Another year at Denver Comic Con in the books! This year was special to me as a child of the ‘90s because it is the 20th Anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and so I knew there would be some extra Buffy happenings at DCC.
I have always wondered why Buffy gets kind of pushed to the side at most Comic Cons. Although most people know about Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the television series that ran from 1997-2003, the Buffy comics and paperback series has a solid following and continued for years after the final episode aired. It will never compare to the popularity of Deadpool or Batman at cons, but where are all the Buffy Comics fans at DCC?
Personally, I was completely devoted to the television series as a teenager. My devotion stemmed from both an admiration of Joss Whedon’s quirky and witty writing, as well as from a teenage girl’s love of the token “bad boy” character, Spike. It felt like a teenage dream come true when I saw the “Buffy Villains 20th Anniversary” talk on the schedule at DCC this year.
The talk featured four of the “big bads” from the series: Spike, Glory, Harmony, and Drusilla. They told stories from filming, took audience questions, and even played a round of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia with us. There were some notable quotes about James Marsden (Spike) being a “punk rock” and “subversive” actor, and some subtle shade being thrown around about Sarah Michelle Gellar being a bit of a diva.
For the most, part all of the cast members were friendly, funny, and humble about their experiences. Though I did note that Nathan Fillion, who was the Season 7 villain (Caleb,) was at Denver Comic Con this year but, strangely, was not a part of this particular Buffy villains panel.
I always wait for the questions and comments about a series re-boot or a feature length movie but I get the feeling that just isn’t in the cards for this particular cast of Buffy. Most of them continued on with the Angel spin-off series for a few years after the end of the original and nobody seems ready to jump on another one.
I think I can speak for most of the fans in the theater that day when I say that I will be a fan of whatever else Joss Whedon lends his voice to in the future. Though I would be lying if I didn’t admit that part of me is still waiting for a Buffy Season 8. I suppose I’ll just have to start collecting the comics myself.
P.S.: In case you’ve never seen Buffy, it’s available to stream on Netflix and Hulu!
This article was first published on BentoByte.
Source: Villains of Buffy The Vampire Slayer at Denver Comic Con