| Title | : | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 4 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1593079680 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781593079680 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published May 6, 2004 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 4 Reviews
-
***Pink Taco Buddy Read with the Shallow Readers! Fmale Lead this time: Buffy, Willow and Cordelia***
This omni had two really awesome stories. Both read like true Buffy episodes, and the artwork was way cool. The first story, Bad Blood, involved three Buffys, a bad bitch who just wanted to be pretty, and a fight that was kick ass. The entire story was really interesting, and funny, and action packed. And I really thought it would be my favorite part of this omni. But then came The Hollower. It was mainly focused on Angel, who isn't always my favorite character, so this really says something. My favorite thing about Angel has always been learning about his past, and this story is packed full of an awesome period from his earlier days as a vampire. People from his past show up in the present, Spike and Dru are shown in the past, and the monster is just as deadly as it ever was. As always, there was a conversation about Angel's soul and thus his humanity, but this time it was tastefully done. Just an all around awesome arc that fits in perfectly between actual episodes.
The Short Stories were MAINLY good, with a few exceptions. Mall Rats was cute I don't really understand how in the hell it made it into any omnibus. I loved Who Made Who because HELLOOOOOO SPIKE! His departure from Drusilla always makes me insanely happy because I love it when he loves Buffy. Even though they aren't endgame for me, I still wanted them end up together because Riley didn't work out. But I digress.
Graduation day was a really good look at how Buffy and Angel further said goodbye, but still kept ties to each other. It was short, but very sweet. All in all this volume was well worth it. But I'm going to take a break from Buffy until next week. -
Ignoring the fact that the specific tradeback I read had a misprint and deja vued a couple pages, this volume seemed particularly disjointed. The writers didn't seem familiar with the series. Oz was not Oz-like at all. When's the last time you saw Xander Harris in a backwards hat? And Angel was nearly killed by a demon who was strangling him. Angel COULDN'T BREATHE. (Spoiler alert: Angel is a vampire and doesn't breathe.)
-
Este tomo, que transcurre también durante la tercera temporada de la serie, supone una mejoría con respecto al bajón que supuso el anterior.
A diferencia de los tres volúmenes anteriores, que estaban formados enteramente por historias cortas, en éste la mitad lo ocupa una sola historia: Mala sangre.
No me ha disgustado, la verdad, teniendo en cuenta que me costó arrancar y que Selke (a la que ya se vio en el volumen 3) es una villana un poco floja para mi gusto, pero sí me ha parecido larga de más, con menos páginas hubiera bastado.
El resto del volumen lo forman dos historias largas más, El vacío y El día de la graduación, y unas cuantas historias cortas.
El día de la graduación me ha parecido bastante meh, tanto en guión como en dibujo. El vacío, en cambio, me ha gustado muchísimo. Los flashbacks a la Viena de 1892 en los que se ve el pasado de Ángel, Dru y Spike han ayudado bastante. Ya en la serie los adoraba.
En cuanto a las historias cortas, Maldito ha sido mi favorita, a pesar de ciertos errores en algunos datos. Pero bueno, perdonables, ya que creo que el cómic fue anterior a que se revelasen en la serie. Quién hizo a quién también me ha gustado, ver a Dru y a Spike siempre está bien, pero el dibujo... Ay, el dibujo. Para nada de mi agrado. Y hablando de eso, mención aparte para Perro malo. Definitivamente no logro conectar con el trabajo de Ryan Sook. Es que es ver su estilo y sentir automáticamente una pereza absoluta por la historia. Me ocurrió en el volumen 2 y aquí me ha vuelto a pasar lo mismo. Por último mencionar también la tira Mall rats, que me ha descolocado totalmente tanto por su falta de cohesión con el resto del tomo como por el dibujo.
Y si habéis llegado hasta aquí, gracias, que me enrollo más que una persiana. 😂 -
un tomo en el que encontramos mucho feminismo además del ya habitual, de la mano de una historia larga centrada en la importancia y poder de la belleza. Acompañado de historias cortas donde descubriremos más sobre personajes secundarios y su pasado. Y llegando al final de la etapa del instituto y de la relación de Buffy y Angel. Un punto muy importante para esta historia
Más sobre mi opinión en la reseña del blog
http://almalectora.blogspot.com/2017/... -
Mis favoritas han sido las historias largas (mala sangre, el vacío, el día de la graduación) y de las cortas, ¿quién hizo a quién?, Spike siempre es bien
-
It's really not fair to read these concurrently to Season 10, as they just really can't compare.
