Buffy Expanded Universe – io9 readers weigh in
The expanded universe, from time to time there is a series that is so beloved by the fans that it cannot be contained or confined to the screen. The series expands to include novels, web series, comic books, and all manner of other media. For me the most notable example is the Star Wars series which in addition to the six films has branched out to multiple TV series, both animated and the live action series set to come out in 2011. There is a large library of expanded universe novels which cover a wide timeline both preceding the films and taking place after the events of Return of The Jedi.
The Buffy expanded universe is made up of a few different elements. There is Buffy Season 8 which is a continuation of the series in comic book form and there is the novels that have been written that explore elements of the series timeline that occured while the series was airing on television. I must admit that I am not very familiar with the novels written in the Buffy universe. The bookstore that I frequent doesn’t typically have them on the shelves, so I can’t really speak to how good or bad those books are. I have read the comics, although I am not caught up through the current issues, and the comics are excellent.
I read an article on io9 the other day discussing expanded universes and which ones where unnecessary. There is a poll at the end of the article in which readers can vote on which expanded universe is for lack of a better term, most unnecessary. The options include: Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien vs. Predator, Battlestar Galacitca, Buffy, Stargate, Jericho, Lost, and Other. As of today when I checked the site again, Buffy is still leading this poll with 27% of the vote.
That led me to thinking, is the Buffy expanded universe unnecessary? I know what I think, but I am more interested in what you think. Here is the feedback I am looking for, either leave a comment on this post or email me at hellmouthpodcast@gmail.com
- Have you read the comics or novels?
- Are they good/bad/neutral?
- Do you think the Buffy Expanded Universe is unnecessary?
- Do you think the story should have ended with the events of the series finale or are you glad the story is being continued in comic form?
I would really love to hear your thoughts.
6 Responses to “Buffy Expanded Universe – io9 readers weigh in”
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I personally am glad that the Buffyverse has branched out into so many different directions.Joss creates fully contained worlds that could always have more stories to tell, and as long as they are writen well(and in most cases they are) it’s just another oppourtunity to spend time with characters that we”ve grown to love.peg
In general, I am a fan of anything that produces more Buffy material (at least as long as Joss is involved). I respect the season 8 comics, I read the first dozen or so, but the form itself didn’t work for me. It seemed like very little happened in a particular comic, and then you had to wait a month or so for the next one. At the end of the run, if they were all collected in some format (book, computer or iPhone app), I would certainly want to go through the whole story.
I don’t see any need for it to end with the series finale (and this is even more the case with Angel, which was really left up in the air), and I think the continuations are at worst neutral, it’s just for me I would have liked to see a different medium – a one off movie like Serenity, a web series like Dr. Horrible, an animated series all would have worked better for me. I have read several Buffy related books and been happy with them.
I have read most of the Season 8 comics and loved them. I liked them more than the Buffy novels I have read. I really like the Buffy trading cards I have and I wish I had some Buffy action figures. I like that so much merchandise and reading material has been created to supplement the show, even if it is unnecessary. However, I truly enjoyed Season 8 and I am so glad that they kept the show going in comic book form, although a part of me still regards the season seven finale as the “real” end of the series.
Jade,
Thanks for the comment, I have never even seen the Buffy trading cards, what are those like? The action figures all look awesome but a lot of the ones out now are a little too pricey for me. It seems like overall the consensus is that the comics are a good continuation of the story but not quite up to the standards set by the TV show, those of you who have left comments, would you agree with that statement?
I’m a little behind on the Buffy comics, but from what I’ve read, the writing is of the same high caliber as the show.As a matter of fact, I believe more than a few issues were either written by Joss or other members of the Buffy writing team.I am very happy with them,and some of the art is incredible.peg
I definitely think that the comics pale in comparison to the show, but they are just so fun to read. The trading cards are excellent. I’ve bought a few packages that contain random cards usually displaying publicity shots or screenshots from episodes on the front and on the back they tell a story or give some trivia related to the photo on the front. They are cool to play with, but I feel as though it would be a pain trying to collect them, since the packages have such a random assortment of cards.