Rating: 
Summary: Short by very, very, sweet..
Review: 'Tales of the Slayers' is one of the few comic books I have read and it was a wonderful experience. The eight tales contained herein are delicious additions to the slayer mythology.
When the movie 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' came out in the early 90s, I was fascinated by this mythology, by this heritage. But I didn't feel the movie handled it as well as my imagination did. And the TV show (while it is my favorite TV show), doesn't exactly focus on it. Now there is 'Tales of the Slayers,' and to my mind it fulfills the potential of that mythology laid out all those years ago.
Themes that are also often explored in the show are explored here- themes relating to isolation, struggling to understand the dynamics of good and evil, dealing with death on a daily basis, etc.
The stories are beautifully told, both in the writing and the art. The only complaint- and this may actually be further endorsement- is that it leaves you wishing for more.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't believe the hype!
Review: I am a huge Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Whedon fan. Thinking other fans are kindreds I bought this on the basis of the great reviews. Big mistake! I forgot the phenomenon that occurs with a hit series after they hook you. Since the writers know you will watch/read/buy anything related to the show, they start to pull out any thought, fragment, or idea they had that never went anywhere, or even went on the cutting room floor, package it up and make a compilation show or book. Now, some compilations are good, but there are two reasons this is two-star bad.
First and foremost, the price. Joss Whedon should be ashamed of himself. I read this in 10 minutes. Granted, I am a fast reader but you should not charge so much money for something that can be read in 25min tops. Calling this a graphic novel is misleading, it's really a comic book. I would change my review if this were the cost of a giant sized comic book.
Secondly, even as a comic book there is very little developed content. The stats say 98 pages. That's not true. I get 86 pages counting adverts and credits. There are 78 pages of actual content and maybe 40% of that is either full or 3/4 page art. So 8 tales in 78 pages; that's about 9 pages per story. With the exception of "Sonnenblume" much of those pages are mostly art. Granted, the art is breathtaking, but art without a developed story leaves you unsatisfied. The stories lack the depth and wit that's so identifiable with the series. Each time period piece reads like a quick overture of the most obvious elements of the time with a slayer and vamps thrown in. Now, I've seen books (Savage sword of Conan did this alot) where a quick poem is set to art. The first story, "Righteous", is like that and that works very well. You expect it to be short and sweet and it is. The rest of the tales attempt storytelling or flashbacks but they don't develop the characters. "Presumption" is the only exception to the above. The rest are frustrating because you feel like there are pages missing. If these tales were filmed, they would be about as long as a music video, and no, not "Thriller."
I think this would have worked if there were only 4 tales and the writers took the time to tell the story. These read like the reverse of Dickens, who was paid by the word. These stories read like the writers were docked for going over 200 words. But fans, oh there are you fans that will read, love and exault anything with the name Slayer. If Whedon put out a book that just repeated the word "Slayer" over and over and added a few pretty pictures to go with, it would probably get 3 stars.
I am a fan. I am the kind of fan that will probably vamp out when they start to have conventions. When that happens I will hand my copy of this comic to a neophyte so they can get a 10min taste of Slayers. If you must have this, buy it at the cheapest used price you can get.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting take on the Slayer saga
Review: I got this book primarily because of Joss Whedon's contributions (3 out of 8), but also because Amber Benson, 'Tara', also wrote an entry. You get eight stories and about that many writing styles along with different artwork accompanying each entry.
I'm not really a comic book fan but believe there is something here for everyone. My favorites were 'Prologue','Righteous', and 'Tales' all written by Joss Whedon followed by'Presumption' by Jane Espenson. Amber Benson's 'The Innocent' was also interesting, good to see that a Buffy cast member took an interest and could do a pretty good story.
If you aren't a Buffy fan you might not care for this book but those of us who are will be able to find plenty, even if the stories are so short. My favorites were Whedon's Righteous, a sort of Joan of Arc story, followed by his Tales, the story of a future slayer finding her lost heritage (in her mind she sees past slayers, Buffy is one of them). Jane Espenson's Presumption is an interesting tale about people not being what they seem, if you don't read ahead on that one it might surprise you.
Rating:
Summary: Sink your teeth into this tome of Buffy history
Review: I love this comic.
I ordered it and read the first couple of stories at breakfast and the others on the bus to school (how i didn't get beaten up i don't know).
What I'm trying to say is this is the best tie in comic in the Buffy series...you think you're a fan - but it!
Rating:
Summary: Style with Style
Review: I loved this book! Finally those of us who loved the episodes where we meet other slayers can have peace as this book brings a full course meal to ease all cravings. There are a bunch of stories each with a different attitude, plot, author, and artist. Starting with the first Slayer jumping a bit and ending eventually Fray (a great comic on it's own right). No Buffy. No Faith. We do get to see the Slayer in New York that Spike killed though. The stories are all great and somehow all keep the tone of they slayer universe..action, drama, humor, and a touch of sadness. I personaly think Joss (the creator) should make a series called Tales of the Slayers. Why? Because a few of the Slayers of the past have personalities and stories I find more remarkable than even Buffy.
Rating:
Summary: Eight Tales of The Slayer
Review: I really enjoyed this comic book! I would recommend it to every fan of the show, especially if you're interested in the mythology of the slayer.
