Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus—Volume One

In the wake of the arrival and consequent crazy-good sales of Buffy: Season Eight in comic book form, Dark Horse Comics is now re-releasing the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics in trade paperback format. I'm glad they're doing this, because the original comics are a bit hard to track down now, and buying all the paperback compilations is expensive, plus not all the comics were rereleased in this form.

The other thing I really like about the new compilations is that they're not in publication order, but in chronological order. The original Buffy comics jumped around on the timeline, with some set pre-series, and others set during various seasons of the show, in somewhat random order. In these new omnibus editions, the comics have been reordered to fit the series timeline.

Volume One consists entirely of pre-series stories, some of which I had read and some of which I hadn't. All of them are solid stories, and I enjoyed the book quite a lot.

The book starts off with All's Fair, a Spike and Dru series set during the 1933 World's Fair. It's an enjoyable story, but I found it to be the weakest of the set. The next series is the strongest. Buffy: The Origin is an adaptation of Joss Whedon's original script for the Buffy movie--i.e., this is what the movie would have looked like if studio suits and egomaniacal actors hadn't stuck their fingers in the pie. The Origin leads directly into Viva Las Buffy!, in which Buffy fights vampires in Las Vegas with Pike, her boyfriend from the original movie. This series and Slayer, Interrupted, in which Buffy ends up in a mental institution, fill in a good bit of the timeline between the movie storyline and the story that picks up with the pilot of the TV series. Also included is backstory on Giles, with a much-appreciated cameo from Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Sandwiched between these two stories is the one-shot Dawn and Hoopy the Bear, in which an attempt to kill the Slayer affects her little sister, instead. Her arguably non-existent in this time-frame little sister.

The inclusion of Dawn in these comic sets was a conscious decision by the writers, since Season Four through Seven canon includes the character not only in the present but also in the other characters' manufactured pasts. It makes sense given when these comics were written, so I don't have a problem with it, but it'll make your head explode if you think about it too much.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable read, and I plan to follow this series as it's made available. Volume Two is already out--Borders here I come! With coupons, of course.

Preorder

Angel Script Books

I thought I had blogged about the Angel Script Book Volume 1, but I can't find an actual post about it, so if I'm repeating myself please forgive me.

IDW Publishing started putting out original shooting scripts of Angel shortly after the series was canceled. Apparently they didn't sell well, because they only did a few, then compiled the existing one-shots into a TPB edition. The second volume consisted of the last few one-shots plus an additional episode that hadn't been published in one-shot form. I don't think they have any plans to publish any more paperback compilations, but I suppose that could change if Angel: After the Fall does well enough.

Volume One consists of the series premiere, "City Of...," by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, "A Hole in the World," "Waiting in the Wings," and "Spin the Bottle," all by Joss, and "Five by Five," by Jim Kouf. And they're in that order, too. Seasons 1, 5, 3, 4 and 1. That's really my only complaint about this series. The chosen scripts seem a bit scattershot and aren't in order. Of course I wouldn't have been totally happy with anything but all 100+ shooting scripts printed and bound and all in order, because I'm a little weird that way.

Going on to Volume Two, we have "In the Dark," by Douglas Petrie, "I Will Remember You," by David Greenwalt and Jeannine Renshaw, "Convinction," by that Whedon guy, "You're Welcome," by David Fury, "Smile Time," by Ben Edlund (oddly much less funny in script form than the final product was), and the series finale *sniff*, "Not Fade Away," by Whedon and Jeffrey Bell.

I always enjoy reading original shooting scripts as a rule, because it's fun and I learn things about writing scripts. Having them packaged in a nice paperback so I don't have to print them out or read them off the computer is a plus, too. The way these books are packaged, though, is more reader-friendly than script-studying friendly, since unlike the Buffy scriptbooks they don't follow the exact page breaks and page formatting of the original scripts. Still a minor quibble, though, and I'm just glad they're available. IDW? We can has more, please?

24--Day 0

In TV Guide this week, there's a sidebar article about 24-Day 0, an animated web series from the producers of 24. Set before Day 1 (i.e., Season One of 24), it's voiced by the show's stars. Check it out at http://dayzero.com

Angel—Auld Lang Syne

by Scott Tipton, art and colors by David Messina.

Another five-issue Angel miniseries from IDW, Auld Lang Syne finds Angel and Spike teaming up, post-series, to battle a mysterious foe who's rattling them both by causing the appearance of people from their pasts. The highlight of the story is a vicious knock-down dragout confrontation between the two vampires. Those are always fun. And seriously, it's a big fight. It takes up almost all of issue #3.

This wasn't a bad comic, and had some nice moments, including the reappearance of some long-lost characters like Darla in order to mess with our vamps' heads. However, I felt the storyline was too much like Old Friends, and the final conclusion, as far as who was behind the plot to unsettle the Soul Boys and how she was defeated, wasn't entirely satisfying.

