Yes, as per the Newsarama item, I will be writing a one-shot “Spike” comic for IDW in August. Long time “Buffy” fans will appreciate the concept that Spike winds up squaring off against none other than Hallie the Vengeance Demon, who has a rather unique connection to Spike that was hinted at during season six of BtVS. This story will actually address that connection, shedding some interesting light on Spike’s origins.
PAD
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In three words or less:
Way cool.
(And if you’re doing this for IDW, I’m hoping the rumors about “Fallen Angel” are true as well … but I assume you’ll comment on that one way or the other when it’s feasible to do so.)
TWL
Looking forward to it!
Did you get any input from Whedon himself?
“Did you get any input from Whedon himself?”
Ostensibly comments came from Whedon, although for all I know, it was from an associate.
PAD
Can’t think of anyone better, with the (only) possible exception of Whedon.
Can’t wait, can’t wait, can’t wait!!!
I’m a huge Buffy/Angel series fan. So i’m lookin forward to the one shot! Do we have any idea who might be the artist on this?
Just a question PAD; do you allow folks to pimp thier sites on your BLOG?
If not, no worries 🙂
Thanks.
Hey, that’s good news. Spike was an interesting character. Does this take place place before or after the series? I’m assuming by ‘shedding light on his origins’ you either mean it’s before-hand or there’s some kind of flashback?
Or is that… classified?
Y’know, my wife and I agree that Spike should just have his own TV show.
I never liked the buffy show or angel for that matter. I have seen my fair share of the series (an old roommate of mine was addicted so I watched it with her) but never flipped through any of the comics.
To be honest the only thing that could possibly draw me to any of the characters would be if they were written by Mr. David. So nuts to you Mr. David for making me spend an additional 3 bucks on comics whenever this one shot comes out. I’ll buy and I’ll probably love it, but I don’t have to be happy about it.
This is GREAT news. With your respect for the series and characters, I’m anticipating GREAT things. Buffy has always had a great mix of horror and humor, which has also been true of your writing. I can only hope that this becomes a full-time gig . . . PAD writing a monthly BUFFY-VERSE comic? Now that’s heaven!
Best of luck to all involved!!!
DJ
Cool. But I thought Dark Horse had the rights to Buffy?
Dark Horse still has BUFFY and picked up SERENITY, but let ANGEL lapse. IDW picked up ANGEL. Think of it like when BUFFY moved from the WB to UPN, save for the fact that IDW’s Chris Ryall has stated a willingness to do crossovers if DH is interested.
To say that I’m looking forward to this, PAD, would be an uinderstatement, even moreso now that you’ve revealed a little of the plot.
I am curious, as well, about the character relations between BUFFY and ANGEL. I guess IDW gets Spike because he was last a regular on ANGEL? But then, it sounds like your story would have to take place before the end of BUFFY, given Hallie’s involvement. Of course, this is the Jossverse, so resurrection is always a possibility, too…
A_Greene, better be prepared to spend more than $3. IDW’s standard cover price is $3.99. But they put out gorgeous books with the highest possible production values, and I believe they’re longer than the standard DC/Marvel 22 pages, as well.
Hoping that the other PAD/IDW runors are true, and knowing that PAD will comment on them when he can…
1
Though I prefer my Buffy or Angel on the small screen, given that both shows are over, I’ll take them where I can get them. And when PAD’s writing, it’s a given the book will be good.
I’m there!
Great news! I always believed that Hallie was Cecily, Spike’s first love, and I hope the comic will confirm it!
Cool, but what does this have to do with how evil the Conservatives are? 😉
I had the opportunity to read most of the Buffy Universe tpbs and was disappointed for the most part. I look forward to this and my gf (Who was only introduced Buffy last year and is finishing up Season 5. I’ll just make sure that we are past that particular episode in Season 6 on DVD before she reads it.) will as well.
Fred
Congrats, I’ll definitely pick it up!
Hope the rumors about Fallen Angel moving to IDW are true as well.
I’m sooooooooooooo there. Whenever I would send emails to Peter David, I asked him if he’d ever do a B/A story, esp. a Spike/Dru story. Well, there’s no Dru (as far as we know), but Spike’ll do. You’ll get my money, that’s for sure.
Let’s hope this leads to B/A novels, so PAD’ll corner that market like he did w/ Trek.
Guessing this will occur, timeline wise, before or during season 7 of Buffy. I think Joss is saving what happens to Angel and Spike after the end of Angel’s run for himself, either a TV movie, big book, or something significant (I hear the first line will be “Angel ducked….) so that rules out anything occuring after Angel ended.
