Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion: The TV Series, the Movies, the Comic Books and More: The Essential Guide to the Whedonverse Book

A Note from the Editor 9

0.01 Introduction: Why Cast a Spotlight on Joss Whedon? Robert Moore 11

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

1.01 Joss Whedon 101: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Robert Moore 25

1.02 "Raise Your Hand If You're Invulnerable!": An Interview with Harry Groener Tanya R. Cochran 29

1.03 "Note to Self, Religion Freaky": When Buffy Met Biblical Studies Ronald Helfrich 37

1.04 You're Strong. I'm Stronger: Vampires, Masculinity & Language in Buffy Malgorzata Drewniok 49

1.05 Failure of the Everyman: The Lost Character That Was Xander Harris Kyle Garret 56

1.06 Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the Fantasy Canon Nathan Pensky 60

1.07 Pedagogy of the Possessed: Teaching and Learning in Buffy Michael Curtis Nelson 69

1.08 The Big Bad Universe: Good and Evil According to Joss Whedon Nandini Ramachandran 75

1.09 Women Who Hate Women: Female Competition in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Faye Murray Holly Golding 83

1.10 Coming Out of the Broom Closet: Willow's Sexuality and Empowerment in 'Buffy Jessica Ford 94

1.11 The Darkness of "Passion": Visuals and Voiceovers, Sound and Shadow Rhonda V. Wilcox 102

1.12 Returning to the Basement: Excavating the Unconscious in Buffy's "Restless" Laura Berger Keri Ferencz 112

1.13 "I'd Very Still": Anthropology of a Lapsed Fan Lily Rothman 126

1.14 Interview with Jane Espenson Dr. Shathley Q 134

1.15 How Buffy Changed Television Robert Moore 140

1.16 TV's Grim Reaper: Why Joss Whedon Continually Kills the Characters We Love Kristin M. Barton 153

Angel

2.01 Joss Whedon 101: Angel Stacey Abbott 161

2.02 Lindsey and Angel: Reflecting Masculinity Lorna Jowett 168

2.03 "The Shell I'm In": Illyria and Monstrous Embodiment Bronwen Calvert 181

2.04 The Three Faces of Anne: Identity Formation in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Don Tresca 191

2.05 "Touch Me and Die, Vermin!": The Psychoanalysis of Illyria Nikki Faith Fuller 199

2.06 Interview with Alexis Denisof Laura Berger 205

2.07 "The Strength and Conviction to Lose So Relentlessly": Heroism in Angel Ian Mathers 213

Firefly and Serenity

3.01 Joss Whedon 101: Firefly Ian Chant 223

3.02 Still Flying: An Interview with Tim Minera Tanya R. Cochran 225

3.03 Joss Whedon 101: Serenity Kristin M. Barton 239

3.04 A Postcolonial Provocation: Serenity Leanne McRae 243

3.05 The Death of Utopia: Firefly and the Return to Human Realism in TV Sci-Fi Chris Colgan 253

3.06 Can't Stop the Serenity: Joss Whedon's Shows and Fan Activism Lisa Anderson 258

3.07 The Ethics of Malcolm Reynolds Mike Bailey 261

3.08 Heroic Humanism and Humanistic Heroism in Joss Whedon's Shows Candace E. West 264

3.09 The Power of Fandom in the Whedonverse Jack Milson 270

3.10 Zombies, Reavers, Butchers, and Actuals in Joss Whedon's Work Gerry Canavan 285

3.11 Nathan Fillion Misbehaves All Across the Whedonverse Lynnette Porter 298

Comics

4.01 Joss Whedon 101: Fray Patrick Shand 307

4.02 Joss Whedon 101: Astonishing X-Men Cesar R. Bustamante, Jr. 310

4.03 Tom Brokaw's Coat: Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men and the Accessibility of History Dr. Shathley Q 313

4.04 Joss Whedon 101: Runaways Kevin Chiat 320

4.05 Joss Whedon 101: Angel: After the Fall Patrick Shand 324

4.06 IDW Retrospect: A Look Back At IDW's Angel with Brain Lynch and Scott Tipton Patrick Shand 329

4.07 Joss Whedon 101: Sugarshock! Jack Milson 334

4.08 Joss Whedon 101: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Nick Bridwell 337

4.09 Giant Dawn and Mutant Superheroes: Joss Whedon in Comics Kevin Chiat 341

4.10 Joss Whedon 101: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope Dr. Shathley Q 352

4.11 Chronological Bibliography of Print Comics Written by Joss Whedon Dr. Shathley Q 359

4.12 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 Patrick Shand 361

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

5.01 Joss Whedon 101: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Lynnette Porter 371

5.02 The Night Billy Buddy Died: Dr. Horrible's Tragicomic Inversion of Spider-Man Kevin M. Brettauer 375

5.03 "What a Crazy Random Happenstance": Destiny and Free Will in Dr. Horrible Cynthea Masson 380

Dollhouse

6.01 Joss Whedon 101: Dollhouse Ian Mathers 389

6.02 Identity and Memory in Dollhouse Ryan Jawetz 393

6.03 The Dystopian Future in Joss Whedon's Work Erin Casey 398

6.04 Buffy and Dollhouse: Visions of Female Empowerment and Disempowerment Angela Zhang 401

6.05 Dollhouse, Fox Television, and Cultural Fragmentation Rana Emerson 407

6.06 Fantasy Is Their Business, But It Is Not Their Purpose": The Metaphor of Dollhouse Don Tresca 411

Films

7.01 Joss Whedon 101: Buffy The Vampire Slayer (The Movie) Laura Berger 429

7.02 Alien Resurrection, the Script That Shaped Joss Whedon's Career Raz Greenberg 431

7.03 Joss Whedon 101: The Cabin in the Woods Christopher Conaton 440

7.04 Joss Whedon 101: The Avengers Kristin M. Barton 443

7.05 Six Reasons Why Joss Whedon Is the Perfect Director for The Avengers Matthew Hurd 447

Appendices

A.01 Mapping the Whedonverses: Whedon Studies 1999 and Beyond Alysa Hornick 457

A.02 Buffy the Vampire Stayer Episode List 465

A.03 Angel Episode List 470

A.04 Firefly Episode List 473

A.05 Dollhouse Episode List 474

A.06 Author Biographies 477