Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ring of Fire

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic #10

by Doug Petrie, Ryan Sook

From the writer of the television series and the most talked about artist on the comics series comes an intricate and explosive graphic novel. Set in Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story begins just after Angel killed Jenny Calendar. Giles is a wreck, and Buffy's not much better, knowing the man she loves is a homicidal maniac. But when the armor of a samurai demon is stolen from a cargo ship, a new battle is pitched to determine who will master the Ring of Fire. With Angel teamed with Spike and Dru, and Giles nearly out of commission, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Kendra hardly stand a chance.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Horror, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Vampires, Media Tie In

80 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2000

About the author

Doug Petrie is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Reviews

[em ⋆ (Spike’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

first time trying a comic book, too short BUT was beautifully done.

[Sammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

not spike in his wheelchair guns ablazing, icon

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun story set during s2 of buffy. loved the appearance of kendra, the funny spike and angel banter, dru of course. classic buffy!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked

- The Plot -
Takes place in Btvs Season 2 sometime after Angelus has killed Jenny Calendar and he's working with Spike and Drusilla to resurrect an ancient demon Kelgor and his fire-breathing bird that will wreak havoc around the world aka destroy everything.

- Continuity -
So it's nice to see some continuity here from the TV series as Spike is using a wheelchair, as he began using this since his fight against Buffy in "What's My Line? Part Two" in S2.

Later in the comic during the final battle with Kelgor, Angelus intervenes and decapitates the demon, effectively aiding Buffy in saving her life, not surprising, why? Read and find out why, but I think Angelus wants the credit for killing the slayer NOT another demon.

Giles makes a later comment to Buffy about Angel's sword abilities, and his intention to double her sword training in case they duel. I love this nod towards the TV series as this prepares her for their eventual fight in "Becoming, Part Two." where Buffy DOES indeed Angelus in swordplay combat.

-Characters -

Kendra's presence makes this story even though she technically doesn't come back until the end of s2 before her eventual death in "Becoming, Part One.".

I didn't mind this tiny inconsistency as I felt sooooo much nostalgia seeing these two slayers work together to solve the latest demon threat in Sunnydale which was fun to see also character development with Kendra, she's still no-nonsense, still shy around Xander but she's a lot more confident within herself and more easy-going which cool to see, though it would've been even cooler to see this unfold on TV before she was killed off.

And plus, I kinda miss Kendra! Even though Faith eventually comes into the picture, Kendra doesn't get enough love I reckon!!

I loved seeing the Whirlwind!! Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla!!

Since Doug is also one of the writers on the show, he did an exceptional job in capturing the characters' personalities, and without being tied down with TV budget restraints he could really let his creativity run wild which was really captivating read from beginning to end!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set amid Season 2, this book sees Angelus seizing an ancient set of samurai armour in the hopes of resurrecting the demon warrior which once wore it. Buffy and her friends are distracted from their efforts to counter Angelus' plan by the fact that Giles' behaviour has become erratic following the murder of his beloved Jenny at Angelus' hands.

This book has two elements to it that make it stand out from most of the other Buffy graphic novels I've read; firstly it actually dares to tackle a significant plot with genuine emotional stakes for the main characters and secondly the art is really good.

Among the interesting plot elements to this book is the concept of a demon so powerful that Drusilla actually chooses to ditch both Angelus and Spike to take up with him. More than anything else that served to sell the threat posed by Kelgor and added the dynamic of a three-way conflict in which Spike and Angelus also have to now try to kill the demon.
On top of that is the way this book deals with Giles' emotional fallout from the murder of his lover, giving him the chance to actually go to some pretty dark places (literally and metaphorically) before he finds his way back to being a Watcher.

Sook's artwork is, as mentioned, also a stand-out for me and did a great job of selling the atmosphere of the book whilst also having believable representations of the familiar characters. Tonally, the art here reminded me a lot of that of Mike Mignola, which fitted very well with the Buffy franchise.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scooby gang hears of a ship illegally shipping something mystical. They go into research mode while Giles mourns the death of a lover. Buffy kicks ancient history where it belongs--in the history books.

[Abby Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a little Buffyverse.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great evil tries to be resurrected, Buffy tries to stop it.
An exciting story that's well told and with a surprise guest appearance.
My only issue is I didn't get on with the art style.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art in the comic was beautifully done, and really captured the cast. The Giles storyline was not exactly in character. Also, where was Mr. Pointy????

