Post by Allan on Mar 12, 2007 23:33:56 GMT 10
I mentioned here a while ago that, in anticipation of Season 8 hitting, I was going to post a bit on comics for Joss fans here. Well, it's taken me a while to get to it, but here it finally is.
I'm not going to list every comic here, just the ones that I recommend you read (and hence, have read myself).
Now, I'll state from the outset that chances are I'll forget something really cool. In that case, I'll update this rundown. All of these comics are collected in trade paperbacks.
EDIT - I've linked to Wikipedia articles for further info, where available.
EDIT (again) - Added Y: The Last Man and Fallen Angel
Jossverse Comics by Joss and Co[/u]
Fray - Written by Joss Whedon.
This is probably the best known comic by Joss among fans. And it's a damn great read. It tells the story of a dystopian future, where a new Slayer is born. Her name? Melaka Fray. Like Buffy, this story creates a believable world, with amazing characters. Fray isn't Buffy, she isn't Faith, and she sure as hell ain't Kennedy - she's a completely different character, and just as engaging.
Tales of the Slayers - Written by Joss Whedon, with Jane Espenson, David Fury and Amber Benson
This was presented as an anthology series, featuring stories by Joss, and other writers, including one by Jane Espenson and David Fury, one by Amber Benson, and some by comic writers (including the co-creator of Blade). Each story is about a different Slayer throughout history, and this takes the Slayer mythology and expands upon it. Also, Heroes fans might be intereted to know that Tim Sale, the guy who does all the art in the show, is one of the featured artists.
Tales of the Vampires
Written by Joss Whedon, with Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard
Another anthology series, this is a follow up to Tales of the Slayers, this time shifting the focus to vampires throughout history. It features stories by Joss, Drew Goddard and Jane Espenson, as well as Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and Tick creator (please tell me you all know the cartoon) Ben Edlund. Great stuff.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Haunted
Written by Jane Espenson
This is written by Buffy writer Jane Espenson, though it is not canon; instead fitting in with the continuity of the old (and often poor) Buffy comic series. That said, it is set directly after season three, featuring the return of Faith. Quite an enjoyable read, if not as cool as the other Joss comics.
Serenity: Those Left Behind
Written by Joss Whedon
This was originally intended to be an animated movie released on DVD leading up to the big-screen Serienity, but nobody would cough up the cash for it, so Joss created it as a comic. This story bridges the gap between Firefly and Serenity, and is a great story set in the universe, as only Joss could tell. A follow up series will be released later this year.
Angel Sctiptbook (no Wikipedia entry)
Written by Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, Jim Kouf and Ben Edlund
Not technically comics, but teleplays of various episodes. If you like reading scripts, then these are awesome. I listed them with the comics, since they're published by a comic company, and are only available in comic shops.
Jossverse Comics by Other People[/u]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Origin
Not actually written by Joss, however, it is based on his original screenplay for the movie. Basically, this story takes Joss's original script, and retrofits it to fit in perfectly with the mythology established in the TV series.
Angel: Old Friends
So, how did season 5 end? Well, IDW, who currently holds the rights to Angel's comics aren't going to touch that. However, this series is set after the events of season five, and brings the gang back together.
Angel Spotlight (no Wikipedia entry)
Five stories set throughout Angel's run, each one focusing on a different characters. Admittedly, some of these are stronger than others, but on the whole it's enjoyable with some great stuff. The characters featured are Illyria, Gunn, Wesley, Doyle, and Conner.
Spike vs Dracula
Five stories throughout history, as Spike comes into conflict with his rival Dracula. This story is Spike at his funniest, as he does everything in his power to one-up Dracula, keep Dru away from him, and get his 11 quid back. About the most entertaining non-canon Buffyverse comic I've read.
Non Jossverse Comics by Joss[/u]
Astonishing X-Men
Joss is currently penning the final arc, on his take on X-Men. His run with these characters has been the best the comics have seen in a long time, with big action, great characters. Those of you who saw X-3, Joss was originally approached to do it, but declined. That said, the whole mutant cure angle was done first by Joss in this series... and it was far better than the movie ever got.
Runaways
Joss hasn't started on Runaways yet, but he will kick off his run with the next issue (volume 2, #25). I was going to put this under a different category, but couldn't be stuffed since it's getting late. Even without Joss, this is one of the best comics around, and is highly recommended to any Joss fan. It follows the children of supervillains as they try to find themselves, and Joss's influence is apparent. It's an amazing read. Incidentally, the creator of Runaways (Brian K Vaughan) will be writing the second arc in Buffy season 8.
Y: The Last Man
By Brian K Vaughan of Runaways (see above) comes this series about Yorick Brown, the last man on Earth. This series doesn't get sexist towards either men, or women, it looks at what the world would be like if it suddenly lost half its population. It has a strong mystery, and amazing characters. Well worth a read.
Fallen Angel
This comic tells the story of Lee, a Fallen Angel who protects the corrupt city of Bete Noire with her own sense of justice. Working from a bar, she "gives audience" to people who need her help. This is a great "mature" comic, which I really recommend. Originally printed (and cancelled by DC), it has moved to IDW - and collections are available from both companies.
Feel free to post comments, ask questions, or add any of your own...
Or simply tell me I suck for wasting so much time putting this together!
