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dreaming_ace's review against another edition
3.0
This was ok. I enjoyed that Giles was back and it was fun to see oz. I will say the plot became a bit convoluted and confusing.
bookwormneedsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
dembury's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 rounded up.
Well…that wasn’t what I was expecting. Or necessarily wanting? This whole plot felt much sloppier than previous Season 8 plots, and like it wasn’t fully thought out. On the plus side, I liked seeing Oz again, and felt like his return felt natural. I’m glad to see his growth and how he’s chosen to deal with his own personal situation. Also, the Giles/Buffy moments and conversations in the first part were very nicely done!
But there was so much other stuff that felt off. It seems to me super unlikely that Buffy would turn so easily and quickly to having everyone give up their Slayer powers/magics, especially when that power is something she knows makes them who they are and also KEEPS THEM SAFE…as we see pages later when she’s like “Omg we need our powers!” It was kind of an interesting idea to explore, but this didn’t seem like the right time for it.
Also the artwork takes a noticeable downturn in this volume! It’s been good, even enjoyable at times, up until now. The close-up drawings are decent, but figures in the background look like literal aliens half the time. The rest of the time it’s a bit of a guessing game to figure out who is who; I kept thinking Kennedy was Faith, and Dawn looks like she went through another Thricewise transformation.
And what’s with the random side story about Monroe?! Talk about a page waster! NOTHING about that was important to the bigger picture and it was boring either way.
It was fine. “Retreat” wasn’t ~terrible~, but it was DEFINITELY not the strongest. Actually it’s the weakest in all of Season 8 so far. It’s just frustrating to read and all I can do is hope it gets better again!
Well…that wasn’t what I was expecting. Or necessarily wanting? This whole plot felt much sloppier than previous Season 8 plots, and like it wasn’t fully thought out. On the plus side, I liked seeing Oz again, and felt like his return felt natural. I’m glad to see his growth and how he’s chosen to deal with his own personal situation. Also, the Giles/Buffy moments and conversations in the first part were very nicely done!
But there was so much other stuff that felt off. It seems to me super unlikely that Buffy would turn so easily and quickly to having everyone give up their Slayer powers/magics, especially when that power is something she knows makes them who they are and also KEEPS THEM SAFE…as we see pages later when she’s like “Omg we need our powers!” It was kind of an interesting idea to explore, but this didn’t seem like the right time for it.
Also the artwork takes a noticeable downturn in this volume! It’s been good, even enjoyable at times, up until now. The close-up drawings are decent, but figures in the background look like literal aliens half the time. The rest of the time it’s a bit of a guessing game to figure out who is who; I kept thinking Kennedy was Faith, and Dawn looks like she went through another Thricewise transformation.
And what’s with the random side story about Monroe?! Talk about a page waster! NOTHING about that was important to the bigger picture and it was boring either way.
It was fine. “Retreat” wasn’t ~terrible~, but it was DEFINITELY not the strongest. Actually it’s the weakest in all of Season 8 so far. It’s just frustrating to read and all I can do is hope it gets better again!
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I have read these before as they came out in comic book, so this is a re-read for me. It's nice to be able to read them all at once though.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
This volume was a bit strange--it was hard to understand why Buffy would think that giving up magic would solve their problems. I mean, I guess they would go under the radar for a bit, but you knew this was going to lead to major problems. And it does. Surprise!
ogreart's review against another edition
4.0
This volume was weaker than the others in the series so far. The dialogue was not as crisp as I would have liked. It just seemed to be missing that little Buffy spark. I am curious to see where the next volume goes. I would hate to give up on Buffy after all this time.
solanpolarn's review against another edition
3.0
I like the Buffy season 8 comic books/graphic novels; they are well drawn and the stories are exciting. I do find I have trouble caring about, or even remembering the 'new' slayers. The fact that the arrival of the 'army of Slayers' isn't just brushed under the carpet, but rather treated both as an exciting, fantastic thing and a problem, is true to [a:Joss Whedon|18015|Joss Whedon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1302721520p2/18015.jpg]'s style, but the multitude of new characters that therefore necessarily populate the stories, makes it hard to get to know them in the short format of the comic books.