-
I'm going to be upfront and mention that probably any and all Buffy and/or Angel graphic novels are going to be totally biased on my part. I kind of have a borderline unhealthy obsession with Buffy...so yeah. I'll still try to be critical, but they're pretty much all going to be five star ratings from me. ;)
As in my "Charmed" graphic novel reviews, I'll be breaking these down by issue. I don't discuss too much of storyline because I like to stay mostly spoiler free. ;)
I want to also warn against possible binding issues. This is the first omnibus I've had this issues with, but basically, the entire book fell to pieces on its first read. Very disappointing.
1.) Bad Blood
Plot: This story makes up over half of this omnibus, and I have to say, I enjoyed the change of pace. Selke, a vampire we've seen before, is back, and entangled in all sorts of nefarious revenge plots. Number one is to restore her beauty, using a shallow but brilliant plastic surgeon to help her create a "super blood", and then create Buffy's evil twin to take her out. There are all kinds of interweaving story plots, some of which seem insignificant, just like the show. The Scoobies are roped into building the school float. Buffy tries out modeling. Cordelia goes a little psycho with an enchanted pin. Spike and Drusilla are lingering on the outskirts, manipulating things from the shadows. All these little things come together for the action-packed finale fight, and I really feel like this was a great story arc. It felt like something the show would actually use as a 1 - 3 small episode arc. I really do appreciate the longer stories.
Script: I love Andi Watson, I really do. There is the perfect balance of serious and playful, though I do think this episode had more of a serious overtone throughout. There were some lovely moments, like Buffy reassuring her mother. Or Buffy and Giles having a totally normal conversation while she's kicking some baddie's ass. No complaints here!
Art: I believe Joe Bennett is the artist up until around page 75, and then Cliff Richards picks up. Up to page 75, I wasn't the art's biggest fan. It's not bad at all, but it can border on what I fondly call "boobalicious" at times. I also feel that when I'm reading the comics, I want the art to at least vaguely resemble the actors we all loved on the show. Not the case here - mostly for the gang. Xander is just way too attractive! xD I also seriously question the fashion choices. These don't take place in the 80's... But once Cliff Richards takes over, it's all perfection for me. He is, hands down, my favorite Buffy artist. The action was fantastic throughout, however, and it really was an enjoyable read from all aspects.
2.)Bad Dog
Plot: Buffy's cranky about Angel, per usual, and snaps at her friends. On her way to apologize to Willow, who is babysitting werewolf Oz, she discovers a completely torn apart room and a missing Willow and Oz. Assuming the worst, they go out to catch a wolf. But did Oz hurt Willow, or something else?
I really enjoyed this short story. My only qualm is I wish it was longer!
Script: The dialogue was fantastic! I especially loved the feisty dynamic between Angel and Buffy.
Art: Andrew Sook's art is unique, definitely. While it isn't my first choice, I appreciate the uniqueness over a stereotypical comic book style. The subdued color palette is also quite lovely.
3.) Hello Moon
Plot: Buffy runs into a mysterious stranger on the beach, but is he friend or foe?
I really enjoyed having a monster that wasn't an enemy for once. It's nice to reiterate every now and then that not all of them are baddies. Again, just very, very short.
Script: Believable and enjoyable. Christopher Golden is a co-writer, and he definitely ranks the top of my charts for scripting.
Art: A bit stereotypical comic book style - nothing too original, but still enjoyable. However, the vampire gang with a representative from practically every decade is rather amusing.
4.) Cursed
Plot: Another glimpse into Angel's past, very early in his making by Darla. These are always some of my favorites, peeking into what Angel's been through over the years.
Script: Christopher Golden returns, and I'm a very happy girl! The Irish accent in the script is very believable. Angel was also properly morose and tortured. ;-)
Art: Not my favorite, and I'm not too sure why. I'm not sure if it comes down to the pencil artist, or the inker, but there are way too many detail lines (especially on faces) for my tastes, and some very awkward mouth positions. No one really looked like their actor counterpart either. Not ugly by any means, but just not a favorite of mine.
5.) Dead Love
Plot: Another flashback short story, but this time we get to see a bit of Giles's past.Buffy stumbles across an old journal of her Watcher's in the library, and reads about a previous adventure of his, before he became her Watcher. My only complaint was that it was not nearly long enough! I feel like I could read a whole Giles spinoff series. :-)
Script: Perfect. Andi Watson returns as the writer, and nails Giles's voice and reactions perfectly.
