Date: August 2003
Price: £2.95
Page Count: 52
Editor: Martin Eden
Stake Out
With last issue’s confirmation that Angel would be entering its fifth season in the fall, this month we were treated to our first news about the stories we would be seeing – especially now that Angel and company would be running Wolfram & Hart. The news section would continue, albeit as more of a way of keeping up to date with the cast as they moved onto other projects.
But fans who may have breathed a big sigh of relief when Angel was renewed, were soon learning that there would soon be some huge differences.
We knew James Marsters was joining the cast thanks to the WB’s big headline news – as Spike was dying on Buffy on the UPN, the WB seemingly decided to sabotage its own fanbase by ruining Spike’s return from the dead before he’d even died on Buffy!
Spike’s arrival was welcome news, but the rest wasn’t so brilliant. Charisma Carpenter would not be returning as Cordelia, Vincent Kartheiser had been written out at the end of season four, and Stephanie Romanov wouldn’t return as Lilah either! There would be one welcome face however, someone who’d been around longer than most… After almost two years away from either show, long-time guest Mercedes McNab would soon be back as Harmony – and far more than we’d ever seen her before!
Farewell to the Hellmouth by John Stokes
This interview was conducted long before the later controversies surrounding Whedon came to light. We’re including it here for archival completeness and for its insight into the creative process behind Buffy. Readers are encouraged to engage with it through their own lens and experiences.
Northern Highlights by Darryl Curtis
In May 2003, Starfury Events put on their most ambitious convention to date: a spectacular three-day celebration for fans of Angel…
That’s A Wrap! by Abbie Bernstein, with photography by Albert L. Ortega
All good things must come to an end! Sadly, Buffy finished filming in April, but then one other good thing started up! Buffy Magazine was on top of the guest list (er, almost) to chat to the attendees at the final Wrap Party!
Slayer Essentials by Tom Root
You call yourself a Buffy fan? Not yet, you’re not! Until you’ve got your hands on the Buffy paraphernalia on this checklist, you’re strictly a Potential fan! Tom Root trawls through his collection…
Comic
Titled Notes of the Underground (Part 5), with material from Buffy the Vampire Slayer #49.
Poster
A celebratory poster, celebrating 50 issues of the magazine, with every cover in the background.
The Watcher's Guide 