The trade paperback version, with all five issues under single cover, is available for preorder.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight—The Long Way Home

Issues One and Two by Joss Whedon, art by Andy Owens, Dave Stewart and Richard Starkings. Featured covers by Jo Chen.

While I was bummed that Joss Whedon had decided to end his run on Astonishing X-Men, the news that directly followed this annoucement perked me up heartily. Joss is now writing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic for Dark Horse that picks up where the series left off. An Angel comic from IDW, also continuing where the show left off, will follow in a few months.

To say I enjoyed these first two issues would be an understatement. I've read and enjoyed the comics that have come out since the end of Buffy's television run, but having Whedon behind the pen again feels like coming home. As good as the writers at IDW are, most notably Peter David, they lack the exactness of voice that comes from Whedon. Which is understandable, since Whedon created these characters, after all.

The Season Eight series opens with Buffy holed up in a castle in Scotland with a cadre of Slayers, as well as familiar faces like Xander, Willow and Dawn (who, by the way, has been transformed into a giant). The new population of over 2,000 Slayers is scattered throughout the world, presumably killing evil things.

Speaking of evil things, there's a new one afoot. And by the end of issue two, the Buffster is in the midst of a passel of trouble once again. Just like old times.

Overall, the first arc of this new series has gotten off to a great start. The story is good, the art is solid, and I can't wait to see more. The only thing I find disappointing--deeply disappointing, in fact--is some of the reader letters published in the backs of the issues. The series has just gotten underway, and already "fans" feel the need to write in pushing their own agendas regarding the stories. Fortunately, Joss has proven in the past that he'll follow his own agenda, regardless. And I'm okay with that.

Wear Clark Kent's Clothes

Special for UFR:

http://cwtv.com/thecw/style-smallville-c

No guarantee Tom Welling has actually worn them, though. :-)

Buy Sam and Dean's Clothes

Dude, this is so cool.

At the CW store, you can buy clothes that are the same brands and styles Sam and Dean wore in different Supernatural episodes. Unfortunately I can't wear men's jeans. I can so wear men's shirts, though... Off to check the credit card balance...

Supernatural Stuff

Since Supernatural is a rerun tonight (of Crossroad Blues), here's some info on upcoming tie-in products. Information gathered from several Supernatural communities on LJ, including supernatural_tv.

Season 2 of the show is now available through Amazon unbox.

The Season 1 Official Companion is also available for preorder.

At his blog, Keith R. A. DeCandido talks about writing Nevermore, a Supernatural tie-in novel, and the rockin' musical soundtrack he uses to get in the Supernatural writing mood. DeCandido did a remarkable job of capturing the voices of the Firefly crew in his novelization of Serenity--having him on this assignment can't be a bad thing. Nevermore is also available for preorder.

Jeff Marriotte, who has written several Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel tie-in novels, as well as several of the comic book tie-ins, is also writing a Supernatural tie-in novel, Witch's Canyon. Again, available for preorder.

Supernatural will return next Thursday with a new episode featuring Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica).


Supernatural on iTunes.

TV Tie-Ins—Spike: Asylum

Written by Bryan Lynch, art by Franco Urru.

Another five-issue comic book series from IDW, Spike: Asylum gives us a story outside the central focus of the post-series Angel comic books. Spike is hired to find a missing half-demon girl, who's been taken to Mosaic Wellness Center, a sort of paranormal mental hospital where folks with abilities or origins beyond the norm are rehabilitated. As it turns out, though, it's a trap. The girl Spike's supposed to "rescue" is actually already dead--Spike killed her. Spike's been maneuvered into entering Mosaic as retribution. And it looks like it's going to work, as most of the inmates have heard of him--and want him dead.

I enjoyed this series. Spike saves the day without seeming overly non-Spike-like, and the twists and turns here aren't too obvious, and overall the story works. Of the Spike-centric comics released so far, this one's probably my favorite.


Issue One
Issue Two
Issue Three
Issue Four
Issue Five

TV Tie-Ins—Spike

This paperback compilation includes three Spike one-shot comics.

Old Times (Peter David and Fernando Goni--Impacto Studios). The story behind Cecily, the woman who inspired William the Poet's bloody awful poetry, and Halfreck, the vengeance demon, is explained. I nearly always enjoy Peter David's work, and this is no exception. It's a neat story that addresses a question fans have hammered on for years in a way that fits the show canon. And there's a darkly comic twist at the end to keep us all on our toes.

Old Wounds (Scot Tipton and Fernando Goni--Impacto Studios). A slightly darker story, as Spike must prove his innocence in a series of decades-old murders, while calling attention to Angel and the gang's hypocrisy. Set during Angel Season Five, this comic maintains the feel of the show and works on some deeper character points while maintaining canon.

Lost and Found (Scott Tipton and Fernando Goni--Impacto Studios). The Gem of Amarra resurfaces, in a not quite believable twist of plot, and Spike and Angel team up to again destroy it. The plot here felt pretty contrived, but the Spike/Angel interaction is almost worth it. Again, set during Angel Season Five.

