New Ways to see Old Friends

Ramble #4: New Ways to see Old Friends

Did it all start with the great Battlestar Galactica reboot or were reimaginings of previous works always a thing? I’m not sure but I certainly enjoyed the new BSG when it was on the air.

Other projects have done the same reboot trick with varying levels of success so I figured I’d take a look at the latest versions of these retellings to cross my attention. The new G.I. Joe comic and Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: Hellmouth series looked interesting and with the original Joes integral to my childhood and the Buffyverse central to later years, I had to give them a quick read to gauge their potential.

So far I’m still interested…

A New Look at the Joes

G.I. Joe #1
Life During Wartime
By Paul Allor and Chris Evenhuis.
Published by IDW Publishing, 2019.

In this issue, Cobra is dominating the world but a small group of Joes looks to keep the dream of freedom alive. This is not your father’s G.I. Joe…it’s gritty, it’s dark, and we’re not gonna see all the Joes get outta this alive. I grew up watching the cartoon back in the day, and this brings me back to those days but I like the updated feel. I’m looking forward to seeing how the team comes back from watching Cobra march across the White House lawn. Give this one a Read and since the second issue came out recently too, I’m gonna pick that up.

The Hellmouth Comes to Sunnydale

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: Hellmouth #1
By Jordie Bellaire, Jeremey Lambert, and Eleonora Carlini.
Published by BOOM! Studios, 2019.

First off, I’ll say that I enjoyed this issue. Having Buffy and Angel back together in a story is bliss but I did have a bit of trouble with the current continuity since I haven’t been reading the solo series so far. They’re in my backlog and I’ve been planning on reading them but now I have even more incentive to catch up.

The bottom line of this issue is that Angel is back in Sunnydale but so is Druscila and she is determined to open the Hellmouth.

We’re fairly early in the rebooted universe so while characters we know and love are just learning about themselves and their abilities I still feel like I should read the solo series to make sure I’ve got everything figured out. The good news on that is there are only 2 graphic novels worth of catching up to do.

This is a nice kickoff to a crossover event, just don’t expect things to be the same as the original Buffyverse. I rate it a Read

It’s a Wrap

So there we are…both reboots are pretty good. G.I. Joe sets itself in a world where the Joes are resistance fighters trying to bring sanity back to a crazy world while Buffy and Angel looks at a less dramatically changed world from what we’re used to but one in which they’re still fighting against the Hellmouth. There are changes to both foundational stories that I find intriguing – Joes are dealing with emotional issues and some of Buffy’s friends have taken on different roles in this telling – and I think each has introduced new elements that will grow their legends. In the end, I’m enjoying the new perspectives and find both contain a lot of potential to become strong entries in the lore of both the Joes and Buffyverse. Give them a try and check back here for reviews of future issues.

Ramble #4 | New Ways to see Old Friends