I've Got a Theory from Once More, with Feeling

Buffy Season 8, Volume 4:
Time of Your Life

Author: Joss Whedon (first four chapters); Jeph Loeb (last chapter)
Illustrator: Karl Moline (first four chapters); Georges Jeanty (last chapter)
Acquired from: Dark Horse Books via NetGalley

Brief Summary:
The theme of the fourth installment is most definitely time travel. The main arc of this volume has Buffy traveling two hundred years into the future, traded for a demon by some mysterious force. She has to find her way back and decide what to make of her vision of the future. The last chapter in the volume is the equivalent of one of the silly episodes of Buffy; it does nothing to move the plot along, is largely inane, and good for a couple of laughs. In that one, Buffy, in more traditional comic book art style, travels back in time to good old Sunnydale, where she gets to spend a day being young and, relatively, carefree again.

Review:
Apparently, the even numbers in this series and I do not get along. This story was just really weird. Neither the for serious or the for fun time travel segment struck me as particularly interesting or necessary. I mean, the former did have a key plot point, but I don't know if it needed four whole chapters to be covered.

The future world was kind of annoying, as was the art style in the past. Speaking of the art, it really drives me a little bit crazy how inconsistent the characters seem to be. Sometimes they totally look like the actors on the show, but, other times, they really hardly bear a resemblance. I can deal with either of those, but both is a little rough.

The high point of this volume was definitely centaur Dawn, which may be funnier than giant Dawn. Although giant Dawn versus mecha Dawn in the streets of Tokyo is totally in the running for my favorite moment in the series. Here's hoping the next odd-numbered volume will be awesome!

"It could be witches
Some evil witches
Which is ridiculous 'cause witches they were
Persecuted Wicca good and love the earth and
Women power and
I'll be over here"