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{{ComicIssue
 
{{ComicIssue
| coverA = BuffyS8-01.jpg
+
|coverA = BuffyS8-01.jpg
| released = October 31, 2007
+
|released = March 14, [[2007]]
| pages = 22
+
|pages = 24
| series = [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight]]
+
|series = ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight]]''
| number = 1
+
|number = 1
| previous =
+
|previous = ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' — "[[Chosen]]"
| next = [[The Long Way Home, Part Two]]
+
|next = ''[[The Long Way Home, Part Two]]''
| publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]]
+
|publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]]
| writer = [[Joss Whedon]]
+
|writer = [[Joss Whedon]]
| penciller = [[Georges Jeanty]]
+
|penciller = [[Georges Jeanty]]
| editor = [[Scott Allie]]
+
|editor = [[Scott Allie]]
| coverart = [[Jo Chen]]<br/>[[Georges Jeanty]]
+
|coverart = [[Jo Chen]]<br>[[Georges Jeanty]] with [[Dave Stewart]]
| inker = [[Andy Owens]]
+
|inker = [[Andy Owens]]
| colorist = [[Dave Stewart]]
+
|colorist = [[Dave Stewart]]
| letterer = [[Richard Starkings]] & [[ComiCraft]]'s [[Jimmy Betancourt]]
+
|letterer = [[Richard Starkings]]<br>[[ComiCraft]]'s [[Jimmy Betancourt]]
| coverB = BuffyS8-01variant.jpg
 
 
}}
 
}}
   
'''"The Long Way Home, Part One"''' was the first issue of the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight]]'' comic book series, which was part of the ''[[Season Eight]]'' meta-series.
+
'''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is the first issue of the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight]]'' comic book series. Written by [[Joss Whedon]] and illustrated by [[Georges Jeanty]], it was originally published on March 14, [[2007]], by [[Dark Horse Comics]].
   
 
==Synopsis==
 
==Synopsis==
  +
Since the destruction of the [[Hellmouth]], the [[Slayer]]s — newly legion — have gotten organized and are kicking some serious [[undead]] butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and [[Dawn Summers|Dawn]] experiences some serious growing pains…<ref name=":0">[https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/14-111/ "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: #1."] ''[[Dark Horse Comics]]''. Retrieved on November 12, 2017‎.</ref>
[[Buffy Summers]] was leading a squad of [[Slayers]], including Leah, Rowena, and Satsu, in a raid on a large, dilapidated church protected by a force field. She revealed that there were at least 1800 Slayers now active, 500 of whom are working with the [[Scooby Gang]]; spread over ten squads, and that there were two Slayers posing as decoys of herself lest she become an easy target; one literally underground and another in Rome publicly partying and dating [[the Immortal]]. Working with [[Xander Harris|Xander]], who was running things at Slayer headquarters in [[Scotland]] (Buffy referred to him as a [[Watcher]] despite his objections) with a team of computer workers, psychics and mystics, including a Slayer named [[Renee]], Buffy and her squad found three monstrous [[demon]]s surrounded by a trio of dead bodies.
 
   
  +
==Summary==
After slaying the demons, one of whom Buffy impaled through the head with a [[crucifix]], the Slayers investigated the bodies. Each one had an odd symbol cut into their chest, and Buffy found automatic weapons, which lead her to believe that the victims came looking for a fight. Buffy told Xander to send a copy of the symbol to [[Rupert Giles|Giles]], when another Slayer found the machine that generated the force field, also presumably belonging to the victims. We got a glimpse of someone—just boots and cape revealed—floating above the church watching the Slayers.
 
 
[[Buffy Summers|Buffy]] leads a squad of Slayers, including [[Leah]], [[Rowena]], and [[Satsu]], in a raid on a large, dilapidated church protected by a [[force field]]. She reflects about being at least 1800 Slayers now active, almost 500 of whom are working with the [[Scooby Gang]] spread over ten squads. Buffy even has two Slayers currently posing as decoys of her lest she become an easy target; [[Buffy Summers (underground decoy)|one]] literally underground and [[Buffy Summers (Rome decoy)|another]] in Rome, publicly partying and dating [[the Immortal]]. Buffy communicates remotely with [[Alexander Harris|Xander]], who runs things at [[Slayer Organization command center|Slayer headquarters]] in [[Scotland]] with a team that includes computer workers and psychics. A Slayer named [[Renee]] comes with information on the [[Barcelona]] squad, and Xander suggests [[Andrew Wells|Andrew]] send Slayers from [[Italy]].
   
