Amph Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel book/comic book discussion

I knew that Loeb would be involved. He worked on a couple Buffy and Angel comics, did the introduction for Fray and was a writer for the developmental hell animated Buffy series.

 

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"Portal Through Time" by Alice Henderson. Our story is set during season two. It begins with a shocking beginning. Buffy Summers is dead. In 1995 and then further back in 1984. The vampire Lucien was once a favored member of the Master's clan. But when Lucien learned of his death, he decided to find a way to prevent that. To that end, he found two artifacts that when combined will allow him to travel back and forth through time. Though the object has to be left in the present, to serve as a marker to bring him back. His first attempt to stop the Master's death, failed. Teaming with the vampires Victor and Jason, the trio attempt to change history by killing Buffy Summers. Unfortunately, this doesn't work well. The Master is still killed, but by two different Slayers. Neither of which are Kendra or Faith. Consulting a demon that specializes in prophecies, they learn that they must first stop the death of Buffy and then travel further in time. There they must kill four different Slayers. In doing so, Buffy will not be called and thus the Master will not die when he escapes the Hellmouth. But in resurrecting Buffy, they unknowingly make her aware of what's going on. Now she, Xander, Giles and Willow must travel the ages to keep history in check.

This is an interesting story. The first few chapters focus on Victor, Jason and Lucien as they attempt to change history. But the story picks up once Buffy and the Scoobies get involved. Things really get interesting once the gang makes it to the French Revolution. I won't give it away, but I hadn't expected a twist to the story. Overall, I'd give it a good rating.

 

Solicitation for issue two of Joss Whedon's Buffy Season 8 comic.

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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.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on April 4.

 

If I have to find a place open at Midnight to get my hands on the new Buffy comic series, I'm getting it, that day.

~PK~

 

Solicitation for issue three.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3

Writer: Joss Whedon
Cover Artist: Jo Chen
Penciller: Georges Jeanty
Inker: Andy Owens
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

With Buffy incapacitated, Amy the witch has taken the opportunity to-get this-lay siege with an army of the undead. Willow takes her on in a witches? battle royal as hundreds of Slayers defend their Scottish citadel, but without the kiss of true love, Buffy will be out of commission indefinitely-with an unwelcome familiar face, and an image you won?t soon forget.

Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.

Publication Date: May 02, 2007
Format: Full color, 32 pages
Price: $2.99

Also, an advance review from Newsarama.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 (Season 8) Street Date: March 7, from Dark Horse Comics Writer: Joss Whedon Art: Georges Jeanty and Andy Owens (Cover Art: Jo Chen) Colors: Dave Stewart Review by Troy Brownfield

Some disclaimer-type language: Yes, Buffy fan. Rather than setting me up to give this an automatic ?A?, that fact actually makes me enter with some degree of temerity. Consider: if you have something that you really enjoyed, any extension, derivation, adaptation or deviation from same is going to be met with at least some form of heightened expectation. In this case, Buffy as a TV series had an appropriate ending in terms of timing, story, and scale. To revisit it and extend it (in continuity, no less), even with creator Joss Whedon at the helm, you?re going to have do something that a) reads well, b) looks great, and c) does things in a new way for it to even remotely work.

That said: welcome to A, B, and C. To say that Whedon and company knock it out of the park is a disservice to baseball metaphors. The narration on the first page clicks right into that classic Buffy dialogue rhythm, while the second page allows Jeanty and Owens to draw a sign that might as well say ?Our stamp, here.? Not only is this a good read, it?s a fun read, and the import of that in the overall Buffy context can not be understated.

Pull back a second to place an appropriate time frame. You must remember that as this is a functional Buffy ?Season 8?, the events and actions occur at a timeline that is roughly parallel to the events of brother-series Angel?s Season 5. That point is driven home with a righteously terrific punchline on page 4 that adds some brilliant depth to one of that Angel season?s funniest episodes.

