WithBuffy the Vampire Slayermaking its long-awaited return to television, with a sequel series in production to air on Hulu, fans are rightfully wondering what that means for the franchise’s extended universe; in fact, this is an opportunity forBuffyto learn a valuable lesson from the last decade’s worth ofStar Warscomics published by Marvel.
Since 2015, Marvel’s mainStar Warsseries has meticulously filled in the gaps in the franchise’s timeline between the films of the Original Trilogy, serving to deepen the on-screen arcs of the franchise’s legendary heroes.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’scanon sequel comics, billed as “Season Eight” onward, proved to be somewhat controversial among the series' fandom; with the comics' continuity now presumably going to be overwritten by the upcoming show,the next generation ofBuffycomics would arguably be better off following Marvel’sStar Warsmodel and exploring the era of the original TV run.
Buffy’s “Canon” Sequel Comics Are About To Be Overwritten; The Next Gen Of Stories Can Do Something Different
A Healthy Reset For The Franchise
SinceBuffy the Vampire Slayerconcluded its seven-season run in 2003, fans have understandably clamored for further adventures of the GOAT Slayer, Buffy Summers, and the Scooby Gang. Speculation about a follow-up show have circulated off-and-on in the decades since, but from 2007 through 2018, it was the domain ofDark Horse’sBuffycomics to carry the torch of the “canon” adventuresof the franchise’s cast. LabeledBuffySeason EightthroughSeason Twelve, these comics hold a nostalgic place in many fans' hearts, but they certainly aren’t without their critics.
As much as fans want their favorite franchises to continue in perpetuity, there is an increased degree of scrutiny applied to sequels, and canon continuations.
Season Eightalone, which was plotted and overseen by series creator Joss Whedon, made some perplexing creative choices, from the decision tomake Xander and Dawn a romantic item, to the late reveal that the season’s Big Bad was, in fact, Angel. Subsequent seasons continued to make some controversial advancements in the Scooby Gang’s character arcs, and changes to the franchise’s lore; while no single moment alone was a deal-breaker for most readers, this does speak to an abstract problem with “sequel” comics.
That is, building on any beloved story is its own risky proposition, one that theBuffyreboot will also face, whenever it eventually airs. As much as fans want their favorite franchises to continue in perpetuity, there is an increased degree of scrutiny applied to sequels, and canon continuations, especially those produced in a different medium from the original story. So, in retrospect,while comics might not have been the best way to tell the next chapter ofBuffy’sstory, there is another way they could be utilized to their strongest storytelling capacity.
Over The Past 10 Years, Marvel’s Star Wars Has Modeled How To Flesh Out A Franchise’s Existing Timeline
BuffyShould Revisit Its Past
Case in point:Star Wars. Many fans weren’t happy withDisney’s decision to rebootStar Warscontinuity in 2014, or when Marvel announced it would return to the immediate aftermath of the original film to tell more stories about Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo. Yet ten years later, theStar Warscomics set between the Original Trilogy movies are rightfully lauded for doing more than just extending theStar Warsuniverse, but also deepening it, and making the story arcs of its famous protagonists more complex.
After all these years, Marvel’sStar Warsis finally returning to the fertile narrative ground of thepost-Return of the Jediera, but it is doing so with a basis in the solid foundation laid by the time spent fleshing out the Original Trilogy. The natural inclination, forBuffy the Vampire Slayerfans, might be to expect newBuffycomics to help link the original series and the sequel show, and in time the franchise can get there; before that,however,Buffycomics should go back to the era of the first seven seasons to thrive.
Like Star Wars, Buffy Comics Can Add To The Franchise’s Familiar Character Arcs
Deepening The Series' Canon, Not Just Expanding It
Telling stories set duringthe originalBuffy the Vampire SlayerTV runisn’t exactly a brand-new idea for the franchise; previous novels and comics have done this before, in many cases highlighting the strengths of this approach, in the same way theSeason Eightcomics onward demonstrate the risks inherent in sequelizing such an illustrious series. However, especially with the television sequel coming now, the creators ofBuffycomics need to think long and hard about how they can best supplement the series.
A futureBuffycomic has the opportunity to tell more stories…couched within the continuity of the original series, with the express aim of adding to the impact of the on-screen stories.
The initial instinct will naturally be to tie into the reboot, but the alternative is to develop the comic book versions ofBuffy’scharacters more fully by telling stories taking place between the original show’s episodes and seasons. Like Marvel’sStar Warscomics,several years worth of patient storytelling featuring the classic version of Buffy and the Scoobies, in their prime, would be the ideal lead infor stories set in the gap between Season Seven of the show and Hulu’sBuffy the Vampire Slayerreprise.
Buffyfamously delivered its own version of this technique in theall-time great episode “The Zeppo,”which followed Xander on a standalone adventure, which ran parallel to an apocalypse-averting mission for Buffy and the rest of the Gang, depicted in the background of the episode. A futureBuffycomic has the opportunity to tell more stories like this, couched within the continuity of the original series, with the express aim of adding to the impact of the on-screen stories. Notably, a comic like this shouldn’t seek to drastically recontextualize the show, but rather operate in harmony with it.
While The Buffy Reboot Serves As A Sequel, The Comics Can Go Back To The Classic Era
Nostalgia That Moves The Franchise Forward
Buffyfans have always known thatthe canonicity of theSeason EightthroughTwelvecomics was contingent, that a reboot would render them outdated in franchise lore. For more critical readers, this is a good thing. Yet the question remains what the next era ofBuffycomics will look like. More stories starring young Buffy Summers, and the youthful Scooby Gang, are all-but-inevitable, and that is also a good thing, as they stand the best chance of being satisfying for readers.
Yet how Dark Horse Comics approaches these throwback stories is important, and the lesson that can be taken from Marvel’s Original TrilogyStar Warscomics is about more than just chronology. It is a lesson inhow to approach characters with predetermined arcs and make those arcs even more resonant than they were before.It is also a way of tapping into nostalgia while still moving the iconic franchise forward. A series that offers glimpses of previously unseen moments inBuffy the Vampire Slayerhistory could be the franchise’s equivalent of theStar Warsrecipe for success.
