Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion The TV Series, the Movies, the Comic Books, and More

by POPMATTERS

• ISBN13: 9780857689863
• ISBN10: 085768986X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-05-01
• Publisher: Titan Books

Summary

Joss Whedon's importance in contemporary pop culture can hardly be overstated, but there has never been a book providing a comprehensive survey and analysis of his career as a whole - until now. Published to coincide with Whedon's blockbuster movie The Avengers, it covers every aspect of his work, through insightful essays and in-depth interviews with key figures in the 'Whedonverse'.

Author Biography

Joss Whedon's importance in contemporary pop culture can hardly be overstated, but there has never been a book providing a comprehensive survey of his career as a whole - until now. The Complete Companion covers every aspect of the Whedonverse through insightful essays and interviews, including fascinating conversations with key collaborators Jane Espenson and Tim Minear.

Table of Contents

A Note from the Editor	p. 9
Introduction: Why Cast a Spotlight on Joss Whedon?	p. 11
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon 101: Buffy the Vampire Slayer	p. 25
"Raise Your Hand If You're Invulnerable!": An Interview with Harry Groener	p. 29
"Note to Self, Religion Freaky": When Buffy Met Biblical Studies	p. 37
You're Strong. I'm Stronger: Vampires, Masculinity & Language in Buffy	p. 49
Failure of the Everyman: The Lost Character That Was Xander Harris	p. 56
Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the Fantasy Canon	p. 60
Pedagogy of the Possessed: Teaching and Learning in Buffy	p. 69
The Big Bad Universe: Good and Evil According to Joss Whedon	p. 75
Women Who Hate Women: Female Competition in Buffy the Vampire Slayer	p. 83
Coming Out of the Broom Closet: Willow's Sexuality and Empowerment in 'Buffy	p. 94
The Darkness of "Passion": Visuals and Voiceovers, Sound and Shadow	p. 102
Returning to the Basement: Excavating the Unconscious in Buffy's "Restless"	p. 112
"I'd Very Still": Anthropology of a Lapsed Fan	p. 126
Interview with Jane Espenson	p. 134
How Buffy Changed Television	p. 140
TV's Grim Reaper: Why Joss Whedon Continually Kills the Characters We Love	p. 153
Angel
Joss Whedon 101: Angel	p. 161
Lindsey and Angel: Reflecting Masculinity	p. 168
"The Shell I'm In": Illyria and Monstrous Embodiment	p. 181
The Three Faces of Anne: Identity Formation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel	p. 191
"Touch Me and Die, Vermin!": The Psychoanalysis of Illyria	p. 199
Interview with Alexis Denisof	p. 205
"The Strength and Conviction to Lose So Relentlessly": Heroism in Angel	p. 213
Firefly and Serenity
Joss Whedon 101: Firefly	p. 223
Still Flying: An Interview with Tim Minera	p. 225
Joss Whedon 101: Serenity	p. 239
A Postcolonial Provocation: Serenity	p. 243
The Death of Utopia: Firefly and the Return to Human Realism in TV Sci-Fi	p. 253
Can't Stop the Serenity: Joss Whedon's Shows and Fan Activism	p. 258
The Ethics of Malcolm Reynolds	p. 261
Heroic Humanism and Humanistic Heroism in Joss Whedon's Shows	p. 264
The Power of Fandom in the Whedonverse	p. 270
Zombies, Reavers, Butchers, and Actuals in Joss Whedon's Work	p. 285
Nathan Fillion Misbehaves All Across the Whedonverse	p. 298
Comics
Joss Whedon 101: Fray	p. 307
Joss Whedon 101: Astonishing X-Men	p. 310
Tom Brokaw's Coat: Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men and the Accessibility of History	p. 313
Joss Whedon 101: Runaways	p. 320
Joss Whedon 101: Angel: After the Fall	p. 324
IDW Retrospect: A Look Back At IDW's Angel with Brain Lynch and Scott Tipton	p. 329
Joss Whedon 101: Sugarshock!	p. 334
Joss Whedon 101: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight	p. 337
Giant Dawn and Mutant Superheroes: Joss Whedon in Comics	p. 341
Joss Whedon 101: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope	p. 352
Chronological Bibliography of Print Comics Written by Joss Whedon	p. 359
Much with the Moral Ambiguity: An Examination of the Fallen Heroes and Redeemed Villains in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight and Angel: After the Fall	p. 361
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Joss Whedon 101: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog	p. 371
The Night Billy Buddy Died: Dr. Horrible's Tragicomic Inversion of Spider-Man	p. 375
"What a Crazy Random Happenstance": Destiny and Free Will in Dr. Horrible	p. 380
Dollhouse
Joss Whedon 101: Dollhouse	p. 389
Identity and Memory in Dollhouse	p. 393
The Dystopian Future in Joss Whedon's Work	p. 398
Buffy and Dollhouse: Visions of Female Empowerment and Disempowerment	p. 401
Dollhouse, Fox Television, and Cultural Fragmentation	p. 407
Fantasy Is Their Business, But It Is Not Their Purpose": The Metaphor of Dollhouse	p. 411
Films
Joss Whedon 101: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (The Movie)	p. 429
Alien Resurrection, the Script That Shaped Joss Whedon's Career	p. 431
Joss Whedon 101: The Cabin in the Woods	p. 440
Joss Whedon 101: The Avengers	p. 443
Six Reasons Why Joss Whedon Is the Perfect Director for The Avengers	p. 447
Appendices
Mapping the Whedonverses: Whedon Studies 1999 and Beyond	p. 457
Buffy the Vampire Stayer Episode List	p. 465
Angel Episode List	p. 470
Firefly Episode List	p. 473
Dollhouse Episode List	p. 474
Author Biographies	p. 477
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