Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)

I'm a huge BtVS fan and own the whole TV series on DVD. I've really like most of the Season 8 comics to date. Volume 4, if you are collecting the graphic novel format versus the individual issues, is the weakest of collection so far. While I did enjoy seeing the Fray characters again, it felt like more of a stunt that a real plot point. The Willow portion also felt unsatisfying as well, sorry its hard to explain while trying to be vague to avoid major spoilers.

The side plot of Dawn, was, in reality, kind of stupid. I appreciate that they wanted to add some more fantastical elements that cover ground they could do in a TV show with a moderate budget, but this was beyond the spirit of the series. The "there are consequences to relationships" is very Joss, but the results here feel like fodder for a few quips and jokes rather than a solid allegory.

So while I'll tune into for another volume, my passion for this version of BtVS is waning and will be gone without a solid set of issues and some new meaty hooks to build my desire and suspense for a volume 6.

Having read the first five reviews, I have to say my piece. Season 8 has been better than any of the TV seasons because Whedon's stories are no longer limited by filming budget. After Buffy's trip to Japan in "Wolves at the Gate", the next trip that would have been impossible on TV was to take Buffy to the future. The story has been criticized for being nothing more than a needless excuse for Buffy to meet (and fight) Fray. Is it really? The first 3½ pages disorient in a good way by throwing readers straight into the action before Whedon moves to a flashback sequence where we see how Buffy got onto that rooftop. Plus, he gives us a mystery of Dawn's transformation and the sudden switch of places in time between Buffy and the monster from the future, before ending the first episode in one of those wonderful Whedon cliffhangers. Then, the second episode starts, logically, by showing us how Fray got onto that rooftop. Whedon throws us a red herring when Buffy and Fray's antagonist in the future is described as "the dark-haired one" who has "lived for centuries, speaks in riddles and strange voices." This brings to mind a certain Vampire lady... Taking advantage of the fact that comics don't (usually) have sound, Whedon can even allow the "dark-haired one" to speak without the readers not being able to identify her by recognizing her voice. Clever. Whedon juggles the future storyline with the present day storyline, in which the assault on the Slayers' castle base drives Buffy's forces on the run, once again in a situation where the bad guys seem to be winning. This recalls the most dire situations our heroes have found themselves in the previous seasons while also being completely different. Then he ends the second episode with yet one Whedon-class revelation of the antagonists identity. And then the plot starts to unfold... By the time the fantastically cinematic double-climax (of present and future storylines) comes, Whedon still manages to find the time for yet another revelation and ends the story by having Buffy make a heart-breaking decision without really knowing why she has to do it. In the end, the readers also don't know why, which leaves us wanting more. Whedon has done this before and the mysteries have always been eventually solved satisfactorily. Just because Whedon does not yet tell us why all this happened does not mean it's not good storytelling. We are not seeing the big picture yet. That said, Whedon's dialogue is of the usual excellent quality and Moline's art *really* has evolved since Fray first came out. This is as worthy a mini-arc as any previous ones in Season Eight.

Joss Whedon returns to Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 and makes every Buffy comic fanboy's dream come true. Without giving too much away in terms of surprises, Buffy finds herself transported into the distant future where she faces off with lone future slayer Fray, and discovers that a familiar face is pulling some strings as well in this dark world that she now finds herself in. While the actual face-off between Buffy and Fray is somewhat anti-climactic, Time of Your Life is another solid storyarc in the endlessly entertaining Buffy Season 8, and having his Fray art partners Karl Moline and Andy Owens doesn't hurt matters either. The TPB concludes with a standalone issue written by Jeph Loeb, who had once crafted some classic Batman titles like The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, and now has since churned out crud like Ultimatum and Ultimates 3. Happily, his contribution here is an entertaining one, with Buffy re-visiting her past in an anime-style dream world. All in all, Time of Your Life is another enjoyable entry in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, and if you've been following along, you already know that this is more than worth your time. And if you haven't, then what's wrong with you?

The fourth volume of Buffy Season 8 is a notable improvement over volume three but, really, that's not saying a lot.

While volume three was pure, pathetic, offensive, poorly written fan service, volume four is pure, pathetic, offensive, mildly well written spin-off advertising with fan service.

The current problems with the series are still in abundance: all the girls wear skin tight clothes and most panels center on breasts, lesbians run rampant throughout the storyline but male homosexuals are nowhere to be found, male characters get 2 or 3 panels a chapter at best, are ridiculously stereotypically idiotic and get primarily head and shoulder shots (unless they're mutant critters; amusingly all the female mutant critters still have perfect breasts); in short, the artists are apparently told the only people buying their comic are fat, straight men who will never come close to a women for the rest of their lives.

