Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Now, as I understand it we’ll see stand alone issues every fifth issue of the series, right?

Yeah, the basic structure of the season is going to be a four-issue arc, then a standalone, and so forth. It’s great for me because it allows me to pop-in from time to time. I did issue #10, which is the one featuring the contest winner from the MySpace contest. It was a joy to write. In fact it was such a joy to write that I was three pages over the normal length. I could have really used a couple more pages, but I couldn’t do that to poor Scott [Allie, "Buffy" editor].

OK, so Brian’s first issue stars Faith and is a four part story. How has Faith changed since we last saw her?

It’s a very Faith centric story, so it steps a little to the left of the main story, although that’s a part of it, it folds into it, but it really is Faith’s story. Where we find her is not really in a great place. Because she’s so hard core and always has been, she’s been doing some of the nastier jobs and it’s starting to grate a bit. Brian writes Faith beautifully - her patter and her attitudes are spot on and with Georges Jeanty drawing her, it’s Faith-a-licious.

How’s Buffy taken the General’s revelation that members of the human race have declared war on her and her friends and associates?

Oh, they laugh and laugh and that’s it!

I’m sure.

Since the next story arc is Faith’s and dealing with the next huge thing, we don’t spend a lot of time exploring how she feels about that, she’s just trying to figure out what exactly they have up their sleeve more than reacting to it emotionally. At the end of the day there’s this cult - and I should mention because people have been getting it wrong that it’s not the American military. There is a military wing involved, but it’s more global and shady than that, so this is not a book about hating the Army or anything like that. But, after the Faith thing, Buffy will be dealing with it on a lot of levels, asking who it is that really hates her. I don’t think she really believes the entire human race is out to get her, but some things are going to happen that are going to make things, well, what’s that word I love? Worse.

It appears from the end of issue #4 that Buffy has access to some of Willow’s magical abilities? How does it work? Is Buffy casting spells? Or is Willow actually casting spells through Buffy?

In that instance the idea was simply that Willow had given Buffy a little hit so that in case something did happen, because they knew they were up against Amy, she gave her a little protective mojo. It’s not something I plan to repeat that often because it could get too convenient and that’s sort of what separates the two of them. However, as we did in episode 21 of season four, making that connection between them really highlights the strength of their friendship, so I like doing that.

Wrapping up, Joss, have you heard from any of the cast of the show about the book? Are they reading it and have they given you any thoughts on it?

I just saw Aly yesterday and Tom Lenk brought her some issues. None of the cast are really aware of it and, generally speaking, you don’t want to show the actors it because they’ll just go, "Hey, that’s not my nose!" Aly was like, "I guess that’s an OK picture of me, but I seem kind of big!" And Tom said, "That’s Dawn, you ninny!" [laughs] But, no, I haven’t really heard anyone’s opinion about it and [whispers] that’s probably best! They are being beautifully rendered; don’t get me wrong, I wish someone would draw me looking that hot.

Thanks, Joss.