover into the world of Whedon's first comic work, FRAY -- is poorly executed, poorly explained, and nonsensical plotwise.
The overall goal of the story seems to show a dark future for Willow and a foreboding sense that the Slayer Army will ultimately fade away. But there's no tension in this. I could have done with much more interaction between Buffy and Fray. There was a host of additional story opportunities Whedon could have taken, and I'm stupefied why he took this particular one. Maybe it will become more apparent as the season unfolds, but this is definitely NOT up to the standards set on this series by BUFFY writers Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard.
The backup "B-story" of an attack on the Slayer castle unfolds with some trademark Whedon humor and a slight progression of the Twilight story, but it suffers from problems with the art. There is a reveal of a particular character who is some double agent servant of Twilight's, but because of the art I can't tell who it is. Is it supposed to be Riley? Andrew? Somebody else? I dunno. Which is a shame, because most of Moline's and Jeanty's art through the rest of the volume is top-notch.
The volume caps out with a fun "dream story" by Jeph Loeb that takes on the flavor of the aborted BUFFY animated series. In fun animated series art from Jeanty, Buffy relives her "Year One" life (this time cleverly populated by retconned Dawn). It's a lot of fun revisiting this period in Buffy's life, particularly in the cartoony art. I wouldn't mind reading more of such fare if they were able to continue the quality.
The overall goal of the story seems to show a dark future for Willow and a foreboding sense that the Slayer Army will ultimately fade away. But there's no tension in this. I could have done with much more interaction between Buffy and Fray. There was a host of additional story opportunities Whedon could have taken, and I'm stupefied why he took this particular one. Maybe it will become more apparent as the season unfolds, but this is definitely NOT up to the standards set on this series by BUFFY writers Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard.
The backup "B-story" of an attack on the Slayer castle unfolds with some trademark Whedon humor and a slight progression of the Twilight story, but it suffers from problems with the art. There is a reveal of a particular character who is some double agent servant of Twilight's, but because of the art I can't tell who it is. Is it supposed to be Riley? Andrew? Somebody else? I dunno. Which is a shame, because most of Moline's and Jeanty's art through the rest of the volume is top-notch.
The volume caps out with a fun "dream story" by Jeph Loeb that takes on the flavor of the aborted BUFFY animated series. In fun animated series art from Jeanty, Buffy relives her "Year One" life (this time cleverly populated by retconned Dawn). It's a lot of fun revisiting this period in Buffy's life, particularly in the cartoony art. I wouldn't mind reading more of such fare if they were able to continue the quality.
January 28, 2010
Color me stupid, but I just realized while reading this fourth volume that the evil group Buffy has been facing in the comics is called 'Twilight'.
Hee....
Since Stephanie Meyer shamelessly ripped off countless ideas and concepts from Joss Whedon, I gotta assume that the man is taking a not-so subtle dig at She-Who-Writes-Sparkly-Vampires.
Whedon has been continuing the adventures of Buffy and her friends from where the finale of the series left off. And while it's been interesting, Whedon's comic writing just doesn't grab me the way that his TV work did. I often find his stuff confusing on the page, and if you haven't read the Fray collection he did about a slayer in the future, don't even try to read this one or you'll be even more lost.
Hee....
Since Stephanie Meyer shamelessly ripped off countless ideas and concepts from Joss Whedon, I gotta assume that the man is taking a not-so subtle dig at She-Who-Writes-Sparkly-Vampires.
Whedon has been continuing the adventures of Buffy and her friends from where the finale of the series left off. And while it's been interesting, Whedon's comic writing just doesn't grab me the way that his TV work did. I often find his stuff confusing on the page, and if you haven't read the Fray collection he did about a slayer in the future, don't even try to read this one or you'll be even more lost.
January 17, 2010
I'm very sad to say that it sucked. Just sucked. I waited a long time for this and was really excited for it. I enjoyed the first 3 volumes of the series. But I spent the vast majority of this book being completely confused. I'm sure that if I had read the Fray stories it would have made a bit more sense. As it was, it wasn't until I looked at the back cover that I realized that this was a crossover between the 2 series. Which might have been cool as a stand-alone story, but as the last quarter of Season 8 just, well, sucked. None of the previous plot lines were wrapped up. Tons of new and weird mythological and newly created creatures where thrown in, not just from Fray at all, but weren't explained or supported, it was just for the heck of it. There were no emotional moments or pulled-heartstrings. Yes, lots of Buffy and Willow slang, but without the depth or character of the other books in this series or the show. The only thing I liked was Dawn's new transformation, just because it was pretty. But it also made no sense and didn't add to the story. Plus, Willow's drawing was awful. I wouldn't have recognized her in the first section if it weren't for her hair color. The Buffy and Xander images were good though. Overall, seriously, it sucked. So disappointed.
