Well, there were plenty of Buffy comics while the TV series was running that he had nothing to do with.

Yeah, but they were mostly not good.

That\'s my point, Sumi.

Yeah, but then he had the series to point at and say "That's the real Buffy, and I'm doing it." Now, the comic is the only real Buffy he's got to do. He can't let other folks do it unless he trusts them, because the comic is all the real Buffy there is coming out.

According to the article linked above he's writing the first 5, about half of the 50 or so total, and breaking the stories for the rest with other writers (indluding Ultimate Drew) in very similar fashion to how the wriers' room worked on the television series.

I have been dying to read this thread, but didn't get my grubby little hands on a copy until tonight. My regular comic store didn't have me on the pull list for #1 (WHO IS TO BLAME?!?!?) and the first printing sold out within an hour both there and at the larger Memphis store.

Folks, the latter thought they were being excessive over-ordering in the low 3 figures. Nothing sells in 3 digits in that market, and I don't think anything has since that Jim Lee X-Men first issue that had about 100 variant covers. While the handful of millions of regular viewers were just barely enough to keep a TV show afloat, those numbers are higher than the largest comic book audience ever and apparently the show's cult status means a hefty fraction of fans are now becoming new comics buyers. If it acts as a gateway for other titles, this series just might be the best thing that's happened to the comics industry in the last decade.

If it acts as a gateway for other titles, this series just might be the best thing that's happened to the comics industry in the last decade.

Buffy: the gateway drug

Hey, it's how I got started. Fray was the first comic I ever bought, and if I hadn't, there's no way my head would be packed with as much useless DCU trivia as it is today.

as much useless DCU trivia as it is today.

PUNCHED A HOLE IN REALITY, BITCHES!!!!

(Never. Stops. Being. Funny.)

Those definitely look like Angel's shoes.

I can't see Amy's"boyfriend" being Oz. That would take a LOT of explanation. I COULD see him being Sweet Zombie Jonathan, not so much because that's a character who would want a weapons lab, as because I just like saying Sweet Zombie Jonathan. Zombie Warren also would work, but would not be as sweet.

I love this Xander. Just love. The inside of his head is just like it should be. And "I'm not a watcher....don't call me a watcher." Wonderful.

Oh, and love the retcon! Also the slayer with the Rude Girl button and the panda head attached to her hip for no apparent reason. Satsu? She's just, you know, cute. And Renee with the geekcred.

The symbol whatzit does look like a beautiful sunset. The diamond thingy almost has to be a star, or an explosion. The curve could be, I don't know, the trail of a projectile of some sort? Why anyone would carve that on themselves I can't imagine.

I am so freaking far behind in Astonishing X-Men, I just gave up and relegated myself to TPBs. Which I haven't read all of. The only other thing I'm trying to catch up on right now is Fables, and I've got a ton of it but no March of the Wooden Soldiers, which is what I was partway through when I fell off the face of the comic buying world. Drat.

I'm now tempted to fill in my comics buying on the basis of what publishes when, so I can get a nice gentle feed of things to read throughout the month...

To add to all the stuff I've not yet read on my bookshelves, and teh stuff I get out of the library, of course. I roll my own eyes at myself.

Cover for Buffy #4.

And Number 2 is out next week??!!??