The tales are:
-Prologue: story by Joss Whedon. Learn just a tad more about the first slayer (first featured in the episode "Restless", the last episode of season 4).
-Righteous: story by Joss Whedon. Heartbreaking Joan of Arc-esque tale of a slayer. The story of a slayer in another time.
-The innocent: story by Amber Benson. Great story about betrayal, consequences...
-Presumption: story by Jane Espenson. This writer of great episodes like "Earshot" and "I was made to love you" gives us a marvelous story of the slayer in the time of George Elliott.
-The glittering world by David Fury (writer of "Real me"). This is a wonderful tale about a Navajo slayer with an unexpected result. (This story ties in with the 3th season arch.)
-Sonnenblum by Rebecca Rand Kirsher (writer of "Though love", season 5 and my personal favorite "Tabula Rasa", season 6)This was my favorite story in this collection. I truly liked the idea of a slayer in Nazi-Germany. This story moved me a lot. Also, the graphics make the story stand out.
-Nikki goes down by Doug Petrie. Learn more about the Subway slayer featured in "Fool for love", one of the best episodes of the fifth season.
-Tales by Joss Whedon. Lovely tale about a future slayer. More info about being a slayer.
All in all a great collection!
Rating:
Summary: Eight Tales a Telling
Review: I should probably start out by mentioning that this is the Dark Horse comic novel, and not 'Tales of the Slayer, Part 1' issued by Pocket Books. While both are stories about 'ye slayers of olde,' they really are different. So, if you want everything you will have to buy both. If you are confused, don't feel bad, I thought I orders the other, and did all this research just so you wouldn't have to do so.Of the eight stories in this collection, Joss Whedon wrote three, and the rest are all individual stars in their own right. Amber Benson also turns up as a writer in 'The Innocent,' a story of betrayal in pre-revolutionary France. Now that Tara is at least temporarily defunct, it appears she has great possibilities as a comic writer, with several Willow and Tara comics to her credit as well as the little showpiece she has here. The artists involved in this effort are to numerous to catalog. Whit the exception of Dave Stewart, no one does the same task twice. The stories are in order by time, with 'Prologue' set in ancient Africa, and the finale, 'Tales,' set some time in the future. All of the stories have a certain poignant touch, as each Slayer must come to terms with the tragic nature of their existence, their sense of community based on the Slayer's historical continuity rather than the friendships they build during their 'turn.' Buffy (who does not appear here) truly was the only exception who formed a loyal company of friends. This, of course, is one of the most important reasons why she has lasted through six seasons (only dying twice). Readers will find themselves in Africa, England, France, Germany, the U.S., and a few places if which I'm not entirely. All of the tales are notable. Perhaps my two favorites were 'Sonnenblume' about a Slayer in Nazi Germany who discovers that evil has many faces, and the final story, 'Tales,' in which a Slayer (Fray) who never had a watcher rediscovers her heritage. There is enough here for everyone to find some that are particularly meaningful. If I have any real complaint, it is that this volume is way too short. Everything feels abridged, especially at the very beginning when a very interesting fact about the nature of the Slayer is revealed. Fortunately, there is more to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Some stories are great, but others are just okay
Review: I was very excited to read this graphic novel. It combines some of Buffy's best television writers with some of my favorite comicbook artists. Most of the stories work very well. My favorites being the first two stories by Joss Whedon with art by Lienl Yu and Tim Sale, and the western (the creative team escapes me). The very first story illustrated by Yu is very short, but very sweet. It sets up the history of the Slayer and primes you for the rest of the stories in the book. Not to mention Yu is one of the best artists working in comics. The second story illustrated by Tim Sale is a masterpiece of short story. It had a heart that I felt the rest of the stories lacked. This story was told through the eyes of the Slayer's Watcher. It tells the tale of how he trained his Slayer to protect the people from the supernatural menace of the vampires, but perhaps he has done his job a little too well. The western story I like mainly because I have a soft spot in my heart for westerns. This story has an ending that fans of Buffy season 3 will appreciate. The rest of the stories while good just didn't have the punch that these three stories had. Some of the stories didn't use their page count very well. Amber Benson's story seemed to have high aspirations, but was far too short to have any real impact. The story illustrated by P. Craig Russell seemed to have a bit of a cheat in the way one of the faces was drawn before and after the big reveal.
Rating:
Summary: Actually 4 1/2 Stars...
Review: I've never been into graphic novels, but I am a big fan of Buffy, and when I saw that these stories were written by the actual writers (and an actor) of Buffy, I tried it out. The stories were so interesting, I really wanted to know more. I liked that connections were made to the tv series (beyond just the basic slayer connection). I also liked the different visual styles for each story. I'm not sure how this measures up to graphic novels in general, but as a Buffy fan I enjoyed the embellishments on the slayer lore.
Rating:
Summary: Actually 4 1/2 Stars...
Review: I've never been into graphic novels, but I am a big fan of Buffy, and when I saw that these stories were written by the actual writers (and an actor) of Buffy, I tried it out. The stories were so interesting, I really wanted to know more. I liked that connections were made to the tv series (beyond just the basic slayer connection). I also liked the different visual styles for each story. I'm not sure how this measures up to graphic novels in general, but as a Buffy fan I enjoyed the embellishments on the slayer lore.
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