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Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion: The TV Series, the Movies, the Comic Books, and More
HE ESSENTIAL UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE WHEDONVERSEJoss 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.Over 40 contributors have been brought together by PopMatters, the acclaimed international magazine of cultural criticism, to provide an irresistible mix of analysis, interpretation and sheer celebration. Whether you’re a student looking for critical approaches to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or a Browncoat who follows Nathan Fillion on Twitter (or, let’s face it, both) there is plenty here to enjoy.Covers all the TV series, movies, and comic books, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Fray, Astonishing X-Men, The Avengers... and more!
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 13, 2012
Prelim Review: This is more of a 3.5 for me, but having following Whedon's career for the last 15 years of my life I knew a lot of what was contained in the book. That being said the interviews, essays by people outside of his Circle of Friends and Associates and writers was certainly intriguing. It was interesting to see how things I took for granted (like Illyria in Angel) could be seen differently or how some people really didn't like some aspects of Buffy.
Full review to be posted at Night Owl Reviews
Full review to be posted at Night Owl Reviews
August 19, 2016
I have mostly stayed away from scholarly writing on Joss Whedon's work, despite being a huge fan of both Whedon and scholarship (double nerd!). I suppose I picked this up thinking that it would be a little more "fanny" than scholarly and to some extent I think that is correct. But ultimately, it was the more serious pieces that I enjoyed the most. A lot of the essays on, for example, Firefly and Dr. Horrible were just about how Whedon's fan base and creative distribution choices have changed the way fictional media is consumed and this was not news to me. I really enjoyed efforts about Buffy, Angel, and Dollhouse that delved into different issues such as religion, social justice, feminism, the mind, etc. In short, things that I might read articles about in the course of my work as both a professional and a human being are here explored through the lens of Whedon's creations. I am an unabashed fan of his work and enjoyed this more than I thought I would despite the fact that it was overall lacking balance and that it could have severely benefited from a bit of basic copyediting.
Update 8-18-16: Read the new essays in the revised edition. Don't think it was worth republishing for the limited amount of new content. Most of it wasn't special. Not sure if it was on the original but noticed for the first time Jane Espenson's blurb on the back. That was worth getting the book for!
Update 8-18-16: Read the new essays in the revised edition. Don't think it was worth republishing for the limited amount of new content. Most of it wasn't special. Not sure if it was on the original but noticed for the first time Jane Espenson's blurb on the back. That was worth getting the book for!
October 9, 2019
For years, nerds have worshiped at the altar of one Joss Whedon. Known for witty dialogue and impressive character development, the man personified the underdog after having his cult show Firefly cancelled by Fox. He created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, and co-wrote Cabin in the Woods which was only just released. He also directed and co-wrote that little indie flick The Avengers that broke a few records. It's no wonder that his work has caught the attention of geeks around the world, myself included. What I didn't realize was just how much his work was studied. When I say "studied," I don't mean a few people talking about it on a forum. I'm talking thesis papers and people with doctorates writing essays about things like feminism, the exploration of self, and Bible studies. Yeah, I didn't get that last one either, but all those and more are included in Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion from Titan Books.
You can read James' full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read James' full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
March 3, 2021
I'm a Joss Whedon fan for sure. My favorite show of all time is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and one of my top 5 musicals is Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog. I also love Firefly and Serenity. Not such a big fan of Dollhouse. Ordinarily, I don't read books about the opinions of others regarding the creative works of notable artists, but this book was lovingly given to me by Lexy Webb and she too is a fan. So, should you read this? Well, there are some actual interviews with Joss in this book, but they are far and few between. There is entirely too much intellectual masturbation by authors who attempt to analyze creative works without actually talking to the creator. I don't understand that. If you want to know what a director or writer intended, why not actually ask the director or author? Dirty Harry said that "opinions are like assholes - everybody has one." So what? I'd rather have a sit-down with Joss and ask him questions. Thank you, Lexy. Now, go watch Buffy!
April 3, 2018
This is a terrific collection of essays regarding the Whedonverse. As a longtime fan, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the many musing about, in particular Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible. To be fair, some essays were incredibly pretentious… but most were insightful, informative and lovingly written. My most favourite was ‘The Darkness of Passions’. An exploration of the visuals, voiceovers, sounds and shadows from that episode from the Buffy series. The section on Comics, while interesting, was not really my cup of tea, although I did like learning about ‘Fray’. Of course there was also a section regarding his movies, not least of all the (at the time) upcoming Avengers film. This volume is clearly for fans of Joss and only fans of Joss. Now, I am off to revisit Dollhouse…
May 7, 2021
Published in 2012, This book is a series of articles essays, interviews, and analyses of all Joss Whedon’s work till that point. As a fan of most of his work- many of the essays were very good and made me want to go back and rewatch a bunch of TV -Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse (my favorites). A few essays were a bit too intellectual and philosophical for me so I skimmed them. And I skipped the comic section since I haven’t read most of them.
