Worried discussion broke out amongst the comics blogosphere last night, after Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans read the latest "Horsepower" column (shown below) in the back of the just-released one-shot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Riley from Dark Horse Comics. In the column, Dark Horse Senior Managing Editor Scott Allie wrote to expect "the return of the Angel series to Dark Horse in late 2011, in tandem with our Buffy Season 9 relaunch".
This is a shock to most Buffy fans, as IDW Publishing has been putting out Angel comics (the ongoing is currently at issue #36) since it acquired the rights in 2005, after Dark Horse stopped publishing the character in 2002. In a bonus for fans, Fables' Bill Willingham was also recently named as the new ongoing writer of the series. In addition, IDW Publishing recently announced an ongoing Spike series. Conversely, in a recent story arc of Buffy Season 8, Angel was revealed to be the mysterious villain that had been plaguing the characters throughout the series. Initially, fans were reassured that the two separate continuities would be kept in line, but instead it seems that Dark Horse has somehow acquired the rights once again.
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IDW's Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall released a brief statement saying, "We'll be addressing this soon, so please bear with us. Thanks, for your patience and your support." Certainly, that's fairly indicative that Dark Horse's announcement is true. Though the Angel series has received much acclaim since its start, how will fans react to the switch over to Dark Horse. More importantly, will that continuity be kept relevant, considering Dark Horse has been home to Buffy since the show was still on the air?
UPDATE: IDW and Dark Horse have released a joint statement, with Allie saying “Dark Horse really regrets that this news was released before a joint statement from both companies was issued. Behind the scenes, we’d been working closely with IDW to ensure that the hand-off went smoothly. It was never our intent to catch ANGEL or IDW readers unaware. We've been working directly with Chris, Mariah and Brian on the interaction and the overlap between the storylines, and we think it's gonna be a lot of fun for everyone.”
IDW Publishing's Editor-in-Chief released this statement: “We’ve loved the half-decade of publishing the exploits of both ANGEL, and the fan support has been truly inspiring and appreciated. The fact that steps are being taken by both companies to tie the books more closely together is something I’ve long wanted to do. This will not only ensure a smooth hand-off back to Dark Horse, it will also give the fans a cohesive storyline and explain some of the lingering questions they might have. While I hate to see Angel go, I know Joss has a vision for where things are headed and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