Update: I thought this was the last volume in the series. Finding out that there are 2 more upgraded my opinion to a 2.5. At least it's a detour and not the final installment.
Update: I thought this was the last volume in the series. Finding out that there are 2 more upgraded my opinion to a 2.5. At least it's a detour and not the final installment.
October 8, 2014
This was very interesting. We got to see Dark Willow again when Buffy traveled to the future.
November 17, 2016
I'm not a fan of the main storyline, but the last issue (with the back-to-the-sophmore-year dream squence and cute cartoony art style) was just adorable. It made me realize how much i missed first few seasons of the show!
November 18, 2017
The action in this one was the best! Time travel! Evil Willow! Dawn's a centaur! Moral complexity! A flashback to high school! A great nod to one of my favourite episodes Band Candy! But damnit could Kennedy be more annoying? When is Willow going to dump her??
October 24, 2010
$5 to anyone who can explain the plot of this one to me, thanks.
December 4, 2011
These "Season Eight" trade paperbacks/episodes are entertaining and capture a little of the old feel of the series, but so far they've all been good but not great. In book four, Buffy goes to the future and meets Fray, the sole surviving Slayer. In the grand tradition of every time traveling superhero comic book story ever, the two of them have to fight each other. Also, we meet Dark Willow (again). Normally I'd say this entire subplot seemed a little bit pointless, though entertaining, but Whedon is good at making small details that seemed insignificant at the time important later. Likewise the story at the end where Buffy has a dream in which she time travels backwards and gets to relive her simpler Sunnydale days with the Scoobies -- is it just an interlude, or will this dream also have significance later?
The only real advancement in the main Twilight (yes, Whedon, you were so clever giving the Big Bad of Season Eight that name) plot is the reappearance of Amy and Warren, most annoying Buffy villains ever. Props for the image of launching a magical V-1 rocket at a Scottish castle full of Slayers and witches (once again, pure crack for the storyteller no longer constrained by a special effects budget), and turning Dawn into a centaur was good for endless one-liners, but this is about the point in the season where the plot should begin moving in the direction of the finale.
The only real advancement in the main Twilight (yes, Whedon, you were so clever giving the Big Bad of Season Eight that name) plot is the reappearance of Amy and Warren, most annoying Buffy villains ever. Props for the image of launching a magical V-1 rocket at a Scottish castle full of Slayers and witches (once again, pure crack for the storyteller no longer constrained by a special effects budget), and turning Dawn into a centaur was good for endless one-liners, but this is about the point in the season where the plot should begin moving in the direction of the finale.
November 12, 2014
What in the world is going on with Buffy Summers? I don't know what is going on, but this story was extremely disjointed and strange. There were some funny parts I'll admit. Once again we see a character not grieving for someone they really care about who has died. Once again we have time traveling that doesn't really effect the story. Once again we have Xander and Dawn sharing dirty jokes and making me feel extremely uncomfortable. Just a bunch of redone stories that don't excite me reworked here.
December 3, 2015
This one left me with my jaw hitting the floor (even though I kind of saw coming who was the scheming bastard). I am still very surprised and WANT ALL THE ANSWERS (which I guess I will get once I pick up Fray... which I am definitely going to do.) Joss Whedon will make a comic book reader out of me yet!
March 11, 2022
I took a quick glance at some of the other reviews as I went to add this volume and was kinda shocked to see so many "meh" comments about it! I actually really had a blast reading this: the writing felt true to the characters and was quippy without being annoying, the artwork was vibrant and expressive, and the plot was a delightful time-travel-y ride! I LOVED getting to see Melaka again; I read "Fray" for the first time last year and thought it was fantastic. Maybe I'm a bit biased because I'm a sucker for time-travel play (and centaurs tbh), but truly "Time of Your Life" is my favorite volume in Season 8 so far.
