Welcome to Sunnydale!

I have always enjoyed reading graphic novels, but for some reason I just never find myself leaving the bookstore with them in my hand. I came to graphic novel relatively late (reading my first one a few years ago after a college friend gave me a couple of suggestions), and I have always felt that graphic novels were overlooked. Whenever I go to the bookstore, I do my usual sweep and casually meander my way through each section of the store looking for things that will catch my eye. Needless to say, when I passed through the graphic novel section and found the unmistakable face of Buffy Summers staring back at me, I knew what I was going to read next.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has played a huge role in my life; I have nothing but fond memories of catching episodes before school or waiting for Netflix to send the DVDs in the mail so that my mom and I could watch our way through the entire series. Buffy was my first introduction to the teen horror, fantasy, adventure genre that I still love to this day.

Before I get deeper into this review, I want to point out that this series is a modernized take on the Buffy characters that fans have come to know and love. You do not need to have experience with the Buffyverse or be a diehard fan in order to read, understand, and enjoy this story. If you are someone who has experience with the host of Buffy characters and plotlines, this story feels like an all new adventure. Needless to say, I did have to put aside some of my views of certain characters because they are represented differently in this series than they have been in previous reiterations of the Buffyverse.

For starters, the illustrations grabbed me instantly! Just flipping through the pages was enough to make me add this to my shopping basket. The art is brilliantly done. Dan Mora has brought these classic characters to life using an art style that uses bright colors and strong contrasts to grab the reader and suck them in. I appreciated that the characters looked similar to the actors that portrayed them in the series and that the mannerisms and identifying styles/characteristics of each character are well represented in the artwork of the graphic novel.

Jordie Bellaire has done a fantastic job with the writing of this series and at taking the characters that we know and love, creating a new story for them. I think that the story, and I know this is only the beginning, is setting up a plot line that can easily be written through many different books in this graphic novel series. With a traditional story structure, and a nod to the classic concept of the hero’s journey, we meet our courageous heroine and embark with her as she is forced to navigate the tricky waters of being the Slayer, but also of starting at a new high school.

While reading this, I was overcome with a sense of nostalgia. I started to remember what it was that I enjoyed about watching the show and what it was that I enjoyed about the characters. Reading this made me reflect positively on memories that I have had, but it also presented a fresh, new take so it didn’t feel like I was experiencing the same story.

I would highly recommend this book for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and those who have never dabbled with the trials and tribulations of Sunnydale, California. This story is captivating, new, and adds a depth to familiar characters. The graphic novel maintains all of the humor, wit, and heart that are standard with any Joss Whedon production. Even if you aren’t drawn to the story, you can appreciate this book just for its art. For people looking for a sci-fi, YA adventure filled with friendship, teen angst, and bloodthirsty vampires, look no more.

5 out of 5 stars