However, just because there are long-time fan moments, don?t believe that it?s not accessible. Whedon plays the narration and development in such a way that you could come in blind and pick things up. Granted, you probably should be somewhat of a fan, and I recommend checking on the show if you?ve never done so. Still, first timers will find plenty to like. Such as:

The art of Jeanty and Owens. They do a great job with likenesses, but more importantly, they convey the motion and body language of the characters well. With roughly 145 hours of television out there chronicling their adventures, you know that it would be a massive disconnect if the renderings weren?t good. In fact, they?re spot on. Honestly, I always thought that Buffy herself was a hard character to get right in the comic form, but the team here manages to get it. Similar kudos should be extended for their work on Xander and Dawn (whose appearance herein fuels a funny subplot).

As to Whedon?s work . . . well, this is his baby, isn?t it? Fans have missed these characters, and you can tell from the script that Whedon has too. The sisterly interplay between Buffy and Dawn is solid, underscoring Dawn?s propensity for getting in trouble (?It must be Tuesday,? you can almost hear Buffy say) and the fractious relationship that they?ve always had. One brief conversation with Buffy and Xander reminds us that

 

From Comicbookresources.com.

SLAYING ALIVE: WHEDON TALKS ?BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER?
by Dave Richards, Staff Writer
Posted: February 15, 2007 ? More From This Author

When "Chosen" - the final episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - ended, many fans were left wondering what's next for Buffy Summers and friends? On March 7th , they can stop wondering because Buffy creator Joss Whedon returns with the eighth season of their favorite show, but the action won't be happening on the small screen; instead it will be unfolding in the pages of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" #1, the first issue of a new comic series written by Whedon, drawn by artist Georges Jeanty and published by Dark Horse Comics. CBR News spoke with Whedon about the book.
For Whedon, the new Buffy series isn't about making cash; it's a chance for him to have some fun with some of his signature creations. "I expect it to sell dozens and dozens of copies. I don't make sales expectations," Whedon told CBR News. "I think it will do well out there. I think they would be wise to push it and they [Dark Horse] were caught unawares with 'Serenity.' This is getting more heat than anything I've done in a while. But for me it's, 'Is the comic good? Did they get it on the stands?' And then somebody tells me the numbers later on. It's not like I'm going to make a fortune. It's a comic book."

One of the appealing aspects of doing Season Eight of Buffy as a comic book instead of a television show is that it allows Whedon a whole new range of creative freedom. "The network left us alone and the actors did what they were told, not because we were mean, but because they liked what they were given to do," Whedon said. "It's not like I was ever harangued while I was making it. But there were definitely budgetary limitations and the limitations of having to deal with the daily life of Buffy, which is sort of what made the show work, but there were a lot of things you couldn't do just in terms of scope. We've broadened it a little bit, which is fun. People are jumping from helicopters and there are giants. There are no limits and certainly that is fun."

Another television limit that Whedon will be doing away with on the "Buffy" comic is length. Fans shouldn't expect "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to end around issue #22, like a TV series would. "It will be more, because I have so many good writers jumping into the mix," Whedon explained. "I'm just going to keep going until I run out of writers and then I'll wrap it up. I'll be doing some stories in between other people. I originally had sort of thought of it as about 25 issues, but this is not like a season in the sense of you know a season always begins three months after the last one, and through the school year, then ends in May. We were pretty religious about that. We didn't do that on 'Angel' one year. We wrapped it up every year as though it was never coming back. I do have an arc for the season that will come to an end, and then it could be a new season if people were still into it or we would walk away wiping our hands saying we're just so awesome. [Laughs] I'm keeping it open lengthwise. It may become even bigger than I'm imagining it, or you know, I might decide it needs to tighten up and finish."