I'm not going to list every comic here, just the ones that I recommend you read (and hence, have read myself).
Now, I'll state from the outset that chances are I'll forget something really cool. In that case, I'll update this rundown. All of these comics are collected in trade paperbacks.
EDIT - I've linked to Wikipedia articles for further info, where available.
EDIT (again) - Added Y: The Last Man and Fallen Angel
Jossverse Comics by Joss and Co[/u]
Fray - Written by Joss Whedon.
This is probably the best known comic by Joss among fans. And it's a damn great read. It tells the story of a dystopian future, where a new Slayer is born. Her name? Melaka Fray. Like Buffy, this story creates a believable world, with amazing characters. Fray isn't Buffy, she isn't Faith, and she sure as hell ain't Kennedy - she's a completely different character, and just as engaging.
Tales of the Slayers - Written by Joss Whedon, with Jane Espenson, David Fury and Amber Benson
This was presented as an anthology series, featuring stories by Joss, and other writers, including one by Jane Espenson and David Fury, one by Amber Benson, and some by comic writers (including the co-creator of Blade). Each story is about a different Slayer throughout history, and this takes the Slayer mythology and expands upon it. Also, Heroes fans might be intereted to know that Tim Sale, the guy who does all the art in the show, is one of the featured artists.
Tales of the Vampires
Written by Joss Whedon, with Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard
Another anthology series, this is a follow up to Tales of the Slayers, this time shifting the focus to vampires throughout history. It features stories by Joss, Drew Goddard and Jane Espenson, as well as Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and Tick creator (please tell me you all know the cartoon) Ben Edlund. Great stuff.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Haunted
Written by Jane Espenson
This is written by Buffy writer Jane Espenson, though it is not canon; instead fitting in with the continuity of the old (and often poor) Buffy comic series. That said, it is set directly after season three, featuring the return of Faith. Quite an enjoyable read, if not as cool as the other Joss comics.
Serenity: Those Left Behind
Written by Joss Whedon
This was originally intended to be an animated movie released on DVD leading up to the big-screen Serienity, but nobody would cough up the cash for it, so Joss created it as a comic. This story bridges the gap between Firefly and Serenity, and is a great story set in the universe, as only Joss could tell. A follow up series will be released later this year.
Angel Sctiptbook (no Wikipedia entry)
Written by Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, Jim Kouf and Ben Edlund
Not technically comics, but teleplays of various episodes. If you like reading scripts, then these are awesome. I listed them with the comics, since they're published by a comic company, and are only available in comic shops.
Jossverse Comics by Other People[/u]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Origin
Not actually written by Joss, however, it is based on his original screenplay for the movie. Basically, this story takes Joss's original script, and retrofits it to fit in perfectly with the mythology established in the TV series.
Angel: Old Friends
So, how did season 5 end? Well, IDW, who currently holds the rights to Angel's comics aren't going to touch that. However, this series is set after the events of season five, and brings the gang back together.
Angel Spotlight (no Wikipedia entry)
Five stories set throughout Angel's run, each one focusing on a different characters. Admittedly, some of these are stronger than others, but on the whole it's enjoyable with some great stuff. The characters featured are Illyria, Gunn, Wesley, Doyle, and Conner.
Spike vs Dracula
Five stories throughout history, as Spike comes into conflict with his rival Dracula. This story is Spike at his funniest, as he does everything in his power to one-up Dracula, keep Dru away from him, and get his 11 quid back. About the most entertaining non-canon Buffyverse comic I've read.
Non Jossverse Comics by Joss[/u]
Astonishing X-Men
Joss is currently penning the final arc, on his take on X-Men. His run with these characters has been the best the comics have seen in a long time, with big action, great characters. Those of you who saw X-3, Joss was originally approached to do it, but declined. That said, the whole mutant cure angle was done first by Joss in this series... and it was far better than the movie ever got.
Runaways
Joss hasn't started on Runaways yet, but he will kick off his run with the next issue (volume 2, #25). I was going to put this under a different category, but couldn't be stuffed since it's getting late. Even without Joss, this is one of the best comics around, and is highly recommended to any Joss fan. It follows the children of supervillains as they try to find themselves, and Joss's influence is apparent. It's an amazing read. Incidentally, the creator of Runaways (Brian K Vaughan) will be writing the second arc in Buffy season 8.
Y: The Last Man
By Brian K Vaughan of Runaways (see above) comes this series about Yorick Brown, the last man on Earth. This series doesn't get sexist towards either men, or women, it looks at what the world would be like if it suddenly lost half its population. It has a strong mystery, and amazing characters. Well worth a read.
Fallen Angel
This comic tells the story of Lee, a Fallen Angel who protects the corrupt city of Bete Noire with her own sense of justice. Working from a bar, she "gives audience" to people who need her help. This is a great "mature" comic, which I really recommend. Originally printed (and cancelled by DC), it has moved to IDW - and collections are available from both companies.
Feel free to post comments, ask questions, or add any of your own...
Or simply tell me I suck for wasting so much time putting this together!
And Fray is brilliant. I maintain that it would work brilliantly as a movie - almost a straight adaptation, with minor changes so it doesn't feel quite so episodic. But it could be translated almost word for word, and it would be amazing (a little trivia - Fray is based on Natalie Portman).
Which ones appeal to you?
