Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, famous for its quirky blend of supernatural action, humor and strong character-based story lines, has risen from the grave of television cancellation to give fans an eighth season of action. But this time, Buffy will be gracing the pages of a comic book instead of the small screen.

The new comic book series, which launched in March and releases its third issue (with Willow on the cover) on May 2, is billed as the official eighth season of the show. That makes it "canon" for fans - in other words, the events taking place within the series’ pages are officially endorsed as part of the Buffy universe created by Joss Whedon. And Whedon himself is at the helm of the project, penning several issues and overseeing everything from story arcs to art style.

"Joss’ contribution is absolute," said Jane Espenson, former co-executive producer of the Buffy TV series, who will also be contributing to the comic book series. "This is his baby."

Espenson wrote many of the TV series’ most popular episodes, including "Band Candy" (when a batch of chocolate turns adults - including Joyce and Giles - into hormonal teenagers), "Superstar" (in which Jonathan casts a spell that makes everyone believe he’s, well, a superstar), and "Conversations With Dead People" (a Season 7 episode in which everyone is visited by dead people, including the ghost of Tara). Espenson will be writing one to four issues of the comic book series.

Since writing for a comic is a bit different from writing scripts for television, the creative process behind the current form of storytelling in the Buffyverse is also different. "I think this varies from writer to writer," said Espenson, when asked how the process will now work. "Some will be very involved in pitching and discussing their stories with Joss. Others will take stories that have already been laid out for them." Some of the writers who will be contributing to the series include Doug Petrie ("Bad Girls," "The Yoko Factor"), Drew Greenberg ("Smashed," "The Killer in Me") and Drew Goddard ("Selfless").

Espenson urges fans who might be wary of the leap from to screen to page to take Whedon’s involvement as a very good sign for the project. "Since it comes from Joss, with his seal of approval, it has that shine of authenticity and, of course, that level of quality," she said. "I think the fans will certainly be satisfied because it’s going to be amazing, but I also think they wouldn’t turn down an actual televised eighth season if that were an option. Would any of us?"

It’s certainly a valid point. The comic does a remarkable job of recreating the Buffy series, but it’s initially difficult to swallow the transition. "It’s hard to replace the sense of reality that you get with actors," Espenson acknowledged. "But there are certainly story elements here that don’t lend themselves to television, so this medium should feel like the right one for these stories."

The comic - via its pacing, dialogue and overall storytelling - brings together the familiar Buffy feel. All the characters we see in the first few issues seem true to their live-action counterparts, and the writing is appropriately witty and Whedonesque. Whedon himself wrote the first four issues (and will be writing several more), and the first issue, which quickly sold out of its first printing of 100,000, is already in a second printing.

Buffy: Season 8 picks up not long after the end of the TV series, with almost 2,000 new slayers fighting evil around the world. Buffy herself is at the head of the new organization, taking crews of slayer-trainees out for adventures, along with a few - but not too many - familiar faces.

Whedon has spaced out the arrivals of the beloved main characters over the course of the first few issues, so each issue brings an element of suspense. Although it is a bit bizarre to imagine Buffy without the whole gang in place, the approach is effective at gradually reintroducing everyone and allowing the new story and world to unfold in a way that doesn’t feel forced or artificial. And Willow fans can take heart - she returns in Issue 3.

Buffy herself is adapting to the new world in typical Buffy fashion: ambivalently. At the beginning of Season 8, she’s enjoying her newfound power as the head of the new legion of slayers, but is also wondering if changing the world was really for the best. The comic opens with an image of her jumping out of a helicopter, weapon in hand, with a nonchalant, "Everybody calls me ’ma’am’ these days." Butt-kicking Buffy is back in every way, right along with the killer one-liners she wields as deftly as she does a stake.

And true to the emotional core of the series, she’s still just as confused and contemplative as ever. Buffy has always been one of the toughest female characters in pop culture, but what captivates most fans is the fact that she’s also one of the most complicated, conflicted and emotionally real.

Espenson agrees. "Complexity is hard to write because you have to work so hard," she said, reflecting on her perspective on writing the leading lady. "And it’s hard to get more complex than Buffy. Fantastic character - hard to write really really well."

The same complexity carries into the new story arcs. Shortly after the opening of the first issue, we learn that General Voll of the U.S. military, a man who might just be connected to the newest cult/demon/conspiracy Buffy is attempting to unravel, is hunting her down. Meanwhile, Buffy’s attempts to adjust to her new role as leader of the slayers are thwarted by trouble at home (sister Dawn has become a giant - literally) and an old adversary, Amy the witch, is hell-bent on making life miserable for the slayer. It’s all very Buffy: The familiar mix of action and emotional growing pains punctuated with self-aware (and often geeky) humor feels just right.

The series takes great advantage of its new home within the comic medium, allowing for freedom and visual creativity to augment the story arcs. Artist Georges Jeanty has done a fantastic job evoking the Buffy feel while also giving the comic its own unique style. The art of the new series reflects Buffy’s characteristic mix of spooky gothic flavor combined with superhero antics. And the characters translate beautifully onto the page.

The new medium allows the series to do things that never could have worked on-screen or within the show’s relatively small budget, particularly in its imaginative action sequences. The comic book presents a visual maelstrom, with legions of undead demons crawling up castle walls, slayers jumping out of helicopters, hell-like nightmare realms and other special-effects headaches used gleefully in absence of budgetary constrictions. This is Buffy without limits, and since the writing is so tight, it works quite well.

Buffy, of course, has always held a special place in the hearts of many lesbian viewers. In addition to of the quality of the writing and the likable cast of characters - many of whom were strong female characters who kicked a lot of undead butt - Buffy brought us Willow Rosenberg, who came out as a lesbian midway through the series in one of the best lesbian story lines ever presented on network television.

The romance between Willow and classmate (and fellow witch) Tara played out naturally, portraying the two as a typical young couple - their sexuality was never sensationalized. Both characters were (and continue to be) incredibly well-liked, and many fans - lesbian and otherwise - lamented both the death of Tara and Willow’s subsequent turn to dark magic. It’s undeniable that fans would still love to see Willow with Tara, somehow risen from the grave, and in a series about supernatural creatures, this isn’t impossible.

Of course, this brings up the issue of Kennedy, one of the new slayers and Willow’s girlfriend at the end of the television series. The couple was briefly mentioned in the last season of Angel, but their relationship still raises a few questions for fans.

But Espenson wouldn’t reveal any details about Willow’s romantic entanglements in the comic book series. When asked whether Kennedy was still in the picture, Espenson responded: "I don’t know this yet. But it sure is fun to speculate, isn’t it? I love how natural it feels to imagine that the lives extended beyond the show’s televised run."

Few television series have successfully survived the trek from one medium to another - TV to film in particular - and more often than not, these crossovers represent quick cash-ins on popular franchises. But very few of these projects are handled with the care and attention to detail that the Buffy comic is enjoying. The personal involvement of major players such as Whedon and Espenson is proof that this eighth season is the real deal, and if the first few issues are any indication, Buffy fans have a great deal to be