"The Death of Buffy" was a story arc that ran through Buffy the Vampire Slayer #43–45 based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. The arc was later collected in a trade paperback

Trade paperback (comics)

In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...

 edition.

Story description

Following the events of "The Gift

The Gift (Buffy episode)

"The Gift" is the fifth season finale, and the 100th episode, of the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . It was the last episode to air on The WB Television Network and was labeled as the "series finale", though the show was immediately picked up by rival network UPN for an...

", Buffy's friends are trying to live on without the slayer. However their emotional states remain unbalanced. A demon feeds off their emotions.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #43

Comic title: The Death of Buffy, part 1

Buffy is dead. The Scooby Gang soon realize that Sunnydale will lose control over the dark forces. Willow takes lead but soon Sunnydale is under attack from disgruntled lizard-demons.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #44

Comic title: The Death of Buffy, part 2

Willow, Xander, and the Scooby Gang try to fight off the lizard wizards. They had come to remove the Slayer but found that Buffy was already dead. They turn their attentions to the ones Buffy left behind.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #45

Comic title: The Death of Buffy, part 3

The lizard-demons try to resurrect their deceased leader and destroy the town. Buffy's friends attempt to face the threat without Buffy. Willow learns from the reptilian mystics.

Continuity

• Supposed to be after Buffy season 5, following "The Gift
  The Gift (Buffy episode)
  "The Gift" is the fifth season finale, and the 100th episode, of the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . It was the last episode to air on The WB Television Network and was labeled as the "series finale", though the show was immediately picked up by rival network UPN for an...
  
  " but before Buffy season 6 episode, "Bargaining, Part One".

Story description

Buffy has returned from the grave but the D.J. vampire Velatti has also returned and seeks revenge. She has also noticed that Willow's addiction to magic is spinning out of control.

Continuity

• Supposed to be in Buffy season 6, some time after the episode "Doublemeat Palace" and probably before the episode "As You Were". Withdrawal is a sequel to Creatures of Habit
  Creatures of Habit (Buffy comic)
  Creatures of Habit is an illustrated novel based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.-Story description:A new clubbing experience is emerging in Sunnydale. DJs are mixing up music, drugs, and blood. One of Spike's old friends is encouraging teens in Sunnydale at some underground raves...
  
  , but does not take place immediately after Creatures of Habit.

Canonical issues

Buffy comics

Buffy novels

Buffy novels have been published since 1998. Originally, under the Pocket Books imprint of Simon & Schuster they are now published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment which launched in 2004...

 such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. However, unlike fan fiction

Fan fiction

Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...

, overviews summarizing their story, written early in the writing process, were approved by both Fox and Joss Whedon

Joss Whedon

Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

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