Angel & Faith Come Out Stakes Swinging

This year at the San Diego Comic-Cong Joss Whedon pleased his fans with news that we’ll get more from the world of Dr. Horrible and the crew of Serenity sometime in the future. But for now we’ll all have to cozy up and slumber back into Whedon’s first creation, the Buffyverse. Last year we saw Buffy season 8 in comic book form and Dark Horse regained the rights to Angel comic books from IDW. Now the two characters are back under one house, which means I’m sure you’ll see the characters jump from book to book just like the television shows. My mouth is watering already.

At the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 we saw Angel and Buffy get super powers just in time to stop the mystical force known as Twilight. But Angel, under the influence of Twilight, fought Buffy in another epic battle; one that ended with Angel killing Giles and Buffy ending all magic on Earth. Now it’s months later and Angel is finally ready to quit sulking and get back to helping the helpless. He’s crashing at Giles’s place, which is now owned by Faith. The two are digging through the Watcher’s files and continuing the work Giles was doing. But Angel has more in store than just saving people. He’s going to bring Giles back to life. Meanwhile Angel’s old mentor, Whistler, is out to change the world as well, but he doesn’t seem to have the same plan as Angel because he’s got a gang of blood thirsty vampires to help him.

The reappearance of Whistler was a great surprise, one that I can’t wait to see play out. In Buffy season 2 we saw that Whistler was the one who got Angel out of the gutter and out into the world to help Buffy. I’m not sure what his game is, but I can’t wait for him and Angel to reunite. I’m also looking forward to bringing some of the Angel cast back like Connor or Gunn. It’d be a good idea to read Angel: After the Fall before you read Angel & Faith, but not essential. The team-up of Angel and Faith is great. They both have a lot to atone for, and Angel feels that now more than ever. There is no finer Angel than a brooding one.

I’m not familiar with the writing of Christos Gage. Supposedly he has done a few miniseries comics for Marvel, and written a few episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. So far, with this first issue, he’s got my full attention. I just hope we get to see more characters thrown into the mix, ones that some of us haven’t thought about in years. Buffy season 9 comes out in two weeks to complete this duo of delightful comics. I know Joss is busy finishing The Avengers for next summer’s release but as long as he checks in with these two comics every once and a while I think I’ll be five by five.

Top 4 Joss Whedon Deaths

Ever since Joss Whedon signed on to direct the 2012 film, The Avengers, all of Whedon’s fans have be asking one question; who is going to die? Whedon is infamous for killing off fan-favorite characters in such a dramatic and surprising ways it leaves people pissed off for years. Just the other month Whedon made the decision to take out Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8. Giles had been around ever since Buffy began which just goes to show you that no character is safe from Whedon’s rath.

I started making a list of all the characters Joss Whedon had killed, both in his television shows and comic book runs, and boy was it long. However, most of them weren’t permanently dead. Angel came back from a hell dimension, Spike was brought back after being burned to ash, and I lost count how many times Buffy has died and came back to life. Whedon even did X-Men fans a favor by resurrecting Colossus during his run of Astonishing X-Men. With all this death Whedon has made I tried to think of my top five, but felt only four really shocked or moved me. So here are four characters I love to watch die over and over.

#4 Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer): When super-geek Warren comes to the Summer’s residence to shoot Buffy he thought he had succeeded. Xander races Buffy to the hospital not even knowing that someone else had been shot. Warren had fired several shots before running away, and one of those crazy shots went right through an up-stairs window and through Tara’s chest, right in front of her lover Willow. This caused Willow to go black-haired and evil. She hunted down Warren and skinned him alive for revenge, and then wanted the whole world to burn for her pain as well. But the only thing that saved us all from a lover scorned is the understanding and sacrifice of a friend. Thanks Xander.

Tara started out as a character who just meant the end of Willow and Oz, but grew to become a crutch for everyone to lean on. When Buffy’s mom died it was Tara’s words that helped Buffy through, and when the slayer died at the end of season 5 both Willow and Dawn looked to Tara for support. She was a mother figure in Buffy when the mother figure was gone, and that’s why it was one of the most surprising and saddest death’s to watch.

TARA’S LAST WORDS: (Willow still standing by the dresser, smiling. Suddenly, redness splatters across her white blouse. She looks surprised. Tara still standing with her back to the window, looking surprised. There's a large red spot on Tara's chest, right over her heart.)(frowning) Your shirt. (Tara falls forward.)

#3 Darla (Angel): Darla started out in the pilot to Buffy the Vampire Slayer as such a shallow character, but when she was resurrected in Angel Julie Benz brought a whole new depth to the character that made us love her to the very end. Darla was resurrected as a human to mess with Angel’s head, then turned back into a soulless vampire to screw with him some more, and then they just literally screwed. That would have been the end of it except Darla showed up months later with a bun in the oven, and a soul to share. Darla knew that once her son was born she would turn back into an evil monster, probably destroying her own baby. So she made the sacrifice any mother would make. She staked herself to save her child.

The growth of Darla through two seasons on Angel brought a wide range of emotions that only few could pull off successfully. Benz was so perfect that you still felt sorry for Darla even when she was a murderous vampire. In an alley, in the pouring rain, Darla made the most humane choice anyone could make. Not bad for a woman who spent over 200 years not being human.

DARLA’S LAST WORDS: This child, Angel, it’s the one good thing we ever did together. The only good thing. You make sure to tell him that. (Stakes herself in the heart leaving dust and a naked baby boy)

#2 Fred (Angel): Fred started out in the second season of Angel as a shy girl in cave, but over the seasons grew into a confident, intelligent, and rather chatty, woman. She seemed to be the conscious of the group who was so sweet and innocent. Her charm was so strong it entranced two good friends, Wesley and Gunn, to fight over her for almost two years.

In season 5 of Angel a mysterious sarcophagus entered her lab at Wolfram & Hart, when it opened up Fred inhaled its contents. The being known as Illyria began the process of hollowing her out so she could take control of her body. Everyone in Angel Investigations rushed to try and help her. Angel almost sacrificed thousands of lives just to save Fred, but knew it’s not what she would have wanted. In her final moments Wesley held her in his arms as Fred’s soul was destroyed and Illyria had taken over Fred’s body. This scene still makes me teary eyed.

FRED’S LAST WORDS: (holding onto Wes's shoulders, looks into his eyes, quivering I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared. (her grip softens, she can't hold herself up) Please, Wesley, why can't I stay? (she goes still as Wes holds her in his arms)

#1 Wash (Serenity): When you’re on the run from both Reavers and the Allliance there is no pilot I’d rather have at the helm than Hoban Washburne. His final act was crash landing Serenity safely with all his friends intact. Sadly it wasn’t a minute later that he was impaled by a Reaver hook. After that moment all bets where off for the crew of Serenity. Wash’s shocking end meant that no one was safe, and when the rest of the crew started getting shot and injured you didn’t know who was going to go next.

My wife vows to yell at Joss Whedon if she ever meets him for killing off Wash. But I just tell her that means he did his job well. Wash’s death effected everyone. It destroyed the only happy couple in the ‘verse, left Serenity without a pilot, and took out the comedy relief in the middle of a do-or-die situation. I’m still hoping for a post-Serenity story seeing how everyone is dealing with the death of Wash. If Whedon is keeping Buffy and Angel alive after they ended he needs to do the same with Firefly.

WASH’S LAST WORDS: I’m a leaf on the wind. Watch how I---(impaled).

Recapping Buffy Season 8: Four Years & Forty Issues

SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF BUFFY SEASON 8 PLEASE STOP READING AFTER THIS SENTENCE. NO SERIOUSLY, STOP! YOU’RE GONNA RUIN IT! OK, BUT I WARNED YOU.

In 1997 Joss Whedon created a TV show based on his failed movie idea. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Whedon went on to create a cult phenomenon that spawned comic books, spin-offs, and lots of merchandising goodies. The show ended with season 7 in 2003 and it took Whedon four years to bring us Season 8 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in comic book form. Ironic, since Season 8 took another four years to complete. I have several friends that love the TV series, but aren’t interested in reading the comics. Well this blog is for you. I’m going to try and summarize four years, forty issues, and one crazy season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 When we last left Buffy and the Scoobies the Hellmouth had just been closed with a courageous sacrifice by Spike, and Willow had used the magic scythe to give every potential slayer the power of the slayer without waiting in line. There are now hundreds of slayers, and Buffy is their leader. In groups of ten these slayers hunt down evil with Buffy and Xander residing at the home base in Scotland. Meanwhile Giles and Faith are off in England trying to sway any slayers who may go rogue and pose a threat. This also has the government worried, an army of super powered slayers. With the help of Amy the witch, Warren the fleshless, and Buffy’s old ex; Riley Finn, the government is looking to turn the world against the slayers. This leads to this season's masked villain, Twilight, taking the reins and leading his own army against Buffy and the slayers.

Along the way our Scoobies have their own personal drama. Xander is rocking the Nick Fury look with his eye patch and falls in love with a slayer named Renee. This relationship ends badly when Renee is killed by a vamp. But Xander finds a new love soon. Willow has become a very powerful witch with the help of a demon named Saga Vasuki, a relationship that her girlfriend Kennedy does not approve of. Willow can now fly, which makes her friends a little scared she may go back to black-haired Willow who tried to destroy the world in season 6. Speaking of change, little Dawn lost her virginity, but it was too a demon. She didn’t get pregnant, just is in an ever state of change like being a giant or a centaur at one point. Eventually she is turned back to normal though. Whedon sure does preach the dangers of sex if you can remember all of our characters sex-capades.

As for Joss’s muse and star, Buffy, she is going through some changes of her own. Buffy is leading this army with the rest of the world against her, and she gets confused. So confused that she has a little lesbian episode with another slayer who has a crush on her, but it doesn’t last. Buffy is too busy trying to figure out how to get back to her own time. She is sent to the future where she meets Fray the Vampire Slayer, and the only slayer. This suggest that at some point the army of slayers will be done, and there will be only one. But Buffy barely has time to think about this because it turns out Willow is in the future as well, as black-haired Willow trying to destroy the world. I hate to say I told ya so; but I told ya so. Buffy returns to the past knowing what the future may now have in store. She also begins to believe Xander may be the one for her, but Xander has already moved on after Renee’s death. He is dating Dawn. She’s over 18 now so it’s cool right?

Finally the big battle goes down between the government forces looking to rid the world of magic and Buffy and her slayers. The slayers take heavy casualties, Riley reveals he has been a double agent for Buffy this whole time, and big, bad, Twilight reveals himself to be Angel. Wait, what! The vampire with a soul, or one of them at least, and Buffy’s first love, posed as Twilight to try and limit the blood between the government and slayer battle and in doing so unleashes some knowledge on Buffy.

Buffy has absorbed the powers of the dead slayers giving her Superman-like abilities, as well as Angel thanks to the Twilight being. The two go on an uber-sex quest literally doing it all over the planet. If you haven’t read issue 34 do yourself a favor and check it out. With these new powers Buffy and Angel have the ability to help the Twilight power create a new paradise on Earth, but the old one, and everyone on it, would have to be destroyed first. Buffy refuses and so begins her final battle in Season 8.

Spike shows up (watch Angel season 5 if you want to know how he came back) and takes the Scoobies back to the Hellmouth to destroy, or at least contain, Twilight. While Buffy battles monsters as the new Supergirl, Angel confronts Twilight and tries to convince the being to spare this reality. Twilight refuses and takes control of Angel’s body and so begins another Buffy vs. Angel showdown for the fate of mankind. Buffy destroys Twilight’s power source and kills not only Twilight but all magic along with it. Angel wakes up from being possessed to find out he’s killed Giles. At least it wasn’t his girlfriend this time.

So life now goes on, somewhat. The line of slayers is destroyed and no new slayers will be born, which everyone hates Buffy for. Willow also isn’t liking Buffy too much right now for destroying all magic, and Giles left everything of his to Faith except a book for Buffy called VAMPYR. The whole world hates her, she is crashing with Xander and Dawn, but Buffy is still the slayer, and she has a job to do. Let’s get ready for season 9 everyone!

