Doppelgangbang

The subject of this article is non-canonical. While created as part of licensed material, it has not been confirmed as part of the "real" Buffyverse continuity.

Doppelgangbang is the fourth and final issue of the Spike: Shadow Puppets comic book miniseries. Written by Brian Lynch and illustrated by Franco Urru, it was originally published on October 3, 2007 by IDW Publishing.

SynopsisEdit

He's been kicked, beaten, stabbed, blown up, and worst of all, turned into a puppet. Now Spike has to battle Smile Time for the fate of every child in Japan! But Smile Time has one more trick up their adorable, murderous felt-covered sleeves — puppet versions of ALL of Spike's friends and foes! It's a battle royale, puppet-style, courtesy of the Spike: Asylum team of Brian Lynch and Franco Urru! David Messina provides a variant cover, and Sean Galloway offers up a puppet-laden incentive cover, too!^[1]

ContinuityEdit

• The story takes place after the Spike's stay in the Mosaic Wellness Center (Spike: Asylum), but before the fall of Los Angeles ("Not Fade Away").
• "Smarter Gunn" says Spike doesn't recognize "Street Smart Gunn" before, in reference to Spike only meeting Gunn after his legal upgrade ("Conviction").
• Wesley's puppet copies appears as "Classic Wesley" ("Bad Girls"), "Spoiler Wesley" ("Sleep Tight") and "New Wesley" ("Spin the Bottle").
• Spike questions Cordelia and Connor being in his files, as he "hardly knew them." Spike has only interacted with Cordy in "In the Dark" and "You're Welcome"; and with Connor in "Origin".
• The Fred/Illyria puppet mentions having her insides liquefied, which happened in "A Hole in the World".

AppearancesEdit

IndividualsEdit

• Angelus (Only as a puppet copy)
• Beck
• Winifred Burkle (Only as a puppet copy)
• Betta George
• Charlie (Only mentioned)
• Cordelia Chase (Only as a puppet copy)
• Connor (Only as a puppet copy)
• Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan
• Drusilla (Only as a puppet copy)
• Charles Gunn (Only as puppet copies)
• Jin Hansu (Only as a puppet copy)
• Illyria (Only as a puppet copy)
• Konikoff
• Oxley Lhurg
• Master (Only mentioned)
• Ratio Hornblower
• Mr. Shinobu (Only mentioned)
• Mrs. Shinobu
• Tok Shinobu
• Spike
• Buffy Summers (Only mentioned)
• Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Only as puppet copies)
• Tok Shinobu's sister

Organizations and titlesEdit

• Angel Investigations (Only as puppet copies)
• Dicky Duck
• Footmen
• Gentlemen
• Smile Time
• Team Spike

SpeciesEdit

• Demon
  • Puppet demon
• Human
• Vampire

LocationsEdit

• Los Angeles, USA
  • Spike's secret apartment
• Matsumoto, Japan (Only in flashbacks)
  • Shinobu residence (Only in flashbacks)
• Primm, USA (Only mentioned)
  • Mosaic Wellness Center (Only mentioned)
• Tokyo, Japan
  • Tokyo University Park

Weapons and objectsEdit

• Nest Egg
• Official Smile Time Cannon
• Soul (Only mentioned)

Behind the scenesEdit

ProductionEdit

• The title is a reference to "Doppelgängland", as the four issues of the miniseries have puns on Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.
• David Messina's cover features Franco Urru's cover for Asylum, Part One as a poster in the background.
• The "lonely adult male" accesses the website of IDW Publishing, with his likeness based on series creator Joss Whedon.

DistributionEdit

• Doppelgangbang was the 223rd best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 6,980 sales in October 2007 at comic specialty stores.^[2]

CollectionsEdit

• Shadow Puppets
• Smile Time
• Spike Omnibus

Pop culture referencesEdit

• Lorne sings "Puppets" (1981) by Depeche Mode.

GalleryEdit

CoversEdit

Cover A

Cover B

Retailer incentive

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Cover artworkEdit

Franco Urru with Paolo Maddaleni

David Messina

Sean Galloway

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ReferencesEdit