May 30, 2009
Joss and Co. take a slight break from their main storyline for a trip through time so Buffy can meet Melaka Fray. Sadly, Fray never really did it for me so I was kind of "meh" about that story. Also, Whedon does a lousy job of introducing readers to the Fray universe so if you don't know who who's you might want to pick up Fray, the comic (which was the idea, I'm sure). Personally, I'd see if you can find it in the library. Like I said, I didn't think it was that good.
Twilight (the villain, not the teenage-girl porn) does appear a couple times with Warren and Amy, though. And there is some villainy as they attack Buffy's people. Also, a new, third cohort appears. Sadly, I don't know who that is. The artwork didn't look like any character I recognized and he isn't named. I think it's supposed to be Andrew, but I'm not sure and I don't want to read any spoilers that might have already appeared in the single issues. (Edit: Reading other reviews, it's supposed to be Riley.)
The second story is based on designs for the un-produced Buffy animated series. It's basically Buffy missing the good ol' days, then realizing the present isn't so bad, either. Throw in some sentimental moments where Buffy gets to see her mom again and there you go.
Anyway, if you enjoyed Fray, you'll probably enjoy this as well. If you didn't enjoy Fray, well...the stuff with Xander and Dawn was cool.
Twilight (the villain, not the teenage-girl porn) does appear a couple times with Warren and Amy, though. And there is some villainy as they attack Buffy's people. Also, a new, third cohort appears. Sadly, I don't know who that is. The artwork didn't look like any character I recognized and he isn't named. I think it's supposed to be Andrew, but I'm not sure and I don't want to read any spoilers that might have already appeared in the single issues. (Edit: Reading other reviews, it's supposed to be Riley.)
The second story is based on designs for the un-produced Buffy animated series. It's basically Buffy missing the good ol' days, then realizing the present isn't so bad, either. Throw in some sentimental moments where Buffy gets to see her mom again and there you go.
Anyway, if you enjoyed Fray, you'll probably enjoy this as well. If you didn't enjoy Fray, well...the stuff with Xander and Dawn was cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2015
In all reality, this story is three stars. But MELAKA FRAY AND THE FUTURE ARE BACK AND BADDER THAN EVER AND THAT MEANS FUCK YES.
I really didn't think I'd ever see Melaka in another comic. So I'm more than thrilled that Moline came back to add her into another story arc. And let me say, it was done really, really well. But I don't want to spoil a lot of things, so here's my list of things to look forward to in this volume:
-Melaka and her whole world once again prove to be amazing. Harth is still way evil. Gunther is still a creepy fish-man. And the future is still riddled with lurks while Melaka continues to kick ass.
-Dawn is a centaur! Wahoo!
- Evil Willow is all eeeeevil again.
-Xander is a man's man and is dealing with the death of Renee in the best possible way.
-Buffy drives a flying car and it's pretty superb.
-More heartbreaking moments ensue.
-You also get a short story at the end that is super hilarious, cute, and flashbacky. So great.
Parts I didn't like? Kennedy acting like Buffy is hot for Willow's ass. What the fuck is wrong with that girl? I never liked her very much. But once again, maybe that's because Willow has a track record for amazing lovers, and Kennedy is just a bitch.
Other than that, the time jumping was done really well and I enjoyed seeing the forest come to the rescue of the Slayers. This was an enjoyable read. I'm sad I have to wait for the next volume.
I really didn't think I'd ever see Melaka in another comic. So I'm more than thrilled that Moline came back to add her into another story arc. And let me say, it was done really, really well. But I don't want to spoil a lot of things, so here's my list of things to look forward to in this volume:
-Melaka and her whole world once again prove to be amazing. Harth is still way evil. Gunther is still a creepy fish-man. And the future is still riddled with lurks while Melaka continues to kick ass.
-Dawn is a centaur! Wahoo!
- Evil Willow is all eeeeevil again.
-Xander is a man's man and is dealing with the death of Renee in the best possible way.
-Buffy drives a flying car and it's pretty superb.
-More heartbreaking moments ensue.
-You also get a short story at the end that is super hilarious, cute, and flashbacky. So great.
Parts I didn't like? Kennedy acting like Buffy is hot for Willow's ass. What the fuck is wrong with that girl? I never liked her very much. But once again, maybe that's because Willow has a track record for amazing lovers, and Kennedy is just a bitch.
Other than that, the time jumping was done really well and I enjoyed seeing the forest come to the rescue of the Slayers. This was an enjoyable read. I'm sad I have to wait for the next volume.
