Buffy’s Back!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has had many incarnations. Originally, it was a not-so-good movie starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry. Despite the lack of success, creator Joss Whedon was given a chance to do it again, and because the network he was on was still in the “we’ll try anything” mode, turned it into an brilliant, iconic TV Series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.
That show was funny, sad, witty and at times, even operatic. It was also one of the most influential series of the past decade. After spinning off Angel — perhaps the weirdest TV show ever — it also spun right into the realm of the comic book.
I resisted the comic books for a few years, but after the series ended, I was happy to get my Buffy fix in any form, so I have purchased many of the comic books over the last few years, Some of them were really good, well written with wonderful artwork, Fray for example. Or even Tales of the Slayers. Some of them were less good. I’ll be nice and won’t name names.
Now, Joss has brought us a new Buffy comic. This one is different than the previous ones: it is the “official” season eight of the television series. What does that mean? Well, while there will forever be arguments as to whether the Star Trek Animated Series (which Jim is currently forcing me to watch, sometimes cringing), is canon, there is no doubt that this is.
It is being written by Joss and several of the other BtVS writers and it picks up after the events of the series finale. Too cool. It seems to me to be the perfect way to continue the story of these characters. It allows them to tell more epic stories and try things they could never have tried on television. Read the first volume and you’ll see what I mean. Already, I’m hooked, and can’t wait for the next one. The only problem is that unlike a TV season story arc in which we get the problem and the solution in about eight or nine months, I’ve read that this will be at least 25 issues, and at one issue per month, this will take much longer to play out.
And then, they’ll put it out all together in a nice bound volume, and I’ll have to buy that, too. In 2011. I can hardly wait.
One of the great things about Buffy is that she seems to move from medium to medium pretty smoothly. I’m just wondering what’s next? Animated YouTube shorts? Buffy in SecondLife? In 20 years, we will no doubt be seeing her in some medium that noone’s even come up with yet. And I’ll no doubt still enjoy her, like the fangirl that I’ll always be.
But for now, I’m just going to enjoy my monthly comic book fix.
Technorati Tags: Buffy, Comics, Joss Whedon
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5 Comment(s) so far
1. Heliologue wrote on March 29th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
I’ve never been able to see the appeal in the TV series, despite its incredible popularity. I enjoyed the not-so-great original movie because of three things:
1. Kristy Swanson was a babe
2. Donald Sutherland rocks my socks
3. Katanas > stakes
The TV series was too much of a “Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter” meets “Dawson’s Creek” kind of affair.
2. Kassia wrote on March 29th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Haven’t seen th Kristy Swanson movie, but, hey, I’m willing to entertain the notion. Medialoper party night! And, yes, I do want you to name names. We saw the new comic book last night while out shopping (in a comic book store). Almost purchased it, but, well, I was already buying one book I already had (Dr Sketchy’s Official Rainy Day Colouring Book and Kirk was buying the Ask A Ninja DVD after acknowledging he could just download it all for free on the Internet. I think that’s the definition of impulse buy.
BtVS in Second Life? The mind boggles. You’d have to find the perfect avatar for Anya and that can’t be easy…Oh wait, she died, right? Or do demons really die? It’s all so confusing.
3. justelise wrote on March 29th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Two things: Joss Whedon considered the original movie a failure because the director took his idea and twisted into something which was a parody of his initial idea. What was supposed to be dark and twisty became campy and comic.
The comics have existed for a while and didn’t just get spun off when Angel started production. The comics started in 1998, a full year before Angel began. The time line of your article is off.
4. Rox wrote on March 30th, 2007 at 6:36 am
justelise,
Yes, you’re right. The comics came before Angel. But I was writing from my perspective, not an actual timeline. I didn’t feel the need to start reading the comics until much later.
5. Gods Save The Save Dollhouse Campaign | Medialoper wrote on May 27th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
[...] every SF Giants game, and has pretty much snapped up everything he has done since, right up to the Buffy Season 8 and Angel Season 6 comic books that mysteriously show up at our place every [...]