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The Long Way Home, Part Two is the second 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 April 4, 2007, by Dark Horse Comics.

Synopsis[]

The destruction of Buffy's hometown, plus covert and powerful slayer "cells" around the world, add up to a new label for the Scoobies: Terrorist threat. Speaking of Sunnydale, the crater formerly known as, has opened to reveal the witch Amy, and boy is she pissed. Now: Giles, smoochies, a knife to the heart, and a big sleep. Season Eight continues.[1]

Summary[]

In Eastern Europe, Giles trains a group of Slayers. He tells them they have technique and power that may even be capable of defeating Buffy, but they are all fighting alone, failing to look out for the rest of the team.

In Scotland, Buffy tells her Slayers, who are practicing with swords, the more they fight together, more formidable it is. To demonstrate, she asks Leah, Satsu, and Rowena to "kick [her] ass," yet she easily defeats them. She then compliments Satsu on her hair.

In Southern Italy, Andrew rambles about Star Wars. A pink-haired Slayer insists in her question on why they are using "medieval junk" as weapons instead of guns. Andrew declares no Slayer carries a gun. He then proceeds his lesson with the dos and don'ts of headbutts.

Back in Scotland, Dawn takes a bath in a lake while Xander talks to her about her problems with Buffy. Dawn admits she feels like Buffy hates her and expresses jealousy over Buffy having "new and improved Slayer sisters" now. Xander tentatively asks Dawn if she perhaps made herself giant-sized on purpose. Dawn splashes him with a sizable wave of water, and Xander complains he only has two of his military outfits.

In the United States, General Voll and his assistant discuss Amy's plan to get rid off of Buffy, referring to Amy as "their op." Voll complains they can't just use a nuclear weapon to destroy Buffy's base of operations, to which his assistant replies that, if they were to do so, they would get noticed and most likely indicted. Voll questions his assistant's commitment, saying "there is no problem so big or complicated that it can't be blown up." They then discuss that, if Amy fails, they will send in her boyfriend to do the job. Voll goes to his private quarters and opens his shirt, revealing he has the same symbol cut into his chest as the victims in the church.

Xander talks to Buffy about his discussion with Dawn, including his suggestion that Dawn purposely made herself larger, which Buffy finds too literal an answer. Buffy then asks Xander to come to bed with her. He says that they both know that it was a bad idea, but she promises to be gentle. They move into Buffy's room, where Buffy passionately starts kissing Xander before his head pops off. After frantically saying she is afraid of the dark, she is sucked through the castle wall, falling to the ground. She wishes not to fall, and a dragon impales her feet and hands with its claws, creating an image similar to a crucifixion. Buffy mentions that she knows the dragon, before it burns her alive with its fire breath.

Outside of the dream, Amy stands above the sleeping Buffy, preparing to drive a dagger into her chest. Xander and four Slayers soon burst in Buffy's room, and Amy stabs her before Xander shoots Amy in the shoulder with a crossbow. Xander picks up the dagger, which has been split apart by the mystical protection placed over Buffy. Amy points out that Buffy is still sleeping and that the curse she cast on her can only be lifted by the kiss of true love.

Renee and another Slayer, keeping watch on the rooftop of the castle, discuss about Renee's feelings for Xander. The other Slayer points her sudden interest in comic books, James Bond movies, and drywalling speaks of love. Before Renee can reply, they hear a clawing sound and see a legion of kilted zombies climbing up the castle walls.

A Slayers runs in to tell Xander of the zombies, who were summoned by Amy. Xander commands three of the present Slayers to go into the battlefield. When queried about Amy, Xander explains she is bound inside the castle due to their security. He then tells the Slayers to keep a guard on Amy and to get their witches working on the "true love" spell. Amy clarifies that the person who wakes Buffy from her slumber doesn't have to be someone whom Buffy loves, just someone passionately devoted to her, then taunts Xander by asking if he'd like to try.

Buffy continues her dream, internally pleading for it to stop, saying it hurts too much. A figure in a duster and a red shirt appears to her, offering a hand and telling her he has much he needs to show her, calling her "my love."

Outside, the Slayers fight the zombies — with Renee stabbed with her own sword. As Satsu informs an overwhelmed Xander they are unable to kill or even slow down the zombies, Amy sits on the windowsill surveying the carnage. The witch boasts aloud that not one person there could take her down. Willow then appears, floating outside the window, and declares: "As a friend of mine once said… I'd like to test that theory."

Continuity[]

  • Simone complains about the Slayer Organization not using guns. She also declares her preference for guns in The Chain and will have a group of rogue Slayers bearing guns in A Beautiful Sunset.
  • Buffy dreams about her attraction to Xander. She will only talk with him about this matter in Retreat, Part Three.
  • Willow declares: "As a friend of mine once said… I'd like to test that theory," a reference to Giles's words to her in the episode "Two to Go."
  • Willow wears the same dress as in Bedknobs and Boomsticks.

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Locations[]

Objects[]

Rituals and spells[]

Death count[]

  • Unknown number of Slayers, killed by zombies.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

Distribution[]

  • The Long Way Home, Part Two was the twelfth best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 96,409 sales in April 2007 at comic specialty stores.[3] It was also among the 300 best selling of May, June, September, and November 2007.[4]
  • As the printings were sold out, there were three additional printings available for this issue.

Collections[]

Goofs[]

  • Giles has his eyes colored brown instead of green (as portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head) or blue as they most commonly appear.
  • Andrew uses the expression "dos and don'ts," which is incorrectly written as "do's and don'ts."
  • Willow has her eyes colored brown instead of green (as portrayed by Alyson Hannigan) as they most commonly appear.

Pop culture references[]

International titles[]

  • French: Un Long Retour au Bercail, Deuxième Partie (The Long Way Home, Part Two)
  • German: Der Lange Weg Nach Hause, Zweiter Teil (The Long Way Home, Part Two)
  • Italian: La Lunga Strada Verso Casa, Parte 2 (The Long Way Home, Part Two)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): O Longo Caminho de Casa, Parte Dois (The Long Way Home, Part Two)
  • Russian: Долгая дорога домой, Часть 2 (The Long Way Home, Part Two)
  • Spanish (Spain): El Largo Camino a Casa, Parte II (The Long Way Home, Part Two)
  • Turkish: Evden Uzakta, Kısım İki (Away from Home, Part Two)

Adaptations[]

Gallery[]

Covers[]

Cover artwork[]

Preview[]

Quotes[]

Willow: "As a friend of mine once said… I'd like to test that theory."

References[]

  1. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: #2." Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved on November 12, 2017‎.
  2. "Exclusive Interview with Georges Jeanty." The Comic Book Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, April 9, 2007.
  3. "Top 300 Comics Actual--April 2007." ICv2, May 21, 2007.
  4. "ICv2's Top 300 Comics & Top 300 GN's index." ICv2. Retrieved on December 27, 2017.
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