September 5, 2015
I really enjoyed the Fray/Buffy crossover, but at the end I felt a little unsatisfied...too many new questions posed and no questions yet answered. We still have Twilight, Snake Lady, Warren (who shouldn't be) and now add more Snake Lady and Willow going evil at some time, living for centuries only to have Buffy kill her! And will Buffy's knowledge be what makes Willow this way or will she now be able to stop it!?! And Riley! WTF! Not to mention she felt she had to hide it. Also Buffy totally destroyed Fray's ax.
I didn't really like the one shot at the end, "After These Messages," it felt too contrived to be a nostalgic look back at the old Scoobie gang with knowing asides to the future combined with a way of finally using all the work on that cartoon they were going to do but never was. Also a bit high-handed with the Angel conversation about telling someone their future, Willow (hem hem).
I didn't really like the one shot at the end, "After These Messages," it felt too contrived to be a nostalgic look back at the old Scoobie gang with knowing asides to the future combined with a way of finally using all the work on that cartoon they were going to do but never was. Also a bit high-handed with the Angel conversation about telling someone their future, Willow (hem hem).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2019
3.5, but lowering to 3 stars after consideration
--
I enjoyed this volume more than I expected to, considering my relative unfamiliarity with Fray, but I think it could have been a more exciting story had it been spread across multiple volumes. Generally, the storyline is on the rushed and choppy side, and I'm beginning to worry that the pace won't ever slow. Action is great, but I want more space for character development -- after all, we all rejoined the Buffyverse because we missed the characters first and foremost.
I did dig the return of a (much-maligned) character from Buffy's past, and I'm excited to see where he ends up. I wasn't one of his haters, so I'm hoping that his role in the plot is presented with care. I actually liked where they left his story in the show, and I have no desire to see him brought low for nothing more than vindication for his past actions.
I also much prefer centaur-Dawn to giant-Dawn, but honestly, I'm looking forward to regular-Dawn. It feels like we're losing insight into who she is as a person now because the gimmick overshadows everything.
--
I enjoyed this volume more than I expected to, considering my relative unfamiliarity with Fray, but I think it could have been a more exciting story had it been spread across multiple volumes. Generally, the storyline is on the rushed and choppy side, and I'm beginning to worry that the pace won't ever slow. Action is great, but I want more space for character development -- after all, we all rejoined the Buffyverse because we missed the characters first and foremost.
I did dig the return of a (much-maligned) character from Buffy's past, and I'm excited to see where he ends up. I wasn't one of his haters, so I'm hoping that his role in the plot is presented with care. I actually liked where they left his story in the show, and I have no desire to see him brought low for nothing more than vindication for his past actions.
I also much prefer centaur-Dawn to giant-Dawn, but honestly, I'm looking forward to regular-Dawn. It feels like we're losing insight into who she is as a person now because the gimmick overshadows everything.
January 15, 2019
Actual rating: 3.5.
I don't have much to say about this one. It was entertaining and I'm really intrigued about what happened in the future. I also liked that last issue where Buffy dreamt she was back in season 1 and had a vintage artstyle. It didn't add anything to the story, sure, but it was funny and nostalgic. But, overall, it was kinda... meh and a bit rushed.
I don't have much to say about this one. It was entertaining and I'm really intrigued about what happened in the future. I also liked that last issue where Buffy dreamt she was back in season 1 and had a vintage artstyle. It didn't add anything to the story, sure, but it was funny and nostalgic. But, overall, it was kinda... meh and a bit rushed.
August 20, 2024
I love how there's always a twist in these that is totally unexpected! The time-bendy nature of this volume was very interesting! Loved the bonus story at the end, too!
November 14, 2021
Thank god I read the future-y book before I read this, else I would be confused beyond saving.
December 27, 2023
3.5/5
Honestly my least favorite of the pack for now.
There are still great elements in it even if time-travel is always not my cup of tea.
We get to see first of all Frey and then Dark Willow again when Buffy travels in time to the dystopian future. While there still was the soul of the series, I found it too sci-fi centered to fully like it.
Honestly my least favorite of the pack for now.
There are still great elements in it even if time-travel is always not my cup of tea.
We get to see first of all Frey and then Dark Willow again when Buffy travels in time to the dystopian future. While there still was the soul of the series, I found it too sci-fi centered to fully like it.
