Boom! Studios' Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics have already shown how to reboot the series. Two years ago, there were reports that Joss Whedon and Monica Owusu-Breen were working on a Buffy reboot. The news took fans by surprise, but several key members of the cast - including Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, and Alyson Hannigan - have expressed their support.
There's been no news of the Buffy reboot since 2018, and it's entirely possible plans have changed substantially. Disney, after all, acquired the bulk of Fox's film and TV empire in 2019, and they may not wish to proceed with the reboot. Still, the signs look positive; the House of Mouse clearly understands the value of the Buffy brand, recently sending out an email to Disney+ subscribers asking if they wanted the series added to their streaming service. Disney is hardly reboot-averse, but how could a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer possibly be relaunched like this?
The answer may lie in Boom! Studios' current range of comics. Traditionally, the Buffy comics have continued the story from the TV series, but Boom! took a different approach. They worked with Joss Whedon to create a relaunch set in the present day, and the first wave of comics are essentially retelling Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1. Many readers were initially skeptical, but Boom!'s approach has been a tremendous creative success.
The Boom! comics have successfully imitated the tone and style of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, ensuring readers feel as though they're back with the Scoobies. The cover of the first issue sums up their approach perfectly; it's the same Buffy, wielding Mr. Pointy as ever, but also holding an iPhone in her hand. She's now part of the iPhone generation. It all feels so familiar, so very right.
Writer Jordie Bellaire has actually played off the fact she knows readers will be intimately familiar with her characters and plotlines; she's been able to accelerate some arcs at breakneck speed, most notably for Willow, who has developed her mystical abilities a lot earlier on. Meanwhile, Bellaire has also responded to fan criticisms, increasing the scale of the Master's threat and finding a fascinating new role for Xander. Buffy has always been noted for its basic self-awareness - "Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday." - and Bellaire has proved it's the key to making a reboot work. The comics are currently retelling Buffy's season 1 finale, as a major event called "Hellmouth," and so far it has a stronger sense of overarching narrative than the TV series itself.
Of course, there is one difference between Boom!'s reboot and the one that Disney may well produce. The TV series will require recasting, and that's sure to be extremely controversial. Still, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans are loyal, and endorsements from the original cast may well be enough to calm things down. The Boom! comic proves that a reboot can work, with the right writers and smart creative decisions, and hopefully, this lesson will be proved again on the small screen as well.