Art: I actually didn't like it for Buffy and Angel, but I thoroughly enjoyed the style for Giles and his past.
6.) Stinger
Plot: Xander gets into a bit of trouble with one of the school bullies and is challenged to a fight. But when that fight is interrupted by a vicious stinging monster, Xander has to call in the troops to stop it. Of course they prevail, and Xander maybe gets a reputation boost for helping slay the demon. ;-) This one was pretty standard, and perhaps even a little boring. I felt like I've seen it before. However, the action was fantastic.
Script: Definitely one of the best aspects of this one. Everyone sounds totally believable to their character.
Art: Not my favorite. Again, my same issues of no one looking like their actor counterparts. It's not awful by any means, and I actually really enjoyed the bright color palette, but it just doesn't top my list. And I have to wonder, is that the Harmony, smooching up the high school football player? ;-) Like the cameo if it is!
7.) Mall Rats
Plot: There are rats in the mall. Yep.
Script: For being only 2 pages, it's pretty awesome. ;-)
Art: How freakin' cute is that? Andi Watson, writer extraordinaire, is also the artist for this little 2 page snippet of awesome. It's all chibi, and it's all awesome.
8.) Who Made Who
Plot: Spike and Dru are having yet another fight, but this one just might be the end. Dru's taste in bedfellows upsets the more monogamous Spike, and he takes his revenge on his maker. Honestly, I love Spike and Dru in the comics, and I hate that this one was so short. :-(
Script: Christopher Golden returns, and everything is spot on. He portrays Dru's lucidity and craziness all in one fell swoop.
Art:Okay style, not my favorite. Too standard, and Dru definitely does not look like herself. I did like that grassy three-eyed demon on the first page though...
9.) The Hollower
Plot: Finally! Something a little longer to sink my teeth into. A horrible monster from Angel's past rears its ugly head again, as well as a lovely lady vampire from times before. I love the back and forth between scenes from the present and scenes from the past. The action is absolutely fantastic, and overall, I found this one really entertaining. Definitely one of my favorites out of the whole omnibus.
Script: Christopher Golden! No complaints from me!
Art: Just really, really not my favorite. Art is the same as "Cursed". No one really resembled their actor (except maybe Giles and Spike upon occasion), and the art definitely delved into "boobalicious" territory more than once. I did, however, love the huge Hollower panel, and like I said, the action was fantastic. My one major qualm was the random blonde vampire in the present scenes. With his slicked back hair, he looked too much like Spike in bad clothes. He also doesn't really seem to have a purpose...?
10.) Graduation Day
Plot: We finally get to see a little snippet of what happens after graduation night, after Buffy and Angel split for the final time. It isn't easy for either of them, especially when a big nasty demon wants to take advantage of their sadness. A short, but bittersweet story. I actually rather liked it, as it shows how strong both of them are, even without each other.
Script: Very well done. Obviously, there's no room for humor in this sad little tale, but I really enjoyed it.
Art: Really not my favorite style, but wow, were there some brilliant moments. The mirroring panels between what was going on with Buffy, then Angel were just amazing. Stylistically, probably my favorite moment out of the whole omnibus.
*There were some mistakes in this compared to the show, but overall, I thought the creators did a good job dealing with what they knew at the time. I'm sure it's hard to have comics coming out at the same time the show is airing.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this omnibus. I loved the super long story arc - I think it was what I was craving after all the others being so short. The action was fantastic and entertaining the entire way through. I love the monsters they're creating - it's so much more than they could ever hope to do on the show. Art opens up a lot of gateways that screen budgets just can't afford. This was another great omnibus entry for me, and I can't wait to get to the next one!
*I do want to note that all art critique is strictly from my own personal tastes. Everyone likes different things, so don't let that deter you from picking these up! -
I liked this a bit better than Vol. 3.
-
From the Buffy comics which were released at the same time as the show, this Omnibus edition primarily centres around 'Bad Blood' a multi-part story in which a doctor and vampire combine to make super vampire blood...
... Needless to say they do this in Sunnydale, and the Slayer, Angel, Giles and the gang are ready to stop them.
