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Review | Dollhouse: Epitaphs #2

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Dollhouse: Epitaphs #2

Dollhouse: Epitaphs #2

Admittedly, I’ve had a small stack of comics waiting to be read for a few weeks now. I’m a terrible comics fan when I’m reading a novel (in this case, I was reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman). Mike tells me all of the time that my comics collection would be nothing without him… and he’s kind of right; he remembers to pick mine up when I don’t. That being said, I finally read this month’s Dollhouse: Epitaphs book a few days ago, and I freaking loved it.

While I don’t care too much about Maggie, Zone, and company — because come on, we’ve already got their story from both of the “Epitaph” episodes in the TV series — it’s a little handy because it gives us a kind of time frame for the goings-on in Alpha’s army. While Team Maggie is kind of less concerned with where they’re going and more concerned with surviving at the moment, Alpha wants to find Echo and then take down Rossum with this army he’s been building. It’s cool to see the origin of the tech that Anthony and his gang in “Epitaph Two: Return” are wearing, even though it’s on a kid. I don’t mind too much, though, because damn, can Trevor think on his feet! When one of the wielders came at him while he tried to save one of the Ivys, he swapped out hearing, making him immune to the frequency.

Speaking of Ivy, I really want to know where the original Ivy is. I always wanted to know what happened to her after Topher told her to go. I’m glad to see her character alive and well, even if she’s in the form of several imprints. I thought it was hysterical in Dollhouse: Epitaphs #1 when one of the female Ivys and the male Ivy decide to have sex just for the hell of it.

Meanwhile, Zone finally caught the “I’m going to do something about this!” bug and took off at the protests of Maggie to destroy a broadcast tower in Hollywood. I honestly don’t care about any of these characters. I didn’t mind them on the show. I love Felicia Day and they were only in the spotlight for one and a half episodes, but now they’re seriously taking away from my Alpha time.

After watching “Epitaph Two: Return,” and seeing Echo and Alpha hug each other like they were good, old friends, I’d been dying to know how crazy Alpha became sane and willing to fight for the cause. Even though I was stoked to see more of Alpha’s story when I started reading the comics, I still desperately missed crazy Alpha. It seems that writers Andrew, Jed, and Maurissa read my mind, because at the end of #2, Alpha got attacked by one of the wielders. He survived because he’s able to take on multiple imprints, but it severely tipped his brain’s already fragile ecosystem of imprints, and the Alpha we know and love seems to be back! Are you glad to see him all serial killer again?

My only complaint about this book is the weird sort of immunity that Maggie and Zone had when the radio played the broadcast. Their two companions were immediately wiped and imprinted, but they were both able to stand there and gun them down. I guess I can live with that, but it seemed kind of weird to me. Was it just me?

This month’s issue had no letters in The Imprint Room (and neither did #1), so I sent them an email. Keep your fingers crossed that it gets printed! With my luck, a whole slew of letters will suddenly come in and there won’t be room for mine. ;)

If you wrote in to them, what would you say? Leave me a comment and tell me what you’d say!

Review | Dollhouse: Epitaphs #1

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Dollhouse: Epitaphs #1

Dollhouse: Epitaphs #1

Dollhouse dream team Andrew Chambliss, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen collaborate again to bring fans of the series a story that will hopefully answer some questions that couldn’t be answered on-screen.

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers of the Dollhouse TV series. If you haven’t watched it yet, you might not want to read this review. If you don’t care… carry on. This review also contains spoilers of the Dollhouse: Epitaphs one-shot.

When the Rossum tech goes rogue and, because of frequency bug in the phone, people get wiped and imprinted on an international level, Dollhouse disaster Alpha begins building his own army to take Rossum down.

There isn’t a whole lot of action in this issue, so if you’re looking for things going boom or a lot of ass-kicking, you’re going to be horribly disappointed. The “Epitaphs” series has been set up to be more of a character development story and filler to answer questions that the Epitaph episodes couldn’t (thanks, Fox); the aim of this series is to show views of the show what Alpha was up to between the regular series and the “Epitaph One” and “Epitaph Two: Return.” In “Epitaph Two: Return,” Alpha and Echo are good buddies, and Alpha is rainbows away from his conglomerate personality of multiple serial killers, schizophrenics, and other brains that go bump in the night. The episode never explained how Alpha cured himself or why he decided to help Echo and company. We could, of course, guess that he hated Rossum for messing with his noggin, but I always wondered how he went from not caring and killing to waging war against his creators.

