Following the announcement that BOOM! Studios obtained the license to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the publisher announced this weekend that writer Jordie Bellaire and artist Dan Mora will work with Buffy creator Joss Whedon on the title.
“Buffy has brought my life so much joy and to be part of that now is ridiculously overwhelming on many levels,” Bellaire said. “My very favorite aspect of Buffy is how we have a wide group of characters that love each other, hurt each other and sometimes, they even kill each other. I can’t wait to dabble within that universe to find new stories, explore older ones and forever maintain the theme of self discovery and growing up, whatever that means.”
The description of the title confirms that the new title will feature a high school-aged Buffy, rather than continuing the continuity seen in Dark Horse’s latest run: “This is the Buffy Summers you know, who wants what every average teenager wants: friends at her new school, decent grades, and to escape her imposed destiny as the next in a long line of vampire slayers tasked with defeating the forces of evil. But the Slayer’s world looks a lot more like the one outside your window, as this new series brings her into a new era with new challenges, new friends…and a few enemies you might already recognize. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as the Gang – Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia and more – faces brand new Big Bads, and a threat lurking beneath the perfectly manicured exterior of Sunnydale High, confirming what every teenager has always known: high school truly is hell.”
“It’s an exciting opportunity to be part of reimagining and redesigning the world of Buffy for a modern era while also honoring its exciting history,” Mora said. “The series offers a unique mix of horror, action and the experience of being a teenager where it feels like the world is ending – and in this case, it might!”
The first issue will feature a main cover by Mondo illustrator Matthew Taylor, along with variant covers by Kevin Wada, Royal Dunlap, Becca Carey and Jen Bartel. It’s due out Jan. 9.
