Joss Whedon, Jeph Loeb, Karl Moline: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, #4).
This one started really, really well. The banter between Xander, Willow and Buffy was spot on and it felt exactly like watching one of the shows. I could hear them talk.
But then the action started and … well, it was all a bit confusing. Buffy gets dragged into the future where she meets up with future slayer Fray. The future is a future with flowing cars and the like and Buffy and Fray have some great battles together – as well as great great dialogue. But it was all a bit confusing and it did feel a bit out of tune with the rest of season 8.
Back in Buffy’s normal time, Willow of course tries everything to get her back while Xander has stayed behind and have some memorable moments when the castle is under attack – especially together with Dawn who finally stopped being a giant. I’m not sure she thinks being a centaur is much better but it makes for some truly funny moments.
Finally, there’s a short story in the end which is not really part of the season 8 story arch but which sees us briefly back in Sunnydale and meeting up with old favorites – Giles, Angel, Cordelia. A nice short breather – some great dialogue and funny moments.
As always, when I read these, I love getting my Buffy fix and I love reading Joss Whedon’s dialogue. However, I always feel a bit disappointed with them – the artwork just doesn’t impress me that much and I find myself sometimes being confused about who a character is supposed to be… Still – for any Buffy fans, these are a must to read!
The Literary Bunny 