Twilight by Brad Meltzer and Joss Whedon
Paperback, 160 Pages
2010, Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781595825582
Series: Book 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8
Synopsis
Buffy Summers and her Slayer army have suffered heavy losses throughout Season Eight and faced scores of threats new and old, but the one mystery connecting it all has been the identity of the Big Bad Twilight! In this penultimate volume of Season Eight, New York Times bestselling novelist and comics writer Brad Meltzer (The Book of Lies, Identity Crisis) joins series artist Georges Jeanty in beginning the buildup to the season finale in the story line that finally reveals the identity of Twilight! In the aftermath of the battle with Twilight's army, Buffy has developed a host of new powers, but when will the other shoe drop, and will it be a cute shoe, or an ugly one? Still reeling from the losses of war, Willow goes looking for missing allies, and discovers a horrifying truth about several of the Slayer army's recent ordeals. Adding to the mayhem is the unexpected return of Angel, in his Season Eight debut! This volume also features two stories from series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon! In the Willow one-shot, Whedon and Fray artist Karl Moline reveal for the first time what Buffy's witchy best friend was up to between Seasons Seven and Eight, with a mind-blowing cameo by a frequently requested character. And in "Turbulence," Joss spotlights the complicated relationship between Buffy and Xander with a conversation that changes it forever.
Review
I loved so much about Twilight, the next-to-last volume in Season 8 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I loved Xander and the way he dealt with Buffy's untimely over-sharing. I loved Buffy's powers ramped up to superhero levels and the reason behind it. I loved the arrival of Angel, even if I didn't completely love why he was there. I loved, in an extreme fashion, the arrival of the surprise Buffy alum at the end of the volume. I just didn't love where the overall series story arc ended up.
Who is Twilight? We've wondered through 6 previous volumes. The answer, well, is disappointing to say the least. The reveal will be a shock, followed by a groan. Because, really, haven't we already faced this villain before in another form? Sure, this is different. It always is. The person behind the Twilight mask isn't the actual evil Buffy and the gang face anyway. It's all leading up to an event. An event that changes the world. I find myself groaning again.
I don't like where the story went here and I'm very afraid of where it's going to take us in the last volume of Season 8. Everything was coming along nicely and then this is what we get. What the hell? This is one of those rare instances where I wish everyone wakes up realizing it was all a dream. I want a do-over. Continuing on this path, all that's left for the next volume is cleaning up the mess they made while Buffy struggles with her love life. I desperately hope Whedon has something amazing up his sleeve.
Twilight is so close to perfect while managing to allow for a large amount of wrong to work its way into the story. I couldn't help but love this volume, while simultaneously hating everything Twilight related.
Rating
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