"The Blood of Carthage" is a story arc, based on the ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' television series, originally published in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' #21–25 (May–September 2000) by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...

. The arc was later collected into a trade paperback.

Story description

General synopsis

Buffy has entered college but is having doubts as to whether education is needed for a vampire slayer. She becomes so concentrated on the issues, she makes a major mistake and kills the local version of

Bigfoot Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims o ...

. The death of this creature heralds the rise of a demon named Ky-Laag and potentially the end of the world. The Blood of Carthage, a powerful, secretive group, wishes to stop Ky-Laag, but unfortunately they also plan to kill Buffy as well for starting it all.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

Continuity

*Supposed to be set early in ''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

''Buffy'' comics such as this one are not usually considered by fans as

canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical example ...

. 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 Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...

, overviews summarising their story, written early in the writing process, were 'approved' by both Fox and

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...

(or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise. {{Buffy comics