Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus #2

by Scott Lobdell, Dan Brereton (Script), Christopher Golden (Script)

This second volume of our Buffy omnibus series collects many of the best Buffy comics to see print. As we follow the newly chosen Slayer from Los Angeles to Sunnydale and through her parents' divorce--with Dawn in tow--the souled vampire Angel makes his first appearance and the not-so-souled Spike and Drusilla cleave a bloody path toward the West Coast. This collection includes the critically acclaimed graphic novel Ring of Fire and the miniseries A Stake to the Heart, and reflects the Season 1 to Season 3 timeline of the cult-hit TV series. A fitting companion to Joss Whedon's comics-based relaunch of the show.

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

318 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2007

About the author

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

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

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nach einem sehr starken, emotionalen ersten Drittel, in dem Buffy und ihre kleine Schwester Dawn unter furchtbaren Schuldgefühlen leiden, weil ihr Vater die Familie verlassen hat, lässt die Qualität der Stories leider stark nach. Einige sind noch ganz passabel, andere regelrecht dünn.
Zudem hat Dark Horse in diesem Omnibus keineswegs die gesammelten Abenteuer nachgedruckt, sondern zwischen den einzelnen Heften liegen große Sprünge, und so tauchen überraschend etliche Figuren auf, die zuvor noch nicht eingeführt wurden. Mir ist nicht ganz klar, nach welchen Kriterien der Omnibus zusammengestellt wurde, möglicherweise soll er eine Ergänzung zur Fernsehserie sein, um die herum sich die Geschichten ranken.
Im Fazit ist der Band wegen der Familiengeschichte trotz der Schwächen lesenswert. Selten habe ich in (Abenteuer-)Comics die psychischen Auswirkungen einer Scheidung auf die Kinder so intensiv gestaltet gesehen.

[Soňa · Rating 4 out of 5]

PODCAST is here :)
This second volume of our Buffy omnibus series collects many of the best Buffy comics to see print. As we follow the newly chosen Slayer from Los Angeles to Sunnydale and through her parents' divorce--with Dawn in tow--the souled vampire Angel makes his first appearance and the not-so-souled Spike and Drusilla cleave a bloody path toward the West Coast. This collection includes the critically acclaimed graphic novel Ring of Fire and the miniseries A Stake to the Heart, and reflects the Season 1 to Season 3 timeline of the cult-hit TV series. A fitting companion to Joss Whedon's comics-based relaunch of the show.

I will round up to 4 crazy vampy kitties, but it's like 3,7-3,8, but that's just because some drawings weren't to my taste and exactly at Dru&Spike parts (booo). Plus, for some reason, I had expectations. I read that this is a mix up to align the stories and bla bla bla, but at the end it doesn't give me that much sense... sorry

First sentence: In 1998, Dark Horse launched a series based on Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which proved to be one of our most popular and enduring comics.
Last sentence: All I need now is a head of hissing poisonous snakes to go with it, and I'm ready for the prom!

Goodreads Challenge 2025: 38. book

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volume 2 is nowhere near as good as Volume 1 of the Omnibus. Not only did they make the bizarre choice of skipping around to comics from Seasons 2 and 3 in addition to pre-season 1 stuff (when Volume 1 was all pre-series, and I do enjoy a nice chronological order).

There are 7 comics in this omnibus. Quick reviews of all:

1. Angels We Have Seen On High: The art on this one is quirky, but I kinda liked it. Plot was ok, and the writers make the narrative choice to include Dawn in this pre-series comic, which is kinda cool.

2. A Stake To The Heart: Best comic in the book. Utterly bizarre. Has some great attention to little details from the series, but one of the CRUELEST lines I have ever seen in a Buffy comic occurs on page 108. I literally had to put the book down. It's just MEAN.

3. MacGuffins: Most pointless comic ever.

4. Queen of Hearts: Another Spike n' Dru comic that I really don't care about. Spike n' Dru aren't entertaining. Also, Ryan Sook's art is really weird in this comic, although I like it in the next.

5. Ring of Fire: 2nd best comic in the book, and I really like Ryan Sook's Giles. Also, Giles in this comic is bad-ass and all kinds of messed up, and wears this white sweater and black jacket combo and I still might have a eensy Giles crush.

6. Paint the Town Red: Why with the Spike n' Dru fascination? WHY?

7. The Dust Waltz: I feel bad that this plotline was ever even made into a comic. Bad story, bad art, and who the hell is Giles's niece Jane? Uh, fail.

The bad outweighs the good in this volume, even though I really really liked A Stake to the Heart and Ring of Fire was also pretty excellent. Although I suppose it's something that the two Spike and Dru comics were actually better than MacGuffins and The Dust Waltz, in the end.

Here's hoping Volume 3 of the Omnibus has some better stuff and goes back to being in order.

[Alma Lectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

un segundo tomo en el que encontramos una clara relación con los capítulos de la serie de televisión. Y que sino recuerdas (como yo) o no seguías te recomiendo un visionado porque hay varias referencias que pueden llevar a la confusión. Ya que hay varios personajes que cambian de personalidad y de bando. Lo que puede dejarte con cara de póquer jejeje


Más sobre mi opinión en la reseña del blog
http://almalectora.blogspot.com/2017/...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second omnibus collection of the old Dark Horse Buffy series is strictly mediocre. In fact, I'd rate about half the stories at 2 or 2.5 stars. They're just filler to continue the Buffy franchise. Even in the introduction, the editor admits that DH didn't pay much attention to continuity or have consistent quality (which is true of both the writing and the art).

However, the first story arc - a tale of Buffy and Dawn and their mother moving to Sunnydale following their parents' divorce, and being plagued by Malignancy Demons, was well done and emotional at times, even with the canonically questionable decision to include Dawn. (As viewers of the TV series know, Dawn didn't appear until Season 4, but due to the reality-altering nature of magic in the show, she "retroactively" existed in Buffy and everyone else's memories as having always been there.)

There were also a couple of Spike/Dru stories, including one written by James Marsters (the actor who played Spike). These were decent enough to make the collection worth reading. However, there's nothing really exciting here even for Buffy fans, and I'm not really inclined to read the rest of the series, whereas I will be following the continuing series written by Joss Whedon that is an extension of the show.

[Jenny Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5. The Stake to the Heart was very good, like all Nicieza’s comics on Buffy. Not just a girl killing vamps or demons while quipping, but a story with a deep psychological undercurrent. A great one. And I liked the illustrations best here.

I don’t really like anything Christopher Golden does, he just uses the outer side of Buffy, his stories so far have no character development or any deeper meaning, it’s just action and usually not really the best. A couple other stories were also not so great, like the Dust Waltz.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit unsatisfied with this volume and it has to do with how the stories felt as if they were from various seasons and all over the place as there was nothing tying these stories together except that there's a girl named Buffy and she's the slayer.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel the need to truly explain why this book exceeded my expectations. Yes, like other reviews have stated, most of these stories are fillers. They are not needed to make the Buffyverse go round. And to be honest, after reading Angels We Have Seen On High, I was convinced that these people must be 100% right in their reviews.

In my opinion, they are 100% wrong.

Enter: A STAKE TO THE HEART. I mean, goddamn, the artwork is fucking glorious. I cannot contain the excitement I felt with every passing frame. The malignant emotions were BEAUTIFUL. Buffy's facial expressions were absolutely heartbreaking. When Buffy was being overtaken by the butterflies in chapter four I thought to myself I MUST BLOW THIS UP AND WALLPAPER MY ROOM WITH THIS FUCKING MASTERPIECE. I could literally go on and on.

But then there is the story line in A Stake to the Heart. And it's pretty fucking important. We never actually see Buffy's dad leave in the show. We just know that it didn't work out, and that he loves her but isn't as involved as Buffy wishes he was. I loved seeing the story of the divorce unfold, of the feelings that all three of these women were feeling, of moving to Sunnydale with Dawn (yes, yes, I know). Not to mention seeing how Giles prepares to become a watcher? YES PLEASE! Watching him make some kind of truce/peace with Ripper was inspiring. And then you have Angel, already enthralled with Buffy, already willing to do absolutely anything and everything for her. I am just IN LOVE with this. Between the first and second Omnibus' this was my favorite story arc BY FAR. So original and clever and disturbing and overall wonderful. I cannot say enough about this. Everyone who had a hand in this deserves a fucking slap on the ass and a smooch on the lips.

Next: A RING OF FIRE. So incredibly beyond impressed. To say that this is a filler, that it barely ties into the TV series, is LAUGHABLE. Enter Kendra again, come to save the day and fight alongside Buddy. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the second slayer, and I always welcome her appearance. Add to that Dru being a spectacularly frivolous bitch and you have an installment that I love already. But to be honest, my absolute favorite part of this arc was Giles.

Giles fucking loved Jenny. She was intelligent, beautiful, hilarious, and put up with all of his occult/watcher duties, and even helped where she could. Losing her was terrible for Giles, and it took him a long ass time to get over her. To watch him work towards a resurrection spell, and actually achieve it... To see her come back to him in some form, and tell him that that they can't be together this way... His face in that last frame with her form was crushing. I was on the verge of tears just from the few lines that they shared, and from the wonderful artwork that accompanied it. And then following that he remembers who he is, and that Giles doesn't mope around, and he goes to help the gang and my heart is all a flutter because Rupert Giles is the perfect man.

Paint the Town was teeming with James Marsters' voice and it was fucking brilliant. I love any early explorations of Spike and Dru's love because it shows that he thrives in dysfunctional relationships no matter who is involved. Spike is glorious, and I'm forever upset with the ending that he got.

Lastly, The Dust Waltz could have been an actual episode. Willow and Xander brought out the wit to the extreme and I found myself laughing on more than one occasion. It was a joy to read.

So final analysis? This second omnibus was PHENOMENAL.SPECTACULAR. HOLY SHIT WOW. I love the Scooby Gang already, so maybe I am just too easy to please. But this was mind blowing. Five stars is not enough. It will never be enough. To infinity and beyond. Love.

[Arie ☂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection was a little all over the place. It takes some pretty significant jumps from season to season, and a certain character's "evil" status changes depending on the issue.



There's a nice explanation about why this occurs in the introduction of Volume 3 (trying to write a comic to fit in with the canon of the show while it's still airing is quite difficult), but the flow still ends up a little messy. The art styles also vary wildly, which probably doesn't help. The pre-season one story 'A Stake to the Heart' was definitely the highlight of the collection.

Angels We Have Seen on High: 3 stars
A Stake to the Heart: 4 stars
MacGuffins: 2 stars
Queen of Hearts: 3 stars
Ring of Fire: 3 stars
Paint the Town Red: 3 stars
The Dust Waltz: 2 stars

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

with these Buffy omnibus trades, the ratings tend to be all over the place, and while i can see where the nay sayers are coming from, nostalgia always wins out. the critiques of these earlier stories usually include a complaint about the non-linear plot line (which in this trade doesn't jump around too much) or the fact that the stories themselves don't contribute to the plot line. Plot plot schmot. i dig the early stuff before Buffy got to Sunnydale - it's actually really weird and creepy. and the side stories featuring Drusilla and Spike raising some hell make for some pretty awesome filler. i really enjoyed this little tome.

[Jackie "the Librarian" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing follow-up to the first volume. A lot of the art turned me off, looking like generic superhero stuff. I especially hate it when the characters look interchangeable, as in the last story, The Dust Waltz. Willow should be distinguishable from Cordelia. I did enjoy Ring of Fire, as I do anything that highlights Giles. Mmm, Giles!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[elizabeth • paper ghosts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to be upfront and mention that probably any and all Buffy and/or Angel graphic novels are going to be totally biased on my part. I kind of have a borderline unhealthy obsession with Buffy...so yeah. I'll still try to be critical, but they're pretty much all going to be five star ratings from me. ;)

As in my "Charmed" graphic novel reviews, I'll be breaking these down by issue. I don't discuss too much of storyline because I like to stay mostly spoiler free. ;) I really just go over my impressions of the art and the quality of dialogue.

1.) Angels We Have Seen on High
So Buffy takes Dawn to the Santa Monica Pier. And yeah, stuff happens. First off, I LOVED the crazy graphic art style. It reminded me of a cartoon, and was just super colorful and unique. While the art style definitely lent a more childish feel, there was still that awesome classic Buffy action. The dialogue was maybe a little stilted, but pretty much fit - especially Dawn. My only complaint would be that it was too short. I could have definitely used a little more in this style!

2.) A Stake to the Heart
This chapter is broken down into 4 acts. Basically, this is where we see the final breakdown of Buffy's parents' marriage. Angel, lurking in the background, tries to make things easier for Buffy and only ends up making them worse. But, of course, our girl Buffy knows how to take care of herself.

Cliff Richards is definitely probably my favorite Buffy line artist. He is really able to capture the essence of the characters' real-life actor counterparts in a very simple way. Are they dead on? No, but you know who everyone is the moment you see them. I also absolutely loved the gorgeous painted panels in this chapter. I loved seeing what was going on with other characters like Giles and Willow before they all officially met Buffy. The dialogue was great, and the overall feel of the whole comic was just good. It was probably my second favorite out of the omnibus.

I have to say, though, there were some pretty freaky panels. They can definitely get away with more weirdness in graphic form as opposed to television.

3.) MacGuffins
This one...just eh. This was the point I started to not like this omnibus as much as the first because we make a very sudden leap in time to a point where Buffy is officially moved to Sunnydale and Giles is officially her Watcher. The jump left me craving all the stuff in between. Anyway, Buffy is apparently staying at her father's house when a mysterious and mischievous package arrives.

Also, while this little bit of fluff was mildly entertaining, it didn't really develop anything besides a little comedy. The art style is really, really not my cup of tea. It's the typical heroine with legs for days, boobs to her chin, a butt like a beach ball, and poses that are constantly overly sexualized. As a fan of the show, I want to see a more realistic Buffy, similar to SMG in body shape. However, the dialogue was rather snappy and fun, so this little bit wasn't a total loss.

4.) Queen of Hearts
Yay, Spike and Drusilla are back! I do love the Spike/Dru centered comics scattered throughout the omnibuses. Spike was, of course, my all time favorite character, so seeing what he was doing before his entrance to the show is fascinating. Not to mention I've always had a soft spot for Drusilla. We find the duo on the way to St. Louis where they encounter a gambling boat with a seriously sinister undercurrent. Trouble finds them, as usual.

The dialogue was just fantastic. Christopher Golden really knows how to capture Dru's balance of crazy and poetic. There were some really great action panels, and one really stunning one of Dru. I didn't think I liked the artwork style at first, but the more I read the more I found myself appreciating it. It doesn't fall victim to a lot of the character design stereotypes, and I appreciate uniqueness. I also absolutely loved the washed out color palette.

Overall, just a fun little action romp.

5.) Ring of Fire
And again, we make a huge leap in time. Spike is in a wheelchair and Angel is evil and they're plotting evil things, like giant samurai that have giant birds as pets. While I still don't like the jumping, this was by far my favorite episode of the omnibus. It just felt great, and to me, this really could have been a viable episode for the show. It had intrigue, emotion, mystery, and tons of amazing action scenes.

The artisit, Ryan Sook, is the same as the last, and I have to say I liked the art even more here. It is highly stylized, while still capturing a very basic essence of the actors. The dialogue was also spot on. Xander, Willow, Giles, Buffy...everyone sounded exactly as how they would have been scripted. It made it incredibly easy to imagine their voices and really get immersed in the comic.

I also have to point out the wordless sequence on page 191. I love wordless sequences that can pack such a punch with only a handful of panels. It makes me tingly in a good way, and I find myself flipping back to this page quite a bit to just take it all in.

Overall, best episode in the omnibus. Since it's also the longest, it's the most developed, and it really pays off.

6.) Paint the Town Red
And we're back to Spike and Dru shenanigans. This is post-Angel-murdering when they've skedaddled from Sunnydale, but Dru is still pining a little for Angel. Spike is jealous, they have an epic fight involving raising sorcerer that can control the dead and a zombie army, and then they make up.

The same artist three times in a row feels like a treat. The muted color palette returns, and just the whole crazy love/hate dynamic of this couple is played to perfection. However, considering that James Marsters is a co-writer for the script in this comic, the dialogue is surprisingly...not as tight. The script didn't ring altogether true for either character, Drusilla especially. She was just a little too sane, a little too common. If Dru makes sense 99% of the time...it just isn't Drusilla.

Still, loved the Middle Eastern setting vibe, and like I said, they hit the nail on the head with the love/hate. Entertaining, but not as good as other Spike/Dru issues.

7.) The Dust Waltz
This was actually probably my least favorite issue. They tried to do too much in too few pages, and it just resulted in a kind of jumbled mess that had some good action, but kind of just felt blah. Basically, Lilith and her sister get together to host a demon-smashing party on the Hellmouth. And...stuff happens. Yeah.

The art style was really not my favorite either, which really doesn't help. Buffy was a little "boobalicious", and the clothes were absolutely horrible. The characters looked nothing like their real-life counterparts. I mean, Willow had brown hair. I thought she was Cordelia at first. The male characters are kind of interchangeable. Xander kind of looks like Angel who kind of looks like the "Maori" (I use quotations because he looks white to me...) warrior. The dialogue was rough, and no one really talked like the should.

However, the action was really good even if the scenes kind of jumped around all over the place. And I definitely enjoy a good ole werewolf any day of the week.

So yeah, another entertaining omnibus. My hopes remain high for the rest of the series, and I'm definitely eager to start reading #3. This is a must-read for dedicated fans of the show.

[Michaela Vysloužilová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ako obrovský fanúšik Buffy som akosi dúfala, že všetky tieto komiksy budú skvelé a nebudem mať voči nim žiadne výhrady. No tento druhý volume bol "eh". Dokážem sa preniesť cez tú tematickú nesúrodosť (v jednej kapitole je Angel dobrý, v druhej zlý, v tretej už je zasa dobrý) – predsa len som videla seriál, teda viem, čo sa medzitým stalo, a navyše ide o doplnkové komiksy k seriálu a nie samostatný príbeh. Nepáči sa mi však ten mix štýlov, ktorým sú jednotlivé komiksy nakreslené, a tiež fakt, že časť z nich je dosť... škaredá. No a potom je tu taký detail, že väčšina z tých príbehov nebola veľmi zaujímavá.

1. Angels We Have Seen On High – Rozkošný námet, ale strašná kresba ako od amatéra na internete. Našťastie to bolo super krátke. (*)

2. A Stake To The Heart - Geniálny príbeh a nádherné spracovanie. Rozhodne najlepšia kapitola celého volumu. Dejovo nadväzuje na kapitoly z prvého volumu, ktoré sa odohrávajú ešte pred začiatkom prvej série, a úžasne dopĺňa celý ten príbeh „pred Sunnydale“. (*****)

3. MacGuffins - Krásna kresba s nesmierne nezaujímavým a absolútne ničím neprínosným príbehom. (**)

4. Queen of Hearts - Príbehy o Spikovi a Dru ma príliš neberú (#TeamAngel). V tomto volume boli dokonca až dva a oba mi pripadali celkom priemerné. Štýl Ryana Sooka, ktorý kreslil štvrtú až šiestu kapitolu, bol tiež taký priemerný – neohromí, ale dá sa naňho zvyknúť. (**)

5. Ring of Fire - Jediná kapitola v komikse, kde sa Angel nachádza na opačnej strane. Je škoda, že mu nemohli venovať viacero príbehov. Napriek priemernej kresbe je to veľmi zaujímavá kapitola, ktorá patrí na ten kvalitnejší koniec spektra. (****)

6. Paint the Town Red - Opäť Spike a Dru. V tomto prípade ma príbeh zaujímal o máličko viac než pri štvrtej kapitole. (***)

7. The Dust Waltz - Záživný príbeh, avšak autor kresieb si nedal veľmi záležať na tom, aby sa postavy dali rozlíšiť. Willow a Cordelia boli chvíľami na nerozpoznanie. (***)

[Clare rushby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first omnibus, but was still really good and there were two comics inside that I gave a 5 star.

[Nori Fitchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love all the different art styles in this omnibus

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge buffy fan. I'm excited that I got to vol. 2. It give some filler into what happens in the show between episodes. Highly recommend!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

These omnibuses are so hard to rate because the art and storytelling quality change so drastically from one story to the next. "A Stake to the Heart" by Fabian Nicieza with art by Cliff Richards did most of the heavy lifting this round, with its affecting premise and horrifying psychological demons, while Hector Gomez's awful 90s-style superhero contortions in his art ruined what could have been another fun apocalypse in "The Dust Waltz". I guess the quality spikes (ha) and valleys make an omnibus much like a season of Buffy. 3.5 stars would have done it, here.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good collection of the comics. The last one "The Dust Waltz" I had read, the others, not so much. I liked seeing Kendra again, and I do love Dru and Spike (though the art in those stories left something to be desired -- a little bit too much Creepshow and not enough Buffy)

I liked the first collection better, as it had some of the origin type tales, but still, it was Buffy, and I really do miss seeing the show.

[Farren · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Just no. This volume was all over the place and some of these stories were just plain bad. I was going to rate this 2.5 stars but I just can't rate it that high after averaging everything out. I'm bummed :(

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent graphic novel, but at this point you pretty much have to have been watching the television show to follow along with what's going on in the stories. The stories are also stand alone, and are quite lacking in continuity.

[Isa Lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cada vez mejora mas. La verdad es que me ha atrapado mucho mas que el anterior. Las aventuras eran fantásticas y mucho mas interesantes.

[Jsrott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read and see stories written that don't mess with cannon but still add to the story already told. Looking forward to reading the rest.

[Soobie is expired · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really loved Buffy when I was a teen... When I found out about the comics, I had to read them. I'm not sure it was a good idea, though. I do have troubles reading American comics. Sometimes it's because of the art; sometimes because of the dark colors; sometimes I can't follow the right panel order; sometimes the people translating them into Italian didn't know how to do their job and the lines always felt fake.

I didn't like the mixing of pre-Buffy and current Buffy stories. And I don't know why they put all the Spike and Dru's stories in here, too. I mean, they have a Spike Omnibus somewhere.

Let's review each story by itself:

Angels We Have Seen On High: ★
I didn't like the art and the story felt useless. I understand the need to include Dawn in the pre-series world but it still feels weird. Jeez, when I first started reading I had even trouble with the language. I mean, it didn't even sound like English. Fortunately, it got better after a few pages.

A Stake To The Heart: ★
Extremely bizarre. I'm not sure I actually got the meaning of it all. The monsters were really yuck! Some panels were extremely beautiful to look at but mostly the art was just OK.

MacGuffins: ★
Meh.

Queen of Hearts: ★☆
First Spike and Dru's story. The art is extremely bad. Spike doesn't have lips, he has a dinghy on his face. OK, this doesn't mean anything in English but in Italian dinghy lips are those extremely fakes and extremely big lips, usually with the aid of plastic surgery. The story is OK, I guess.

Ring of Fire: ★★
Ok, the monster is interesting, the story is OK.

Paint the Town Red: ★
Why are Spike and Dru in Turkey? Why does he keep following her wherever she goes? Bad art and bad lettering, as well. Sometimes I had trouble making out the words.

The Dust Waltz: ★★★
I don't know how Giles' niece could fit into the story (she didn't!) but I kind of liked the plot. This was the best story in my opinion.

In the end, the average rating is extremely low. I've bought also volume three and I'll decide what to do with this series. For the moment I wouldn't be too keen on keeping on reading it.
I feel bad that this plotline was ever even made into a comic. Bad story, bad art, and who the hell is

[bookblurbage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tw: violence, mental health, death, blood, sexual references, feelings of abandonment

This was a real treat. A proper feeling of nostalgia came through for me on this volume.

I like how Sarah Michelle Gellar had to approve the images as they have a real liking to her. Some stories in here are weird and wonderful, especially the spirits based one which has a violent and gory core to it but also a sort of moral to it like Buffy's sister having a feeling of abandonment from her mother and Buffy herself. How it actually consumes and swallows her whole (literally and figuratively). Some really great imagery and illustrations in this section.

We find out more about Spike and Drusilla's relationship, how they both turned as well as getting acquainted with Giles and the rest of the crew. Some great puns/comedic moments are used such as when Buffy says to Angel 'you're an Angel.. no really' and there are some nods to her role as Daphne in Scooby Doo (initially I wasn't sure which was done first or even if there was an overlap). I can really picture some of the characters really clearly so the comic does do justice to the series.

A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ comic and I can't wait to read volume 3!

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', is a show that is near and dear to my heart. I grew up watching it, and have become to attached to the "Buffyverse" that even I still don't want to believe that show is over. That being said, when Dark Horse announced that they would be compiling all the original Buffy comics into volumes, and putting them in order from before Buffy came to Sunnydale, and leading up to the season nine comics, I was sold. You really don't have to say much to get me to buy anything that's Buffy related.

The omnibus volumes are a great idea for fans and graphic novel collectors alike. There is a great introduction in each volume by Scott Allie (the editor), which starts you off to what is in each volume. Volume two contains stories pre-Sunnydale, up to early season three.

Angels We Have Seen on High: This is a nice short story pre-Sunnydale, which focuses on Buffy and her younger sister Dawn. The art is very cartoon-y, almost manga like in a way, which that itself sets the tone of the story. It's one of the first stories that shows interaction between Dawn and Angel prior to him knowing Buffy in season one. Written by Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza, this story will get a nice chuckle out of you, especially if you are aware of how brooding Angel is. His short but sweet interaction with Dawn is to say, adorable, and really makes you wish that Dawn had more screen time with Angel on the actual show.

A Stake to the Heart: This four part story is worth the price of the volume alone. The artwork is beautiful, and the story is heartbreaking. It takes place right before Buffy, Dawn and their mother Joyce pack up and move to Sunnydale, California. Dealing with the grief of her parents' divorce, Buffy doesn't really know how to deal. Angel, feeling her pain, tries to take it away, and with the help of The Whistler, he uses a spell, which backfires, and in turn released malignancy demons upon Buffy, her sister Dawn and her mother. Written by Fabian Nicieza, this four part story will leave you feeling somber, while hopeful for Buffy and her family. There is also some nice character development prior season one of Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, and Xander Harris. It also includes a really brief, but interesting tie-in to the 'Angel' spin-off series.

Macguffins: Probably one of my favourite stories in the graphic novel series, is Macguffins. This short, but sweet and hilarious story sets us up to season two. Buffy, who is on vacation at her dad's house, receives a mysterious package, which includes two MacGuffins. All hilarity breaks loose, as Buffy tries to deal with this matter in a approachable way. Written by J.L. Van Meter, this short story was always the highlight of the comics series.

The Queen of Hearts: Okay, I'm going to be honest with you. The art for this story was horrible. It wasn't just not okay, it was BAD. For me, when art (drawn by Ryan Sook) is bad in a graphic novel, it really takes away from the actual story/plot, and that is just what it did. 'The Queen of Hearts' takes place to what I assume is pre-season two, before Spike and Drusilla make their way to Sunnydale (School Hard). Written by Christopher Golden, who is a big name in the 'Buffyverse' for his Buffy novels, this story is nothing but a distraction from the other stories in this book. I wanted to like it, I really did, but it seemed rushed. Golden could have done so much more with the story, but it fell flat, just like the art. If you're a Spike & Dru fan, I recommend reading it just to see the shenanigans that they went through, but of you are looking for an actual substantial story, skip it.

The Ring of Fire: The problem with this art (again, drawn by Ryan Sook), like 'The Queen of Hearts', is that again, it takes you away from the plot. Not only does the art look like it was drawn by a third grader, it also doesn't look anything like the characters themselves. I'm honestly surprised that Dark Horse was even given permission by the actors for their likeness. The story itself, written by Doug Petrie (a 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' writer), is really good, and adds great action. Continuity wise, a little off, as this is during season two when Angel is evil, but I'm unsure if it's pre-Judge or post-Judge, especially with the return of Kendra the vampire slayer. Not that bad, if you can get past the art, and queasy continuity.

Paint the Town Red: This is the part in this volume that I really start to hate Ryan Sook. His art is atrocious, and again it leaves you wanting to throw the book across the room. This story, written by James Marsters (yes, Spike), and Christopher Golden has some potential to be good, but instead it, like the previous Spike & Drusilla story, fell flat. This takes place right after season two of the show, and sees Spike & Dru stopping in a town to cause some ruckus. While it's a bit longer than 'The Queen of Hearts', it doesn't really give you substantial plots, and characters. While reading this, I couldn't help but notice how one sided the characters seemed to be. Again, if you are a Spike & Dru fan, I high recommend it, but if you just want to get to the meat and potatoes of the 'Buffyverse', skip it.

The Dust Waltz: The final story in this volume, takes place in season three of Buffy. Written by Dan Brereton, it centers on Buffy and her friends meeting Giles' niece (yeah, who would've known he had family), as they fight the mother vampire Lilith. The artwork is very voluptuous, if I can say so. Buffy, as well as the other female characters are well curved, and figured, but it's still lovely. I found myself reading this one really fast because it was a fast story to get through. It was interesting, and a nice way to end the volume.

All in all, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Omnibus Volume Two has it's ups and downs in both story and art, but collects some of the earliest and some of the most memorable stories in the comics run. I highly suggest buying it if you are a fan for just, 'A Stake to the Heart', and 'MacGuffins' alone.

[Angela Natividad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was easier to get into than the previous one. I began to understand that these volumes are a cross between Archie comics (fun standalone-story filler featuring people you happen to know and love... or not) and careful efforts to complement the series (which was ongoing at the time), usually by fleshing out the larger world of individuals.

Some details are take-or-leave: Giles has a niece who's a little adventure junkie! Guffaw. More interesting is the background on the emotional dynamics between Angel, Dru and Spike: How it works, the motivations behind why Spike ultimately defects (even as he allowed Angel to step on his balls at every available opportunity), and what the pair did once he managed to get Dru away (hint: It wasn't happily ever after).

These tiny granularities alone made Vol. 2 worth the read, even if I do have the feeling of just kinda dawdling on the outskirts of a world that's over, and not even in a part of it that's especially meaningful.

[Cristina (bibliotecadepueblo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque la puntuación es la misma que para el primer tomo, éste me ha gustado algo menos. Mientras que en el primero se seguía un orden cronológico claro, en éste las historias saltan de temporada en temporada. Si has visto la serie, como es mi caso, tienes la ventaja de no perderte, pero descoloca bastante el tener que estarse situando cada vez que comienzas una historia.

Otro "pero" para mí ha sido el dibujo en la mayoría de historias. No me ha convencido nada el dibujo de Ryan Sook, y el de Jeff Matsuda ha sido un rotundo no en este volumen. Un estilo tirando a dibujo animado que, a mi parecer, no encaja con la historia de estos ómnibus. En el lado contrario estaría el dibujo de Brian Horton, que he amado desde la primera viñeta.

En resumen, un volumen flojillo y demasiado ajetreado que, para mí, no ha funcionado tan bien como el primero.

2,5/5⭐

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7 stars

The stories; their quality and chronology are a little all over the place. I do actually like that we get to sample a variety of art and story styles. Some of the dialogue was poorly written - some characters seemed like they were saying lines that would be more natural coming from another character at times. It was like the writers didn't quite grasp the unique voices of each character. I really liked that we got a deeper look into Buffy's parents' divorce, and her feelings around it. That has always been interesting to me because it's not touched on very much in the show. For the most part it is a decent and enjoyable read.