Titan Books very kindly sent us a review copy of the new official Dr Horrible companion, which is out now in the UK, and released on Tuesday in the US.  The 160 page book is packed with previously unreleased pictures, from the first table read through production and on to San Diego Comic Con and the various awards ceremonies that Dr Horrible was recognised at.

The design is gorgeous, with full colour pictures on almost every page in the first half of the book. Nathan, Felicia, Neil, and Simon Helberg have all written a page for the book, with Neil contributing the afterword and Nathan’s introduction coming in the guise of Captain Hammer.

The round-table interview with Jed, Joss, Maurissa and Zack is funny and reveals a lot of details about the early stages of production, and there’s a four page costume spread in which costume designer Shawna Trpcic goes into detail about the thought process behind most of the characters’ costume choices. Handwritten original lyric sheets and scribbled copies of Joss’ notes are a joy to look through, too.

The double page spread about the group’s trip to the 2008 San Diego Comic Con is also a nice addition, with a lot of photos and snippets from the panel discussion held that day, as well of pictures of some of the costumes that fans at that (and other) conventions have come up with!

The only slight disappointment is that a good portion of the book is taken up with content that’s either well known or only of interest to a select portion of the book’s audience. The sheet music takes up a good third of the book and if you’re not musically inclined those are 60 pages you’re not likely to look at. “Commentary! The Musical”‘s lyrics are a nice inclusion, though more likely to be used as a point of reference than something you’d sit and read. The full shooting script is also included, and while the dialogue isn’t something you’d necessarily need to sit and read, it’s nice to see the stage directions included and these pages in particular are covered with some of the best photographs.

All in all though, the pictures alone mean the book is a must-have for any fan of the series, definitely a worthy addition to your collection!

This month Titan books are releasing Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: The Book, an official companion to the award winning web series.

Created for fun and released online for free, Joss Whedon’s musical tragicomedy Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was an Internet sensation, winning numerous awards, including an Emmy, a Hugo Award and a People’s Choice Award and was named by Time magazine as one of the Top 50 Inventions of the year. Now a hit on DVD, and with whisperings of a sequel in the offing, Joss Whedon has teamed up with Titan Books to create DR HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG: THE BOOK!

This complete companion includes sheet music and lyrics, the full shooting script (and a transcript of Commentary! The Musical), and features exclusive new material from Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day and Simon Helberg. Plus, there’s a roundtable interview with the production team, heaps of previously unseen photos from on and off the set, costume designs and more!

The 45-minute long film tells the story of Billy, aka Dr. Horrible, a budding supervillain who wants to beat superhero Captain Hammer and take over the world… and pluck up the courage to speak to his laundromat crush Penny.

It was an idea that Whedon had been toying with for a while, but work commitments made it difficult to get off the ground; but in late 2007, unrest in Hollywood presented a chance. “The writers all got together and said, we have got to go on strike. And I said, this is my opportunity” recalls Whedon. “The only way to do it was by myself – and by “by myself” I mean with the help of everyone I know.”

Joining forces with brothers Jed and Zack Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, the whole production was shot in just six days; and by the time it hit the Internet, fan anticipation was so high that initial demand for downloads crashed the server in a matter of minutes.

“I have to say, on reflection, that Dr. Horrible is the single best thing that I’ve ever done.”
– Neil Patrick Harris (from his afterword)

Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: The Book is available from Amazon from March 29 with an RRP of $19.95 and for those outside the US, it can be purchased from some of the international Amazon stores too.

A new t-shirt has been added to the official Dr Horrible store. Personally I think it’s a shame that the image bears almost no resemblance to Neil whatsoever, but it’s a cool design nonetheless and it’s good to see they’re still adding new merchandise.