Dynamite Entertainment has revealed its Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic will begin this July, and that artist Stephen Byrne (Joy Operations, Wonder Twins) will helm the series with writer Kelly Thompson. While plot details for the book remain vague, it will begin with an oversized first issue, where characters from Buffy and Angel return to deal with a “wild new development in Sunnydale. Emotions are running high, and of course there’s a mythic new villain on the scene. It just wouldn’t be Sunnydale without some big bad trying to destroy the world in the midst of a personal crisis.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1 (2026) cover A, by David Nakayama
The press release elaborates, “Picking up at a pivotal point in the character’s chronology, this is a must-read for any die-hard fan of the show, but also a cool moment to join the fandom for the first time with an epic event that brings all the characters together for one big story that points to the heart of everything Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always been about. The series includes the comics debut of a beloved Buffy character, and a massive twist that will shake the faithful fandom to the core. This is a vision of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that has to be read to be believed!”
Byrne says, “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.” The Irish artist previously created an animated short honoring the series in 2014, that went viral, and was even shared by original series leads Sarah Michelle Gellar and Anthony Stewart Head. While Byrne tends to color his own work, Lee Loughridge will fulfill those duties on this book.
Thompson comments, “Buffy Summers is, in my opinion, one of the best modern heroes of science-fiction/fantasy. 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.”
The book comes at a strange time for the franchise, in the wake of Hulu unexpectedly passing on the pilot for a revival, New Sunnydale. Gellar told People magazine that she and the show’s creators faced an “uphill battle” against an executive who “was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn’t for him,” whom Variety and Deadline allege was none other than Craig Erwich, the president of Disney Television Group. Cast members Nicholas Brendon (who played Xander) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn) also passed away respectively on March 20, 2026, and February 26, 2025, aged just 54 and 39.
Issue #1 of the series will be released on July 22, with several covers, including an “icon” variant featuring Art Adams‘s cover for the very first Buffy comic from 1998. You can check those out below in the meantime, along with Byrne’s character designs. Three blind bag covers will also be available.
Cover B by Amanda Conner
Cover C by Joshua Swaby
Cover D by Juliet Nneka
Icon variant by Art Adams
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