Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. It’s Friday again, which means it’s time for another review. Today, I am reviewing the graphic novel Buffy: The Last Vampire Slayer by Casey Gilly, Joe Jaro and Joana Lafuente.

Buffy: The Last Vampire Slayer was first published in 2022 by BOOM! Studios and is 112 pages long.

The Plot
Buffy finds herself alone at fifty in a world where vampires can walk in the daylight. Believing herself to be the last of her kind, she’s not entirely hopeful for the future, that is, until hope comes into her life in the form of a teenage girl called Thessaly.

Characters
Buffy
In this graphic novel, we find Buffy in her fifties. She is hardened, she’s tired, and for some reason, her abilities are changing, and she has no idea why.

Only Anya remains of the original Scooby gang, and the two train together so Buffy can keep her slayer skills honed. Since the new Watchers’ Council brokered a treaty between the vampires and humans, it has become illegal for ‘extra-humans’ to be killed and vice-versa – meaning the slayer cannot slay.

Meanwhile, after protecting a teenage girl named Thessaly from a vampire, Buffy winds up with a tag-along. Thessaly thinks she is a potential slayer – something Buffy thinks is impossible since the magical catastrophe that almost blotted out the sun, allowing vampires to walk out in daylight, killed her friends, all the potential slayers and thus the slayer line. However, Thessaly is adamant, and on top of her potential slayer-ness, she is also a witch.

Anya
Anya has become a Giles type, keeping Buffy trained and offering guidance. She makes it her job to keep track of Buffy’s changing abilities, offering herself up as a demonic punching bag so that Buffy can work out some of her slayer aggression without breaking the treaty.

Thessaly
Thessaly is a gobby teenager looking for Buffy after being sent to search her out by her (extremely witchy) parents. As it turns out, she is the ray of hope Buffy has been looking for after believing herself to be the last vampire slayer.

Thessaly starts to learn about what it means to be a slayer from Buffy. Then, when she joins a coven and helps them to help Buffy save the day, she starts to discover just how powerful she really is.

Spike
Spike shows up and is his typically Spike-y self. He is still clearly in love with Buffy even after thirty years and helps her see that she isn’t just the useless, middle-aged woman with no purpose she feels she has become.

He has been working with a coven after learning about a secret plot of the vampires to enslave the humans to use as their ready-made juice boxes. When he tells Buffy about their plan, he helps her work with his coven on an idea that will level the playing field.

Writing Style
The writing in this graphic novel is top-notch. In fact, it is one of the better Buffy graphic novels that I have read. I think BOOM! Studios are doing great things with the Buffy franchise.

Casey Gilly has created fascinating, complex characters whose dialogue is witty and reminiscent of the TV series, and you can tell the writers understand the Buffyverse and the personalities of its characters on a deep level.

One thing I appreciated about the book is how it doesn’t rely on nostalgia and plays to the strengths of the Buffyverse without being too derivative. Sure, there are mentions of past events and characters, but it doesn’t feel like a retread of past glory. The world feels fresh and new, if not a little (or a lot) post-apocalyptic – and it is exciting to see Buffy get to such an age as she does – being that we have always been told how the life of a slayer is always short.

Artwork
The artwork was the first thing I noticed about the book. The illustrations by Joe Jaro are outstanding, something I have come to expect in a Boom-produced comic, and the colours by Joana Lafuente are stunningly vibrant, perfectly setting the mood of each panel.

Each scene in the book is drawn and laid out in such a brilliantly captivating way that they played out in my mind almost as a filmstrip of an anime-style movie.

The character designs are also great, making each character easily distinguishable, and I thought the ageing up of Buffy was wonderfully done. I don’t recall seeing that before, so it was nice to glimpse what Ms. Summers looks like as a kick-ass middle-aged woman.

All the fight scenes throughout the book are epic and thrilling, all helped along beautifully by Joana Lafuente’s bold colours that create a vibrant world that pops right off the page. You can tell the artists put a lot of effort into making each panel dynamic and engaging and that they are undoubtedly as much fans of Buffy as any of us.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I loved Buffy: The Last Slayer. I love most Buffyverse media, but this was beautiful.

I will say that I found it hard to place continuity-wise. It feels like the TV series, but not all the events match up, and it also feels like the rebooted Comic series by BOOM! Studios, but it doesn’t feel like it fits in that timeline either. What I choose to think is that this story is set in a separate, alternate timeline from everything else. Either way, it’s a fantastic read, and I read it fairly quickly in one afternoon and enjoyed it immensely.

I’d recommend the book to anyone who is a fan of the Buffyverse or a fan, generally, of graphic novels and comics. The artwork is beautiful, the story is intriguing, and the characters (especially Buffy) are compelling. What is there not to love?

Even if you have never seen the TV series, I think there is lots to enjoy here. The Buffyverse is a rich and complex universe, and this graphic novel is a fantastic addition.

It’s a satisfying read that respects its source material while feeling like something new and exciting. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer, you won’t regret picking up this book.

I am giving Buffy: The Last Vampire Slayer a solid 10/10.

Have you read any of BOOM! Studios Buffy comics? Are you a Buffy fan? Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you, as ever, for stopping by to read my review. It means the world.

Until next time,

George

© 2023 GLT

Categories: Book Reviews, Reading

Tags: book, book review, Buffy, Comic, graphic novel, read, reviews, Slayer, Vampires