 
Inside the church, Buffy and her squad find three [[unidentified demon (The Long Way Home)|large demons]] and two [[human]] corpses. After slaying the [[demon]]s, the Slayers investigate the dead men. They have [[mark of Twilight|a symbol]] cut into their chests, and Buffy finds automatic weapons, which leads her to believe the victims came looking for a fight. Buffy tells Xander to send a copy of the symbol to [[Rupert Giles|Giles]], when Satsu finds the machine that generated the force field, presumably also belonging to the victims. Outside, [[Angel|someone]] wearing boots and a cape [[levitation|floats]] above the church.
In [[Sunnydale]], [[General Voll]] of the United States Army surveyed the crater left after the collapse of the [[Hellmouth]], calling the Slayers a threat to the United States government and likening their squads to terrorist cells. A government expedition was being led sixty feet under the Hellmouth, but was cut short when one of the exploratory members encountered something.
 
   
 
In [[Sunnydale]], General [[Voll]] of the [[United States Armed Forces|United States Army]] surveys the crater left from the town. He calls the Slayers a threat to the [[United States Government]] and likens their squads to terrorist cells. A government expedition is being led sixty feet into the crater, where someone makes one of the explorers scream.
Back in Scotland, Buffy and Xander tried to puzzle out the meaning of the occult symbol; Xander called it a "guy with a monocle frowning," while Buffy opted for "a beautiful sunset." Xander mentioned to Buffy that she needed to talk to [[Dawn Summers|Dawn]], so reluctantly she visited her sister, who was now giant-size and living in the basement of the headquarters. Buffy believed that her size was caused by Dawn losing her virginity to her ex-boyfriend [[Ken (Thricewise)|Kenny]], who was a [[Thricewise]] (the meaning of the terminology was unspecified). However, Dawn wouldn't divulge anything to Buffy, instead preferring to talk to [[Willow Rosenberg|Willow]] when Willow returned.
 
   
 
In Scotland, Buffy and Xander try to puzzle out the meaning of the symbol; Xander calls it a "guy with a monocle frowning," while Buffy opts for "a beautiful sunset." Xander tells Buffy she needs to talk to Dawn, and Buffy reluctantly visits her sister, who is now a [[giant]] living in the stable of the headquarters castle. Dawn won't divulge anything to Buffy, intending to talk to [[Willow Rosenberg|Willow]] instead. Buffy accuses Dawn of dating a [[thricewise]] despite everyone's warnings. Dawn says she will return to [[Berkeley]] as soon as she returns to her normal size.
After a brief, bitter feud, during which Buffy mentioned that Dawn should be at [[Wikipedia:University of California, Berkeley|Berkeley]], Buffy went outside to reflect. She revealed that she and Dawn hadn't gotten along since the Hellmouth was closed and all of the [[Potential Slayers]] were activated, and that she missed her [[Joyce Summers|mom]], her home, the gang, churros, and sex.
 
   
  +
After the brief feud, Buffy leaves to a balcony. She reflects she and Dawn hadn't gotten along since they changed the world. Buffy misses [[Joyce Summers|her mom]], her home, the gang, churros, and sex, but she has to suck it up because she is a big girl now.
At a government facility, General Voll was shown an unrevealed creature captured from the Hellmouth (the "boyfriend" of the explorer's attacker), whom he met with disgust. General Voll was then informed of the attacker, whose first words to the explorer were reportedly, "I'm gonna help you kill her." In return for her help, she requested access to all of the government's magical hardware and a weapons lab for her "boyfriend." If they succeeded in taking down Buffy, she wanted release and full immunity for the both of them, as well as plentiful amounts of cheese. General Voll queried about the subject's identity, and she was revealed to be [[Amy Madison]].
 
  +
 
In [[Drextalcorp Recycling Technologies|a government facility]], General Voll looks with disgust into the cell of [[Warren Mears|a "nasty guy"]] captured from the Hellmouth. A lab tech explains their other subject was responsible for keeping him alive after the town's destruction. The first words of the attacker reportedly were: "I'm gonna help you kill her." In return for her help, she requests access to all of the government's [[magic]]al hardware and a weapons lab for the "boyfriend." If they succeeded in taking down Buffy, she wants release and full immunity for the both of them, as well as a lot of cheese. General Voll queries about the subject's identity, and sitting inside the cell is [[Amy Madison|Amy]].
   
