List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics

While many comic books based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series were published while the show aired, they are not all considered canonical. Some feature characters who do not appear in the television series, such as the Tales of the Slayers and Tales of the Vampires miniseries. The first series of books were published by Dark Horse Comics between 1998 and 2004, initially in comic format and later collected into volumes of trade paperbacks. A small number of Buffy comics were not included in trade paperbacks, such as the titles Giles, Jonathan, and Reunion. Following the television series finale, Dark Horse began releasing new books titled Season Eight, Season Nine, and Season Ten, along with various spin-offs, written and/or supervised by creator Joss Whedon. These books were officially recognized as canon. In 2005, Dark Horse allowed the rights to produce comics for Buffy's companion series Angel to lapse, and they were acquired for a short period by IDW Publishing, which released the canonical series Angel: After the Fall alongside other non-canon titles. Dark Horse reacquired the rights in 2010 and subsequently released the series Angel & Faith and Angel. In 2018, Dark Horse Comics announced that, after 20 years, the license for Buffy and related material would transfer to Boom! Studios. The first issue of the reboot series was released in January 2019.

Relation to the TV series

Buffy comics have a long history, with comics produced during the original run of the television series generally considered "non-canonical", with notable exceptions written by Joss Whedon. Buffy comic books published between 2007 and 2018 presented the official continuation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with series creator Joss Whedon serving as the primary writer and collaborating with other writers from the television series to continue the story.

Pre-2007

As with most ancillary media for television series, such as novels and video games, storylines for the original Dark Horse comics published during the show's run were approved by both Fox and Joss Whedon as part of broader Buffy merchandising. Stories in the original 63 issues were released while the series was on air and were intended to take place between episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though they were often difficult to place precisely beyond the season in which they occurred. Plot elements or character details introduced in these stories were not referenced in the television series. Later storylines during this period attempted to fill narrative gaps following character departures, such as the Oz comic, or events between seasons five and six, such as The Death of Buffy, without introducing contradictions to the television canon. Buffy creator Joss Whedon distanced himself on several occasions from these ancillary works written by other authors, stating:

Canon is key, as is continuity. I believe there is a demarcation between original creation and ancillary works by different people. I support those projects, much like fan fiction, but I prefer clarity regarding what constitutes the official story, particularly when material shifts across media.

During this period, several canonical Buffy comics were also published with Whedon's close involvement. These began with Fray (2001–2003), a far-future story written by Whedon that introduced elements later incorporated into the seventh season of the television series. Whedon and other writers from the show also contributed to the Tales of the Slayers and Tales of the Vampires (2002–2004) anthology series, which focused on Slayers and vampires from earlier eras.

2007-present

In 2005, Dark Horse Comics and Joss Whedon announced a canonical continuation of the television series in the form of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight (2007–2011). This series shared plot elements with canonical Angel continuations published by IDW Comics, including Angel: After the Fall (2007–2009) and Spike (2010–2011). Season Eight was followed by Season Nine (2011–2013) and subsequent seasons, concluding with Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Twelve in 2018. From 2019, the Buffy license transferred to BOOM! Studios, which produced a separate run of explicitly non-canon stories set in an alternative universe from 2019 to 2023.

Dark Horse Comics (1998–2018)

Pre-Season Eight Stories

These stories are first published by Dark Horse comics, later most of Buffy stories are collected in Buffy comic books.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1998–2003)

Buffy specials (1998–2003)

Buffy mini-series (1999–2001)

Buffy tales (2002–2009)

Dark Horse Presents

Dark Horse Extra

TV Guide

Trade paperbacks

1. Compilations of most of the material listed above:

• The Remaining Sunlight
• Uninvited Guests
• Bad Blood
• Crash Test Demons
• Pale Reflections
• The Blood of Carthage
• Food Chain
• Past Lives
• Autumnal
• Out of the Woodwork
• False Memories
• Ugly Little Monsters
• Haunted
• The Death of Buffy
• Note from the Underground
• Viva Las Buffy!
• Slayer, Interrupted
• A Stake to the Heart
• Spike and Dru
• Willow and Tara
• Oz
• Tales of the Slayers
• Tales of the Vampires

2. Compilations of all of the material listed above:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 1
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 2
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 3
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 4
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 5
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 6
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 7
• Tales

Season Eight (2007–2011)

The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote or co-wrote three of the series arcs and several one-shot stories. The series was followed by Season Nine in 2011.

Specials

Trade paperbacks

• The Long Way Home
• No Future for You
• Wolves at the Gate
• Time of Your Life
• Predators and Prey
• Retreat
• Twilight
• Last Gleaming

Season Nine (2011–2013)

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight was finished, Dark Horse Comics decided to publish a new comic season of Buffy. They also decided to follow up the series Angel: After the Fall with the publication of Angel & Faith as a part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine after IDW Publishing lost the license to Angel and it went to Dark Horse Comics.

Buffy

Trade paperbacks

• Freefall
• On Your Own
• Guarded
• Welcome to the Team
• The Core

Angel & Faith

Trade paperbacks

• Live Through This
• Daddy Issues
• Family Reunion
• Death and Consequences
• What You Want, Not What You Need

Spike: A Dark Place

Trade paperback

• Spike: A Dark Place

Willow: Wonderland

Trade paperback

• Willow: Wonderland

Season Ten (2014–2016)

Season Ten is a Buffy comic series published after Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine.

Buffy

Trade paperbacks

• New Rules
• I Wish
• Love Dares You
• Old Demons
• Pieces on the Ground
• Own It

Angel & Faith

Trade paperbacks

• Where the River Meets the Sea
• Lost and Found
• United
• A Little More Than Kin
• A Tale Of Two Families

Season Eleven (2016–2018)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eleven is the sequel to the Season Ten comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy & Angel consist of only 12 issues per series, a much shorter run than the previous seasons, while the miniseries, Giles, runs for 4 issues. The series was published by Dark Horse Comics and began on November 23, 2016.

The series was concluded with Season Twelve which ran from June to September 2018.

Publication

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eleven

Single issues

Trade paperbacks

Angel Season Eleven

Single issues

Trade paperbacks

Giles Season Eleven

Single issues

Trade paperbacks

Season Twelve (2018)

Trade paperbacks

• The Reckoning

Fray (2001–2003)

Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires (called "lurks") are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater. Volume one is drawn by Karl Moline (pencils) and Andy Owens (inks).

Trade paperbacks

• Fray: Future Slayer

Boom! Studios (2019–present)

In 2019, a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book series was released by Boom! Studios. The series was a reboot with no continuity to the television series or previous comics. Despite being set in an alternate modern-day continuity, the likenesses of the series' actors are still used to represent their respective characters.

Main series (2019–)

Trade paperbacks

• High School is Hell
• Once Bitten
• From Beneath You
• Frenemies
• The Biggest Bad
• Secrets of the Slayer
• The World Without Shrimp
• A Rainbow upon Her Head
• Forget Me Not
• We Are the Slayer

One Shots (2019–)

Willow (2020)

Trade paperbacks

• Willow

Hellmouth (2019–2020)

Trade paperbacks

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hellmouth

Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer

Trade Paperbacks

• Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer

The Vampire Slayer (2022–2023)

Trade paperbacks

• The Vampire Slayer: Volume 1
• The Vampire Slayer: Volume 2
• The Vampire Slayer: Volume 3
• The Vampire Slayer: Volume 4

Comics by writer

See Buffyverse comics#Comics by writer

See also

• List of feminist comic books
• Portrayal of women in comics

Notes

External links

• [dead link]
• June 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
• at BBC