Joss Whedon

IDWEEK: JOSS WHEDON TALKS ANGEL, AFTER THE FALL

Earlier today, we talked to Brian Lynch about his second Spike series, Shadow Puppets, and talked briefly about handling Angel’s post-season 5 return. And now a few words from his comrade-at-arms, Joss Whedon. Spoil alert! (not because he’s giving anything away here, y’see-we would’ve said “spoilER alert,” then. Rather, because we just spoil you with all this great content and... oh, why are you wasting time reading this inane intro when the actual Q&A is waiting for you in the very next sentence?

Newsarama: When word broke that you planned to partner with writer Brian Lynch and continue Angel’s adventures where the final episode left off, the decision was met with pretty unanimous praise. But do you feel any pressure about picking up from what many fans regard as the perfect ending to a TV show?

Joss Whedon: Actually, a lot of people thought it was a cliffhanger, so they can’t be too sad.

NRAMA: Fans seem very concerned about “official canon” (which is something Brian references in a very funny way in issue #1 of his Spike: Shadow Puppets in June. Do you understand the uproar? What does “canon” mean to you?

JW: Canon is key, as is continuity. If you are massive nerd. Which I am. I believe there’s a demarcation between the creation and ancillary creations by different people. I’m all for that stuff, just like fanfic, but I like to know what’s there’s an absolutely official story-so-far, especially when something changes mediums, which my stuff seems to do a lot.

NRAMA: What was it about Brian Lynch’s work on Spike: Asylum that got you thinking he’d be the right person to develop this book with you?

JW: The voices. Not just of the characters from the show but everybody. I knew from the moment [at the beginning of Asylum] Spike took the job he didn’t want because the guys thought he was Angel and he felt pissy that this was gonna happen with Brian. I even emailed Tim Minear about it that night.

NRAMA: Along the lines of “why him,” let’s also look at “why now?” Did your work on the Buffy comic book rekindle a desire to revisit these characters? Or had you always planned to get back to them at some point?

JW: Brian gets the cred. I ran into him at a restaurant and Asylum was coming out that day so I figured, gotta read it. Read it. See above. I can’t make the same kind of commitment that I’m making to Buffy, but I thought Brian could handle being the show-runner with continued input-and a basic rundown on where were heading-from me.

NRAMA: Without spoiling anything, can you give fans any idea of what they can expect to see, or not see, in the comic?

JW: Season six-that is, the storyline we were planning to pursue-made much more epic and fleshed out quite a bit. We’re looking at it as a 12-issue miniseries, to keep it tight and intense. Brian and I have been exchanging juicy ideas. And some that are more bran-y. For health.

NRAMA: Finally, when the show itself ended, did you have an idea in your head of where things would go? Did you know all along who would, or wouldn’t, survive that fight in the alley?

JW: I’ve always known exactly, unless someone brings me a better idea. (It was Jeff Bell and the Angel staff who pitched me Wesley’s death-once we knew we’d got the chop.) The better idea makes it to the canon. But the line up is pretty much what I planned. It’s not pretty.

I’m pretty.