It was great to be back in the early seasons of Buffy before 7 years of fighting evil leaves its mark on the team. These stories are all nicely done, although the artwork doesn't always mirror the actors exactly it is close enough that you can easily follow it. The stories also didn't feel out of place although a few small items crept in (Vampires with flamethrowers... why not just kill Buffy, and Angel having to breath) but in the main a nice addition to the Buffy lore. -
Great continuance, but this one seems a bit less authentic than the other three. Xander is wearing a backwards hat; there was a part where Angel knew a man named Liam (Angel was actually named Liam in the show) and that was when he was a human, but Liam was calling Angel Angelus... And he became Angelus when he was a vampire. There was also a part where Angel was called Angel when he was evil, and when he was evil, he was known as Angelus. Because of this smaller inconsistencies, it didn't feel as if it was exactly like the show but in comic form like the others, but it was still enjoyable! The illustrations are amazing!!! I love the art and how well the characters look like their TV actors.
Though, this has no bearing on the actual content of the book, my copy of this was brand new, and just reading it made it fall a part, so be careful. -
Angel got some major screentime and I loved it! Angelus made his appearance as well. Seeing as he doesn't get a lot of pages in this collection, it's always nice. Even nicer, the not-so-end of Mayor Wilkins and how he had a run-in with The Initiative and got that avalanche going. The snowball effect was epic. I love when major tidbits like those tie together. Makes a show or story much more interesting. Getting further into this collection though, I wish there were more of the minor characters like Joyce and Jonathan.
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordp... -
This volume in particular feels the most like a lost season of Buffy. The dialogue, the way the characters interact, and the use of some filler issues within a larger Big Bad arc just perfectly match the tone and pace of the show. That being said, I find Selke to be too simple of a villian for this long of an arc.
-
Some good stories, but nothing particularly exciting about this volume. I didn't realize I hadn't read the 3rd volume before I started this one, but I don't think it makes much of a difference. Enjoyable for people who are already fans of the series, but not really anything for the casual reader.
-
Not my favorite of the Omnibi...there were some chronology issues and the short one off stories are cute, but I like a little more meat to the stories. The Graduation Day was good, and the whole thing with Selke was long, but I found that there were more questions than answers there.
-
Good overall story. I enjoyed the inclusion of "short stories" after the main arch of this omnibus. It gave it very much the feel of "monster of the week" style that made Buffy such a great show. Takes place in season 2-3. Recommend to any Buffy fan looking for more content!
-
This one was pretty good. The shorts do have a "lost episodes" vibe that complements the series better than previous ones; they feel a little less throwaway. Stakes are higher. The lengthy Selke story was just okay, though I appreciate the effort to give the comics their own arc.
-
this was okay, tbh. Everything was weird, the whole story 'Bad Blood' was eh and on top of that the short stories confused me a bit. The only short story I actually liked was the Spike and Dru one. Other than that, this was kind of a letdown, it was okay, and I don't think I'll get anymore.
-
It's Buffy stories, what's not to like?!
-
Some of these stories I was eh about but I still loved this volume
-
Some great Buffy stories set in season 3, which is my favourite Buffy season. Plus there's a good look into Angels past.
-
The main story in this one was a little confusing but overall I did enjoy this omnibus.
-
there is a story in this one in which angel (does not need to breathe) is almost choked to death but otherwise better than the last one
-
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The series continues to entertain me greatly 😊 -
i know these are technically non-canon, but the amount of times i go *paul rudd voice to the tune of WMYB* you don’t know your basic FACTS. (still enjoyed the majority of them despite this)
-
Buffy 4
Ok this book is basically one long story, followed by several short one.
So short stories average to 3.6, and that with the 5 of Bad blood, averages to 4.3. -
3-3.5/5 stars.
Volume 4 was a bit better than Volume 3.
Bad Blood: 1/5 stars. I was very bored with this one. In fact it took me nearly 8 months to finish it because I stopped right in the middle and didn't pick it up again until recently. However once you get over this bunch of comics the omnibus gets better.
Bad Dog: 3/5 stars. Mostly a Willow/Oz comic. Buffy kind of sticks her foot in her mouth when she mentions that sometimes she wishes for a normal boyfriend in front of Oz (werewolf) and Willow. Willow is taken, Xander (and possibly Giles too, can't remember) thinks Oz did something to her (since it was a full moon) but really some bad guy took her and was doing a spell. In the end Buffy realizes that normal is overrated. It was short, which after Bad Blood was a blessing and I really liked the Willow/Oz and the Buffy/Angel stuff.
Hello Moon: 2.5/5 stars. I liked that demon wasn't evil in this one, the story was ok but it wasn't a favorite.