Like Whedon mentioned, some of comics' biggest names will be writing future story arcs of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." These writers will occasionally co-ordinate story details with Whedon but will pretty much have free reign to tell their stories. "It's not like I'm gonna tell Brian [K. Vaughan] how to write," Whedon stated. "The man is one of the gods of comics. We did the story breaking together and I'm going to be sort of overseeing everything. I'm not going to get in his soup; I'm not going to tell him how to do his job. But every now and then I go 'Well, this character feels like they should be in this space.' Sort of what I like to refer to as executive producing a comic book. Some people I'll be working with closely, some I'll just be checking in. It depends how they work.

"I wrote a manifesto of what

 

More Buffy goodness.


IGN article.

The modern master of nerds across the world is Joss Whedon. Starting with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then moving to Angel, Firefly and Serenity, Whedon has created some of the most memorable and brilliant original properties in recent memory. They?re also cult hits. While Buffy and Angel were very successful, they still only reached a limited audience on small networks. Firefly/Serenity had an even smaller lifespan as the series only lasted 11 episodes and the movie wasn?t exactly successful (though the DVD sales of both are doing very well).

Whedon?s series and their spin-offs are deceptive. Buffy appears to be a mere story about a girl fighting vampires. Firefly/Serenity appears to be some sort of space/western crossover. To try and label these franchises in such a manner does them a great injustice. Buffy does feature a girl and vampires, but it?s about love, friendship, life, laughter, death, happiness, hope, inner strength, sadness, courage and struggle. The same applies to Firefly/Serenity. These are stories about people and not simply concepts.

In comics, Whedon has accomplished much. Working on a futuristic take on Buffy, Whedon created Fray for Dark Horse, which was highly praised. The Buffy-verse has also seen multiple series, many in continuity and many not. Recently Whedon has been doing work for Marvel comics. Though his name is most associated with Astonishing X-Men, in April will will take over Runaways for six issues. Serenity has also found a small niche in comics with one mini-series published and another on the way some time towards the end of the year.

Recently Whedon has been working on two films. He was set to helm the Wonder Woman movie, a collaboration that was recently ended. He?s also working on the mysterious Goners.

So why do a Season Eight for Buffy? Whedon has simply stated that there are more stories to tell. He initially toyed around with concepts and realized there was enough to really dive into. Being that Buffy is a very important (probably more than words can describe) concept to him, he decided to return.

The season will be broken into arcs, each with a different writer. Though he initially thought the series would run for 20 issues, Whedon has since revised his estimate to be well over 30. He?s writing the first four issue arc as well as a one-shot in the fifth issue. Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Runaways) will be taking over after that. Whedon will return for various stories and arcs throughout the season, particularly to end the entire storyline.

As far as the popular characters go, Whedon has plans for all of them. Spike and Angel will definitely be returning, though will be used sparingly and when the storyline makes sense. Whedon has also said that characters that moved or "lived" within Angel will stay there unless it?s absolutely necessary. The rest of the cast will be slowly introduced as it makes sense.

The series ships on March 7, 2007. IGN spoke with Whedon about his work on Buffy, Runaways, Serenity, Wonder Woman and the end of Civil War.

IGN Comics: The new status quo for Buffy and her companions removes them from every day situations and scenarios. They?re in castles with decoys and whatnot. Did you intend to set that up or was it merely the direction of the story?

Joss Whedon: Um, both. I did start with that basic idea that they had left Sunnydale, but it was a very mundane storyline. I then had to shake myself loose from the show and say, "No, wait a minute. Not only are they in distant lands, but they are having an epic life." They are in a comic book. It?s not a show and we can?t recreate the day-to-day metaphor, but we can recreate the characters, concepts and emotions, and just put that on a grander scale.

IGN Comics: Do you think doing that will move the franchise too far from what made the show a hit in the first place?

Whedon: You know, I was talking to Brian Vaughan about his arc. Halfway through the conversation, because we were like, "This could be cool, that could be cool,

 

Well, until Whedon gives a definitive statement in an interview, I'm gonna say that Xander is her Watcher might be a variation of Whedon's original concept for the film. That at the end, Pike had become Buffy's partner and new Watcher. Xander already fit the bill by the time "Chosen" ended. And he's been the one who has rallied Buffy more than Giles ever could. He was the one who could see, afterall. The one who could see the potential in Buffy that she herself couldn't see.

