When Buffy came to the end of her seven season run she left a gaping hole in the lives of her fans (as well as the residents of Sunnydale). But the almighty creator had other ideas, for he is not bound to one medium. Joss is a geek, like the rest of us, and took his precious creation beyond the confines and restrictions of the TV networks to the printed page. There was a rumour of Season 8 coming out as an animation, but it never came to fruition (good animation can be as costly as live action), however, it slowly started to appear in comic-book form. Even during the TV show’s run, stories in comic (graphic novel, if you prefer) form were readily available, but these were often one-off stories. There were even back stories of other slayers, although under the master’s watchful eye, few came from his pen (keyboard). Fray, a slayer from the future, was the first complete multipart comic in the Buffyverse to come from the man himself.

Despite the protestations of the literati, and frustrated school teachers, comics/graphic novels have proved they can produce works of both literary and artistic merit. After all, we are taught to read using picture books, why should there be a need to stop as we grow older. As literacy standards (reportedly) continue to decline, surely it is better children are reading comics than staring at the mostly mindless drivel on TV and YouTube. Which does leave the release of Buffy Season 8 as a motion comic in something of a precarious position. Is it a cynical attempt to cash in on the growing illiteracy and present the story in a format for the passive consumers without going to the full expense of proper animation? Thankfully, it is not. This series not only remains faithful to the books, with the dialogue (after all, it is written by Joss) and art, but also expands on it, particularly with the visuals, to make it more cinematic. In fact, a lot of anime is little more than manga with movement, and with much of that movement coming from the camera and not the characters.

If you haven’t read the books, storywise, Season 8 follows straight on from the TV finale, with thousands of slayers (mostly) working together with Buffy, all under the watchful eye (literally) of Xander. All your favourite characters are there, although they are not voiced by the original cast members. One thing that is for sure is the comics go to places that the budgetary restraints of the TV series could never go, which makes for intriguing storytelling.

OK, this may not improve the literacy standards of our youth, but it is a much easier way to enjoy the story in a digital format, as anyone who has tried reading a comic on an iPhone will tell you (however the Comixology app does do a good job). And you are not going to attract the snide looks you get reading comics on the tube, by watching this on your portable device of choice.

In terms of special features, there are trivia quizzes, interviews with fans and some of the creators (no Joss), and a gallery of the comics’ covers. Although they missed a trick by not having a making of, which would have been interesting, there is a DVD-ROM extra with software (Mac and Windows) that allows you to create your own Buffy digital comics, which is a nice proactive touch.

Buffy Season 8 Motion Comic is out now on DVD and available from Play and all good retailers.