It is a bit jarring to read someone praising Joss as a feminist given recent events and revelations in 2017 and 2021 about his emotional cruelty towards his ex-wife and several female actors. But most of the book sticks to analyzing his work on its own merits and so is an enjoyable read.
It is a bit jarring to read someone praising Joss as a feminist given recent events and revelations in 2017 and 2021 about his emotional cruelty towards his ex-wife and several female actors. But most of the book sticks to analyzing his work on its own merits and so is an enjoyable read.
September 16, 2017
Joss Whedon: the Complete Companion is a collection of scholarly essays with a few entertainment magazine interviews thrown in for good measure. The well-written essays are a joy to read--insightful, deep, and thought-provoking. The bad essays made me roll my eyes so far back into my head, I could see brain. Unfortunately, those bad essays brought down the overall quality of the book.
The best part was that it was a gift from my son for Mother's Day. Every time I picked it up, I readied myself for a good read and most of the time I was not disappointed.
The best part was that it was a gift from my son for Mother's Day. Every time I picked it up, I readied myself for a good read and most of the time I was not disappointed.
June 13, 2018
It's exactly what the title says it is and done well at that. This book is made up of articles and analysis of Whedon's work -I really only read the parts on Buffy (a good chunk of the book), but thought it was worth the read if you consider yourself part of the Whedonverse. I'll eventually get around to reading the rest. It's a pretty dense book.
February 16, 2020
Set Read
Be aware, this book reads like a textbook. I would love to take the class, but it is still tough to read without taking the time to digest as you go along.I fear, however, that this feeds into the delve until you find something that isn't there we see too much of today. Interesting, none the less.
Be aware, this book reads like a textbook. I would love to take the class, but it is still tough to read without taking the time to digest as you go along.I fear, however, that this feeds into the delve until you find something that isn't there we see too much of today. Interesting, none the less.
December 13, 2017
Bailed after the first 70-80 pages. Reminded me why I eventually fled the academic world. Poorly written extrapolations on mostly uninteresting topics from the, erg, "Whedonverse."
I like Joss Whedon.
I didn't like this book.
I like Joss Whedon.
I didn't like this book.
September 11, 2018
Too academic for me in some sections but I enjoyed interviews and many of the detailed articles analyzing Josh Whedon’s many films.
October 3, 2023
I only read the section about Firefly and it was pretty disappointing. Repetitive and not much I didn’t already know.
May 15, 2025
I found the interesting insights in to how Whedon thinks to be the best of this compendium.
May 3, 2012
(Review originally posted on my blog.)
As you might guess from that mouthful of a title, Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion spans the creator’s biggest productions and a number of smaller topics, such as his foray into comic books and his (returning) screenwriting days. It’s also a mammoth book. A good whack with this thing will knock a vampire right out.
Anyone who plucks down $18.95 or less will be getting exactly what they pay for: a whole lot of Joss Whedon, presented as a series of essays … after essay … after essay. The Complete Companion isn’t serious, dry-as-sand academic writing, but it is formatted that way, and that sensibility shows in some pieces more than others. You’ll likely fluctuate from bored to fascinated with each new read. Whatever your interest level or preference of writing (occasionally you’ll encounter an essay that’s bogged down with verbose and weighty language), the book caters to a variety of tastes and topics.
The Complete Companion covers it all: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Serenity, the comics (including ones you might not have read), Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse, and finally Whedon’s films (counting those that came before he was famous). It’s a lot of reading, but even seasoned fans will learn some new insight or secret from behind the scenes.
But be warned: This book is laden with spoilers. If there’s absolutely anything you haven’t seen to completion but plan to, skip the entire section and return to it later. The editor didn’t censor the plentiful essays, so there’s no avoiding discussion of crucial scenes, characters, and plot points.
Luckily for me, I’ve already exposed myself to most of Whedon’s work, so I could handle the contents. Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion is a deeper look at the world of Whedon, but for the fan, it’s strictly post-show and movie-watching/comics-reading material.
As you might guess from that mouthful of a title, Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion spans the creator’s biggest productions and a number of smaller topics, such as his foray into comic books and his (returning) screenwriting days. It’s also a mammoth book. A good whack with this thing will knock a vampire right out.
