Buffy The Vampire Slayer in “Amazing Fantasy” by Matt Duarte
This page is separated in eight different panels, and it would probably work best if you imagine it being drawn by someone like Steve Ditko or Marcos Martin. You’ll see why.
Panel 1
Description: Buffy Summers is in Sunnydale High. She is wearing glasses and carrying a whole lot of books. Behind her, a group of cheerleaders look in her direction, with smirks on their face.
CAPTION: Welcome, True Believers, to another frazzling and dazzling tale presented the Mighty Marvel Way! Join the big corridors of Sunnydale High, where we are about to witness the birth of an awesome heroine for the new generation. Boring and banal she might seem, but a great future awaits Buffy Summers!
BUFFY (thought): The cheerleaders keep making fun of me, but is it really that strange that a teenager like myself would want to go a science museum instead of the big football game?
Panel 2
Description: Buffy is now inside a museum. There is a display of a giant piece of wood, and a big industrial machine pointing at it.
CAPTION: And so, once the final bell of Sunnydale rang, our heroine Buffy left school and headed over to the Science Museum, where humanity pushes the boundary of reality and science fiction with incredible experiments!
BUFFY (thought): These radioactivity experiments are incredibly interesting! Why would anyone go to a football game instead?
Panel 3
Description: The display from the previous panel has now exploded, right in front of Buffy’s face. There is a huge piece of wood, in the shape of a stake, that is sticking in one of her arms.
CAPTION: But alas, there are dangers with experimentation, and the scientists did not think that the radioactive wood would react in such a way. The destiny of Buffy Summers is thus changed!
BUFFY (thought): Oh no, I have been hit by this piece of radioactive wood!
Panel 4
Description: Buffy is now in a hospital bed, surrounded by her mother Joyce and her father Hank, who look worried.
CAPTION: Luckily for the star of this tale, the wound proved to be far from fatal! Buffy’s speedy recovery surprised everyone, from the medical staff, to her parents!
BUFFY (thought): The doctors can’t explain how I survived the explosion. They even let me kept the “stake” that went through my hand as a memento!
Panel 5
Description: Buffy is now standing in her room, which is full of books and posters. She is still carrying her stake. Around the room, there are several mosquitoes flying around.
CAPTION: Little did Buffy know that the stake she was now carrying had embedded her with astonishing radioactive powers! Watch, as our heroine discovers the full extent of her new talents!
BUFFY (thought): It’s good to be back home, luckily I didn’t miss too many days from school...Ugh, these mosquitoes are really frustrating me!
Panel 6
Description: Buffy is swinging her stake around, hitting several of the mosquitoes around her.
CAPTION: And so, with uncanny speed worthy of Hermes himself, Buffy was able to quickly dispatch of the annoying blood suckers that surrounded her!
BUFFY (thought): Amazing! I can now move incredibly fast and I was able to kill those mosquitoes with ease.
Panel 7
Description: Buffy is now doing cartwheels around her room.
CAPTION: Buffy’s awesome powers extended far beyond that, as she soon found out! The radioactive accident granted her with heightened agility, and the strength of a linebacker. Immediately, she knew what she wanted to do with them!
BUFFY (though): Finally, I will be able to join the Cheerleader squad, and they will accept me into their group!
Panel 8
Description: This panel is just text.
CAPTION: Buffy has just discovered her astounding powers, but she has yet to learn a very important lesson about them: with great slaying power, comes great slaying responsibility! Come back in thirty days, True Believers, to find out how Buffy Summers will face the trials and tribulations that await her both at Sunnydale High and at her own home! If you only buy one book next month, be sure it is this one!
‘Nuff Said!
Love it! Made me feel all nostaglic and stuff. Well done.
ReplyDeleteyour silver age scripting sensibilities are pretty damn good, and your stan-the-man narration.... whuff, so good!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to think of criticisms, but every bit of over-narration or overlong thought is 100% how comics were made back then. Nice
Good to know that my writing would have fit right in in 1963, haha.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I forgot to mention in the post, but I have never watched an episode of Buffy in my life. Wikipedia saved my ass on this one.
*In the style of a football chant* "Are you Stan Lee in disguise? Are you Stan Lee in disguise?"
ReplyDeleteBrilliant :D
May I be the lone voice of dissent and say that I didn't think you quite captured Stan, Matt, though it's a tricky voice to get right.
ReplyDeleteThat said, being that Amazing Fantasy #15 pretty much defined my comic book reading experience, I found this pastiche/homage to be heaps of fun. Bet Joss Whedon would appreciate it too.