Skip to content

Please note that when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Thanks!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks!

Buffyverse Comics Reading Order: Buffy and Angel Comic Books published by Dark Horse (and IDW)

  • by

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a supernatural television drama series that aired between 1997 and 2003. It follows the adventures of Buffy Summers, the Chosen One. She is gifted with the strength and skills to fight vampires, demons, and other supernatural creatures. As Buffy grows up, she must face the challenge of every teenager (and after) life and also the darkness. She is surrounded by friends and family who help her in her mission.

Now, you can continue this adventure in comic book form. Some depict events and situations unseen during the series’ run, while other comics follow the characters after the conclusion of the show’s official run. Some are canon, some are not.

What to read (and watch) before the Buffy and Angel comics?

If you are here, it means you are familiar with Buffy Summers for at least the television series, Buffy the Vampire Series. Our heroine made her first appearance in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, before becoming the badass heroine of her own television show and comic books.  Obviously, you want to have watched both Buffy (seasons 1-7) and Angel (seasons 1-5) at least once before diving into the comic books.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic publication began during the television show aired. Most of those stories during that time take place in parallel with the series’s events. Despite that, they are not all considered canonical.

After the show’s concluded, the publisher began releasing new seasons and spin-offs written and/or supervised by creator Joss Whedon and officially recognized as canon to the show.

Buffy/Angel Reading Order: Legacy Edition (Boom Studios!)

Until mid-2018, Dark Horse Comics published Buffy comic books. Now, Boom! Studios held the Buffy license and republished in the Buffy Legacy Edition all the Dark Horse Comic books. This collection is ongoing…

Angel Legacy Edition

  • Angel Legacy Edition Book One
    Set during seasons 1 and 2. Collects issues Angel #1-9 (Dark Horse series), as well as Angel: The Hollower, “Point of Order”, and Lovely, Dark and Deep.
  • Angel Legacy Edition Book Two
    Set during the first two seasons of the Angel television series. Collects Angel #11-17, Buffy the Vampire Slayer #29-30, Angel: Long Night’s Journey #1-4, along with stories from Dark Horse Extra.

Buffyverse Comic Books from Dark Horse (and IDW)

As The Legacy Edition is ongoing, you will find below the Dark Horse and IDW Editions comic books published through the years. Some are not available anymore, but can still be purchased second-hand.

Stake Buffy Reading Order

The Slayers through time: Fray and Other Tales

Tales about Slayers from the past, from the future, and with the one and only Buffy, of course.

  • Fray
    The story takes place hundreds of years in the future. To read preferably before Tales (as Fray has a story in it).
  • Buffy Omnibus: Tales
    short stories focused on different Slayers and vampires through time. Beware, this collection includes two stories from season 8 that will be kind of spoiler-y if you haven’t read it before. Specifically, the stories The Thrill and Carpe Noctem take place after issue #21, Harmonic Divergence.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Volume 1
    Take place before Buffy’s arrival in Sunnydale, and include her origin story based on Whedon’s original script for the 1992 movie. Although this was not considered canon at the beginning, it is now accepted as canon.

Dark Horse also published four volumes of the series Tales of the Slayer, collecting prose short stories surrounding the mythology of past Slayers.

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Buffy: From Season One through Season 7

a. Buffy: The High School Years

Written by Kel McDonald and penciled by Yishan Li, The High School Years are set during season 1 of the television series, between the episodes The Harvest (1.02) and The Pack (1.06). The series includes 3 graphic novels and 1 short story, published for Free Comic book day.

b. The Omnibus Edition

Between 1998 and 2004, Dark Horse has published numerous Buffy stories (before season 8). The Omnibus editions are presented as the definitive collection, one that reunites all the material published in chronological order, in parallel with the TV series’ timeline. The first omnibus is indicated before. It is worth noticing that those omnibuses contain stories considered non-canon.

  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 1
    Take place before Buffy’s arrival in Sunnydale, and include her origin story based on Whedon’s original script for the 1992 movie. Although this was not considered canon at the beginning, it is now accepted as canon.
  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 2
    From before season one to the beginning of season 3. Collecting issues sixty to sixty-three, as well as the graphic novels “Ring of Fire” and “The Dust Waltz”, and the one-shots Angels We Have Seen on High, Spike and Dru: The Queen of Hearts, and Spike and Dru: Paint the Town Red.
  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 3
    During season 3. Collecting the Buffy stories “Play with Fire,” “Spike and Dru,” and issues #1-#8 of the original Buffy series.
  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 4
    Through the end of season 3. collects Buffy issues #9-11, 13-15, 17-20, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Bad Dog, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike and Dru, Who Made Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: The Hollower.
  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 5
    We enter season 4. Collects Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Haunted, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Blood of Carthage, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Autumnal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Oz “Into the Wild,” DHP 2000: Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Take Back the Night,” DHP #150: Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Killing Time”.
  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 6
    Season 4 continues and concludes, and we go to season 5. Collects City of Despair, Jonathan: Codename: Comrades, Giles: Beyond the Pale, One Small Promise, Punish Me With Kisses, Past Lives (crossover with Angel), Out of the Woodwork, WannaBlessedBe, Demonology Menagerie, False Memories.
  • Buffy Omnibus Vol. 7
    During seasons 5 and 6. Collects the stories Roll All Night (and Sleep Every Day), Wilderness, The Death of Buffy, Reunion, Withdrawal, Hellmouth to Mouth

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Angel (and Spike) World

a. The non-canon stories

Like Buffy on TV gave an Angel spin-off, it is natural to see the same phenomenon on paper. The Buffyverse extends beyond the Slayer and gives us stories about famous vampires, among other things.

At some point, Dark Horse lost Angel rights and they were picked up by IDW Publishing, who produced a canon follow-up to the Buffy spin-off, in the middle of other non-canon stories. Dark Horse reacquired the rights in 2010 to produce more official titles.

  • Spike: Into The Light
    Written by James Marsters. Takes place before season 7.
  • Spike Omnibus
    Mostly during season 5 of Angel, except for Spike vs. Dracula. Also Collects Lost & Found, Old Wounds, Old Times, Shadow Puppets and Asylum.
  • Angel Omnibus (Dark Horse)
    You can read it between Vol. 5, 6 or 7 of Buffy. Those stories take place during season 1 and one during season 2. Collects Angel #1–#14, #17, Angel: Long Night’s Journey #1–#4, Dark Horse Presents #153–#155: “Hunting Ground,” Dark Horse Extra #25–#28: “Angel,” and Angel: Point of Order. Missing from this omnibus: the crossover with Buffy, Past Lives, placed in Buffy Omnibus Vol.6.
  • Angel Omnibus Vol. 1 (IDW)
    Collects Angel: The Curse, Angel: Old Friends, Angel: Spotlight, and Angel: Auld Lang Syne. Takes place during and after season 5 (but before After The Fall).
  • Angel Omnibus Vol. 2 (IDW)
    This omnibus collects adaptations of several episodes from season 5, which include Smile Time, A Hole in the World, Barbary Coast, Only Human, and Not Fade Away.

b. Angel: After The Fall (Season 6)

Published by IDW from November 2007 to February 2009, After the Fall is also known as Angel Season 6, the canonical continuation of the fifth and final season of Angel television series. It takes place before Buffy Season 8.

This Angel arc has also been collected into a two-volume set, Angel Season Six, Vol.1 & Angel Season Six, Vol. 2.

  • Angel: The End
    Collects issue #28–44, Angel Yearbook. Also included Angel: Immortality for Dummies, Angel: The Crown Prince Syndrome, Angel: The Wolf, the Ram, and the Heart. Non-canon.
  • Angel: The John Byrne Collection
    All the John Byrne stories in one place. This includes Angel vs. Frankenstein, Blood and Trenches (before Buffy season 1) and After the Fall: First Night (between Angel season 6 and The End). Non-canon.
  • Spike: The Devil You Know
    Before Angel issue #29 but before #33. Non-canon.
  • Illyria: Haunted
    Between the second and third arc of The End and the Spike series
  • Spike Complete Series
    Collects issues #1-8. Prequel to Dark Horse Comics’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight.

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight

The canonical continuation of the television series written by Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, Drew Goddard, Jane Espenson, Steven S. DeKnight, Doug Petrie, and more. With Georges Jeanty, Paul Lee, Cliff Richards, Karl Moline, and Eric Wight as pencilers.

This Buffy season has also been collected into a two-volume set:

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine/Angel and Faith

The story continues in season nine of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with parallel events taking place in the Angel & Faith series and the spin-off miniseries Willow: Wonderland and Spike: A Dark Place.

Written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss, Jane Espenson, Scott Allie, Drew Z. Greenberg (For Buffy), Christos Gage (Angel & Faith and Willow with Jeff Parker ) and Victor Gischler (Spike).

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel and Faith Season Ten

Buffy is still kicking ass with writer Christos Gage and Nicholas Brendon, and Angel and Faith story continue under the pen of Victor Gischler and Kel McDonald.

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel Season Eleven

Christo Gage continues to write Buffy, and while Corinna Bechko takes writing duties for a new season of Angel.

In parallel to those events, we also have the Giles: Girl Blue miniseries, collected with the season 12 (see below!).

Stake Buffy Reading Order

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Twelve

This is the last season of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer continuity. Written by Christos Gage and Joss Whedon and illustrated by Georges Jeanty.

What to read after The Buffyverse comics from Dark Horse?

Every good thing comes to an end, and after 20 years at Dark Horse Comics, Buffy and her friends left the publisher – the license is now in the hands of Boom! Studios for a reboot of Buffy. To know more about it, check out our Buffy Reboot by Boom! Studios reading order.

Pin
Tags:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *