- ↳ Note: This article is about the comic issue. For other uses, see Halloween.
The subject of this article is non-canonical. While created as part of licensed material, it has not been confirmed as part of the "real" Buffyverse continuity. |
Halloween is the second issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic comic book series. Written by Andi Watson and illustrated by Joe Bennett, it was originally published on October 28, 1998, by Dark Horse Comics.
Synopsis[]
With the approach of Halloween, Sunnydale experiences an increase in vampire-related murders. The search for the perpetrators is called to a halt on All Hallow's Eve and Buffy looks forward to an uneventful night of trick or treating with her friends… but how uneventful will it stay? The killers are still on the loose and there was that one house that refused to answer the door…[1]
Summary[]
Buffy and Willow are talking at their lockers about how Willow's parents want her to see Oz less using her B+ as a reason. Buffy comments she would be happy to get Willow's B+ and having Angel's attention would be good if it was not so frustrating to be close without touching. Shortly after, Buffy, Xander, and Willow are sitting on the school stairs talking about tomorrow, which is Halloween. Since it is Halloween in Sunnydale they are trying to figure out what fun to have. But, Principal Snyder shows up and once again Buffy and the Scooby Gang are wrangled into taking around younger children in costume for Trick or Treat.
Giles and Buffy have a conversation in the library about her duties and schedule. Giles wants Buffy to patrol that night rather than Halloween leaving Buffy wondering when she'll have time to study.
After school, Willow and her parents have another argument over Oz and she leaves the house angrily. Later, walking along a road after sunset, she is approached by a truck with four people in it that turn out to be vampires. They take Willow away with them.
Buffy wakes up Halloween morning to be told by her mom, Joyce, that Willow has been missing since the night before. She immediately gets together with Giles and Xander to figure out what to do. Oz joins them and after figuring out what her route to Oz's house and the Bronze might be, they all take to the streets to try and find evidence of what may have happened. Buffy comes upon Willow's bag and Giles finds tire marks that indicate a high-speed acceleration nearby. With no other clues, the Scoobies get ready for Trick or Treating determined to find clues of what has happened to Willow.
Buffy, dressed as Michael Myers, is managing well until one of her charges slips away. She finds him at the Spook House, that appears abandoned. The kids dare her to knock on the door, which she gives into as a way to get them to go home early. As she approaches the door, she notices a truck in the driveway — not a usual sight at an abandoned house. In the back of the truck, she spies Willow's shirt.
Buffy rushes her charges home and quickly returns to the Spook House. The four vampires who abducted Willow; Selke, Hart, Norris, and Vezina, are inside watching a movie and waiting to dine on several teenagers stored in the basement. Buffy breaks into the house to take on the vampires. She stakes Vezina, Hart, and Norris then rescues the teens from the basement.
Later that night, a bleeding Selke escapes to a cemetery and hides out in a crypt before sunrise. The next day, Buffy and the Scooby Gang reunite at school.
Continuity[]
- This story is established as taking place during Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3.
- Willow mentions her parents' opinion on her dating Oz; although, she would canonically revealed their relationship to her mother only in "Gingerbread."
- Buffy tells Willow that Angel is "back with the no touchy-feely thing," referring to their on-again, off-again relationship from when she discovers he has returned from Acathla's dimension in "Beauty and the Beasts" until they break up in "The Prom."
- Buffy recalls Willow online-dating Moloch the Corruptor ("I Robot, You Jane").
- Buffy recalls having burned her previous school's gym, as first mentioned in "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and eventually shown in The Origin, Part Three.
- Buffy, Willow, and Xander have to take care of children for trick-or-treat and are wary of repeating the previous year's incident ("Halloween").
- Xander wears a Dracula costume, the vampire the Scooby Gang will discover is real in "Buffy vs. Dracula."
- The vampire Selke appears for the first time, to be a recurring villain in following issues until her death in Old Friend.
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Angel (Only mentioned)
- Bart
- Cordelia Chase (Only mentioned)
- Rupert Giles
- Alexander Harris
- Hart
- Moloch the Corruptor (Only mentioned)
- Norris
- Daniel Osbourne
- Ira Rosenberg (Only voice)
- Sheila Rosenberg (Only voice)
- Willow Rosenberg
- Selke
- Snyder
- Buffy Summers
- Joyce Summers
- Vezina
Organization and titles[]
- Dingoes Ate My Baby (Only mentioned)
- Scooby Gang
- Slayer
- Watcher
Species[]
Events[]
Locations[]
- Sunnydale
- Bronze (Only mentioned)
- Cemetery
- Hellmouth (Only mentioned)
- Revello Drive
- Rosenberg residence
- Spook House
- Sunnydale High School
Objects[]
Death count[]
- Vezina, Hart, and Norris, staked by Buffy Summers.
Behind the scenes[]
Production[]
- The photo cover features a promotional picture taken for Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2.
- This issue quotes "If we hurry we can make the best of the remaining sunlight," the source for the trade paperback's title it was first collected.
- The vampire gang watches a movie with actor Luke Perry, and Hart says: "That show blew it by letting him go." This is a reference to Perry being in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film, and, like most of its cast, was absent from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.
- The streets in Sunnydale mentioned by Giles are named Carpenter, Warren, and Craven, which are surnames of the horror film directors John Carpenter, Norman J. Warren and Wes Craven.
- Differently from other representations, at this point the comic issues had vampires also able to transform into green creatures with red eyes, pointy ears, a wide mouth, and long teeth. Although, this seems more like an artistic choice, not having direct consequence to the stories.
Distribution[]
- Halloween was the 53rd best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 43,717 sales in October 1998 at comic specialty stores.[2]
Collections[]
- The Remaining Sunlight
- Omnibus, Volume 3
- Classic 14: Halloween
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Legacy Edition, Book 1
Pop culture references[]
- Buffy mentions the TV Guide magazine.
- Buffy mentions the actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
- Giles mentions United States Army general Stormin' Norman.
- Buffy's costume is the character Jason Voorhees.
- Xander's costume is the character Dracula in the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).
- Selke mentions the actor Luke Perry.
International titles[]
- Russian: День Всех Святых (Хэллоуин) (All Saint's Day (Halloween))
Gallery[]
Covers[]
Cover artwork[]
Preview[]
References[]
- ↑ "Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2." Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved on January 4, 2017.
- ↑ "October 1998 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops." Comichron. Retrieved on August 24, 2018.