June 28, 2020
So glad I started reading these. Still searching for an affordable copy of volume 8...
June 17, 2011
Favorite Quotes:
Melaka Fray, “I fig we stake some lush haunt, lurks come out, we skin 'em for stories. Yeah?”
Buffy, “Does any part of that sentence involve me beating something up?”
Tree person-thing, “Let us show these abominations the forest's rage!”
Xander, “Followed quickly by the forest's denial, bargaining, and then short, painful acceptance.”
I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the previous three. I can't connect to a lot of shows or books that jump into the near future (flying cars and all, but no spaceships). They seem a bit cheesy and it's been done before. But the events here will resound into future books. Right after finishing it, I really didn't understand why the main antagonist did what she did. After some thought, I figured it out … I think. If I'm right, there will definitely be consequences.
Pros -
The 'future speak' was different enough from our current speech that I could believe they were in a different time, but still understand what they said. Whether language/slang will change that much in one hundred years, I don't know. But it's an overlooked detail many books/shows forget when doing a 'future' episode. People will talk different in one hundred years. It added an extra touch of believability to those scenes.
As with the previous Buffy Season 8 graphic novels, the humor and art were amazing. I keep saying that every time I review one of these. But really, it's true. I feel like I'm watching another episode on TV.
Cons -
I did have one problem with the artwork. One of the future characters looks a lot like Buffy, and it was a bit confusing (especially when she's first introduced, and we don't know who she is). When they're in the same scenes, they're dressed different and Buffy's hair is a wee bit shorter, so I could tell them apart. But they're just a little too similar looking.
Some of the speech squares (where there was dialog in a box, but the speaker's not in sight) were confusing, and I had to go back and figure out who was speaking. The worst incident happened when the internal dialog boxes switched suddenly between Buffy and the future slayer, Fray. The color of the box changed, which is usually an indicator of a new narrator, but it was similar enough that I didn't notice. For several frames, I thought Buffy was still 'thinking,' but her comments made no sense for her character. Eventually I caught on, but it ruined the flow of the story until I did.
This graphic novel is probably necessary for the continuing story arc, but it's not as good as the past ones. I think fans of the series should read this, but it doesn't do the series justice for a first time reader (in fact, it'll be very confusing).
I recieved this book as a free Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.
Follow my reviews at Urban Fantasies Read and Reviewed.
Melaka Fray, “I fig we stake some lush haunt, lurks come out, we skin 'em for stories. Yeah?”
Buffy, “Does any part of that sentence involve me beating something up?”
Tree person-thing, “Let us show these abominations the forest's rage!”
Xander, “Followed quickly by the forest's denial, bargaining, and then short, painful acceptance.”
I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the previous three. I can't connect to a lot of shows or books that jump into the near future (flying cars and all, but no spaceships). They seem a bit cheesy and it's been done before. But the events here will resound into future books. Right after finishing it, I really didn't understand why the main antagonist did what she did. After some thought, I figured it out … I think. If I'm right, there will definitely be consequences.
Pros -
The 'future speak' was different enough from our current speech that I could believe they were in a different time, but still understand what they said. Whether language/slang will change that much in one hundred years, I don't know. But it's an overlooked detail many books/shows forget when doing a 'future' episode. People will talk different in one hundred years. It added an extra touch of believability to those scenes.
As with the previous Buffy Season 8 graphic novels, the humor and art were amazing. I keep saying that every time I review one of these. But really, it's true. I feel like I'm watching another episode on TV.
Cons -
I did have one problem with the artwork. One of the future characters looks a lot like Buffy, and it was a bit confusing (especially when she's first introduced, and we don't know who she is). When they're in the same scenes, they're dressed different and Buffy's hair is a wee bit shorter, so I could tell them apart. But they're just a little too similar looking.
Some of the speech squares (where there was dialog in a box, but the speaker's not in sight) were confusing, and I had to go back and figure out who was speaking. The worst incident happened when the internal dialog boxes switched suddenly between Buffy and the future slayer, Fray. The color of the box changed, which is usually an indicator of a new narrator, but it was similar enough that I didn't notice. For several frames, I thought Buffy was still 'thinking,' but her comments made no sense for her character. Eventually I caught on, but it ruined the flow of the story until I did.
This graphic novel is probably necessary for the continuing story arc, but it's not as good as the past ones. I think fans of the series should read this, but it doesn't do the series justice for a first time reader (in fact, it'll be very confusing).