 
==Continuity==
 
==Continuity==
  +
*The events from this story take place after the destruction of Sunnydale and activation of multiple Slayers in "[[Chosen]]," as well as Andrew's hints on the Slayer Organization in "[[Damage]]."
The events took place after "[[Chosen]]" and "[[Antique]]", "[[Riley: Commitment Through Distance, Virtue Through Sin]]" and "[[Willow: Goddesses and Monsters]]", "[[Not Fade Away]]" and "[[The Wolf, the Ram, and the Heart, Part Six]]", as well as "[[Stranger Things]]", but before "[[The Long Way Home, Part Two]]".
 
  +
*Buffy begins the story reflecting about "changing the world." She thinks "the thing" is that "once you do it, the world is all different." In ''[[Last Gleaming, Part Five]]'', she will finalize that the "trouble" is that "you don't." Five years later, she will conclude: "The trouble with changing the world is… worth it." (''[[Finale]]'').
  +
*It is revealed that who [[Spike]] and Angel presumed to be Buffy in Rome during episode "[[The Girl in Question]]" was instead a decoy. Andrew, responsible for this idea, had then lied to them about her identity on purpose.
  +
*Buffy also mentions having an underground decoy, to be featured in ''[[The Chain]]''.
  +
*Xander reflects he used to work in construction, which he did since the episode "[[Pangs]]." He will resume his work in ''[[Last Gleaming, Part Five]]'' and continue until the end of the series (''[[One Year Later]]'').
  +
*Xander works in Scotland after Buffy and two other Slayers rescued him in "[[Antique]]."
  +
*Giles will discover in ''[[The Long Way Home, Part Three]]'' that someone sacrificed the men in the church and led the demons there to create the conflict with the Slayers.
  +
*The floating figure will be established in ''[[No Future for You, Part Four]]'' as the masked "Twilight," and his identity will be revealed in ''[[Twilight, Part Two]]''.
  +
*Dawn recalls her close relationship with Willow during Buffy's death ("[[Bargaining, Part One]]").
  +
*Dawn will confide with Xander what happened to her to become a giant in ''[[Anywhere but Here]]''.
  +
*It's revealed that Amy was still in Sunnydale and survived its destruction ("Chosen").
  +
*Amy's interest in cheese is a side effect from her time as a rat, as first mentioned in "[[Smashed]]."
 
*Amy's boyfriend will be revealed in ''The Long Way Home, Part Three''.
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
 
===Individuals===
 
===Individuals===
*[[Buffy Summers]]
+
*[[Angel]]
 
*[[Donna]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Rupert Giles]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Alexander Harris]]
 
*[[The Immortal]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Ken (Thricewise)|Ken]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Leah]]
 
*[[Leah]]
 
*[[Amy Madison]]
 
*[[Warren Mears]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Renee]]
 
*[[Willow Rosenberg]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Rowena]]
 
*[[Rowena]]
 
*[[Satsu]]
 
*[[Satsu]]
 
*[[Buffy Summers]]
 
*[[Buffy Summers (underground decoy)]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Buffy Summers (underground decoy)]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Buffy Summers (Rome decoy)]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Buffy Summers (Rome decoy)]] {{Om}}
*[[The Immortal]] {{Om}}
+
*[[Dawn Summers]]
*[[Andrew Wells]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Xander Harris]]
 
*[[Renee]]
 
*[[Donna]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Rupert Giles]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Twilight#Angel as "Twilight"|Twilight]]
 
*[[General Voll]]
 
*[[Amy Madison]]
 
*[[Kenny (Thricewise)]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Willow Rosenberg]] {{Om}}
 
 
*[[Joyce Summers]] {{Om}}
 
*[[Joyce Summers]] {{Om}}
*[[Warren Mears]] {{Om}}
+
*[[Voll]]
  +
*[[Andrew Wells]] {{Om}}
 
===Organizations and Titles===
+
===Organizations and titles===
*[[Slayer Organization]]
+
*[[Key]]
 
*[[Scooby Gang]]
 
*[[Scooby Gang]]
 
*[[Slayer]]
  +
*[[Slayer Organization]]
 
*[[Twilight Group]]
 
