Dr. Horrible fans called. Joss Whedon answered…kinda
It’s not the sequel we’ve been hoping for, but it’s the sequel we’re going to get. For now.
Fans of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog have had the dream of a follow-up tumbling around in their heads almost since the release of the original. To be fair, a sequel to this internet sensation makes complete sense given its popularity and acclaim. The original scored a spot at #15 on Time magazine’s top 50 inventions of 2008. The soundtrack album hit the Top 40 list. It took home a Streamy Award, a Hugo Award, and a People’s Choice Award, not to mention an Emmy for short-format live-action entertainment. Plus, it brought in more money for Whedon than The Avengers did (the first one anyway). And yet, despite already having a title and music written, true plans for Part 2 haven’t seen the light of day.
I can’t imagine Joss being the type to lose himself in maniacal laughter at the thought of his fans suffering from severe lack of horribleness, so why hasn’t it happened? Well, in short, everyone got really busy. How very LA, right? But it does happen, especially when you consider the original was put together during the Writer’s Guild of America Strike in 2007-2008. Everyone had a lot more time on their hands thanks to not being able to work on anything but passion projects. So unless things slow way down for the team behind the original, we won’t be seeing live action characters carrying out a storyline anytime soon. Has anyone seen my freeze ray?…
Anyway, here’s where the good new comes thanks to Dark Horse…Dark Horse…Dark Horse…Dark Horse! (sung to the tune of the Bad Horse theme song, yeah obvious I know, but COME ON.) Okay, okay. Dark Horse Comics is publishing a one shot comic titled Dr. Horrible: Best Friends Forever. The story will center around Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer joining forces (huh?) to save Hourglass, also known as a “time temptress.” The comic even teases us with the return of Penny…as dream sequence. *shakes fist* Check out the cover art while I cry in the corner.
What a pleasure it is to be back in this world, putting words into these characters’ mouths and saying, ‘say these words, mouths’ and then they do. Each member of the Hammerverse—sorry, Doc, that’s what it’s called, he registered it—is a delightful, bigger than life character, but more importantly, on a very human level, they’re idiots. You will thrill to their adventures and weep for their pain, or maybe not weep, maybe just, I don’t know, itchy nose. Based on Actual Events. – Joss Whedon
The comic is set to hit stores hard like the Captain’s… hammer on November 14th. The original Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is available to watch online, on DVD, and Blu-ray.
