Buffy Omnibus Volume 1

I have been a buffy fan since I started watching the show on BBC2, way back when. Going through a rewatch of the series on DVD again, as had decided wanted refresh before s8 (even after all these years show is still great). Have not finished research yet but came across these, which seemed a fitting companion piece. These stories serve as prequel to the series and fill in a lot of gaps in more detail. The first story was kinda disappointing (especially as Spike is fav. Character) but the other 3 stories are pure gold, 2nd covers Buffy first finding out she is the slayer, 3rd a vampire slaying trip to Vegas, last goes into detail of events that took place when buffy was sent to mental asylum. Loads of knowing nods to show for fans to enjoy, art looks nice on kindle, not mind blowing but story is good enough to shadow this. Worth a buy!

I did not collect the first "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" comic book series mainly because I did not cotton to the artwork. I picked up the first issue but that was it, although I did pick up some of the associated minis-series. So I got "" when it first came out because I liked the idea of redoing the movie script to better incorporate it into the mythos created by the television series, as well as "Willow & Tara Wilderness," Joss Whedon's "," and "." More recently I bought the "" trade paperback collection because it sounded like it might be similar to a "BtVS" novel that I tried writing once upon a time. But with Joss Whedon writing and serving as "executive producer" for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8" (and now gearing up for "Season 6" of "Angel"), Dark Horse decided to reprint a definitive collection of the first "BtVS" comic series and its assorted spin-offs.Initially I was sitting on the fence with regards to even checking out the series, but then I discovered that this omnibus series is organized chronologically following the timeline of the television series. In other words, the stories in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus, Volume 1" take place before the show's first season. That, I decided, meant Volume 1 was at least worth a look and then I can see what I have missed:"All's Fair" ("Spike & Dru" #3), script by Christopher Golden, pencils by Eric Powell, and inks by Drew Geraci & Keith Barnett. This is a Spike & Dru story where the love vamps are checking out the Chicago World's Fair of 1933, where a scientist has tapped into energy from a demon dimension. Meanwhile, there are people who want to make Spike pay for killing his first Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion. Those story lines are interesting on their own, but putting them together does not up the ante. There is a neat scene where Spike and Dru simultaneously put the bite on a pair of young lovers kissing, but sharing pages ends up hurting the two main plot lines (4 Stakes)."Buffy: The Origin," adapted from Whedon's original screenplay by Dan Brereton & Golden, pencils by Joe Bennett, and inks by Rick Ketcham. What if the original movie version of "BtVS" had been filmed the way Joss wrote it and not turned into a camp comedy by the director? This three-part comic book story gives fans an idea of what might have been. Beyond making Buffy look like Sarah Michelle Gellar, it is cutting all that campiness that makes this worth reading and upgrading the supporting cast: for example, Merrick looks like a cross between Donald Sutherland and Richard Riehle, the actors who played the character in the movie and TV series respectively. Not great, but I like it way more than the movie (4.5 Stakes)."Viva Las Buffy!" (#51-54), script by Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Cliff Richards, and inks by Will Conrad. What I like about this one is that beyond the whole idea of a road trip to Las Vegas (the number of times Buffy got out of Sunnydale on the TV series can just about be counted on one hand), is that it explains what happened to Pike: they run away to live and work in Vegas, but he becomes convinced that having a Slayer for a girlfriend is way too dangerous. I also like that it deals with how Giles came to be Buffy's second Watcher, although having Angel be in the story bothered me a bit until I remembered that according to "Becoming" he was hanging around keeping an eye on Buffy back then. But it was the insistence on working Dawn into these early outings that became too much for me. The neat thing this time around are the special siblings where only one is a vampire, which makes for an unusual scene, but overall this one tries to do too much with limited success (4 Stakes)."Dawn & Hoppy the Bear," everything by Paul Lee. A demon goes after Buffy by giving her a "make-a-wish teddy bear." The only problem is that Buffy is off in Las Vegas (see previous story), so the delivery goes to Dawn instead. On the one hand, since Dawn was not really there at this point in history I have no idea as to what "really" happened that would justify this revised memory. But on the other hand, this is a cute little story (3.5 Stakes)."Slayer, Interrupted" (#55-59) script by Lodbell & Nicieza, pencils by Richards, and inks by Conrad. While Buffy was off in Las Vegas, Dawn finds her sister's diary. When her parents read about how he has been fighting vampires and demons, they have her committed to a mental institution. Buffy actually likes not having to be the Slayer, but of course those running the place have a different agenda, making their patients brides of the demon Rakagore. Meanwhile, Giles has to face the consequences of having used Black Magic. The attempt to have early Giles jive more with later Giles does not really work because early Giles is so not the Ripper we meet in these issues. At the end of this the Summers move to Sunnydale, Giles is officially installed as her Watcher (there is a formal ceremony apparently), and the rest is history (4.5 Stakes).There is also a Cover Gallery, because for some reason a lot of these reprint magazines like to either ignore the covers that went with these stories or shove them in the back of the book. This book does both. In the end I round up on this collection because of the nice job they do with Take 2 of Buffy's "Origin," although the second time reading these stories I better appreciate the attempt to work out what they referred to at Dark Horse as "Buffy: Year One." I just think having Dawn around for these early stories was a mistake because her presence does not fit my understanding of how her retroactive existence works. But that might just be my hang-up and most "BtVS" fans will not mind such things. Now I will have to see if manages to maintain this initial level.

