Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Twelve: The Reckoning is a comic book series and the last season of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer continuity. Written by Christos Gage with Joss Whedon and illustrated by Georges Jeanty, the four issues were originally published from June to September 2018 by Dark Horse Comics.
Premise[]
Following the world-altering finale of Season 11, Buffy and the Scoobies have had a laid-back year in the saving-the-world department. But as they've learned over their years of fighting the forces of darkness and thwarting many an apocalypse, nothing stays quiet for long. When Dawn and Xander's housewarming party is crashed by some familiar faces with news of an amassing force that must be reckoned with — Wolfram & Hart, a legion of demons, and Harth, a vampire from the future — Buffy finds herself in a time warp that could alter the fate of the world and could spell the end for Buffy, her friends, and the Slayers, forever.
This action-packed miniseries reunites the Buffyverse with the return of Angel, Faith, Illyria, and Fray, the Slayer from the future![1]
Continuity[]
- The story continues from the events of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eleven.
- The time travel takes place after the future events of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, in the story arc Time of Your Life, Part One to Part Four.
- The miniseries is the season finale of the original Buffyverse continuity.
Appearances[]
- Buffy Summers (4/4)
- Willow Rosenberg (4/4)
- Alexander Harris (4/4)
- Spike (4/4)
- Rupert Giles (4/4)
- Dawn Summers (4/4)
- Angel (4/4)
- Faith Lehane (4/4)
- Illyria (4/4)
- Melaka Fray (4/4)
- Harth Fray (4/4)
- Erin Fray (4/4)
- Richard Wilkins (4/4)
- Joyce Harris (3/4)
- Ocypete (3/4)
- Tauron (3/4)
- Gates (2/4)
- Gunther (2/4)
- Andrew Wells (2/4)
- Barbatos (1/4)
- Winifred Burkle (1/4)
- Harmony Kendall (1/4)
Publications[]
The series includes 4 issues, collected in one trade paperback and a library edition.
Issues[]
| Cover | Title | Issue | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
One Year Later | 1 | June 20, 2018 |
| It's one year later, and the lives of Buffy and the Scoobies haven't been too eventful for a while — at least as far as fighting demons and the forces of darkness are concerned. But that's all about to change when Dawn and Xander's housewarming party is interrupted by some familiar faces bringing news of familiar foes from the future. Can you say Harth… and Fray? | |||
|
Future Shock | 2 | July 18, 2018 |
| With his ownership of Slayer memories, Harth has come from the future to destroy Buffy and all the Slayers, stealing their power for his own. At his side are demons and evil-kind, a massive army that Buffy and the Scoobies weren't expecting. To even the playing field, the gang travels to the future to recruit Fray and learn of their dismal fate — should they fail in this battle against Harth… | |||
|
The Reckoning | 3 | August 22, 2018 |
| The battle against future vampire and Slayer twin, Harth, and his legion of evil, has already begun in the present when Buffy, Fray, and the Scoobies return from the future ready to fight. The Reckoning is now, and if the future can be changed, it will take everything that Buffy has to save the Slayers and our world. | |||
|
Finale | 4 | September 19, 2018 |
| Buffy, Fray, the Scoobies, and the Slayers are in an epic battle against Harth, and his army of baddies. His attempt to steal the power of the Slayers has brought Buffy and her crew to the turning point that they have been trying desperately to avoid. With all other options spent, it is only Buffy and her sacrifice that can save the world… | |||
Collections[]
| Cover | Title | Issues | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Reckoning | 1–4 | December 12, 2018 |
| Angel brings news of an amassing evil force — Wolfram & Hart, a legion of demons, and Harth, vampire from the future — to Buffy and her crew. Realizing this fight will be more than they can handle alone, the gang travels to the future to recruit the Slayer Fray — Harth's twin sister — and learn of their dismal fate should they fail in the ultimate battle with Harth and his legion. He is after the power of the Slayers… this is the reckoning… and it could be the end of Buffy, Fray, and all the Slayers, forever. | |||
|
Season Twelve Library Edition | 1–4, others | September 16, 2020 |
| Following the world-altering finale of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 11, Buffy and the Scoobies have had a laid-back year in the saving-the-world department. But as they've learned over their years of fighting the forces of darkness and thwarting many an apocalypse, nothing stays quiet for long. When Dawn and Xander's housewarming party is crashed by some familiar faces (Angel!) with news of an amassing force that must be reckoned with — Wolfram & Hart, a legion of demons, and Harth, a vampire from the future — Buffy finds herself in a time warp that could alter the fate of the world and could spell the end for Buffy, her friends, and the Slayers, forever. | |||
Behind the scenes[]
Production[]
- Dark Horse revealed that Season Twelve was intended to be the last Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic series in the structure of a "season."[2] Indeed, the miniseries was followed by the revamp comic series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2019), published by Boom! Studios.
- According to Joss Whedon, the season was written with the knowledge that 20th Century Studios was taking the Buffy the Vampire Slayer license back. "When I sat with Chris Gage, it was with the intent that after everything we've been through we wanted to have something to say that mirrors and rounds off where we started this comic [run]. And then they said, 'You have four issues,' and it was like 'Ohhhh. That's all the time we have.' So we dealt with a lot of things in small panels, and I don't know if I fit it all in, but it was very important to try. We made sure that the journey wasn't continuing. We wanted to give the Dark Horse era some closure. What they've done over the years with Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn, and everyone there has put their souls into this. The artists like Georges [Jeanty] and everyone were such a perfect match. It's been a great combination, so it couldn't just end."[3]
International titles[]
- German: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Staffel 12: Die Abrechnung
- Italian: Buffy L'ammazzavampiri Stagione 12
References[]
- ↑ "Joss Whedon and Christos Gage Bring a Reckoning for 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'" Dark Horse Comics, February 21, 2018.
- ↑ Dark Horse Comics, "We'll issue our own announcement soon, but in short, this is planned to be the finale season. We plan to do more Buffy adventures in the future, but this is the last in the 'season' structure." Twitter, February 21, 2018.
- ↑ Kiel Phegley, "INTERVIEW: Joss Whedon Teases Buffy's Surprising End & Dr. Horrible's Return." Comic Book Resources, August 15, 2018.