Any word on who’s doing the art?
Isn’t the connection between Spike and Hallie the Vengeance Demon is that she was the object of his desires before he became a vamp.
Hëll no! No B/A story! There’s no room for vomity sappy endings in the Whedonverse. I wish someone would write a Spike and Darla comic/novel instead. That’s unchartered territory — so many ways you could go with that. She could haunt his dreams the way she haunted Angel’s. And since they were both part of the great fanged four gang, there could be interesting flashbacks written into the story as well. Basically I just want my favorite characters featured in the same publication together. Yeah, I’ll just go read some more fanfic.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Peter David + Buffy = me obnoxiously happy at 9:30 on a Sunday morning.
HÊLLS YES.
I’m gonna coast for a week on this goodness. Oh my God. You have no idea how squealy I am over this.
Hee.
My happiness is far too easily bought off. 🙂
Let’s hope this leads to B/A novels, so PAD’ll corner that market like he did w/ Trek.
B/A novels have been around for quite a while, actually — I haven’t read ’em and have no idea about quality, but that’s a market PAD would have to enter before he can corner it. 🙂
TWL
Finally, PAD is doing a Buffy comic! I’ve been waiting forever for this moment! One of my dreams is to see him on an ongoing Buffy series. This is the first step.
Bwahahahahahaha!!!!
I have to say I am in agreement with A_Green. I’ll buy this, and probably love it, but I don’t have to be happy about it.
That said…I hadn’t heard the *rumor* until reading this thread, and I will add my hopes the rumor is true. If enough people think something is true…isn’t that supposed to make it true?
This is absolutely fantastic news! The wife & I are both looking forward to it.
A couple o’ different points brought up by others:
A_Greene, better be prepared to spend more than $3. IDW’s standard cover price is $3.99. But they put out gorgeous books with the highest possible production values, and I believe they’re longer than the standard DC/Marvel 22 pages, as well.
Given this is a one-shot, and they’ve announced a string of Angel mini-series, if they follow the format they’ve established with their other big licensed property (CSI and CSI: Miami), the one-shots are prestige format books, priced around 7/8 bucks. But, I still can’t wait…and I think it’ll be worth every penny. 🙂
I think Joss is saving what happens to Angel and Spike after the end of Angel’s run for himself, either a TV movie, big book, or something significant (I hear the first line will be “Angel ducked….) so that rules out anything occuring after Angel ended.
When IDW announced the deal, they also announced that the first scheduled Angel mini-series is set after the end of the tv series.
Does this occur after “Not Fade Away” or does this strictly take place in Spike’s past? The character has worked so hard to become a better man that I’d hate for his character to be reduced back down to stories that only portray him as evil.
This is pretty kickass.
Add me to the list of squealers. Since essentially everything on television these days comepells me to yawn uncontrollably, lately I’ve been reading, imagine this, the X-men and other comics for fun. And nosing through old volumes at the cool local comic shop has even led me back to some of my old favorites, like Neil Gaiman. Another yay. And get this, even my bf who hates Buffy loved my recent purchase of Firefly, which was the perfect WhedonFix after a year of Whedonless televsion.
So a Spike comic? Bring forth and multiply!
I thought the joke about Hallie seeing Spike in 6 was just that it was the same actress… yet, her “William?” could have just conveniently opened a yet-unexplored relationship in the Whedonverse. It’s never been explained beyond that. I would love to see Cecily-turned-Hallie. We did see Hallie and Anyanka dining once during the French revolution, but I can’t date the French Revolution on the spot so I hope it was after Dru sired Spike. Sheesh. Now I have to go and check dates. Hallie couldn’t be Cecily if the French Revolution took place before Spike was sired. But if it took place after Spike was sired, well then… unless… unless… Cecily was a vengenance demon all along? Interesting.
Anyway, I’ve been hunting around for some old graphic Buffy/Angel/Whoever-in-the-Whedonverse novels, and well, wasn’t overly thrilled by some results (but my Fray trade collection does come in this Wednesday). All that said, now’s the time for some great new reading. With great new visuals. I’ll be one of those geeks who pays in advance. 🙂
Actually, IIRC, that was the Russian Revolution the two Vengance Demons were dining during. Which, while I can’t recall the exact dates of said bloody event off the top of my head, it was in the early 1900s, so safely after William became Spike…. 🙂
Googled it – the Russian Revolution began in January 1905.
Spike was sired in the 1880’s or 1890’s, yes? I’d have to rewatch “Fool For Love.”
RE: If Cecily was Hallie. One thing to remember if that D’Hoffryn was a powerful demon and the concept of time and space aren’t linear to him. He could’ve turned Cecily and given her powers to go back in time. Food for thought.
Let’s just give PAD the time to write his story. I know he’ll do Spike justice.
I thought I heard somewhere that Whedon confirmed that even though it was never said on screen, Hallie was Cecily, there to serve vengeance on someone undercover (much like Anya was undercover as a high-school student).
Or maybe that particular tid-bit was something from a fanfic my wife related to me.
I can’t remember.
Halfrek existed during the Crimean War, which took place during the 1850’s. You can find the reference in “Lessons”. Fool For Love took place in the 1880’s. So, that rules out human Cecily turning into Halfrek.
Awsome!! Spike is sooo cool. More Spike. I believe that just making a Spike series would have been a huge deal! People would love it!
I know I would anyway. Spike is an interesting character with alot of different sides to him…
My favorite writer and my favorite character of the Buffyverse, it’s like the Reeses Peanut Butter cup of genre.
Or as they might say in the United Kingdom:
TOO RIGHT!
— Ken from Chicago
OMG, I’m soooooo giddy right now! Peter David’s run on Supergirl is my FAVORITE comics run ever….
Buffy and Angel? My two favorite shows.
This is like…heaven…
But Hallie was vanquished in season six be dehofron. I think I spelt that right!
Hallie was killed in the Season 7 episode “Helpless” by D’Hoffryn.
I’ve never really followed Buffy, but if this makes you happy, then write it.
Grr. “Selfless,” I mean.
This sounds great! I will ceritnly buy it.
Although didn’t Hallie/Cecliy die in season 7 (‘Selfless’)?
after i posted earlier i read a lil more and realized i was wrong about the notFrench but Russian Revolution. my bad.
however,
“Halfrek existed during the Crimean War, which took place during the 1850’s. You can find the reference in “Lessons”. Fool For Love took place in the 1880’s. So, that rules out human Cecily turning into Halfrek.”
not really. Hallie could have very easily been playing the role of Cecily when William was smitten with her. As Anyanka played the role of a high school student when she got stuck in Sunnydale. That would TOTALLY explain why she said, “William?” in a Cecily voice, when Hallie saw Spike in season six. or seven. (five?) or whenever it was she she bumped into him and recognized him again.
I am so happy to hear about this comic and to have one of my favorite writers working on it (LOVED the Babylon 5 novels, btw).
I just really hope that the comic doesn’t focus on evil Spike but on pre-vamp Spike and post-soul Spike. I think there has been enough evil Spike books and comics and it’s time to explore the more complex aspects of his character.
Vengence Demons are attracted to chaos. Spike caused a lot of chaos. So they’re knowing each other chould also be explained by them simply bumping into each other in the past – without her necessarily being Cecily.
I didn’t think she was using a Cecily voice when she said William, but that I suppose is open to interpretation.
Also, in “Entropy” Spike sees Halfrek with her human face. If she were Cecily, surely he would’ve reconized her then, even if he hadn’t quite reconized her when she was wearing her demon face in “Older and Far Away.”
Anyway, I thought Joss already established that they were two different characters and that the recognition was just a nod to fans who remembered the actress as Cecily.
Finally, PAD is doing a Buffy comic! I’ve been waiting forever for this moment! One of my dreams is to see him on an ongoing Buffy series.
Heh. You ever read his Supergirl series? To some people this will just solidfy the theory that PAD was angling to do a Buffy story all along.
Yo, I’ve never watched Buffy or Angel, I have a vague knowledge of who Spike is and what he does. Would I get anything out of this comic or not?
Heh. You ever read his Supergirl series? To some people this will just solidfy the theory that PAD was angling to do a Buffy story all along.
I woulndn’t say that. I’d sooner say that Buffy was Whedon’s attempt to put Supergirl on TV. Seriously, I don’t think anything’s going to be helped by bringing up all that Supergirl/Buffy nonsense.
I prefer evil, kick-ášš Spike to season 6/7 mopey, slayer whipped Spike anyday…
That said, I wish you the best of luck with this comic.
At least don’t say anything about “railroad spikes” as William’s fellow club members did on teevee — Brits don’t have “railroads”, they have “railways”, and i believe that the rails are held to the “sleepers” (not “crossties”) by bolts, not spikes.
This is some wonderful news! PAD playing in the Whedonverse!
The one shot shall be added to my pull list!