I recieved this book as a free Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.
Follow my reviews at Urban Fantasies Read and Reviewed.
April 24, 2016
This fourth volume of Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic collects # 16–20 of the title and returns to four issue story arc plus a single issue story format. It also sees the return of Whedon himself on the writing on the four issue arc (i.e. The Time of Your Life) in collaboration with Karl Moline, with whom he apparently did the Fray: Future Slayer mini series (which I, unfortunately haven't read).
The story is good and offers a crossover with the aforementioned Fray. But once again (see my review of volume one), the story falls short on occasion in the art department. Moline manages to draw Melaka Fray's sister in a manner which is looking pretty much the same as the way he draws Buffy. This lead to a significant problem in my reading issue/chapter two as the opening features Fray and someone who, while differently dressed from Buffy, nevertheless looks like her. And since the captions or dialogue doesn't really spell out that this isn't Buffy (and I, as stated, haven't read Fray: Future Slayer), I consequently read most of this issue/chapter as if this character was Buffy, as if the story had jumped ahead, and I was eagerly waiting for a flash back to see how they ended up together... only when the "flash back" scene arrived it didn't read as a flash back scene and I had to go back, still not making much sense of it until I read ahead and noticed that the girl in a red body stocking kinda thing and Buffy, still in her dress, meet and the former is referred to as Fray's sister. Still, this is a little bit too late in the game for that and it is very confusing as written. I hope you will have an easier time knowing this when going in (if you haven't already read it), but still think Whedon need to take a look at this problem. It's not even that I by default require that the characters are the spitting photorealistic image of the actors (though good likenesses certainly don't hurt), but for goodness sake: make the characters visually distinctive (and not just by uniform, thank you).
Still, Time of Your Life is a good Buffy story and it offers further insights into this season's über plot: that concerning Twilight (no not the vampire books and films series).
The volume ends with the single issue story "After These Messages ... We'll Be Right Back", written by Jeph Loeb and with Georges Jeanty back on pencils. It is an aftermath issue to the main arc of the volume and a long dream sequence providing us with some old time Buffy and the Scoobies action; a comparison of what has gone before to what is going down in the present.
All in all, despite its problem in issue 17, this volume tells good Buffy stories and I'm staying with the series.
The story is good and offers a crossover with the aforementioned Fray. But once again (see my review of volume one), the story falls short on occasion in the art department. Moline manages to draw Melaka Fray's sister in a manner which is looking pretty much the same as the way he draws Buffy. This lead to a significant problem in my reading issue/chapter two as the opening features Fray and someone who, while differently dressed from Buffy, nevertheless looks like her. And since the captions or dialogue doesn't really spell out that this isn't Buffy (and I, as stated, haven't read Fray: Future Slayer), I consequently read most of this issue/chapter as if this character was Buffy, as if the story had jumped ahead, and I was eagerly waiting for a flash back to see how they ended up together... only when the "flash back" scene arrived it didn't read as a flash back scene and I had to go back, still not making much sense of it until I read ahead and noticed that the girl in a red body stocking kinda thing and Buffy, still in her dress, meet and the former is referred to as Fray's sister. Still, this is a little bit too late in the game for that and it is very confusing as written. I hope you will have an easier time knowing this when going in (if you haven't already read it), but still think Whedon need to take a look at this problem. It's not even that I by default require that the characters are the spitting photorealistic image of the actors (though good likenesses certainly don't hurt), but for goodness sake: make the characters visually distinctive (and not just by uniform, thank you).
Still, Time of Your Life is a good Buffy story and it offers further insights into this season's über plot: that concerning Twilight (no not the vampire books and films series).
The volume ends with the single issue story "After These Messages ... We'll Be Right Back", written by Jeph Loeb and with Georges Jeanty back on pencils. It is an aftermath issue to the main arc of the volume and a long dream sequence providing us with some old time Buffy and the Scoobies action; a comparison of what has gone before to what is going down in the present.
All in all, despite its problem in issue 17, this volume tells good Buffy stories and I'm staying with the series.
September 23, 2018
Good thing I took the advice of others and read Fray before jumping in to it. So, advice for new readers, read Frey!
