Headphones and Notebooks

Reboots seem to be par for the course now. Huge franchises like Batman , Ghostbusters , and MacGyver , as well as less familiar ones such as Poldark and One Day at a Time have been rebooted in recent years. We’re being introduced to familiar characters played by new actors seemingly every few months. The biggest question that’s been asked about these reboots is ‘are they necessary?’. Do we need yet another Batman ? Should we not be looking to create new stories rather than recycle old ones? And often when these reboots are announced, it can divide fans. Some are excited to see a reboot with a new- and often more diverse- cast, while others are frustrated that franchises are being rebooted even with their previous incarnation still somewhat stands the test of time. But of course, not all reboots are inherently bad. You only have to look to Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events to see what potential can be unlocked when rebooting a franchise. But on the flip side, we have

Angel issue three was a long time coming for me, not just because I was eager to see the new version of Winifred Burkle, but also because the issue was late being sent out for me. The issue follows immediately on from issue two, which is something I’m relieved about. I admittedly was a little concerned we’d jump forward in time and we’d miss the initial meeting between Fred and Angel, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. I’m also relieved to see that they seem to have built in a work-around for Fred’s mental problems- it seems that if Angel is successful in the mission he goes on at the end of the issue, it will also fix Fred. While I’m not a hundred percent certain they should just be able to magic Fred’s problems away- at least the series had her working through her problems in some way- it does clear up my concerns that they would drag the story out. Angel taking Fred to L.A begs the question of how old she actually is- I had assumed that she was roughly the Scoobies’ age

Issue seven of the rebooted Buffy comics throws us straight into the action. The Willow-centric issue actually picks up after they have successfully soul-tied her and Xander, leaving us to see the after-effects of the spell rather than the spell itself. While Xander is apparently mostly alright with what’s happened, Willow is clearly struggling, and it is that idea that Bellaire runs with. What I particularly enjoyed about this issue was that I got quite a few The Wish vibes from it. While it isn’t quite the same concept as the episode, the issue does look at the idea of Xander actually having been fully turned, as well as a dark version of Willow. Trapped in a nightmare- thankfully without being forced to sing in front of a crowd- Willow is left to navigate the dream world while trying to untangle just what this means in regards to which half of her soul she has kept. The dark Willow of this nightmare world suggests that Willow has lost her dark side to Xander. Is it, then

Everyone hates when someone ruins the ending of a television show, book, or film. It’s frustrating. It’s infuriating. And it’s getting even harder to avoid with the rise of social media. Even if you don’t follow social media accounts for the books, films, and television shows you love, a huge plot twist attracts media attention and you may end up accidentally seeing it in your feed. But with recent news that big companies such as Marvel go to extremes to avoid spoilers leaking- including making actors supposedly act against green screens rather than co-workers, giving out dummy scripts, and more- is it all getting out of hand? As a writer, I understand the desire to keep major plot points- including plot twists and endings- from the audience. You want your writing to have the biggest impact possible, and people knowing about it in advance will diminish that. It makes sense to put certain measures in place to avoid that outcome, particularly with social media being involved. O