I'll be doing a review in the near future. So don't worry.

 

Not the review, but an update regarding issue one.

BUFFY: SEASON 8 #1 GOES TO SECOND PRINTING

Press Release

Following the book?s release yesterday, Dark Horse will be going back to print on the much anticipated first issue of Buffy: Season 8. Since the book was announced last summer, Dark Horse has garnered a great deal of attention both in and outside of the comic market. With high profile press coverage, buzz among fans, and excitement from direct market retailers, orders exceeded the initial printing of over 100,000 copies!

?Admittedly, our expectations were already gigantic, but this has surpassed even those? says Dirk Wood, Director of Marketing. ?We couldn?t be happier about how this has launched, and have high hopes for upcoming issues.?

?We've done something unique here. We've taken something really popular from the most mainstream of media, television, and we've transplanted it with total authority into comics? says Managing Editor, Scott Allie. ?This is Buffy, by Joss, as much as the show ever was. And the sales seem to suggest that people are getting the message.?

The upcoming second printing will feature a full bleed version of the breathtaking Jo Chen cover, with some of the design elements removed for a cleaner, and more stripped down look. This new version will be arriving in stores with an on sale date of March 28, just a week before the release of issue #2. Dark Horse encourages retailers to backorder Buffy The Vampire Slayer #1 with confidence, as orders will be filled in full with the new printing.

 

Get ready for it. Angel: Season Six, the comic series by Joss Whedon. Newsarama reports from the IDW panel out in LA for the Comic Con out there.

IDW editor-in-chief and publisher Chris Ryall presided over the panel, which consisted of Angel and Star Trek writer Scott Tipton, Spike: Asylum writer Brian Lynch and Super Hero Happy Hour creator Dan Taylor, with Simmons to join later.

First up on the presentation was Spike: Shadow Puppets, described by Lynch as "Kind of a sequel to the 'Smile Time' episode," referring to the fan favorite season 5 Angel episode; he said it's also a sequel to his previously-published Spike: Asylum.

Ryall then told the crowd that Joss Whedon said in the new issues of Buffy/Angel magazine, "I am talking to Brian Lynch, about doing sort of a 'season 6 of Angel.'" Ryall then continued, "After Shadow Puppets, we will be doing some new Angel books, with Brian and Joss, picking up where the show left off. They will be post-show, and definitely canon, and co-written by Joss." Presumably this is the companion to Dark Horse's "Buffy season 8" that fans have been waiting for.

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From Comicbookresources.com - By Webmaster - 2007-03-18

"Spike : Shadow Puppets" Comic Book - Bryan Lynch Comicbookresources.com Interview
Angel

Ask any fan of "Angel" to compile a list of their favorite episodes and you're likely to find the Season 5 episode "Smile Time" on that list. The episode featured the titular hero being turned into a demonic puppet by a group of "Sesame Street"-esque creatures and even worse, taunted by his immortal enemy Spike (the other vampire with a soul). Heck, Diamond has even produced multiple replicas of Puppet Angel (and a Puppet Spike), all of which have sold out quickly. Karma's a, well, bad word this June when IDW releases "Spike: Shadow Puppets," announced earlier at Wizard World Los Angeles. CBR News spoke with scribe Bryan Lynch about the new mini-series and what it all means for the platinum blond vampire.

"Basically, 'Smile Time' is back," Lynch told CBR News with you. "For those that don't know, Smile Time is the evil childrens' show run by demonic puppets that literally sucked the lifeforce out of children. Angel and crew put them down in season five of 'Angel.'

"But what they didn't know is that Smile Time lives on in Japan. It's the second biggest kids' show overseas, popularity growing every day. And they're up to no good, let me tell you. Killing its audience left and right.

