When I re-read my book on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” it hit me that one aspect of the show that I hadn't dealt with was the complex relationship between Joss Whedon's work and the comics on which he had grown up. When I was asked a few years later to be a keynote speaker at the Slayage academic conference on Buffy studies, it was a logical thing for me to write about and helped me refine my ideas for a book I was already by then writing.
March 11 2008
Superheroes: Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films.
Whedonverse scholar and frequent Slayage contributor (and an incredibly sweet and approachable person) Roz Kaveney talks about her latest book.
You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.
I don't entirely disagree, although I think Fray, some Tales, and most of BtVS Season 8 are pretty special. Not so big on AXM. Still haven't checked out his Runaways yet - too behind on much other stuff.
SoddingNancyTribe | March 11, 09:13 CET
I didn't read many comic books as a child, and I only started again as an adult because Joss is writing them, but I have a vague notion that they do many versions of a character's development with just slight differences of fact or emphasis, and that is part of the form. Am I right about that? If so, it's a little hard to adapt to as a newbie. I want the characters to go from where I saw them last on the show.
dreamlogic | March 11, 10:08 CET
Amen, dreamlogic, amen.
Have you heard of Willow's Promise?
[ edited by ShadowQuest on 2008-03-11 07:31 ]
ShadowQuest | March 11, 10:29 CET
dreamlogic | March 11, 10:59 CET
I bought every single "Quantum Leap" novel that came out. Can't say I loved all of them, though - some of them felt like the author had no clue who the characters really were, just their names & the fact that Sam was time traveling. Same with some fanfic I've read - "Umm...did you even watch the show?"
Ahh, well. Shutting up now.
ShadowQuest | March 11, 11:18 CET
In the Joss Whedon chapter there is a fascinating discussion of what the creation of Willow owes to Kitty Pryde.
silvius | March 11, 11:55 CET
jcs | March 11, 17:09 CET
That's interesting. I'd heard that she influenced Buffy but not Willow. Freshmeat ! ;)
Sounds like a good book, wishlisted it. And that's about the best, most succinct description of the difference between Marvel and the Distinguished Competition i've read. DC is kind of like 'Star Trek' to Marvel's 'Firefly' I reckon, personally I like both approaches for different reasons.
The thing that strikes me about this is, I think people expected Joss to go in and change comics the way he changed TV with Buffy, subverting clichés and tropes left and right. But he's said all along that he actually prefers to tell a straight story rather than play with the post-modern stuff that Morrison and Ellis use so well (when their stuff works that is). What we've had from AXM is 4 great X-Men arcs IMO - it hasn't shaken the foundations of 616, hasn't changed the world, but they've been good stories.
Whereas at least some of his TV stuff transcends the medium, plays with its boundaries, I think Joss is happier in the comics playing within the existing Marvel sandpit.
Also, if there were any doubt remaining
shows that Roz Kaveney is One Smart Human, cos Amen, y'know ? ;)
Saje | March 11, 21:06 CET