So I picked this up when it was quite cheap on the store, but would have been happy if I bought it at a higher price as I enjoyed the whole thing from the first pages.As a huge Buffy fan it left me wanting more. Volume 2 downloading...

Diese Rezension bezieht sich auf alle 7 Folgen der Buffy-Comic-Omnibusse.Ich bin ein Spätberufener. Erst 2009 habe ich mir die Buffy-Folgen angekuckt. Immerhin hatte das den Vorteil, daß ich sie a) mit meiner inzwischen vorhandenen und genügend alten Tochter und b) in einem Rutsch ansehen konnte. Früher hatte ich sie verachtet (die Serie, nicht meine Tochter). Albern kichernde Mädchen, die amateurhaft kostümierte Möchtegernvampire verprügeln. Das geht ja gaaar nicht.Wie alle, die sich bisher hin durchgeklickt haben, wissen, war das ein typisches Vorurteil: einfach, plausibel und falsch. In Wirklichkeit, das weiß ich jetzt, ist Buffy eine der besten TV-Serien überhaupt (aber nur mit der originalen US-Tonspur - die deutsche Synchronisierung ist überübel).Dann war die Serie zu Ende und die Verzweiflung groß. Also habe ich mir diesen Comic-Omnibus bestellt, nach langem Zögern.Es ist natürlich nicht das Gleiche wie die Serie. Aber: die Dialoge sind nach wie vor "echt Buffy". Neben einigen mittelmäßig gezeichneten Episoden gibt es viele, besonders in den späteren Bänden, die wiirklich toll gezeichnet sind. Und fast 300 Seiten Farbcomics für 16 Euros, dagegen läßt sich auch vom Preis her nichts einwenden.Die Comics greifen viele Nebenhandlungen, Vor- und Zwischenzeiten auf, die in der Serie nur angedeutet werden. Wie hat Spike den Slayer während des Boxeraufstands getötet? Was passierte in L.A.? Was hatte es noch gleich auf sich mit der abgebrannten Sporthalle in der Vor-Sunnydale-Zeit? Die Comics geben darauf plausible, witzige und buffyeske Antworten.Ich habe die Omnibusse inzwischen alle und verfolge nun gierig die achte Staffel in Comicform. Wie gesagt: als TV-Serie wäre es besser, aber es ist das next best thing und wirklich gut.

This collection of stories from before Buffy Summers ever heard of the hellmouth was a lot of fun to read (and look at), sometimes funny, sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes both, and answered more than a few questions about the Slayer's past. (Didn't we all wonder what happened to Pike? I know I did.) It surprised and, ridiculous as it sounds, delighted me, and after I finished it I felt...satisfied. Very satisfied. Gratified, even. And also happy.The first story starts long before Buffy is even born, but stars the pre-chipped, pre-ensouled Spike and his lovely, crazy vampire lady love Drusilla. They're trying to see the shape of things-to-come and to enjoy themselves (in their own way) at the 1933 World's Fair, but as usual, someone doesn't seem to want them to have their fun. The title page for this story is particularly striking, in my opinion. I would love to have a larger version of it.In "The Origin" we get a version of the original movie that is supposedly a lot closer to Joss' original screenplay. I loved it. My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer. This version was funny, like the movie, but a whole lot less stupid, a whole lot more interesting, and just plain better. And Buffy's dress for the dance was much more stylish.Then we find out what happened to--or rather, with--Pike, when he and Buffy go to Las Vegas in "Viva Las Buffy!" and they meet...well, a whole bunch of vampires. Pike narrates the story, and it's pretty interesting to get to see Buffy from the point of view of someone who cares about her, but isn't really part of the world of vampires and demons. This story was also good, and definitely had some items of interest. Plus, some of that thought-provokingness that I mentioned before. Pike doesn't understand that a lot of Buffy's strength ends up coming from the people who care about her, and who she cares about. Neither does she at this point. Neither, also at this point, does Rupert Giles, who's hoping to become a Watcher and work with the Slayer.There's a short, cute, and kind of cuddly story called "Dawn and the Hoopy Bear"--but watch out for the claws. Despite the silly name and the fact that it centers on Dawn--no Buffy in sight--a character that was controversial but intriguing to include in these stories early on in the timeline, this story was definitely enjoyable.Then we get "Slayer, Interrupted" where we find out about the circumstances surrounding Buffy's time in a mental hospital, which we got on a short glimpse of during the series. This one has more of that thought-provokingness, as Buffy tries to figure out what it means to be the Slayer. Of course, she ends up learning about herself in the process, while, across the pond, Giles is learning about himself. In fact, Giles gets the last (hilarious) line in this collection.