So normally the way I pick a topic for Buffyversity is by reading the ongoing “Buffy” and “Angel” comics until inspiration strikes. That’s obviously not possible right now- the pandemic has virtually shut down the comic book industry, and there are very few new issues. But that got me thinking- Buffy is a regular part of my life, so where have I been turning in its absence? Here are a few media recommendations, and why they’ve been filling the Buffy void in my life.
Best Comic About Women Who Kick Demon Ass- “Exorsisters”
I guess Buffy belongs to the urban fantasy genre but really, it’s kind of a whole genre all by itself: ladies and the demons who love them (and who they slay). “Exorsisters,” written by Ian Boothby, and illustrated by Giselle Legace is a delightful entry into the genre, one that does lots of familiar stuff, but with a few new twists. Kate and Cate Harrow appear to be twin sisters, but their relationship is a lot more complicated than that. One of them lost her soul at a young age, and the other one is the soul, grown into her own entity.
Wow, that tells you what the book is about, but it doesn’t get the feel of the series at all. Much like Buffy, the Harrow sisters are confident, fun, quippy heroes, but their adventures have a sadness that helps ground their struggles in the relatable. New issues of this series are a goddamn delight, and any “Buffy” fan visiting this site would do well to treat themselves!
Sexiest Sex-Positive Show About Sexy Warriors- Killjoys
On the surface, Michelle Lovretta’s earlier show Lost Girl has more in common with Buffy. It’s urban fantasy, about a succubus named Bo and her Scooby Gang of humans and faeries fighting evil. Killjoys is science fiction, but it captures the vibe of Buffy in a few key ways. Series protagonist Dutch is a reluctant chosen one, fighting against the forces of destiny to determine her own path. She’s constantly caught up in personal drama, quickly falling for her long time partner’s brother and turning her romantic life into a hot mess.
Episode to episode, Killjoys puts Dutch through the ringer, but it never loses track of two elements that make Buffy function. One is a sort of grounded, relatable sexiness. Neither show is a romance per se, but romance is a big part of the appeal, and the stories are both being told by creators interested in exploring the messiness of relationships. And that’s good stuff! But Killjoys also captures the downright weirdness of single episodes of Buffy. Some of the one-off adventures are truly bizarre, in ways that should have far reaching effects that never really get brought up again. Remember those androids on Buffy? Killjoys has a machine with amazing medical implications that gets used by one villain as a torture device. The show captures the best of the goofiness and sexiness of Buffy.
Best Episodic Monster of the Week Show- The Witcher
There’s something magical about the pacing of Buffy. Every episode you get a conflict, usually introduced and resolved within an episode. But you also get ongoing character growth, and larger conflicts that unfold over seasons. Even before streaming made the binge model the rule of the day, TV started to move away from this tried and true structure. But The Witcher on Netflix brings it back in goofy monster slaying glory. Sure, there are timeline shenanigans, and deep confusing mythology and lore, but in every episode you get a monster hunter, and a monster he’s gotta kill. You can watch them all in one epic sitting, or space them out as much as you like. This show brings back old-school pacing in a way that Buffy fans crave.
Best RPG That is Literally Just Buffy– Monster of the Week
A great thing you can do with friends remotely is play a tabletop RPG. Some require mats and miniatures, but all you need to play Monster of the Week is two six-sided dice, and some players. It’s a game explicitly modeled after Buffy in tone, genre, and structure. Every game session features a mysterious monster and the gang needs to figure out what it is, what its weaknesses are, and how to stop it. Each session/episode is a discrete story, but longer campaigns can build to a Big Bad, and there are plenty of mechanics to encourage lots of drama. There are character types such as the Chosen (complete with an illustration of Buffy meeting Ash Williams), the Expert (who is clearly “Ripper” Giles), the Mortal (who is peak Zeppo Xander) and it would be easy to build characters like Willow, Anya, Spike, and Riley. It’s the perfect level of RPG intensity to be able to run it easily over a simple video chat!
Video Game With a Protagonist Who Really Evokes Buffy- Control
We love Buffy because we love Buffy. Jesse Faden isn’t exactly Buffy, but she really captures her essence. Buffy is eternally in over her head, but she approaches every situation with a general attitude of confidence. It’s not that she doesn’t lose, and it’s not that she doesn’t carry those losses. She just acknowledges loss as a part of the sacrifice she’s got to make, and doesn’t let it faze her. It’s do or die, and she’s died twice. In the game Control, Jesse is someone who had a brush with the supernatural when she was younger, and it left her scared, confused, and powerful. She pushes through that fear on a mission to find out what happened to her missing brother, but she ultimately realizes that she’s destined for greater things. She’s got to be a hero, battling dangers she had never conceived of. Her approach isn’t stoic per se, but she never backs down under pressure, and she always keeps her eye on her mission. Jesse kind of rules.
Comic That is Literally Just “Buffy”- “Buffy” and “Angel”
Finally, if you haven’t caught up on the actual “Buffy” and “Angel” comics- and come on, it’s very likely you haven’t- they are very available to read right now. I know comic shops are closed, but lots of them are figuring out ways to get you your books anyway. Check to see if your local shop has mail order, or curbside pickup! Give ’em a call, they’d love to hear from you, I promise. If that’s not an option, check if your local library does digital services. Mine has Hoopla, and it’s got every issue of “Buffy” and “Angel” available, free to read with my library card, on demand and within a month of each issue coming out. That’s right, your library has ways for you to keep up with monthly comics digitally. I know! What are you waiting for? There’s evil that needs to be slain, and heroes waiting for you to watch them do it.