The storyline takes a bizzare break to future New York where Buffy meets the current Slayer there, Fray. While this would be interesting, all it really is a quick crash course in the other comic series being published, transparently as a desperate ploy to snag more readers. Also, invented slang? It's dumb, folks. REALLY dumb. Then there's a completely unneccesary spin back to Buffy high school time in what is, I assume, an ad for the animated series or yet another comic series. Either way, it's about as interesting as reading an ad.

The art takes a severe dip this time around as well. I'm not sure who the Amazing Reveal Guy was three-quarters through the story; I'm sure he was an old Buffy character but good luck finding out who he was. I won't spoil it but the mish mashed face could have easily been about four different people. And I'm not sure when Willow became part horse but she's certainly sporting the nose now.

This volume and the last have proven that the series isn't worth buying anymore. The writing in volumes one and two were great; it was wonderful to find out what happened to your favorite characters but the overwhelming one-sided fan service has destroyed this comic.

I'm a hardcore Buffy/Angel fan. I've watched both series through twice on DVD and it probably won't be long until I start up again. I have some of the soundtracks - the Buffy & Angel scores and the great "Once More With Feeling" soundtrack. I have a lifesize Angel puppet from "Smile Time", along with most of the great Sideshow collectible figures and I've read througn the Dark Horse Buffy & Angel Omnibus books. I've been following this "Season 8" series through the graphic novel compilations and I've enjoyed them up until this latest volume. To be blunt, what the _____ is going on in this story? I get the mystical battle in the woods with Xander and "Centaur Dawn" (hilarious!) but this whole time travel, Buffy/Fray/Evil Willow confrontation has left me going "Huh?". And to top it all off, we have to sit through Fray's "future-speak" nonsense. I think Joss dropped the ball on this story...it's a confusing mess.

I just finished reading this and the story has not advanced one bit after 5 books now.

The whole cross time caper had 0 point with everything resetting back to the way it started at the end of the story. Telling who is who in this book take reading the words because the art is so bad I can't figure out most of the caracters (except for the one male). I also agree with several of the other reivews that the big reveal in this book is totally lost with the bad art. I have no clue who that is even after showing their face....

The 5th book was cute and at least I could tell the characters apart it also lacked any real reason.

Hopefully Vol 5 gets back on track and they find a new artist for this series quick!

While the basic concept here is fine -- Buffy meets Fray -- it's better in idea form than in execution. "Surprise" revelations just sort of happen without any drama or build-up -- in one case, the action skips past the big reveal, so that, I guess, we can boggle in retrospect at it.

And the Big Bad's motivations are hinted at, but not revealed. Even if this is going to be fleshed-out in future issues, which would be nice, this was poorly handled, without the emotional impact that the final confrontation between slayer and this particular Big Bad ought to have.

(Similar problems crop up when Willow relies on a supernatural entity for information. I think we're supposed to get a lot more from that scene than I did, certainly. Who was that thing? Why does Willow trust her? What did Kennedy see during the ritual?)

The standalone issue that follows manages to give us a taste of Buffy: The Animated Series (which never made it beyond the pitch reel stage) but isn't terribly exciting otherwise.

Overall, this remains a good series, but just as Buffy seasons tend to get a little soft in the middle, typically having a few forgettable episodes that could have been dumped with no real lost, Time of Your Life is likely going to be a source of continuing angst, but not much more.

A recommended read for Buffy fans, although you'll want to read the superior Fray trade paperback first.

I really missed the show, but these comics have been true to the tone of the show, and Whedon's hand is still apparent. Sometimes the drawings are "off" (can't tell for a minute who it is); I wish they could use the artists that do the best covers for the entire booklet.

I'll be honest, the only decent thing about this item is that the Buffy/Fray conflict has an okay storyline that help furthers Fray's story arc more-so than Buffy's. The stories have really started going downhill for the Season 8 comic, and lacks any sort of foundation. It is as though the writers are trying to stretch the story arc to its limits, and gradually diluting any sort of characterization along the way.

I suggest only getting this set simply for the Fray story arc and the issue that gives a little shout-out to the animated series. Otherwise, skip it and just buy them individually.

I've been enjoying the season 8 comics, although volume 3 was more exciting than this one. Buffy going into the future and meeting up with Fray is an interesting plot move (and for those who haven't read Fray there's nothing to worry about because I haven't read it and was able to contextualize things with ease). There are more than a few surprises and so many threads now left dangling that I'm eager to see how the will all be wrapped up by the last issue of the season. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the ride.