By Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion: The TV Series, The Movies, The Comic Books, and More should be on sale as all of you read this. Unlike some of the other books we’ve covered, this book serves as an anthology of some of the best critical essays on everything in the Whedonverse from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to early reactions to Whedon’s hiring as the director of this week’s The Avengers.
For those unfamiliar with Joss Whedon or any of his works, this book might not be the best place to start. Much like any works of fiction, Whedon projects are the type that you have to actually watch and experience to truly understand all of the nuances he’s crafted into every work of his. However, for diehard Whedonites, this is the perfect collection of essays and analyses. Seriously, there are almost 60 essays collected in this book. English/Film/Media Studies majors, take note: If you’re planning on writing a paper on anything related to Joss Whedon, this is the book you want.
As a Media Studies-concentrated English major myself, I loved the sheer number of critical essays that were in this book. It almost made me switch my final paper thesis to incorporate Firefly, but that’s another story in and of itself. Contributions range from academic critical essays to fan reviews and everything between. If you consider yourself a Whedonite, or have barely touched upon the Whedonverse, Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion just might be the resource needed to help get your head wrapped around the levels in which Whedon operates.