*[[Twilight Group]]
 
*[[United States Armed Forces]]
 
*[[United States Armed Forces]]
 
*[[Watcher]]
  +
*[[Witch]]
 
===Species===
 
===Species===
  +
*[[Demon]]
  +
**[[Thricewise]] {{Om}}
  +
**[[Unidentified demon (The Long Way Home)]]
  +
*[[Giant]]
 
*[[Human]]
 
*[[Human]]
 
*[[Vampire]]
 
*[[Vampire]]
*[[Slayer]]
 
*Unidentified [[demon]]
 
*[[Giant]]
 
*[[Thricewise]] {{Om}}
 
===Events===
 
 
===Locations===
 
===Locations===
*[[Scotland]], U.K.
+
*[[Italy]] {{Om}}
  +
**Orvieto {{Om}}
*[[Sunnydale]], [[California]], U.S.
 
  +
**[[Rome]] {{Om}}
===Weapons and Objects===
 
*[[Scythe]]
+
*[[Scotland]]
  +
**[[Slayer Organization command center]]
  +
*[[Spain]] {{Om}}
  +
**[[Barcelona]] {{Om}}
  +
*[[United States]]
  +
**[[Berkeley]] {{Om}}
  +
**[[Sunnydale]]
  +
***[[Drextalcorp Recycling Technologies]]
 
===Objects===
  +
*[[Blood]]
  +
*[[Cross]]
  +
*[[Mark of Twilight]]
   
==Death Count==
+
==Death count==
  +
*Two humans, sacrificed by Twilight in the church.
*3 unidentified demons
 
  +
*Two demons, shot by Rowena and two Slayers with crossbows.
*1 member of the United States Armed Forces
 
  +
*One demon, stabbed in the head by Buffy with a cross.
  +
 
==Behind the scenes==
  +
===Production===
  +
*Editor [[Scott Allie]] has established: "[The beginning of] ''Season Eight'' does take place about a year and a half after [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7|season seven]]; but I don't necessarily think of season seven having been in 2003."<ref>[http://slayalive.com/showthread.php/225-SA3-Ask-Scott-Allie-August-08 "Ask Scott Allie - August '08."] ''SlayAlive Forum'', August 6, 2008.</ref>
  +
*Jeanty has described: "Joss wrote that there would be these big monsters in the first issue and he was very adamant that they shouldn't look like a 'guy in a suit' like they had to do on TV most of the time. 'We have an unlimited budget — go crazy,' he told me."<ref>[[Georges Jeanty]] et al., ''[[Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 1]]''. [[Dark Horse Comics]], May 2012.</ref>
  +
*Despite Xander's protests on being under the title of a watcher, Scott Allie has clarified the roles: "The structure [of the Scotland squad] is different than it's ever been, but Xander is essentially a Watcher (basically), and he's the Watcher of the Scottish squad. Buffy's the Commander in Chief of the whole thing, so all the squads are hers."<ref>[http://slayalive.com/showthread.php/226-SA4-Scott-Allie-Q-amp-A-for-19-November-08 "Scott Allie Q&A for #19 - November '08."] ''SlayAlive Forum'', November 26, 2008.</ref>
  +
  +
===Distribution===
  +
*''{{PAGENAME}}'' was the ninth best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 109,919 sales in March 2007 at comic specialty stores.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/10404/ "Top 300 Comics Actual--March 2007."] ''ICv2'', April 15, 2007.</ref> It was also among the 300 best selling of April, May, June, July, September, and November 2007.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/1850 "ICv2's Top 300 Comics & Top 300 GN's index."] ''ICv2''. Retrieved on December 27, 2017.</ref>
  +
*As the printings were sold out, there were four additional printings available for this issue, as well as a special edition limited to 1,000 copies.
  +
*An exclusive cover illustrated by Jeanty was released with the 2017 edition of the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs|''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' DVDs]].
   
==Behind the Scenes==
 
===Trivia===
 
 
===Collections===
 
===Collections===
*[[The Long Way Home]]
+
*''[[The Long Way Home]]''
*[[Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 1]]
+
*''[[Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 1]]''
  +
*''[[Omnibus: Season 8, Volume 1]]''
===Pop Culture References===
 
  +
*Wearing an eye-patch and leading a super-secret organisation, Xander believed himself to be a bit like [[Wikipedia:Nick Fury|Nick Fury]].
 
