Tales of the Vampires (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Tales of the Vampires presents stories ranging from medieval times to the Depression to today, all intricately woven around Joss Whedon's central story about a group of young Watchers in training. Not to be missed is Buffy's rematch with Dracula and Angel's ongoing battle with his own demons. Wrapped in a haunting cover by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, these diverse tales flesh out the history and the world of Joss Whedon's unforgettable creations and fill the void left by the Buffy TV show better than any other writers ever could.

Although Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel have both ended, new stories set in creator Whedon's "Buffyverse" continue to appear in comics published by Dark Horse. Whedon and several of his shows' writers—Ben Edlund, Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard—contribute to this new collection of stories about vampires, set in disparate times and places. Buffy turns up for a rematch with Dracula, but Goddard's new story makes this mythic vampire look foolish. Brett Matthews's tale, in which the heroic vampire Angel again confronts his Hyde-like other self, Angelus, breaks no new ground. More successful is Goddard's prequel to the television debuts of the vampires Spike and Drusilla, dramatizing how these literally soulless beings can nonetheless be deeply in love. Espenson's three tales are particularly impressive, including one ironically written (and drawn by Scott Morse) in the style of a children's Christmas storybook. Artist Vatche Mavlian gives the right period look to Matthews's vampiric twist on the mystery of Jack the Ripper. Whedon intriguingly portrays the mindset of a lonely fantasy fan whose wish for "magic" in her life disturbingly comes true when she joins the ranks of the undead. The level of writing and art varies widely through the anthology, but the successes outweigh the disappointments. (Nov.)
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Gr. 9-12. This graphic novel anthology of a dozen original vampire tales is loosely joined by a framing story in which a group of youngsters listens to a shackled monster. Illustrated in a wide range of gorgeously executed styles, the tales vary in both length and age appropriateness. "Spot the Vampire" is suitable for very young vampire fans, "Father" has a little blood and a lot of melancholia, and "Jack," while tame for graphic novel Ripper stories, is appropriately scary. Then there's "Taking Care of Business," which hovers between funny and haunting. Each story offers a tight plot, well-balanced visual and textual interplay, and sympathetic characters. Francisca Goldsmith
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