We find Alpha in the midst of the outbreak of the dollhouse technology. In the one-shot, he shows up at the very end, and we’re not sure whether he’s still cuckoo in the coconut or if he’s at least on his way to the Alpha at the end of the TV series. Dollhouse: Epitaphs #1 starts off with Alpha building his little army. He recruits a young boy who is eight or nine, outfits him with the technology we see Victor/Anthony rocking in “Epitaph Two: Return,” and begins his training.

Working alongside Alpha are several imprints of a character I always wondered what happened to… but I’m not going to spoil it for you and tell you who. I will tell you that we still don’t know exactly what happened to that character, but I think it’s safe to say we’ll know soon. Another familiar character is mentioned later in the issue, and the group sets out to find that person. In the letters section, we’re told that this character will definitely be showing up, but I have a feeling that this is all going to be starring Alpha… which I love! (Originally, I thought the story was going to be focused on Maggie, Zone, and their crew, and while I was okay with that, I like this much better.)

These comics are definitely not intended for people new to the series. I read a review of the one-shot

I was a little disappointed in Cliff Richards’s art in this book, as it seemed to be a little more rushed than in the one-shot, but it’s not horrible.

Format: Comic
Publisher: Dark Horse
Pages: 40
Release Date: July 13th, 2011
Cover Price: $3.50
Price Paid: $3.50

4/5 Freaking Stars

Spoiler Alert

What was your favorite part in this issue? Mine was when Ivy walked in on Ivy and Ivy taking each other’s clothes off and getting ready to do the dirty. It was classic Whedon humor, and just more proof of how in tune with each other all of the writers for this — and all of Joss Whedon’s other shows — are. It made me wonder how I’d react to an imprint of myself. Would I find them attractive, even though they acted like me, or would I be turned off by my own personality? ;)

Review | Fray, by Joss Whedon

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Fray, by Joss Whedon, Karl Moline, and Andy Owens

I pretty much grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I also grew up watching old Dracula and Frankenstein movies. Without my mom, I’m not sure I would have become the horror movie fanatic I am today — and I definitely wouldn’t be the horror novel genre fanatic I am. Because of Buffy, I fell in love with Joss Whedon, and I have seen almost everything he’s done. (Did you know he wrote the screenplay for Toy Story? His cool points skyrocketed when I found that out!)

So when I found out that Mike’s coworker Ary is also a huge Whedon fan, and when she offered to let me borrow Fray™, I couldn’t resist.

Fray™ is set two-hundred years after Buffy, in a post-apocalyptic world full of mutated humans and animals, and without very many demons — but there are the lurks, the world’s new name for vampires.

Melaka Fray is the new Slayer, but doesn’t know it yet; she hasn’t had any of the dreams or visions that all Slayers get. When Urkonn, a demon, comes to find her and tell her of her heritage, she blows him off. She just wants to continue living life the way she always has, grabbing for a water demon to make a living.

But when her past turns out to be entwined with her future as a Slayer, Mel doesn’t have a choice. She has to embrace her Slayer strength and use it to fight against evil, or let her little village come to an end.

†

I loved Mel’s spunky personality. She reminded me of Faith, attitude-wise, and of Buffy because underneath the thieving and wisecracks, Mel has a heart of gold. (That’s not to say that Faith isn’t good underneath it all. Everyone know I love Faith more than I love Buffy. :D )

I also loved the beautiful artwork and brilliant color used throughout the book. As usual, Joss’s writing is a blend of humor and of a great narration that brings the world and characters to life. Even though the graphic novel was much shorter than a season of television, he still had a great handle on the world and characters. (And why shouldn’t he? Buffy is his baby, after all.)

I loved every second of Fray™. It never got dull, and the concept that the climax brought on was pretty interesting. The book really expanded the Buffyverse, and was pretty kickass for Joss’s first venture into the comic book world. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure it was the first, from what I read in the author’s notes and bios.)

I give Fray™ a “Freaking Rocks!” stamp and five big golden stars. What did you think?