  +
===Pop culture references===
  +
*Buffy wears a shirt with the symbol for ''[[Wikipedia:Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'', another Joss Whedon's famous television show.
  +
*Xander compares himself to [[Wikipedia:Nick Fury|Nick Fury]], the fictional character who also wore an eyepatch and led a secret organization. Renee mentions him being a colonel when he ran the [[Wikipedia:S.H.I.E.L.D.|S.H.I.E.L.D.]] agency, and Xander says he was a sergeant during the title ''[[Wikipedia:Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos|Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos]]''.
  +
*Buffy comments it's strange to use a crucifix to kill, and Leah jokes she must not know a lot about religion. The crucifix is a common symbol in Christianity due to the method used in the [[Wikipedia:Crucifixion of Jesus|execution of Jesus]].
  +
 
===Goofs===
  +
*Buffy has her eyes colored as brown in her first panel, but they become green for the rest of the issue, as they most commonly appear.
  +
 
===Awards===
  +
*This issue received two Diamond Gem Awards in 2007, as Licensed Comic of the Year and Comic Book of the Year, Under $3.00.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200729150540/https://www.diamondcomics.com/support/pr/Gem_winners/2007_Gem_Award_Winners.pdf "Congratulations to the 2007 Diamond Gem Winners!"] ''Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc.'' Archived from [https://www.diamondcomics.com/support/pr/Gem_winners/2007_Gem_Award_Winners.pdf the original] on July 29, 2020.</ref>
  +
  +
===International titles===
  +
*'''French:''' ''Un Long Retour au Bercail, Première Partie'' ({{PAGENAME}})
  +
*'''German:''' ''Der Lange Weg Nach Hause, Teil Eins'' ({{PAGENAME}})
  +
*'''Italian:''' ''La Lunga Strada Verso Casa, Parte 1'' ({{PAGENAME}})
  +
*'''Portuguese (Brazil):''' ''O Longo Caminho de Casa, Episódio Um'' ({{PAGENAME}})
  +
*'''Russian:''' ''Долгая дорога домой, Часть 1'' ({{PAGENAME}})
  +
*'''Spanish (Spain):''' ''El Largo Camino a Casa, Parte I'' ({{PAGENAME}})
  +
*'''Turkish:''' ''Evden Uzakta, Kısım Bir'' (Away from Home, Part One)
  +
  +
===Adaptations===
  +
*This issue was adapted into [[The Long Way Home, Part One (episode)|an episode]] of the ''[[Season Eight Motion Comic]]'' animated comic series.
  +
*[[Jo Chen]]'s cover for the final issue of the season, ''[[Last Gleaming, Part Five]]'', is a parallel image to her own cover for this issue.
  +
  +
==Gallery==
  +
===Covers===
  +
<gallery captionalign="center" spacing="small" widths="150">
  +
BuffyS8-01.jpg|Main cover
 
BuffyS8-01variant.jpg|Variant cover
  +
B08-01-00c.jpg|Dark Horse 100 special edition
  +
B08-01-00d.jpg|Second printing
  +
B08-01-00e.jpg|Third printing
  +
B08-01-00f.jpg|Fourth printing
  +
14111d.jpg|Fifth printing
  +
B08-01-DVD.jpg|DVD collection exclusive
  +
</gallery>
  +
===Cover artwork===
  +
<gallery captionalign="center">
  +
B08-01-00g.jpg|Jo Chen
  +
B8-01-01b.jpg|Georges Jeanty with Dave Stewart
  +
</gallery>
  +
===Preview===
  +
<gallery>
  +
buffys8p1.jpg
  +
buffys8p2.jpg
  +
buffys8p3.jpg
  +
buffys8p4.jpg
  +
buffys8p5.jpg
  +
</gallery>
   
 
==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
  +
{{QuoteBlock
{{Quotation
 
  +
|Voll|"They got power, they got resources, and they got a hard-line ideology that does not jibe with American interests. Worst of all, they got a leader. Charismatic, uncompromising, and completely destructive. I mean, for the love of god… look what she did to her hometown."
|source = [[The Long Way Home, Part One]]
 
|speaker1 = [[Buffy Summers]]
 
|line1 = I miss my home. I miss my mom. I miss the gang. And churros. And sex, great muppety Odin, I miss that sex.
 
 
}}
 
}}
   
 
==References==
 
==References==
  +
{{References}}
<small><references/></small>
 
  +
  +
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''{{PAGENAME}}''}}
  +
  +
[[nl:The Long Way Home, Deel Eén]]
  +
[[pt-br:O Longo Caminho de Casa, Episódio 1]]
   
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Way Home 1}}
+
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Way Home Part 1}}
 
[[Category:Season Eight]]
 
[[Category:Season Eight]]
  +
[[Category:Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics]]

Latest revision as of 02:58, 16 March 2024

The Long Way Home, Part One is the first issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series. Written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Georges Jeanty, it was originally published on March 14, 2007, by Dark Horse Comics.

Synopsis

Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers — newly legion — have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains…[1]

Summary

Buffy leads a squad of Slayers, including Leah, Rowena, and Satsu, in a raid on a large, dilapidated church protected by a force field. She reflects about being at least 1800 Slayers now active, almost 500 of whom are working with the Scooby Gang spread over ten squads. Buffy even has two Slayers currently posing as decoys of her lest she become an easy target; one literally underground and another in Rome, publicly partying and dating the Immortal. Buffy communicates remotely with Xander, who runs things at Slayer headquarters in Scotland with a team that includes computer workers and psychics. A Slayer named Renee comes with information on the Barcelona squad, and Xander suggests Andrew send Slayers from Italy.

Inside the church, Buffy and her squad find three large demons and two human corpses. After slaying the demons, the Slayers investigate the dead men. They have a symbol cut into their chests, and Buffy finds automatic weapons, which leads her to believe the victims came looking for a fight. Buffy tells Xander to send a copy of the symbol to Giles, when Satsu finds the machine that generated the force field, presumably also belonging to the victims. Outside, someone wearing boots and a cape floats above the church.

In Sunnydale, General Voll of the United States Army surveys the crater left from the town. He calls the Slayers a threat to the United States Government and likens their squads to terrorist cells. A government expedition is being led sixty feet into the crater, where someone makes one of the explorers scream.

In Scotland, Buffy and Xander try to puzzle out the meaning of the symbol; Xander calls it a "guy with a monocle frowning," while Buffy opts for "a beautiful sunset." Xander tells Buffy she needs to talk to Dawn, and Buffy reluctantly visits her sister, who is now a giant living in the stable of the headquarters castle. Dawn won't divulge anything to Buffy, intending to talk to Willow instead. Buffy accuses Dawn of dating a thricewise despite everyone's warnings. Dawn says she will return to Berkeley as soon as she returns to her normal size.

After the brief feud, Buffy leaves to a balcony. She reflects she and Dawn hadn't gotten along since they changed the world. Buffy misses her mom, her home, the gang, churros, and sex, but she has to suck it up because she is a big girl now.

In a government facility, General Voll looks with disgust into the cell of a "nasty guy" captured from the Hellmouth. A lab tech explains their other subject was responsible for keeping him alive after the town's destruction. The first words of the attacker reportedly were: "I'm gonna help you kill her." In return for her help, she requests access to all of the government's magical hardware and a weapons lab for the "boyfriend." If they succeeded in taking down Buffy, she wants release and full immunity for the both of them, as well as a lot of cheese. General Voll queries about the subject's identity, and sitting inside the cell is Amy.

Continuity

  • The events from this story take place after the destruction of Sunnydale and activation of multiple Slayers in "Chosen," as well as Andrew's hints on the Slayer Organization in "Damage."
  • Buffy begins the story reflecting about "changing the world." She thinks "the thing" is that "once you do it, the world is all different." In Last Gleaming, Part Five, she will finalize that the "trouble" is that "you don't." Five years later, she will conclude: "The trouble with changing the world is… worth it." (Finale).
  • It is revealed that who Spike and Angel presumed to be Buffy in Rome during episode "The Girl in Question" was instead a decoy. Andrew, responsible for this idea, had then lied to them about her identity on purpose.
  • Buffy also mentions having an underground decoy, to be featured in The Chain.
  • Xander reflects he used to work in construction, which he did since the episode "Pangs." He will resume his work in Last Gleaming, Part Five and continue until the end of the series (One Year Later).
  • Xander works in Scotland after Buffy and two other Slayers rescued him in "Antique."
  • Giles will discover in The Long Way Home, Part Three that someone sacrificed the men in the church and led the demons there to create the conflict with the Slayers.
  • The floating figure will be established in No Future for You, Part Four as the masked "Twilight," and his identity will be revealed in Twilight, Part Two.
  • Dawn recalls her close relationship with Willow during Buffy's death ("Bargaining, Part One").
  • Dawn will confide with Xander what happened to her to become a giant in Anywhere but Here.
  • It's revealed that Amy was still in Sunnydale and survived its destruction ("Chosen").
  • Amy's interest in cheese is a side effect from her time as a rat, as first mentioned in "Smashed."
  • Amy's boyfriend will be revealed in The Long Way Home, Part Three.