Anyone who plucks down $18.95 or less will be getting exactly what they pay for: a whole lot of Joss Whedon, presented as a series of essays … after essay … after essay. The Complete Companion isn’t serious, dry-as-sand academic writing, but it is formatted that way, and that sensibility shows in some pieces more than others. You’ll likely fluctuate from bored to fascinated with each new read. Whatever your interest level or preference of writing (occasionally you’ll encounter an essay that’s bogged down with verbose and weighty language), the book caters to a variety of tastes and topics.
The Complete Companion covers it all: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly and Serenity, the comics (including ones you might not have read), Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse, and finally Whedon’s films (counting those that came before he was famous). It’s a lot of reading, but even seasoned fans will learn some new insight or secret from behind the scenes.
But be warned: This book is laden with spoilers. If there’s absolutely anything you haven’t seen to completion but plan to, skip the entire section and return to it later. The editor didn’t censor the plentiful essays, so there’s no avoiding discussion of crucial scenes, characters, and plot points.
Luckily for me, I’ve already exposed myself to most of Whedon’s work, so I could handle the contents. Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion is a deeper look at the world of Whedon, but for the fan, it’s strictly post-show and movie-watching/comics-reading material.
January 31, 2016
Whedon is my master, recitava la maglietta che Patrick Rothfuss indossava nella foto usata per il suo primo libro, Il nome del vento.
E bene o male è un motto che si può dire vero per molti di noi, cresciuti con il privilegio di poter godere delle creazioni di questa persona.
Joss Whedon.
Che per molti significa automaticamente Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ma che è anche l'assoluta fedeltà a Firefly, la critica feroce di Dollhouse, il suo essere innanzi tutto un fan come noi, fatto che lo ha condotto a sceneggiare gli Astonishing X-Men e i Runaways, ma anche a dirigere i Vendicatori al cinema.
E come scordare che Buffy è poi proseguita sui fumetti diretti ancora da lui, così come la serie spin-off su Angel, o che durante il famoso sciopero degli sceneggiatori ha creato quella perla assoluta che è il Dr. Horrible's sing-along blog?
Con tutto ciò, molte cose non le sapevo.
Non si parla di particolarità del casting o di easter eggs, ma dei messaggi veicolati, della tecnica, dell'importanza di queste serie e delle loro ripercussioni.
Il tutto ovviamente partendo dalla serie più importante di tutte, Buffy.
Che non sapevo fosse la serie più studiata della storia della televisione, né di quanto abbia significato per le serie televisive.
Si parla di Angel, anche se avendo io per ora visto solo la prima stagione di quella serie, ho evitato i saggi che trattavano più nel dettaglio gli sviluppi successivi.
Ampio risalto alla sfortunata ma splendida Firefly, e all'incompresa Dollhouse (non nascondo che, vedendola mentre usciva, mi ero perso i sottostrati di denuncia della società moderna e dell'ambiente delle emittenti televisive che si nascondevano dietro la storia), poi ovviamente riflettori puntati sul blog, sui film (all'epoca stavano per uscire i Vendicatori e The Cabin in the wood, quindi restavano il vecchio film di Buffy e lo script di Alien 4), sui fumetti.
Saggi tendenzialmente piacevoli, a volte molto interessanti e a volte molto meno, ma dipende dall'interesse personale verso i singoli aspetti del lavoro di Whedon evidenziati nei vari contributi.
E bene o male è un motto che si può dire vero per molti di noi, cresciuti con il privilegio di poter godere delle creazioni di questa persona.
Joss Whedon.
Che per molti significa automaticamente Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ma che è anche l'assoluta fedeltà a Firefly, la critica feroce di Dollhouse, il suo essere innanzi tutto un fan come noi, fatto che lo ha condotto a sceneggiare gli Astonishing X-Men e i Runaways, ma anche a dirigere i Vendicatori al cinema.
E come scordare che Buffy è poi proseguita sui fumetti diretti ancora da lui, così come la serie spin-off su Angel, o che durante il famoso sciopero degli sceneggiatori ha creato quella perla assoluta che è il Dr. Horrible's sing-along blog?
Con tutto ciò, molte cose non le sapevo.
Non si parla di particolarità del casting o di easter eggs, ma dei messaggi veicolati, della tecnica, dell'importanza di queste serie e delle loro ripercussioni.
Il tutto ovviamente partendo dalla serie più importante di tutte, Buffy.
Che non sapevo fosse la serie più studiata della storia della televisione, né di quanto abbia significato per le serie televisive.
Si parla di Angel, anche se avendo io per ora visto solo la prima stagione di quella serie, ho evitato i saggi che trattavano più nel dettaglio gli sviluppi successivi.
Ampio risalto alla sfortunata ma splendida Firefly, e all'incompresa Dollhouse (non nascondo che, vedendola mentre usciva, mi ero perso i sottostrati di denuncia della società moderna e dell'ambiente delle emittenti televisive che si nascondevano dietro la storia), poi ovviamente riflettori puntati sul blog, sui film (all'epoca stavano per uscire i Vendicatori e The Cabin in the wood, quindi restavano il vecchio film di Buffy e lo script di Alien 4), sui fumetti.
Saggi tendenzialmente piacevoli, a volte molto interessanti e a volte molto meno, ma dipende dall'interesse personale verso i singoli aspetti del lavoro di Whedon evidenziati nei vari contributi.
June 3, 2012
While it is "complete", in that it covers every TV show, the movies and the comics, the book is largely a rehash of essays from other sources.
Though I think the bigger bleh is maybe to do with the reader. The further away I am from my grad school days, the less I care to read academic analysis of pop culture. Some of the essays give different readings on Joss' work (whether the stories are feminist, Xander's symbolism, what the Reavers are...), but the essays that are more interesting are the ones that would probably be termed "fanfic". Unabashed love for the topic of writing and a retelling of stories that I know intimately. I think that's why I get such a kick out of stuff like "Mark Reads".
There's a few articles speculating on what Joss'll do with Avengers, and we all know how that went.
This might be a good read if you haven't read much of the analysis and research that follows Joss wherever he goes. But get it from the library.
Though I think the bigger bleh is maybe to do with the reader. The further away I am from my grad school days, the less I care to read academic analysis of pop culture. Some of the essays give different readings on Joss' work (whether the stories are feminist, Xander's symbolism, what the Reavers are...), but the essays that are more interesting are the ones that would probably be termed "fanfic". Unabashed love for the topic of writing and a retelling of stories that I know intimately. I think that's why I get such a kick out of stuff like "Mark Reads".
There's a few articles speculating on what Joss'll do with Avengers, and we all know how that went.
This might be a good read if you haven't read much of the analysis and research that follows Joss wherever he goes. But get it from the library.
December 5, 2012
I didn't get a lot out of this collection, although I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was as into Whedon's comic book writing as I was his tv series and movies. If you do like his comic book work, this collection provides a previously-lacking (that I'm aware of) review of that aspect of his career -- but I simply flipped past.
That said, I was not particularly impressed by the essays on his television and film work. They lacked the insight of many of the other collections. Because this was published to coincide with the release of The Cabin in the Woods and Avengers, there are brief, speculative essays concerning them, but nothing of real interest.
If you need *everything* published about Joss and his works, you'll want this. Otherwise, I'd say you're better off going to the speciality collections focused on the specific works or overarching themes.
If I hadn't bought this as an e-book, I'd be trading it in at the used book store.
That said, I was not particularly impressed by the essays on his television and film work. They lacked the insight of many of the other collections. Because this was published to coincide with the release of The Cabin in the Woods and Avengers, there are brief, speculative essays concerning them, but nothing of real interest.
If you need *everything* published about Joss and his works, you'll want this. Otherwise, I'd say you're better off going to the speciality collections focused on the specific works or overarching themes.
If I hadn't bought this as an e-book, I'd be trading it in at the used book store.
August 13, 2012
Grabbed this off the New Arrivals shelf duirng my weekly trip to the library on Saturday and dove in, puting aside the other books in process. Nice collection of articles on the entire Whedonverse. I sometimes find the academic examination of popular culture tiresome but most of these articles were both well grounded in the academic theory they were approaching the topic from (psychology, philosophy and linguistics to name a few)and were also clearly written by people who enjoyed the entertainment value of the show or movie examined. Even the more obvious discussions (Whedon's feminisim, the contrasts between Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds)were well written enough to be worth the reading. Probably only for a serious fan of all things Whedonesque but a fun way for such a person (like me!) to spend the weekend.
March 27, 2016
This book is interesting, if rather varied in quality and enjoyment (from my perspective). On the one hand, it presents a very different lens with which to view a lot of my favorite cultural work. It presents a series of essays that start with the assumption that pop culture is not just consumable, but worth reflecting on, and thinking about deeply. This is not a premise that a lot of folks have, and I appreciate it when people take the time to do this kind of thinking.
On the other hand, many of the essays themselves are unpalatable to me. Sometimes this is because I think they're drawing spurious conclusions. Sometimes it's because I don't have the academic background to understand the critical frameworks being used to interpret the work.
Still, there are things to consider, and it's an interesting read.
