In the lead-up to the San Diego Comic-Con, Dynamite Entertainment has announced they are working with 20th Century Television on new comic titles starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Kelly Thompson, writer of Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey and many other comic titles, will write both series and serve as the “architect” for both. No word yet on when the series will be set in the Buffy mythos or the artists involved, although David Nakayama provided the image used with the press release.
Thompson shared more about her personal connection to the character and the original TV series.
“In my early days trying to figure out how to be a writer and what stories mattered to me and why — no heroine quite broke through for me like Buffy Summers,” Thompson said. “She was somehow everything my young geek heart had always wanted but hadn’t known to ask for. Something about that delicate alchemy of horror, fantasy, and comedy paired with a hero so pure of heart and yet flawed and relatable was… impossible to deny. I fell deeply in love with Buffy, and following that, her whole world. Her ex-boyfriend is now a supernatural detective in Los Angeles you say? Inject it directly into my veins! But unlike a lot of other worlds I loved, the world of Buffy and Angel somehow never fell to the wayside. I could always come back to it and find something new, or something I’d missed, or something I needed. And I hope this new story we’re telling can do the same for old and new fans everywhere.”
The two properties have enjoyed healthy comic runs in the past at Dark Horse Comics and BOOM! Studios, with Angel also living at IDW for awhile. But perhaps they lost a bit of luster after allegations of workplace harassment against creator Joss Whedon surfaced, following reports from Ray Fisher on the set of Justice League and from Charisma Carpenter on the set of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. Whedon is not mentioned in the announcement and does not appear to be tied to the series, despite creating them for TV and shepherding previous comic incarnations. Dynamite has licensed other properties from Disney over the years, including their line of Disney villains titles and Duck Tales, among others. They are currently publishing Stitch and Zootopia comics in conjunction with Disney. A new Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series is in the works at Hulu, also without Whedon’s involvement.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer is truly one of the crown jewels of modern television, and comics fans know that she’s more than made her mark in this medium as well,” said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and publisher. “The genius mix of its small-town vibes with fantasy and horror, the seamless touches of humor, incredible strong female characters that we’ve been proud to always represent at Dynamite — it all works together for a perfect set of characters and framework for stories. Including Angel! Which we’re excited to contribute to and build for new and returning fans!”