I know this a lot to process. Even I’m not sure on all the details. I started watching Buffy on Netflix from the beginning and after will go through and read Season 8 again, hopefully before Season 9 begins, but with me being the only person in the house who enjoys Buffy it’s hard to find time to watch. Season 8 was full of returning characters like Oz, Dracula, and Andrew. It was full of great writers such as Brad Meltzer, Jeph Loeb, and of course Joss himself. Jo Chen also provided forty awesome cover arts for the whole season.

This was one very messed up season, probably the most intense of Buffy’s life. Whedon promises Season 9 will be more simple. Also, Dark Horse comics, Buffy’s publishing company, has regained the rights to Angel comics as well. The two characters started showing on different channels back in 2001 and haven’t been under the same roof since. If I know Mr. Whedon he has something up his sleeve. Of course it’s probably another major character death that’ll make us all cry, but I’m still psyched. Or you could be like my wife who wants to run a stake through him because she is still mad he killed Wash. Let it go babe, just let it go.

Comic To Read This Week: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #34

This weeks comic to read was a tough choice.  As I was on my way to the cbs (comic book store) I knew I had a lot of comics to pick up, but I didn’t know how good they were all going to be.  With Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton in full swing and X-Men: Second Coming just starting I was sure I was going to pick one of them.  However thanks to writer Brad Meltzer, this weeks comic to read is a comic that a year ago I had stopped reading.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was created by Joss Whedon, and has turned it into a campy 90’s film, an award-winning television series that spawned it’s own spin-off, and lots of comic books.  The current Buffy comic series is a continuation of where the TV series left off entitled, Season 8.  The comic started with Buffy and her army of slayers trying to rid the world of vampires and all things evil.  As the series continues the world has turned against them, old villains have resurfaced, and romances have come and gone.  Oh, and Buffy had a few lesbian experiences.  Nice eh?  All the while writers have tried to hold on to the mixture of drama, humor, and horror that made the TV series so great.   

Around issue #20 I realized that Buffy had become a comic I picked up out of habit and didn’t really enjoy reading, and I already collected enough comics for my wife to give me a hard time about.  A few months ago I heard rumors that Angel may be making an appearance in the comic series.  I found this odd since Angel has his own comic series, and although it is also executive produced by Joss Whedon, it is made by a completely different publishing house.

So last month I picked up Buffy and came to find out with the rest of its readers that the uber-villian Twilight, who has been giving Buffy so much trouble in the series, is none other than her former lover, and vampire with a soul, Angel.  He had been working is secret to try and limit the fall-out in the battle between the slayers and their nemesis’s.  After a little explanation as to why he was leading the forces against Buffy, and why Buffy has developed extraordinary superpowers, the two ended the issue with a kiss.

Now the last time the Buffy and Angel bumped uglies Angel lost his soul in a moment of true happiness, turned evil, and tortured Buffy until she had to stick a sword in him and send him to hell.  But doesn’t every relationship end in some form of that?  Issue #34 has Buffy and Angel all powered up and doing the nasty all over the world, literally.  They are doing it while they are float, crashing through mountains, flying at warp speed, and even when they are in earth’s stratosphere.  Meanwhile the rest of the scubbies are listening to Giles explain what is happening to Buffy and watching the destruction Buffy and Angel's fun time is having on the world.  All they can do is wait for them to stop.  As for me I’m still waiting for an explanation as to why Dawn and Xander are now a couple.  I mean for god sakes he used to babysit her!

As for Buffy and Angel, if this issue doesn’t win Wizard Magazine’s "Best Love Scene In A Comic Book" I’m just going to have to stop reading comics books all together.  I mean just think if David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar played out this scene?  That'd be pretty hot no matter what gender you prefer.  I think it’s just nice that these two characters can finally get back together and work out years of frustration.  I’m just curious as to why Angel hasn’t lost his soul, because that kinda lovin would drive any man insane.  

At the end of the issue more questions are raised about just what is going on with these two superheroes.  Rumors have also swirled that IDW, the company that publishes Angel, is pissed at Whedon because he didn't give them a heads up about this story line involving their current character.  For now though I’m just going to enjoy my time back in the Buffyverse (I didn’t make it up, I just know the lingo) because as we all know in this world, the happier a character is now the sadder they are going to be when it all goes down hill.