The Blood of Carthage

Infobox comics story arc


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publisher = Dark Horse Comics
date=May - September 2000
titles= "Buffy the vampire Slayer" #21-25
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writers = Christopher Golden
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pencillers = Cliff Richards, Chynna Clugston-Major, Paul Lee, Brian Horton
inkers = Joe Pimentel
colorists = Guy Major
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"The Blood of Carthage" was a story arc, based on the "Buffy" television series, originally published in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" #21-25 (May through September 2000) by Dark Horse Comics. The arc was later collected into a trade paperback.

tory description

General Synopsis

Buffy's joining college but wonders whether education is necessary for a slayer. Trying to deal with such issues she overly involves herself with slaying with catastrophic results. When Sunnydale's version of Bigfoot is slayed it may call the rising of a demon named Ky-Laag, and potentially the end of the world. A mysterious group, the Blood of Carthage, hope to stop it yet also try to kill Buffy for starting it all. What's a gal to do?

"Buffy the vampire Slayer #21"

:Comic title: "The Blood of Carthage, part 1 "

:::When the Scooby Gang hear of a new "boogeyman" legend, they track down a beast that seems to need slaying yet doing so turns out to be more trouble than it's worth.

"Buffy the vampire Slayer #22"

:Comic title: "The Blood of Carthage, part 2 "

:::Demons are gathering, as the group of undead grow in Sunnydale. Buffy and friends hope to discover why and then stop such events. Buffy also gets closer to working out the secrets of Vraka, Xerxes the Blind, and the remainder of the demon hordes. Yet she also has a term paper to do.

"Buffy the vampire Slayer #23"

:Comic title: "The Blood of Carthage, part 3 "

:::Buffy confronts the Blood of Carthage to find out who they are and what connection they have to the demon Vraka. Spike also seems to have a connection with the group. At the same time Buffy is considering leaving college.

"Buffy the vampire Slayer #24"

:Comic title: "The Blood of Carthage, part 4 "

:::Since the rise of the demon Ky-Laag is imminent, Buffy and her friends work with the Blood of Carthage, a cult of demons, in order to stop Ky-Laag from destroying Sunnydale and perhaps the world. However Buffy must discover why the Blood of Carthage want to stop a demon from rising, and why Spike is playing peacemaker between Buffy and Vraka.

"Buffy the vampire Slayer #25"

:Comic title: "The Blood of Carthage, part 5 "

:::Buffy learns of the history between the demons Vraka and Ky-Laag, and what it might mean for her friends. Buffy deals with the consequences of allying with the demon, Vraka, an explosive fight ensues at the center of Sunnydale.

Trivia

*"The Blood of Carthage, part 5" was originally published with extra pages than the usual 32 pages, and also features a wrap around cover by Jeff Matsuda (click on comic cover of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer #25" to see larger image).
*The mini-flashbacks to Willow and Xander's childhood friendship are drawn by another artist than the main one.
*Lucy Hanover appears in this story.

Continuity

*Supposed to be set early Buffy Season 4, whilst Buffy is still relatively new to College.
*Also features flashbacks to the past friendship of Willow and Xander in 1987, 1989, and 1991.

Canonical issues

:main|Buffyverse canon

:"Buffy"/"Angel" comics such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. Some fans consider them stories from the imaginations of authors and artists, while other fans consider them as taking place in an alternative fictional reality. However unlike fan fiction, overviews summarising their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by both Fox and Joss Whedon (or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise.

Timing

*Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse: