Product Description: Buffy is being stalked by a creature intent on killing her so that it can bring about the end of the world. So, what else is new? The only person who can save her is a Slayer who should have died a long time ago. Confused? Well, so are Buffy and the gang. If that's not weird enough, what's she to make of a backpack full of maggots? How about a herd of rats that overrun the cafeteria just as she's sitting down to eat? Just how much can Buffy take before she gets totally grossed out? Chris Boal, Tom Fassbender, and Jim Pascoe join Buffy artists Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel to bring you two tales of revenge and retribution. Collecting issues #26-28 of the ongoing series.
Better Than Some of the Earlier Collections, But Still a Mixed Bag This trade paperback collects two "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" stories: The two-part "Heart of a Slayer" and the one-shot "Cemetery of Lost Love" comic.
Heart of a Slayer: In this really average Buffy story, slayer and a demon from the past phase through time itself, ending up in--of course--Sunnydale. Buffy teams up with the slayer of old to kill the demon before things get hot, with Willow, Xander, and Giles on research duties. While it couldn't be described as badly written, I didn't feel like writer Chris Boal had a good grasp of the dialogue patterns of the show, or a feeling of the characters themselves. And the big reveal at the end? I had that figured out in the first fourth of the story. It could have been loads better.
Cemetery of Lost Love: This one is considerably better. Writers Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe have a really strong feel for the tone of the show and the characters, which made this a nice read. It's short, snappy, and does a lot in twenty two pages. Artist Cliff Richards also shows improvement in this story. I felt his action scenes were a bit off in "Heart of the Slayer," which made the entire thing flow better.
Overall, due to length and content, it's not the best of the old Buffy trade paperbacks, but it's an interesting read that might appease some fans. At the very least, one of the three issues collected in here was a good read.
6/10
The best Buffy book I have ever read.... I can truly say, without exaggeration that this is by far, the best Buffy the Vampire Slayer book I have ever read. Chris Boal's writing is pure genius. He seems to have a special insight into Joss Wheadon's unique vision of the character. It remains true to the original, yet at the same time it keeps it new and interesting. I don't want to give away the surprise ending in Heart of A Slayer, but wow, I sure didn't see that coming. Buffy fans, and everyone else should buy this book. It is just great.
Autumnal Leaves the Rest Behind I happened to be watching several syndicated episodes of the television show while reading Autumnal and couldn't help but miss the earlier episodes of BTVS. I miss the humor, the genuine emotions and the mystery of those earlier episodes. Autumnal harkens back to those days.
I found Autumnal a great read and really enjoyed the fact that there is still some mystery in the Buffy universe. A slayer that should be dead and a new, deadly demon, injects some mystery and wonder back into the Buffy universe.
And I though the story about the disgruntled wannabe vampire was great! Finally a return to some frivolty, some immaturity and FUN.
If you want to recapture the spirit of earlier seasons when water bills and addiction weren't the "big bad", read this book.
A great read. The art may be a bit sub-par, but the writing is so far above the usual paplum that is spewed out in these books as to make this one of the best ever!! A real sense of character and adventure infuse this book. Plus a way cool plot taking the BTVS plot to a place we haven't been to before. Lots of fun.
I want more like this! I never write reviews on anything, but after reading the reviews that Chris Boal got, I had to say something. I am a HUGE fan of Buffy and I have to say that some of the writing was getting borring and silly until he came along. I am looking forward to more of Mr. Boal's writing and as a die hard Buffy fan - I hope you will listen to MY review. Thanks.
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