TV Tie-Ins—Spike vs. Dracula

A five-issue series from IDW, now available as a trade paperback compliation, Spike vs. Dracula presents five more or less standalone stories that, taken together, explain Spike's reaction to Dracula in "Buffy vs. Dracula", the Season Five premiere episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We also find out why the bloody ponce owes him eleven quid. There's also a bit of backstory for Angel's Season Five episode, "Why We Fight". I found this series to be quite an enjoyable little romp.

TV Tie-Ins—Angel: Old Friends

Angel: Old Friends



Written by Jeff Mariotte, art by David Messina. The story picks up right after The Curse. Angel is drawn out of his self-imposed exile as familiar faces begin to pop up in LA, behaving very out of character. Who's behind all this? And can Angel stay out of the demon-hunting game knowing evil is once again afoot? I liked this series, as well, finding it to be stronger and less predictable than The Curse, and peppered with some lovely heart-wrenching moments as Angel is visited by friends he's lost along the way.

TV Tie-Ins—Angel: The Curse

Continuing my reviews of the post-series Angel graphic novels.



Written by Jeff Mariotte, art by David Messina. The first post-series story from IDW, The Curse picks up after "Not Fade Away", but doesn't give any concrete explanations as to what happened in that final battle in the alley. The story is reasonably solid, if predictable, as Angel revisits the Romany tribe in an attempt to remove the curse that dooms him to never experience perfect happiness.

Although I found this series enjoyable, I also felt it was a bit pat, plot-wise. I wasn't convinced of Angel's motivations for pursuing his release from the curse, and the ending didn't quite work for me, either. Of course, the storytelling here is hampered by the need to not disturb canon, as usual for TV tie-ins. I was hoping that this limitation might be eased a bit, since the show was no longer on the air when these came out, but that wasn't to be.

Angel Spotlight Series Graphic Novel

Although Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel have been deceased series for three and two years respectively, the characters live on in the comics. The Angel comic book series is doing respectably well at IDW, and a Buffy Season Eight comic, penned by Joss Whedon himself, will be debuting from Dark Horse comics in the next few months.

I've found the Buffy and Angel comic books much more satisfying to read and true to their source material than the novel tie-ins. With a few exceptions, I recommend them for any fans who miss the Whedonverse. So I'll be reviewing these books as TV Tie-Ins.


Angel Spotlight Compilation

The Angel Spotlight series from IDW has featured single issue stories focusing on various characters from Angel. The first five of these titles are now available as a singel trade paperback. I'm not sure if IDW has plans to make any more Spotlight issues, but these are definitely worth a look.


Spotlight: Illyria--Written by Peter David, art by Nicola Scott. Trying to understand humanity, Illyria attempts to experience guilt by exploring Fred's life. Set during Angel Season Five, prior to Not Fade Away, this story is well-written, with a nice emotional twist.

Spotlight: Gunn--Writen by Dan Jolley, art by Mark Pennington. Gunn visits his nephew, who's fallen in with a bad crowd. While the story here was okay, I was less than impressed with the art.

Spotlight: Wesley--Written by Scott Tipton, art by Mike Norton. When Knox falls ill, Wes struggles with his feelings for Fred. Another nice little story set during Season Five.

Spotlight: Doyle--Written by Jeff Meriotte, art by David Messina. This comic gives us a prelude to City of..., telling us a bit about how Doyle ended up teamed with Angel. I liked this one quite a lot, as it was nice to see Doyle again.

Spotlight: Connor--Written by Jay Faerber, art by Bob Gill. A nice filler story, showing Connor dealing with knowledge of his true parentage while still trying to function in his adoptive family.

TV Tie-Ins

I've been attempting, only partially successfully, to veg a bit this weekend. So I thought I'd pass along some of the things I've found to relax with.

John Barrowman (Dr. Who, Torchwood, DeLovely) performs at the Kennedy Center in 2002. This is a full hour of music from Mr. Barrowman, who has a completely luscious, sweet voice and a charming manner with his audience. He also looks damn good in jeans. At the Kennedy Center website.

The Angel Scriptbook Compilation, Volume One. These scriptbooks were originally released by IDW as single title comic books, but they've been rereleased in trade paperback form, and word has it all fugure scriptbooks will be these compilations, rather than the single books. Volume I features five complete shooting scripts: "City of..." (Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, series pilot), "A Hole in the World" (Joss Whedon, Season Five), "Spin the Bottle" (Joss Whedon, Season Four), "Waiting in the Wings" (Joss Whedon, Season Three) and "Five by Five" (Jim Kouf, Season One). Volume Two is also available and features five more scripts, including the Season Five classic "Smile Time" (Ben Edlund) and the series finale, "Not Fade Away" (Jeffrey Bell and Joss Whedon). These are fun to read not just because it's a nice way of revisiting the show. They're also original shooting scripts, so there are scenes here that were changed or removed before the final cut. It's an entertaining and educational look into the raw material from which a brilliant show came to be.