Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
With all the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus editions produced by Dark Horse, one overriding thought comes out of the dark like a stake aimed straight for the undead’s heart, that Series Editor Scott Allie had some incredible talent at his disposal during the long run and the result was arguably the best set of graphic novels and comic books produced, the most superb stories to grace anything outside of the Marvel and D.C. universe and ranked possibly on a par with the classic Watchman series.
Where the first six volumes had been gripping, mesmerising and full of all the right elements in which to keep even the newest reader firmly entrenched in the tales set out, the seventh omnibus which takes its lead from the television series numbered five and six, are about as great and attention grabbing as you could ever wish for.
With contributions from Tom Fassbender and Joe Pascoe, (Night of a Thousand Vampires, Ugly Little Monsters and Withdrawal) and the great Christopher Golden, alongside Tom Sniegoski and Amber Benson, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus 7 is a hard hitting, fan fest of vampiric delight that deals with the aftermath of the death of Buffy’s and Dawn’s mother Joyce and later Buffy herself as the group struggle to continue to hold themselves together in the face of the evil growing around them.
For a final omnibus it is perhaps logical to save some of the finest work till last, to really push the boat out and give the readers something to have them reaching for the start of the television series and the graphic novels all over again. The aforementioned Night of a Thousand Vampires is an incredible story which leaves the reader in no doubt the loss the two young women felt when their mother died and each of them trying to act as the supportive nurturing figure to the other but with the problems of teenage years and living on the Hell Mouth thrown into the equation. The Death of Buffy takes the grieving one stage further by showing the emotion surrounding all those touched by the Vampire Slayer over the years, the coming to blows between former friends as they struggle to digest the enormity of what has occurred.
Perhaps though it with the final story in the final omnibus edition which really catches the eye, as Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza’s story Note From The Underground brings everything back full circle with the appearance of Pike making a welcome a wonderful addition to an already powerful story. The young man who ran away with Buffy as she tried to deal with task infront of her has grown and returned to save her life just the one more time as she saves everybody else from a fate worse than mid-season cancellation.
The omnibus editions of Dark Horse’s finest hour have been a steady reminder that great comics, superb art and script writing don’t just belong in the realms of the two big players but in the hands of all.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus 7 is available to purchase from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.
Ian D. Hall