Buffy The Vampire Slayer Vol. 1: High School Is Hell
Created by Joss Whedon
Written by Jordie Bellaire
Art by Dan Mora
Colors by Raul Angulo
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
Cover by Matthew Taylor
Boom! Studios
Release Date: May 29, 2019
Cover Price: $14.99

With all the reboots that happen in the movie industry, you would think that people would eventually rebel against all the rehashing. But then a gem like this one comes along and renews everyone’s faith in the concept of re-imagining.

Joss Whedon created one of the most dynamic characters to ever grace the page or screen, this was enhanced through television, film, comics, and books. These all built upon one another, creating what is essentially known as the Buffyverse. BOOM! Studios has rebooted this and given it a more modern update for today’s fans. And with that, I present to you a short spotlight on Buffy The Vampire Slayer Vol. 1: High School Is Hell!

Using sequential art to its fullest advantage has helped to get the claim staked, so to speak and with pun intended. By fast tracking the original meetings and exploring the interpersonal relationships between the characters, we are able to get right into the main plot without all the plodding along that oftentimes happens when introducing a new series.

And while many people already know these characters, there are some subtle and not so subtle changes. Power dynamics have shifted with some, just as personalities are markedly different with others. In essence, even longtime fans will be intrigued and captivated by this old, yet new, group of teenagers. Oh, and Drusilla is actually a badass now. Or should I say Mistress Drusilla; there is a distinct BDSM vibe to a certain relationship now.

I definitely suggest that you grab this when you get the chance, it is an amazingly engaging graphic novel that has a unique perspective without losing the fun and snarkiness of the original. If I had one complaint, it would be that I cannot imagine a world in which consumers would flock to a business named Tunaverse.

With that, I leave you to your own devices, hoping you will find yourself exploring this new Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It would be a shame to keep it all to myself!

Go back to the beginning as the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer is reimagined under the guidance of series creator Joss Whedon!

This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil…only this time around, her world looks a lot more like the one outside your window.

Eisner Award winner Jordie Bellaire (Redlands) and Russ Manning Award winner Dan Mora (Go Go Power Rangers, Hexed), along with series creator Joss Whedon (Marvel’s The Avengers), bring Buffy into a new era with new challenges, new friends, and a few enemies you might already recognize. But the more things change, the more they stay the same as the Gang faces brand-new Big Bads, and the threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High confirms what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell.