Correction: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 releases on July 22nd.
After first being teased at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Dynamite Entertainment has officially set a launch date and revealed new details for its upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic. The new series, led by Kelly Thompson and Stephen Byrne, arrives July 22.
Buffy Summers remains one of the most iconic heroes in modern fantasy. In Sunnydale, she built a tight-knit group of friends and allies, facing threats that ranged from personal to world-ending. This new series drops readers into a key moment in her timeline, pulling together characters from both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for a large-scale story that leans into high emotion, new dangers, and a fresh villain entering the mix.
Details on the plot are still being kept under wraps, but the oversized first issue sets the stage for a major event. Familiar faces return as the cast deals with a new crisis in Sunnydale, one that blends personal stakes with something far more dangerous. There is also a debut for a fan-favorite character in comics form, along with a twist designed to shake longtime readers.
Thompson, who has built a strong run across multiple titles, has long been a fan of the franchise and is also set to write a companion Angel series.
“Buffy Summers is, in my opinion, one of the best modern heroes of science-fiction/fantasy,” said Thompson. “The show was wildly inspirational for a young Kelly, and like so many things that feel very lucky in my life, I’m not sure I’m a writer today without encountering Buffy at the right moment. This idea for Buffy has been sitting with me for a long time – and so when the chance to grab both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel came along, I couldn’t resist trying it. I hope you guys will enjoy the ride — it comes from a place of deep love for the franchise – and I’ll try my best to be worthy of it.”
Byrne, whose past work includes a range of fan-favorite titles, brings his own longtime connection to the Buffyverse into the project.
“I’ve been a lifelong Buffyverse obsessive and I’ve got the VHS boxsets and DVDs to prove it. Working on this comic with such a phenomenal writer is a surreal dream come true, and I still can’t quite believe it. I can’t wait for fans to see what Kelly has planned.”
They are joined by colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Jeff Eckleberry, with editing from Nate Cosby. The launch will also feature a strong lineup of cover artists, including David Nakayama, Amanda Conner, Joshua “Sway” Swaby, and Juliet Nneka, along with a remastered version of the original 1998 cover by Arthur Adams.
For collectors, Dynamite is also offering a blind bag edition that includes three randomly selected premium variant covers. These include logo-free versions, line art editions, and exclusive artwork from Byrne, Declan Shalvey, and J. Scott Campbell.
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