"Lorne gets wind of this, goes to Spike (he kind of HAS to, you'll see...) and tells him. So Spike, like all good champions, packs up his weapons and heads to Japan to stop them...and is immediately attacked by millions if puppet ninjas."

This all came about due to Lynch's own fascination with the Muppets. "I began my career by selling a Muppet movie script to Henson, I know every Muppet episode by heart, so when the 'Smile Time' episode aired, it was very much my two favorite worlds (Henson/Whedon) coming together.

"Chris Ryall, the editor in chief of IDW, and I would discuss how much fun it would be to have Spike face off against Smile Time, as he'd definitely have a different way of handling the puppets and a different reaction if and when he was turned into a puppet.

"So when it was time to think of a follow-up to 'Spike: Asylum,' we just kind of slid into 'Shadow Puppets.' I think it's scheduled to ship in June. And then it'll run monthly. Four issues. Each one has puppets. Evil, bloodthirsty, adorable puppets.

"There are tons of new puppets, too. Seeing as we're not confined by the budget of a weekly TV show, we can afford a hundred times the puppets. Cats, Femme Fatales, giant dragon, every color of the puppet rainbow."

While IDW has told a few tales of Angel and company after the cliffhanger series finale that saw his team of heroes quite literally facing the hordes of hell, most of the stories have been set in the series' past, with "Shadow Puppets" as no exception. "Spike is stationed in Los Angeles, and he's very much embracing his role of champion," explained Lynch of the vampire's status. "In fact, he has a whole secret life that we reveal in the first issue of 'Shadow Puppets.' Spike is doing his best to be the white knight. But it's not an easy path. It is, however, a very entertaining path wrought with demons and ladies."

For those not familiar with "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" lore (from which "Angel" spun off), Spike was originally introduced as the vampiric embodiment of Jack The Ripper and anything but a hero. Over the course of both "Buffy" and "Angel," the character evolved into an unlikely hero, becoming quite possibly the most popular character produced by creator Joss Whedon. Asked about the enduring popularity of Spike, Lynch explained, "I think he's a very layered character: started as a truly despicable (yet strangely likeable) villain, gradually (and very believably) became one of the greatest heroes in that universe. He's been on both sides, and it's a testament to the creative talent involved, from writing to acting to directing, that both sides, and the journey from one to the other, was completely believable.

"Plus, reduced to th

 

Minor spoilers.

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Buffy The Vampire Slayer-Season Eight: "The Long Way Home" part 1 by Joss Whedon.

The story begins after the events of "Chosen". There are currently 1,800 active Slayers including Buffy, Faith and the survivors of the Sunnydale battle. Everyone is living all over the world, handling the training and locating of the new Slayers. Buffy and a team of Slayers decend on a hideaway of demons which they take care of. Xander has moved up to serve as a Watcher. Meanwhile, the US government has grave concerns about Buffy and the Slayers. Even though they are aware of the Hellmouth, they choose to keep much of what went down a secret, even twisting the truth to suit their purposes. Elsewhere, an old threat from the Hellmouth has returned seeking revenge.


Without going into too much, that's the gist of season eight's premire. Whedon hits the ground rolling. Some good character beats from Buffy, Xander and Dawn. You can tell that they've evolved in their own way from "Chosen". Matured a bit, while retaining the classic characteristics that we all fell in love with. Georges Jantery's artwork is good as he has managed to make the returning characters look very much like their live action counterparts. While Jo Chen has done some great work with the covers. This is a bare minimum review given that it's only one issue. After the first arc is completed, I'll do a full on review of the entire arc.

 

JOURNEY INTO COMICS: SCOTT ALLIE TALKS BUFFY POWER AT DARK HORSE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by Michael San Giacomo

Fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer will get to see the eighth season of their favorite television show about Valley Girls versus vampires. They just won?t see it on TV.

Last week the first issue of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Eight debuted on the shelves of comic shops everywhere, and it got better reception than the Fox TV show ever did.

The fact that it was written by series creator Joss Whedon had a lot to do with that.

The comic flew off the shelves in minutes, causing the biggest outcry for a sold out comic since?well since a few weeks ago when Captain America #25 disappeared before the UPS guy got back in his truck.

The success of the first issue of the Buffy comic even came as a welcome surprise to series editor Scott Allie and friends at Dark Horse.

?We expected it to sell well, so we overprinted by about 25 percent just to cover ourselves,? he said. ?But even with the overprinting, the comics sold out everywhere. We?re talking about 100,000 comics, which is lot these days.?

That?s for sure, it is probably the biggest selling single issue in Dark Horse history. Folks are all smiles at the comic company these days. Unlucky Buffy fans don?t despair, a second printing (with a new cover) is on the way. Allie believes there may even be a third printing to satisfy the demand.

Not bad for a cancelled comic book based on a slightly silly movie mainly meant as a parody.

The new series is set some time after the end of the series. The Slayers have become more organized and their foes are no longer just vampires, but other kinds of monsters that plague mankind.

The art is by Georges Jeanty, whose work on DC?s American Way impressed Whedon. Paul Lee will handle issue five and many of the covers will be rendered by Jo Chen.

The creators look forward to the freedom that comics allow special effects that the television series could never afford.

The show ended in 2003 and the Dark Horse original series ended as well. By that time, between the monthly series, the specials and the graphic novels, there were about 100 Buffy books out there.

?By issue #63 I felt the direction was scattered,? Allie said. ?Joss agreed that we should pick out a real destiny for the comic that was different from the television show.?

So the door closed on Buffy with a pretty solid slam, but Whedon was not concerned. He knew that somehow, someday, the story would go on. ?Joss was so busy when the television series ended with Serenity and his other comic and non-comic projects, that I just figured we?d let the dust settle and wait until he was ready to do something with Buffy,? said Allie.

Allie dared not hope that busy Whedon would have time to actually write the series himself. He was hoping that one of the show?s writers, like Jane Espenson, would be interested in writing the comic.

?But Jane was writing Gilmore Girls Joss was very busy trying to finish and Serenity, so we would let Buffy lay for a while, waiting for just the right day to bring it back.?

That day came a lot sooner than expected.

?One day last year I got an email from him with an attachment,? Allie said. ?I thought it was his treatment of his new Serenity comic. I opened it and was shocked to see a complete script for Buffy #1.?

Whedon had become a much sought after comic book writer after leaving the Buffy television series and taking over the venerable X-Men franchise among other projects. He was also supposed to write and direct the 2009 Wonder Woman movie, but that did not pan out.

?I was walking around the office telling everyone we had Joss Whedon writing Buffy again,? Allie said. ?It was a great day.?

They got together to discuss the book and decided to make 22 comics in the series, just
like a television show.

?But that number keeps growing as Joss keeps coming up with new stories to tell,? Allie said. ?We?re up to about 50, co

 

Just read the 1st Issue of Season 8 over the weekend, absolutely loved it.

One of my fave parts had to be when Xander was telling them to call him Sergant Fury.

~PK~

 

And here's more.

From Darkhorse.com - By Webmaster - 2007-03-27

Joss Whedon - "Buffy Season 8" Comic Book - Darkhorse.com Interview
Buffy

"Buffy Season 8" Comic Books can be purchased on Tfaw.com

Since this is the month of Buffy, what better way to keep it rolling than
with an exclusive DH.com interview with Buffy creator and writer for the new
series, Joss Whedon. Take it away, Joss!

Dark Horse: Buffy Season 8 told exclusively in comics, how did that come to
pass?

Joss Whedon: With the Marionette strike, I didn't really see any other
option. You know this already! Sheesh!

DH: What were you looking for in an artist for Buffy Season 8?