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. You may have noticed that some of these comics I’ve enjoyed, and others I’ve given mediocre to poor reviews. If your memory is exceptionally good, you may remember that I was….not so much a fan of Ryan Sook’s work on a couple of the Spike & Dru stories. There, his style evoked Mike Mignola without ever rising to that level of genius and sophistication. I thought it was too minimalist, I think. Here? Here, I loved it. Sook has improved his craft and tweaked his style a bit, not forsaking his roots but adding to them a previously-unseen degree of sophistication. Here his work still evokes Mignola at times, but has enough detail to truly be called beautiful. I really liked it. The writing was spot-on too, of course, which you would expect from Petrie as one of the show’s stable of writers. The best part? You can read this comic for free online via the BBC! (Link here) I’m going to go back and see if other comics I’ve reviewed are similarly available, post links to that in the relevant reviews. Alternatively, you could find an original edition of it, possibly a reprint (not sure if it’s still being printed or not), or you could find it in the second Buffy omnibus from Dark Horse Comics.

This particular graphic novel is set towards the end of Buffy season 2, after Angel loses his soul and reverts to his Angelus persona but before the explosive season finale. Buffy is reeling from Angel’s betrayal. Giles is nearly out of his mind with grief over the death of Jenny Calendar, dead at Angelus’ hands. Angelus? He’s happy to be back and ready to unleash Hell on Earth. Teamed up with Spike and Drusilla, his current plan involves resurrecting an ancient Samurai demon who once terrorized feudal Japan. Because that’s how this works, he happens to be buried in Sunnydale. And unless Buffy and Giles can get their heads back in the game, Sunnydale may find itself with a new diabolical overlord….

Like I said, this was good stuff all around. I compare the art to Mignola’s….favorably this time! Everyone was recognizable, which isn’t to be taken for granted in early Buffy comics. And as I mentioned before, the writing and characters’ voices were spot on, from dialogue to pacing. It was superb, and I really don’t know how much more I can say without repeating myself. So, I'll settle for this: this story feels like an episode of the show that never aired. There's nothing new, nothing earth-shattering here, but it feels like it should be just one more episode as the story moves forward.

In terms of canon this is, as always, a bit tricky. Beyond the fact that none of the comics Whedon had nothing to do with are officially canon, this particular graphic novel has a tightrope to walk. It obviously happens after Angel loses his soul in Buffy S02E14: Innocence, but before the events of the finale. Willow performs some magic in this story, which she really only becomes interested in after S02E19: I Only Have Eyes For You. She needs some assistance from Giles, so I don’t necessarily think this is incompatible with her development on the show, but it does strain credibility that she could do so much so quickly. In an episode of Angel she quips that re-ensouling Angel was the first spell she ever learned, but that doesn’t have to be taken as gospel. Given these factors, I place this story just before the two-part finale to Buffy Season 2.

CONTENT: Some violence, consistent with media from the Buffyverse. Mild language. No real sexual content, aside from mild flirting. Buffyverse vampires, which are debatably occultic, plus some working of magic for the purposes of resurrection. Not to mention that Kelgor is a demon.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! It takes place after Angelus murders Jenny (Sn. 2, Ep. 17 "Passion") and shows Giles grieving Jenny and being impulsive. It's incredibly sad but also I love seeing Giles be a real person. It also features another supernatural attempt on Buffy by Angelus, Spike, and Dru, which is always a fun dynamic. Trying to nail down this timeline...its after Willow begins actively practicing magic (possibly after Sn. 2, Ep. 19 "I Only Have Eyes For You" where Giles is obsessing over Jenny, and Willow begins dabbling in her pagan sources), Spike is still in a wheelchair, and Buffy's hand gets burned.

[Slayermel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story takes place around season two when Angel had been repossessed by Angelus. Angelus is determined to take over the world and destroy humanity! He steals a samurai suit which gives power to an ancient demon that is powerful enough to destroy the Slayer and all that stand in its way. Dru and Spike have a fairly large part in this story which is always fun, and Giles is struggling with the aftermath of Jenny Calendars death.

The illustrations where done well, and it was an enjoyable story. I would definitely recommend it to any Buffy Fan.

[Ilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild that the writer and artist did not communicate directly at all in the making of the book. It turned out ok – a snappy three-parter set just before the end of Season 2 and dealing pretty well with Giles’s grief at the death of Jenny Calendar. The art is very strongly influenced by Mignola, Sook’s layouts providing space for details like flowers falling on a grave or a statue splattered with blood. It’s dark, but Petrie’s quippy script balances out the tone. A good Buffy comic.

[johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

the illustrations were great and very much resembled the characters from the TV series. i particularly like the before and after of many graphic novels with forwards from people involved in the creating of such a genre and sketches usually at the end of the book. this was a fun, short comic that i read in about an hour or less.

[Gʀᴇʏʜᴀᴍᴇ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd be willing to give this a zero.

I'm usually not that harsh but this was a mess and it offended my intelligence. I'm so tired of reading BTVS comics where every last character is fucked up to pieces. Ever piece of dialogue is disgustingly ridiculous. Seriously, if you aren't up to doing the show and the characters justice just don't try...

[Kesara · Rating 5 out of 5]

googd book

[Kristy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buffy fix.