So what's it about? Well buffy and crew are trying to hunt down some mystical blah blah, you know same old, but Willow by accident sends Buffy in to the future. Wait? Is it? Or is it all planned! With getting deeper understanding of Frey's world, on top of what may happen to Willow in the future, new enemies coming out, and old ones plotting, everything is getting bigger and grander. Oh and Dawn is half horse now.
Good: Love the heck out of Frey and Buffy meeting. Two girls, two slayers, so different, yet so alike in some ways. I also thought the Dawn turning into half horse was pretty funny. Willow has some cool moments and a nice reveal that seems to be building to something big.
Bad: Some of it's to grand, or epic scale, to really get in to it. The baddies behind the scene keep scheming but nothing is very interesting there. Also, Frey's brother is a little bitch bitch, and haven't seen him do anything to make him such a heavy threat.
Overall it's a solid entry into season 8. Probably one of the weaker volumes but saying that I did enjoy it. A 3.5 out of 5.
So what's it about? Well buffy and crew are trying to hunt down some mystical blah blah, you know same old, but Willow by accident sends Buffy in to the future. Wait? Is it? Or is it all planned! With getting deeper understanding of Frey's world, on top of what may happen to Willow in the future, new enemies coming out, and old ones plotting, everything is getting bigger and grander. Oh and Dawn is half horse now.
Good: Love the heck out of Frey and Buffy meeting. Two girls, two slayers, so different, yet so alike in some ways. I also thought the Dawn turning into half horse was pretty funny. Willow has some cool moments and a nice reveal that seems to be building to something big.
Bad: Some of it's to grand, or epic scale, to really get in to it. The baddies behind the scene keep scheming but nothing is very interesting there. Also, Frey's brother is a little bitch bitch, and haven't seen him do anything to make him such a heavy threat.
Overall it's a solid entry into season 8. Probably one of the weaker volumes but saying that I did enjoy it. A 3.5 out of 5.
April 22, 2016
This was a decidedly average addition to the series for me. It felt a lot like Whedon and the other writers went "HEY. What about if we try and get more readers for Fray by merging it into the Buffy comics?!", and they set about building an entire volume based on that. It really didn't work for me. I didn't care about Fray, I didn't care about why Willow was still alive in 200+ years time, I didn't care that Buffy somehow got magically teleported to the future to meet Fray, I just flat out didn't care. Not to mention the fact that it was poorly explained and there's almost no introduction to the Fray characters. They're just thrown in there like you're supposed to know who they are and understand their futuristic speech patterns. Which, no.
Honestly, the one thing I enjoyed about that whole storyline was Fray saying "Summers, you drive like a spaz!" and Buffy getting pissy about it.
Similarly, Dawn going from a giant to a centaur was equally stupid. Why? Because they insisted on making her suuuuuuuuper skinny as always, but then attaching her how-do-you-even-have-organs-in-there slender torso to THE SHOULDERS OF A VERY MUSCULAR HORSE. Which didn't even remotely work. I've been totally on board with the art in the series until this point, but Dawn as a centaur was just really weirdly drawn. And frankly, I find centaurs deeply confusing anyway because they'd totally have two hearts and two sets of lungs. And they have six limbs. Add in Dawn saying "Xander, you'll have to ride me", and it was a hell of a lot weirder than I remembered.
And on top of all that, we layer in a minor appearance by Riley (I think??? We only see his face in one panel and the art in that panel isn't great. It could easily be Andrew too...) who OBVIOUSLY turns out to be working for Twilight, Kennedy being convinced that Buffy's trying to steal Willow from her (hell, the presence of Kennedy is general isn't of the good) and Willow needing to have an orgasm in order to contact the green snake lady monster thing, and I was in a world of "WTF is happening right now???"
That said, I DID very much enjoy the non-Time of Your Life story that was tacked on the end in which Buffy dreams that she's back in high school. The art was really cute, the story was fun, and it was great to revisit Sunnydale High, even if it was in a dream state. Honestly, if it hadn't been for that final little story, this would easily have been a two star volume for me.
Honestly, the one thing I enjoyed about that whole storyline was Fray saying "Summers, you drive like a spaz!" and Buffy getting pissy about it.
Similarly, Dawn going from a giant to a centaur was equally stupid. Why? Because they insisted on making her suuuuuuuuper skinny as always, but then attaching her how-do-you-even-have-organs-in-there slender torso to THE SHOULDERS OF A VERY MUSCULAR HORSE. Which didn't even remotely work. I've been totally on board with the art in the series until this point, but Dawn as a centaur was just really weirdly drawn. And frankly, I find centaurs deeply confusing anyway because they'd totally have two hearts and two sets of lungs. And they have six limbs. Add in Dawn saying "Xander, you'll have to ride me", and it was a hell of a lot weirder than I remembered.
