Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 6: Retreat

Yay, Oz is back! (Not a spoiler, look at the cover.) Boo, our Slayers are being forced to be very un-Slayer-like, as they retreat against the forces of Twilight (no, not glowing vampires), a mysterious, gravelly-voiced masked super-villain who really hates Buffy. Maybe I should know who it is under

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the mask, or at least have some good guesses, but it's been a while since I've watched the entire show, so I am cheerfully in the dark and wondering when oh when will Twilight's identity be revealed. The artwork in this volume continues to be fun/semi-cartoony. The story seems to be building up to a climax (Season 8 finale?), as the Slayers find themselves in old-fashioned war against the military forces of the U.S.A. and Twilight, but the end is not arriving quite fast enough for my tastes. Hopefully the next volume sees some resolution to the Twilight arc.

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The comic-book series posits that there is now an army of slayers, spread around the world, training in unison against the forces of darkness. There’s also a big bad, named Twilight, who’s gunning for Buffy and her army of slayers. In “Retreat” the Twilight army keeps getting closer because

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they can track magic and power. Buffy and the Scooby gang head to Tibet to look up an old friend who might have something to say about using less magic and less power.

Penned by Jane Espenson, a Buffy scribe from the later seasons, this story was a mess. The humor was infrequent and unfunny. The art was hard to read; I often couldn’t tell which character was which, and if it wasn’t a close-up, the details were, literally, sketchy. The threats weren’t threatening, the relationships didn’t have depth, and while it ended on a mysterious cliff hanger, the bottom of the page had the audacity to read “The End”. I don’t care to find out what happens next. I’ll leave the character of Buffy in mid air (really) and be done with this series.

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I consider Buffy and Angel two of the best television series that ever aired, so it's disappointing that I haven't read an issue in the comics Season 8 equal to them in quality.

It probably doesn't help that I'm less than thrilled with the artistry of Georges Jeanty. People have complained in

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reviews that were it not for the cover with Oz on it (drawn by another artist) they wouldn't know it was Oz who showed up. I had no trouble knowing who it was from the context. Because of the cover I expected him to show up, and when Buffy said they were going to visit the one person she knew who was working at being less magical--and show up in Tibet, I thought, Oz! But then it was a bigger issue when some brunette is shown in a clinch in what is obviously supposed to be a climactic moment, and I'm not sure if that's supposed to be Dawn, Faith or some other brown-haired chick. It's not the first time this happened, in fact I frequently have to stop and stare and just guess, and that has killed the impact of what are supposed to be key moments. In an earlier volume, for instance, I wasn't sure if a character that had showed up was Riley or not--it took this volume for me to be sure. A friend of mine who likes and respects comics a lot more than me tells me that well, this is going to be a problem. That with Superman and Wonder Woman you have the uniform to keep people straight (So is that why so many comic heroes and villains have those outfits?). While with Buffy unless you really have a skilled and careful artist like the one doing the covers, it's easy to get confused. Good thing then Xander has that eye-patch.

What I did like? That the Twilight plot at least was advanced. The moments between Willow and Oz. The reunion of Giles and Buffy. What I didn't like? You know, I hated Warren and Willow's magical addiction thing when they first showed up in the television series--I thought they were the lowest point of the series--I really don't need a retread. Also, you know, I know it's fantasy, but part of what I loved in Buffy was the girl power, women-are-strong thing. Do not love this idea of let's let our power leech into the earth and go milk yaks instead. Also, the ending? I'm right with Buffy on that one...

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Read on December 29, 2016

Why would magical people who get all their strength from magic voluntarily give it up? Why would they want to make themselves weak? That seems so illogical.

And Riley? He must be a terrible spy because I'm not seeing how any of his info has helped Team Slayer.

And is that

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Dawn and Xander? What?

But Harmony on The Colbert Report -- hilarious!

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Twilight finally finds Buffy and her Slayer army, they track them using the magic they are using to shield and protect their fortress in Scotland. Buffy takes the gang to the only person she knows who has been able to give up the magics. Oz is able to surpress his werewolf nature and has made a

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family for himself in Tibet. Can he train the Slayers and Willow to release their magics and defeat Twilight's army with brute strength.

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Twilight locates and attacks Buffy's headquarters by homing in on their magic. Buffy's solution is to head for Tibet, where Oz has learned to suppress the magic that makes him a werewolf, and ask him to help them give up their powers... even the slayers. Hard to see how this is a good thing, but

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anyway... The good guys have given up their powers, but Twilight finds them anyway, and a war ensues that is not going well. Oh, and just as Buffy realizes her feelings for Xander, she discovers him and Dawn in a clinch.

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Really not liking the end of this one...However, I give myself kudos for recognizing Riley in one of the earlier books and wondering what he was doing working for Twilight....

The return of Oz was not at all what I was hoping/ expecting. And this Retreat storyline about the Slayers giving up their powers/ magicks and getting into an all-out gun/tank/weapon war with Twilight's troops... not entertaining.

It's time for a showdown with Twilight, although likely not the last one, given that two volumes remain. Twilight has been tracking the slayers' every move, no matter what precautions they put in place. They finally figure out how: their magic. So, off they venture to Oz in Tibet where they learn

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how to get rid of their magic, but hopes of living a normal life may just be dashed when the bad guys, armed with lots o' stuff find them.

First of all, let me just say something I've been meaning to since the first volume, but have perpetually forgotten to. I love that the opposing force is called Twilight. I like to imagine that they underneath the suit, the mystery man is a sparkly vampire. I know he's not, but it makes me giggle to think that this is some sort of commentary on the vampire legend of Meyer.

On to more pertinent and analytical comments. This volume is pretty intense. There's a lot of battling, a lot of tension and some bad choices made. Getting rid of their powers seems pretty stupid to me. I see why they're doing it, but what do they really think will happen next? I mean, okay, the slayers are normal girls again and can't be tracked, if they were to get luckier than they did. Then what? There are all of these extra demons running around, there to balance out the slayers. Do they just get to eat everyone?

Slayers with guns as a regular army, kinda funny, but definitely makes me glad that's not what the story was. I mean, there goes the whole point. Ah well. This volume makes me suspect Whedon's trying to tie the series up after the end of the last volume.

To conclude, some questions and frustrations: What happened to Oz? Why's he weird now? Ack, baby! What are you thinking, Xander? I know you only have one eye, but this is a bad idea. Bad Xander.

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I seem to have a harder time following the comic format. I love these characters, and I want to hang on, but I don't always understand what motivates them. Give up all your powers?! Are you crazy?! Apparently. Yay for Andrew video montage, though.

*Book source ~ Library

Twilight and gang are tracking Buffy and gang by their use of magic. So, they decide they need to lose their magic in order to hide from Twilight.

I’m sorry, but that’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. While I’m happy to see Oz in this one, I’m not happy that his

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way of dealing with his specific issue is the way the Scooby gang decides is the best way to deal with Twilight. Seriously? I hate the way this whole story arc is heading. No magic? How the hell do they expect to ever survive? This is the most dumbass course of action I’ve ever seen them try. I’m thoroughly disgusted. The last two graphic novels better be damn good to make up for this. Oh, and don’t get me started on the Xander/Dawn story that’s started here. At least the illustrations are pretty good.

Short shorts at the end
Harmony Comes to the Nation ~ Why does this bitch keep tormenting me? Make it stop. At least I like the illustrations.

Always Darkest ~ O.M.G. LOL This story earns 5 bites from me! I love it! Poor Buffy though. hehehe

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