JW: A man who can lift a refrigerator with his shin-muscles. Georges Jeanty
assures me he can do that, and that there is such a thing as shin muscles.
Of equal but lesser importance was someone who, while capturing the
likenesses, did not draw a weak-ass non-comic that reeks of licensing. Buffy
is a superhero comic now. Georges mixes both abilities with a grace and
power not seen since Superman vs. Muhammad Ali.

DH: How did you decide on Jo Chen for covers?

JW: I am a Jo Chen groupie. When she draws a cover, Brian K. Vaughan and I
scream and faint like Beatles fans. I want her to sign me. Okay, that's
going too far. I want her to sign Brian. Seriously, her stuff is so
intoxicatingly lush, so alive, plus also with the dead-on likenesses. She's
a goddess (not a cool one, not like of the Forest or the Night or anything;
I think she's the Goddess of Making a Right Turn on a Red Light, but still,
that's useful).

DH: How many issues do you plan on the series going?

JW: It started out as twenty-five. But now it's blown up so big, I have so
many ideas, so many awesome writers scrambling to get in the game, I think
it could go as many as twenty-five.

DH: Had you gone another season on the TV series, how close would it have
been to what you're doing in the comic?

JW: Not so much. I would never have had Giant Dawn, and right now my
favorite thing in the world is Giant Dawn. (She is also my shining star, the
wind beneath my wings and the best part of waking up.)

DH: Will you bring back any of the dead characters from the show in the
comic?

JW: That would be fake. I'll bring back the maimed.

DH: Brian K. Vaughan's writing the second miniseries; Jeph Loeb has said
that he's going to write an arc. Which other writers will you bring in on
this series?

JW: You already know this! Look, if you're gonna charge me with something,
charge me. Otherwise, I'm walking.

DH: In Fray, you hinted at a closing of the door between our world and the
world of demons. Are we going to see that?

JW: We won't see the door. We may see the dumbwaiter. Factually speaking,
we'll see everything our silly, silly brains can devise. Thus the love of
comics. Worlds within worlds. Earths that are Prime. Planets that are Hulk
(can I say that here?). And Giant Dawn.

DH: What was the first comic you ever bought? (Or what comics did you read
as a kid?)

JW: I can't remember my first. I do remember seeing an X-Men on the stands
for twenty-five cents that said "Professor X is DEAD" and the now-famous
"Not a hoax!" DC was "Still only twenty cents!," hamburgers were "a
nickel!," and we had to walk "four miles through the snow!" to get to
"school"! So much has changed . . .

DH: As a longtime comics reader, how do you feel about the treatment of your
characters in comic books?

JW: I'm indifferent. I'm not cruelty-free, if that's what you're getting at.
I've tested makeup on Urkonn and dissected hundreds of Agent Brands in the
fight against Green Hair.

DH: How is writing for a comic different than writing for live actors?

JW: Comics don't question my authority. On the minus side, they suck at
improv.

DH: What is your most memorable or favorite convention experience?

JW: Buying my first lightsaber. Dude, I have a lightsaber! Also catching
Tenacious D right after our panel-lots of new mater

 

I've read the latest Buffy/Angel magazine. I won't type out the interview with Whedon, but I will talk about a couple of things. Whedon said that he decided to give Angel a season six treatment, because he had read "Spike: Aslyum" and enjoyed it. He'll give them a helping hand for a direction to go in, so they're not just treading water in season five. There won't be a crossover of stories between both comics. When Angel and Spike appear in Buffy, the issues will be those concerning their relationship woes. But there will be no appearences by Wolfram & Hart in Buffy and the big bad of Buffy will not go after Angel and Spike.

Whedon had talked to Tim Minear, Drew Goodard and Brian K. Vaughn about doing the three TV films. Minear would do Spike, Goodard would tackle Willow and Vaughn would handle Faith. This was all before he realized that he wouldn't get anything resembling financing, as he put it. All the writers who are involved in the comic are there with the condition that they might become too busy to do an arc.