And on top of all that, we layer in a minor appearance by Riley (I think??? We only see his face in one panel and the art in that panel isn't great. It could easily be Andrew too...) who OBVIOUSLY turns out to be working for Twilight, Kennedy being convinced that Buffy's trying to steal Willow from her (hell, the presence of Kennedy is general isn't of the good) and Willow needing to have an orgasm in order to contact the green snake lady monster thing, and I was in a world of "WTF is happening right now???"
That said, I DID very much enjoy the non-Time of Your Life story that was tacked on the end in which Buffy dreams that she's back in high school. The art was really cute, the story was fun, and it was great to revisit Sunnydale High, even if it was in a dream state. Honestly, if it hadn't been for that final little story, this would easily have been a two star volume for me.
February 23, 2023
There will be spoilers below!
February 3, 2011
In a Sentence: Time of Your Life takes Buffy on a trip to the future and takes a deeper look at the character of Willow.
My Thoughts
As much as I love Buffy and Xander, Willow has to be my all-time favorite Buffy character. Which is why Time of Your Life is probably my favorite Buffy comic so far in the series, even though I'm usually not much of a fan of the whole "trip to the future" idea for a plot line.
In Buffy's trip to the future, she encounters Willow, and Willow's not exactly the same as when Buffy last saw her. I won't go into detail in order to avoid spoilers, but I will say this....I really wish that I could have seen what happened between the present and where Buffy ends up in the future, because I'd like to see what exactly happened to bring about the changes Buffy sees.
The character of Riley Finn, Buffy's old boyfriend, also makes an appearance, though not in the way you'd (or at least I'd) expect him to. His presence is brief, but I'm hoping there'll be more of him in future issues!
For those of you who remember Kennedy from Season 7 of the television series, you get to see a bit more of her in Time of Your Life. I don't necessarily dislike Kennedy, but she hasn't exactly grown on me yet either. Personally, I thought that Tara and Oz were both amazing characters, but I haven't made that connection with Kennedy yet. Anyways, I did like what I saw of her in this book, so maybe I'll grow to love her yet.
My only complaint about this book was that I wasn't a huge fan of the last issue included in this volume, called After These Messages...We'll Be Right Back. The plot was basically that Buffy has a dream where she's back in Sunnydale as her sixteen year-old Slayer self. Anyways, I got the point that they were probably trying to make that Buffy sometimes wishes she could go back to time when things were easier, but it seemed a bit slow-moving to me. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed Time of Your Life, and I'm looking forward to the next book!
My Thoughts
As much as I love Buffy and Xander, Willow has to be my all-time favorite Buffy character. Which is why Time of Your Life is probably my favorite Buffy comic so far in the series, even though I'm usually not much of a fan of the whole "trip to the future" idea for a plot line.
In Buffy's trip to the future, she encounters Willow, and Willow's not exactly the same as when Buffy last saw her. I won't go into detail in order to avoid spoilers, but I will say this....I really wish that I could have seen what happened between the present and where Buffy ends up in the future, because I'd like to see what exactly happened to bring about the changes Buffy sees.
The character of Riley Finn, Buffy's old boyfriend, also makes an appearance, though not in the way you'd (or at least I'd) expect him to. His presence is brief, but I'm hoping there'll be more of him in future issues!
For those of you who remember Kennedy from Season 7 of the television series, you get to see a bit more of her in Time of Your Life. I don't necessarily dislike Kennedy, but she hasn't exactly grown on me yet either. Personally, I thought that Tara and Oz were both amazing characters, but I haven't made that connection with Kennedy yet. Anyways, I did like what I saw of her in this book, so maybe I'll grow to love her yet.
My only complaint about this book was that I wasn't a huge fan of the last issue included in this volume, called After These Messages...We'll Be Right Back. The plot was basically that Buffy has a dream where she's back in Sunnydale as her sixteen year-old Slayer self. Anyways, I got the point that they were probably trying to make that Buffy sometimes wishes she could go back to time when things were easier, but it seemed a bit slow-moving to me. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed Time of Your Life, and I'm looking forward to the next book!
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