Christopher Golden et al. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Blood of Carthage
Dark Horse Comics $19.95  ISBN 1-56971-534-3  114 pg.
Reviewed by Meghan, Age 14

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a T.V. show that has been loved by fans for ages. In this latest story, which takes place somewhere during the third season of the show, Sunnydale is threatened. Buffy feels the pressures of being a slayer and going to college at the same time. Willow and Zander can't seem to get along and there have been an odd number of demons turning up dead. Suddenly, Buffy must choose between making alliances with the mysterious Blood of Carthage, a demon gang centuries old, and letting Sunnydale be over-run by a very powerful, very ancient evil. What will Buffy choose? And what will the final outcome be?

With power and spunk, Buffy comes to life in yet another form, that of a graphic novel. Of all the graphic novels I have read so far, (not that many I admit) Buffy is the first one that was produced in full colour. It adds a lot to the story. The plot is good and the drawings are clear and straight-forward. Unlike in some other books, there is never any doubt as to what is happening in a picture. The characters are original and clearly portrayed. There isn't much narration; the text is mostly dialogue. I admire the decision to use flashback to explain past events, it's a creative idea and works well with the fast-paced story line.

I'm not a Buffy fan and have never seen the show, so I may not be the best judge. I was impressed with this story; it was much better than I expected it would be. It was more violent than I anticipated and some of the characters (Anya) are very open with their personal thoughts, which bumps the maturity level up quite a bit. I would recommend this novel for boys, girls and Buffy fans ages 13 and up.

I would give Blood of Carthage four and a half stars out of five.