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« Surfer Girl
Required Summer Reading: Supernatural, Buffy and Degrassi
So now that sweeps is over and I can breathe again, I've had a bit of withdrawal. I actually wandered into Dan's office on my way out of work and posed the "What the heck am I supposed to do now?" question. He was like, "You could catch up on comic books." Great suggestion, Dan! I've had a stack of TV-related comics sitting in a nice little pile next to my bed (I'm sure it would cause real comic collectors some pain to know that they aren't in plastic bags) just waiting for some elusive free time. So I grabbed the stack, sat on the couch and just read them. I highly recommend that you other TV junkies do the same, especially if you are missing your favorite shows! Here are my three current recommendations:
Supernatural: Origins: Want to figure out how John Winchester got his start as a demon hunter? Here's your chance. The first issue (available now at your local comic store — don't be afraid, just go in and tell 'em you need your Supernatural fix) features John's first meeting with Missouri and Sam and Dean as little boys (too cute!) trying to cope with the death of their mother and their father's dangerous occupation. I don't think you Supernatural addicts will be disappointed.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: It's the long-awaited eighth season of the show in comic-book form and the first batch of issues are written by creator Joss Whedon! Better still? All the Scoobies are back! I didn't realize how much I missed Xander until I saw him with an eye patch. I even missed Dawn, who has found herself in a heap of trouble, of course. The first two issues (available now) are filled with all the great inside references that the show was so good at, stuffed with loads of fun slayer details. It even features the return of wicked witch Amy — no longer in rat form! I've read a lot of the spin-off novels that have come out, but none capture the spirit of the show quite the way this illustrated version does. This is a must-have for any Buffy fan.
Degrassi: The Next Generation: Extra Credit: These offshoots from the popular teen series take place a season back in the timeline, but fill in some of the blanks. These aren't your typical comics, either: They are in manga form, which I'm a big fan of. Also, instead of the larger full-color books that Supernatural and Buffy are offering, these are a nice digest size and pack in lots of good dish about your favorite characters. There are four books available now (you can pick them up at comic-book stores or larger bookstore chains). They deal with Emma, Ellie, Spinner and Marco, but all of the other Degrassi peeps make appearances. I've got to say that bully Jay even looks kinda cute in animated form. (Actually, I recently discovered that Mike Lobel is kind of a hottie in person, but I totally digress). These are totally fun reads, and the size makes them perfect for throwing in a beach bag.
If you know any other great new TV-based comic books, let me know! I'd love to hear about them, since I've got ample reading time on my hands now.
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May 25, 2007 10:06 AM
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ACtually, the first three comics are available for Buffy! And hte third one has a shot of something I think most of us have dreamed of. 
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May 25, 2007 11:12 AM
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Great idea Angel. I am LOVING buffy season 8. It's awesome. the only bad thing is they are too short and I hate waiting an entire month between issues. But, it's SOOO much better than nothing. (I'm pretty sure the first 3 issues are out and then 4th comes out at the beginning of june)
I have the degrassi books in my wishlist at amazon, I just haven't gotten around to actually buying them yet. I will sometime though.
Those supernatural ones sound interesting. I might get those eventually. Like I'll eventually buy the dvds.
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May 25, 2007 11:15 AM
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I'll definitely pick up Buffy Season 8 and probably a few other titles to catch up on my "summer reading". Now that the season is over, I'm actually a bit relieved and can just read books and hang out in the sun. Except for Entourage on Sundays.
I don't understand why Ellie is such a popular character. She annoyed me when she was a cutting goth chick and she annoys me now. The only time I liked her was when she was Marco's beard.
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May 25, 2007 12:50 PM
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I have to agree that the Buffy and Supernatural comics are really good. But add to that list IDW Publishings Angel and CSI comics. They're not monthly (unfortunately) but they tend to do 5 issue miniseries and the occasional one shot and they're really good. The Angel and Spike ones are a little darker and more adult than the Buffy and Supernatural stuff, but they have characters down perfectly. Plus they even did a Puppet Angel story.
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May 25, 2007 1:04 PM
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TVchica - you are right about the Buffy comic having 3 issues. I miscounted! And I completely agree, that shot is a predicament I'd LOVE to be in.
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May 25, 2007 2:58 PM
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How about the first Dexter book, which I believe the first season of the show was based on. The upcoming season apparently won't be based on the second book, though.
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May 25, 2007 5:38 PM
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Yay! Eighth season of Buffy!
I lurk around this site, because I have this thing, where I think that whenever I post anything, I come off sounding pretentious, or whatnot - and part of me is feeling bad for pulling out the "complete nerd" card here, but...
I work in a comic shop - so I can tell you that as a general rule of thumb, season 8 comics come out on the first Wednesday of any given month (except this July - it's a skip month).
And word is out that IDW will soon forgo the "non-canon" Angel minis, and run with a Season 6 story starting late this year. There isn't a firm date, or issue count, but as of now, Joss is plotting, someone else is scripting, and it'll run for about 12 issues.
Again! Yay!
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May 28, 2007 1:29 AM
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Hi Angel,
I've just started watching Supernatural, so reading some backstory will (hopefully) help me catch up over the summer (along with watching Season 1 on dvd).
But Buffy... I'll ALWAYS miss that show. However, I've not heard of the comics until now (I'm not really into comic books now as much as when I was a kid so I don't follow the news). So, my question is... are the comic books a continuation of the story where the tv show left off (like is Anya still dead?). Are these refurbished old stories? Do they have the same feel of the show in reference to the characters?
I'm just one of those people that doesn't like second rate sequels, you know?
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May 29, 2007 10:30 AM
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are the comic books a continuation of the story where the tv show left off (like is Anya still dead?). Are these refurbished old stories? Do they have the same feel of the show in reference to the characters?
It's a continuation of the story. It's season 8, not rehashing previous seasons. It's got the same characters and a lot more since, you know, there are a BUNCH of slayers now. I've never read any comic books before this and I'm loving these. Joss is writing the stories so, they ARE Buffy. Same characters, same language it's awesome. You will not be disappointed.
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May 29, 2007 10:48 AM
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Daesey4 - Leah is right... it is a complete continutation. The hellmouth is destroyed, there are a ton of slayers, Buffy's training them all and the gang is all back. Such a treat.
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May 29, 2007 11:20 AM
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Angel:
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm all over the Buffy Season 8 suggestion...ordered them and they are on the way!
And just curious if you've been keeping up with Instant Star this season? I know from time to time you mention it...
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May 31, 2007 12:22 PM
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