A key theme of theBuffy the Vampire Slayerfinale is continuity, which was honored in the form of a comic book series, posing a challenge for the reboot. This creator-approved season 8 was published by Dark Horse Comics and followed the lives of the beloved Scoobies after the emotional events of season 7. Now, that aBuffy the Vampire Slayerrevival is on the horizon, it needs to consider the print continuation of its narrative.
BecausecontinuingBuffyis better than rebooting, this raises an interesting question ofwhether the Dark Horse Comics series is a possible candidate for adaptation. BecauseSarah Michelle Gellar is reportedly reprising her role, a likely continuation could at least take some interesting elements from the comics. That said, with plot details still under wraps, it’s difficult to say what to expect at this point.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Has A Comic Book Sequel Series (& It’s Great)
Dark Horse Comics Created Stunning Artwork And Interesting Storylines
TheBuffy the Vampire Slayerfranchise was continued in comic book form. Making a comic book series an official continuation of a TV show was rare when the beloved showdid it, especially since creator Joss Whedon and other key writers on the show were involved with its creation.Dark Horse Comics published a direct continuation, while Boom! Studios published an alternative telling of Buffy’s story. TheBoom! comics also had some good moments, but the Dark Horse installments were generally more liked by viewers. In particular, the artwork of Dark Horse’s take was outstanding.
Additionally, Whedon was involved with comics that told more backstories…
Other keyBuffy the Vampire Slayercomics Whedon informed were interesting stories set in different timelines. For example, the futuristicFrayfollowed a 19-year-old thief and slayer called Melaka Fray. Her story is set 200 years after the events ofseason 7. Whedon was also involved with comics that told more backstories.Tales of the Slayertold the stories of past slayers, whileTales of the Vampiresdid the same for historical vampires. Other comics in theBuffyfranchise includeSpike After the FallandAngel After the Fall,and there are alsoAngelcomics followingAngelseason 5.
The Comic Series Has Set A High Bar For Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Reboot
Although Some Choices Are Questionable, The Sheer Ambition Is Impressive
The strength of the Dark Horse ComicsBuffyseries was that it was unrestrained by TV budgets. This allowed creators to be more ambitious with their storylines. While this was a double-edged sword, it set a high bar by having writers on the original show involved with exploring what was possible for the characters after season 7. They did not always do this well, however. Sometimes,storylines got out of hand, delivering a lot of empty shock. Still, they made undeniably great choices, such as beginning to explore Buffy’s sexual orientation more inSatsu.
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While some nonsensical turns like Dawn getting turned into a centaur and her pairing with Xander were contentious, the comic series’ high points were great contributions to the franchise. It ambitiously tries to imaginea bigger bad thing than the First Evil ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer’slast season. The success of this is a divisive topic among readers, but it certainly tried to think outside Sunnydale and attempted to broaden the scope of the Buffyverse.
Should Buffy The Vampire Slayer Adapt The Comic Books?
Showrunners Could Use Elements Of The Continuation But Other Titles May Adapt Better
How adaptable the comic continuation can be is where things get tricky. The storyline is so wild and some of the pairings so gratuitous that exposing them to a wide audience would cause a huge divide in viewers of the beloved original series. While a continuation would certainly be preferable to a straightforward remake, some of the decisions that work in a comic book format may not translate well to a more character-centered TV show. Some viewers do not take the comics seriously at all andconsider the end ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerto beAngelseason 5.
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Where a TV adaptation could really shine is adapting theTales of the Vampirescomics. In particular,Tales of the Slayerwould make a fantastic TV show. The settings range from Paris at the height of the French Revolution to Nuremberg in 1938. While many viewers arewary about aBuffy the Vampire Slayerreboot, shifting the setting to other periods would be a valuable contribution to the Buffyverse and avoid messing with something so brilliant. Without an attachment to the canonical timeline, the franchise could also more easily create aBuffyshow without Whedon.
Gellar has expressed gratitude toBuffythe Vampire Slayer while wanting to distance herself from its creator, so a continuation unattached to Whedon would be a great project for her and the other cast.
Thereboot is more likely to go for continuity. It will be great to see the original cast reprise their original roles. This is especially important following Whedon’s controversies. Gellar has expressed gratitude toBuffythe Vampire Slayerwhile wanting to distance herself from its creator, so a continuation unattached to Whedon would be a great project for her and the other cast. This complicates the timeline of the comics, although they could still use elements. Once revived, it would be great to see spinoffs that adapt the work of the other comics set in the past and future.