Cursed: 4/5 stars. By far the comics that show a flashback of one of the characters lives seem to be my favorites. Even though there were some inconsistences in this one from what we know from the show it's forgivable because I think this comic came out before we learned that information. For example I don't think when this comic came out (or at least when it was written) Angel's real name, Liam, had been revealed yet. In this comic Liam was actually the name of Angel's friend. Also Angel wasn't in the ground in this comic, he "woke up" in a bed where Darla was staying. However despite those little things it was a good story and just be forgiving of those mistakes.
Dead Love: 3.5/5 stars. A Giles tale, it's a flashback, and he's in San Francisco. It wasn't as amazing as I hoped it would be, Giles is one of my favorite characters, but it was still good.
Stinger: 2/5 stars. It's Xander's time for a story. I'm not a huge Xander fan, so I wasn't really that interested. Once again, a bully is picking on him, which I'm getting tired of that being the story for Xander, however this one has a bit of a twist. A demon is feeding on the bully's. Which is actually why I gave this 2 stars instead of 1, I liked that twist.
Mall Rat's: 3/5 stars. Very short Buffy/Cordy story. Only 1 page, front and back. Cordy and Buffy are at the mall and huge rats are there too. The art work left much to be desired but it was a cute, quick story.
Who Made Who: 5/5 stars. My favorite of the Vol. 4 collection. It's about Spike and Dru and during the time Spike and Dru broke up and the time after Lover's Walk. Dru is again not faithful to Spike and Spike deals with it in his own way. The only complaint is that Dru was with a Chaos Demon not a Fungus Demon. Other than that it was a joy to read.
The Hollower: 3.5/5 stars. An entertaining story. A demon called the Hollower is sucking out the demon essence from vampires. Sounds good right? Well it's not because the Hollower gets full and when it gets full all those demon essences get spued out and infect thousands creating a lot of vampires. We also get some more flashbacks of Angel/Dru/Spike and another vampire Catherine dealing with Hollower in 1892. There was a mistake made on the date one time, for all the flashbacks it was 1892 but then on one of the last ones it suddenly became 1894. Other than that it was a good story.
Graduation Day: 4/5 stars. Loved this Buffy/Angel tale. A demon (or demons) wants to get their souls and the two are sent for a brief while onto an astral type plain but they both fight off death and kill the creatures. Being the last comic in this collection it was a good way to end it. -
Część 4 Omnibusa Buffy kończy sezon 3 serialu. Koniec liceum, który był też świetnie pokazany w serialu jest jednym z moich ulubionych finałów.
Nowością w tej części dodatków jest próba skompletowania pełnej historii, z jednym złym bohaterem, w kilku częściach, ale w jednym omnibusie. Dużym plusem wg omnibusów jest fakt, że są to małe historie, z których jedne wciągają bardziej a drugie mniej, tak więc tutaj jest tak samo, aczkolwiek jeśli nie wciągnie cię ów wróg Buffy to dużą część omnibusa musisz przecierpieć.
W zbiorze znajduje się również pierwszy numer serii Angel, jeszcze zanim Angel opuścił serial. Ponownie pojawiają się też Spike i Drusilla w historii poświęconej tylko dla nich.
Ogólnie im więcej Spike'a tym lepiej, ale to ostatnia historia skradła mi serce ponownie przypominając jak bardzo uwielbiałam Angela i Buffy i jak beznadziejny jest ich los. -
I really enjoyed this collection of comics because the majority of it was taken up by a single series- the Bad Blood saga, in which Selke (previously seen in the last collection being stabbed, burned alive and left for dead by the slayer) uses witchcraft and alchemy to create a "magical" batch of blood that enhances the vampires supernatural powers.
Obviously she has a massive score to settle with Buffy, cue mayhem and torment and, obviously, slayage. I especially liked the creation of the two dark slayers (even though, to me, Faith will always be the TRUE dark slayer!) and the inclusion of a back-from-hell Angel. The comics seem to focus a lot more on their relationship- especially the touchy-feely-kissy aspect- than the tv show did in the third season, and I liked that- made his exit more poignant.
The final comic in the volume that deals directly with Angel leaving is, hands down, my favourite. The demonic assailants that both Buffy and Angel are faced with were definitely my type of interesting- I loved the idea that, at the point of death, a demon would come and take your soul (providing you yielded to them, mind) and it would add to their power... Did I mention they had wings too, and big shiny teeth?
A solid collection that will, hopefully, pave the way for Faith to have more involvement in the next installment.