On the other hand, many of the essays themselves are unpalatable to me. Sometimes this is because I think they're drawing spurious conclusions. Sometimes it's because I don't have the academic background to understand the critical frameworks being used to interpret the work.
Still, there are things to consider, and it's an interesting read.
May 26, 2012
An essay compilation touching on topics across the Joss Whedon oeuvre. About half of the essays were quite engaging, but the other half were either wikipedia style summaries of shows and movies or poorly written, fairly incoherent essays. The book would have been better served by harsher editing, parrying the essays down to the choicest ones. Perhaps I shouldn't have expected to be able to read it straight through.
The Angel and Dollhouse essays were the most engaging. The Buffy essays felt quite repetitive in their topics, and the Firefly essays just didn't seem to have enough source material to work from.
The Angel and Dollhouse essays were the most engaging. The Buffy essays felt quite repetitive in their topics, and the Firefly essays just didn't seem to have enough source material to work from.
July 27, 2013
What's really nice about his compilation is that at the beginning of each section (one for Buffy, one for Angel, one for Firefly, etc.) there's a nice overview of each show, comic, movie that also provides a context for the importance of the piece. The book contains interviews with key players as well as some pretty good academic essays. I'm only going to end up using three or four of them for my Whedon class, but it was still worth a read.
August 17, 2014
IF you are a Whedon fan, this book is so much fun! It's a great read to pick up and read a new essay whenever you have some spare time. You can also easily skip sections that don't interest you (for me the Comics chapters). Smart, insightful, light-hearted at times and very informative. I have gained all sorts of perspective on the Whedonverse and will certainly cast fresh eyes on much of his work as I watch it again and again. The only flaw? Not enough time spent on Angel.
September 4, 2014
It was interesting and a good read. If I had to complain about something, it would be the injustice towards Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. Only three essays!? Madness! Not to mention one of them had an incorrect statement. (Not really a big deal, but something that slightly annoys me all the same.)
May 29, 2016
The book is a nice mix of general introductions, academic papers and more mainstream magazine pieces. It was nice to get filled in on the seasons of Buffy I never got around to watching and to learn about Whedon's comics. I particularly enjoyed the section about Dollhouse, including an article that looks at the show as an allegory for television production.
November 25, 2012
This companion/compilation aspires to great things, but really does fall short. I began reading it hoping to find a good balance of loving, fan-made articles and more critical analysis of Whedon's work and was disappointed in both regards. It lacked the insight and depth that I had hoped for, and so I'll be researching other analyses of Whedon's work that might slake the thirst.
March 7, 2013
I adore Joss Whedon and already own a few books about his series. This one was written just before Cabin in the Woods and Avengers came out so I wish there was more on those. I do recommend the book however if you haven't read/watched everything by Joss Whedon I would be wary since there are spoilers galore, even in other sections.
September 12, 2015
I chose not to review this in a typical review fashion. Instead I am posting "Best of..." posts to correspond to the shows I watched.
For "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" visit: http://tsukibooks.blogspot.com/2013/0...
For "Angel" visit: http://tsukibooks.blogspot.com/2013/0...
For "Dollhouse" visit: Under Contruction
For "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" visit: http://tsukibooks.blogspot.com/2013/0...
For "Angel" visit: http://tsukibooks.blogspot.com/2013/0...
For "Dollhouse" visit: Under Contruction
April 29, 2013
This book is a collection of essays about the writings of Joss Whedon, so don't go into it expecting anything else.
I have not seen/read all of Joss's work, and I'm a little sad it came out prior to Avengers so we couldn't get some good thoughts on that, but the sections on Dollhouse alone I thought worth getting the book.
I have not seen/read all of Joss's work, and I'm a little sad it came out prior to Avengers so we couldn't get some good thoughts on that, but the sections on Dollhouse alone I thought worth getting the book.
May 18, 2013
If you love Joss Whedon as much as I do - as in, a lot - you would be happy to read 400+ pages of scholarly papers examining his work.
Some of the papers aren't as good as others (Dr Shandley Q I'm looking at you).
Overall, it's a great book examining Whedon's work. In reading about the shows, it almost feels like re-watching them at warp speed.
Some of the papers aren't as good as others (Dr Shandley Q I'm looking at you).
Overall, it's a great book examining Whedon's work. In reading about the shows, it almost feels like re-watching them at warp speed.
April 7, 2015
I got this on Christmas Day immediately after un-boxing the Buffy Series Box Set. I got through the material pretty quickly, skipping over the stuff I had not seen. All in all, it is a fun little collection of essays that make you feel like a really intelligent scholar while watching River cut a guy in half in Serenity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews