You Don't Have to Go Home

The subject of this article is of alternative canonicity.
While created as part of licensed material, it is not part of the original Buffyverse, but its own developed story.

You Don't Have to Go Home

Publication

July 8, 2020

Length

22 pages

Willow #1

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First issue in the series.	Belong

You Don't Have to Go Home is the first issue of the Willow miniseries. Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Natacha Bustos, it was originally published on July 8, 2020 by Boom! Studios.

Synopsis[]

After everything — and everyone — she lost to the Hellmouth, Willow is leaving Sunnydale on a world-spanning road trip in search of her true self. She stumbles on a community of people like her: lost witches looking for answers… but there's a darkness at the heart of it, one that reminds Willow of something she's felt before, something that she fears inside herself.

Now, truly alone for the first time in her life, Willow must rely only on her instincts — and her magic — to save herself from a threat Buffy never prepared her to face… or the rest of the world will pay the price.^[1]

Continuity[]

The events of this story take place after Willow tells Buffy she's leaving Sunnydale, in Hellmouth, Part Five.
The flashback sequence includes Xander being sired by Drusilla (Welcome Back to the Hellmouth, Part Four), Willow sharing her soul with Xander (issue #7), the men of Sunnydale going after the Tunaverse (issue #12), Camazotz and the Scooby girls in the Hellmouth (Hellmouth, Part Five), and Xander sacrificing his soul back to Willow (issue #12).
Willow's visions include an older Buffy with the wielding the mʔ, as the one featured in a cover for issue #14.

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Aelara
Anyanka (Only in flashbacks)
Camazotz (Only in flashbacks)
Cordelia Chase (Only in flashbacks)
Drusilla (Only in flashbacks)
Rupert Giles (Only in flashbacks)
Alexander Harris (Only in flashbacks)
Rose Martinez (Only in flashbacks)
Willow Rosenberg
Buffy Summers (Only in flashbacks)
Buffy Summers (Where_All_Paths_Lead) (Only in visions)
Robin Wood (Only in visions)
Kendra Young (Only in flashbacks)

Organizations and titles[]

Scooby Gang (Only in flashbacks)
Slayer (Only in flashbacks)
Watcher (Only in flashbacks)
Watchers Council (Only in visions)
Witch

Species[]

Cat
Demon (Only in flashbacks)
Human
Vampire (Only in flashbacks)

Locations[]

England
USA
- Abhainn
  - Gas station
  - Inn
  - Jojo Diner
- Sunnydale
  - Hellmouth (Only in flashbacks)
  - Rosenberg residence (Only in flashbacks)
  - Sunnydale Airport
  - Tunaverse (Only in flashbacks)

Objects[]

Faith Lehane's knife (Only in visions)
Mʔ (Only in visions)
Seal of Danzalthar (Only in illustration)
Soul (Only in flashbacks)
Stake (Only in visions)

Behind the scenes[]

Distribution[]

Originally scheduled for June 10th, the distribution of single issues was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]
You Don't Have to Go Home was ranked the 134th best selling comic issue in its published month, as projected for July 2020 at comic specialty stores.^[3]