by Randy Lander

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: TALES OF THE SLAYERS TP Highly Recommended (10/10) Dark Horse Comics "Prologue" Writer: Joss Whedon Pencils: Leinil Francis Yu Inks: Dexter Vines Colors: Dave Stewart Letters: Michelle Madsen "Righteous" Writer: Joss Whedon Artist: Tim Sale Colors: Matt Hollingsworth Letters: Richard Starkings "The Innocent" Writer: Amber Benson Artist: Ted Naifeh Colors: Dave Stewart Letters: Michelle Madsen "Presumption" Writer: Jane Espenson Artist: P. Craig Russell Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Galen Showman "The Glittering World" Writer: David Fury Artist/Letters: Steve Lieber Colors: Matt Hollingsworth "Sonnenblume" Writer: Rebecca Rand Kirshner Artist: Mira Friedmann Letters: Jason Hvam "Nikki Goes Down!" Writer: Doug Petrie Artist: Gene Colan Colors: Dave Stewart Letters: Michelle Madsen "Tales" Writer: Joss Whedon Pencils: Karl Moline Inks: Andy Owens Colors: Dave Stewart Letters: Michelle Madsen Editor: Scott Allie Price: $14.95 US/$22.95 CAN Upon finishing this graphic novel, my first thought is that I want more of this. My second was that if all the Buffy comics were like this, I'd be buying a whole lot more of them. Guided by writers (and one actor) from the television show, this graphic novel takes us chronologically through vignettes featuring various slayers through the ages. It's a more natural approach to a comic than simple adaptation, and works in the same way that Fray does, building off the central concept but not relying upon it. And while the writing talent is impressive, the artistic talent is even moreso, including horror comic legend Gene Colan, the always-great Steve Lieber and Tim Sale and stunning work from P. Craig Russell & Leinil Francis Yu, among others. The structure of this graphic novel is one that would make absolute sense for an ongoing series, but it works just as well for a self-contained story as well. Opening with a tale of the first slayer and closing with a tale of the latest (Melika Fray) serves as a nice bookend, and key bits of dialogue in each of those stories either lead into the examination of other slayers down the line or serve as a nice examination of why that history is important. It doesn't hurt that both of these stories, written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, are good standalone examples of how being a slayer has changed from the ancient past and into the far future, or that they are graced with terrific artwork, whether it's Leinil Francis Yu's gritty and powerful rendition of the primal First Slayer or Karl Moline's now-familiar take on the futuristic world of Melika Fray. It's interesting that neither of these stories contain what is one of Joss Whedon's best features, his often-humorous dialogue with a penchant for pop-culture references, yet they are unmistakably his work. In fact, most of Whedon's stories in this book are somewhat downbeat, whether it's the dubious blessing that the First Slayer receives in learning that others will share her burden or the heart-breaking tale of a slayer in the time of witch trials. "Righteous," with artwork by Tim Sale, contains breath-taking action scenes when it comes to the slayer in action, but it doesn't flinch from the more quiet and nasty moments that come as a result of religious persecution and small-minded fear. I was also surprised at how well the rhyming narration worked, as I usually can't stand that kind of thing. To be fair, not all of Whedon's work in the series is depressing... in fact, Fray may live in a world that is thoroughly unpleasant by modern standards, but she has a wit in her narration, and the finale of her story is a bit of a personal triumph and a moment of rare happiness in the slayer's life. The rest of the tales, though not written by Whedon, are often just as strong, and show just as clear of an understanding about the slayer mythos. Perhaps my favorite story in the book is "Nikki Goes Down!" by Doug Petrie and Gene Colan, featuring the story of the slayer of the 1970s. Colan's artwork, with Dave Stewart's colors, is nothing short of incredible, and Petrie tells a story that feels absolutely grounded in the urban 70s without falling into blaxploitation stereotypes or simply parodying the more unfortunate cultural goofiness of the era. Coming up close behind is Jane Espenson's story with P. Craig Russell, "Presumption," which threw a twist I did not see coming at all, and serves as a nice dialogue-based piece even without the twist ending. David Fury, Steve Lieber and Matt Hollingsworth throw in another story that plays nicely into one of my favorite eras, the Old West, building a slayer that I'd love to see more of. The artwork is particularly impressive, with Lieber's usual strong anatomy and storytelling thriving under Hollingsworth's washed-out colors, making the whole thing reminiscent of photos of the era. I was also reminded of how much I like Lieber's lettering, a skill I don't generally notice in comics, and another impressive talent for a man who has more than his fair share already. Slightly weaker, but still solid efforts, are Amber Benson and Ted Naifeh on "The Innocent" and Rebecca Rand Kirshner and Mira Friedmann on "Sonnenblume." "The Innocent" is a neat idea, but suffers from some unclear storytelling, as the slayer's crime becomes clear as the story moves on but isn't plain enough when it occurs, weakening the focal moment of the story. Likewise for "Sonnenblume," which uses an unusual artwork style and tells a riveting story of a slayer facing human evil rather than supernatural evil, but doesn't really have the space it needs to fully explore such a fascinating concept. Bottom line, if you're a fan of Buffy at all, this is as essential as any of the television episodes. It's got great writing, terrific visuals and some interesting stories that contribute to the mythos. It is also the best use of the comic-book form to explore the Buffy universe that I have seen, and I include the stellar work being done on Fray in that comparison. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.