Tales of the Slayers

↳ Note: This article is about the graphic novel. For the prose series, see Tales of the Slayer.

Tales of the Slayers
Publication	February 20, 2002
Length	96 pages
one-shot
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s)	Joss Whedon, Amber Benson, Jane Espenson, David Fury, Rebecca Sinclair, Doug Petrie,
Penciller(s)	Leinil Francis Yu, Tim Sale, Ted Naifeh, P. Craig Russel, Steve Lieber, Mira Friedmann, Gene Colan, Karl Moline,
Editor(s)	Scott Allie
Cover artist(s)	Tim Sale, Lee Loughride
Inker(s)	Dexter Vines, Tim Sale, Ted Naifeh, P. Craig Russel, Steve Lieber, Mira Friedmann, Andy Owens
Colorist(s)	Dave Stewart, Lee Loughridge, Lovern Kindzierski, Matthew Hollingsworth, Mira Friedmann
Letterer(s)	Michelle Madsen, Richard Starkins & Comicraft, Galen Showman, Jason Hvam

“Tales of the Slayers” is an original graphic novel anthology of the Tales comic book meta-series.

Synopsis

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the latest in a long tradition of young women who’ve been trained to give their lives in the war against vampires. We’ve gotten glimpses of these other women over the years on T.V., in comics, and in books. Now for the first time, the writers from the television series, including the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, and one of its stars, Amber “Tara” Benson, present the tales of these girls, with the help of comics’ greatest artists. Gene Colan, co-creator of Marvel’s Blade and Tomb of Dracula, returns to Dark Horse for the story of a young girl in 1970s New York, battling vampires. Tim Sale, artist of recent epics Batman: The Long Halloween and Superman for All Seasons teams with Joss Whedon for a grim tale of a medieval slayer. American comics legend P. Craig Russell (Dr. Strange, The Ring of the Nibelung) and international rising star Mira Friedmann (Actus Tragicus) also join the stellar lineup.

Stories

• Prologue
• Righteous
• The Innocent
• Presumption
• The Glittering World
• Sonnenblume
• Nikki Goes Down!
• Tales

Appearances

• Anni
• Tó Bájíshchíní
• Le Banc
• Catherine
• Claudine
• Melaka Fray
• Gates
• Sarah Green
• Jean
• Saint Just
• Li
• Yuki Makimura (Only in visions)
• "Naayéé'neizgháni"
• "Padre"
• Sineya
• Karl Sonnenblume
• Buffy Summers (Only in visions)
• Elizabeth Weston
• Richard Wilkins
• Nikki Wood
• Anni's Watcher
• Unidentified Slayer
• Unidentified aristocrat

Behind the Scenes

Production

• "Tales of the Slayers" features the first Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic story both written and illustrated by women: Sonnenblume, by Rebecca Sinclair and Mira Friedmann. This combination would only repeat again 14 years later in the miniseries “Buffy: The High School Years”.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic character Yuki Makimura has an appearance in this comic’s story Tales, elevating this Slayer to a canon status.
• Sineya has her first and so far only appearance in a story that doesn’t feature her as a spirit guide, but taking place while she was alive.
• This graphic novel first mentions the Shadow Men (Prologue), who would then appear in the episode "Get It Done".
• Although unnamed, it also introduces the character Gates, who will later return in comic issue Time of Your Life, Part Two.
• The first and last lines of the book mirror each other: Sineya quotes “I am alone” (Prologue), and Melaka concludes “I am not alone” (Tales).

International Titles

• Italian: "I Racconti delle Cacciatrici" (The Tales of the Slayers)
• Spanish (Spain): "Historias de Cazadoras" (Tales of Slayers)

Collections

• "Tales"
• "Omnibus: Tales"