Appearances

Individuals

Organizations and titles

Species

Locations

Objects

Death count

  • Two humans, sacrificed by Twilight in the church.
  • Two demons, shot by Rowena and two Slayers with crossbows.
  • One demon, stabbed in the head by Buffy with a cross.

Behind the scenes

Production

  • Editor Scott Allie has established: "[The beginning of] Season Eight does take place about a year and a half after season seven; but I don't necessarily think of season seven having been in 2003."[2]
  • Jeanty has described: "Joss wrote that there would be these big monsters in the first issue and he was very adamant that they shouldn't look like a 'guy in a suit' like they had to do on TV most of the time. 'We have an unlimited budget — go crazy,' he told me."[3]
  • Despite Xander's protests on being under the title of a watcher, Scott Allie has clarified the roles: "The structure [of the Scotland squad] is different than it's ever been, but Xander is essentially a Watcher (basically), and he's the Watcher of the Scottish squad. Buffy's the Commander in Chief of the whole thing, so all the squads are hers."[4]

Distribution

  • The Long Way Home, Part One was the ninth best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 109,919 sales in March 2007 at comic specialty stores.[5] It was also among the 300 best selling of April, May, June, July, September, and November 2007.[6]
  • As the printings were sold out, there were four additional printings available for this issue, as well as a special edition limited to 1,000 copies.
  • An exclusive cover illustrated by Jeanty was released with the 2017 edition of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs.

Collections

Pop culture references

  • Buffy wears a shirt with the symbol for Firefly, another Joss Whedon's famous television show.
  • Xander compares himself to Nick Fury, the fictional character who also wore an eyepatch and led a secret organization. Renee mentions him being a colonel when he ran the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency, and Xander says he was a sergeant during the title Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos.
  • Buffy comments it's strange to use a crucifix to kill, and Leah jokes she must not know a lot about religion. The crucifix is a common symbol in Christianity due to the method used in the execution of Jesus.

Goofs

  • Buffy has her eyes colored as brown in her first panel, but they become green for the rest of the issue, as they most commonly appear.

Awards

  • This issue received two Diamond Gem Awards in 2007, as Licensed Comic of the Year and Comic Book of the Year, Under $3.00.[7]

International titles

  • French: Un Long Retour au Bercail, Première Partie (The Long Way Home, Part One)
  • German: Der Lange Weg Nach Hause, Teil Eins (The Long Way Home, Part One)
  • Italian: La Lunga Strada Verso Casa, Parte 1 (The Long Way Home, Part One)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): O Longo Caminho de Casa, Episódio Um (The Long Way Home, Part One)
  • Russian: Долгая дорога домой, Часть 1 (The Long Way Home, Part One)
  • Spanish (Spain): El Largo Camino a Casa, Parte I (The Long Way Home, Part One)
  • Turkish: Evden Uzakta, Kısım Bir (Away from Home, Part One)

Adaptations

Gallery

Covers

Cover artwork

Preview

Quotes

Voll: "They got power, they got resources, and they got a hard-line ideology that does not jibe with American interests. Worst of all, they got a leader. Charismatic, uncompromising, and completely destructive. I mean, for the love of god… look what she did to her hometown."

References

  1. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: #1." Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved on November 12, 2017‎.
  2. "Ask Scott Allie - August '08." SlayAlive Forum, August 6, 2008.
  3. Georges Jeanty et al., Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 1. Dark Horse Comics, May 2012.
  4. "Scott Allie Q&A for #19 - November '08." SlayAlive Forum, November 26, 2008.
  5. "Top 300 Comics Actual--March 2007." ICv2, April 15, 2007.
  6. "ICv2's Top 300 Comics & Top 300 GN's index." ICv2. Retrieved on December 27, 2017.
  7. "Congratulations to the 2007 Diamond Gem Winners!" Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020.