Starting with the release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31 in March, crime novelists Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe will be the new writers of the popular ongoing comic-book series. Fassbender and Pascoe get a running start on scaring the Scooby gang by introducing a new four-part miniseries in which Buffy's new boyfriend has a brush with death, and Giles sparks a relationship with a mysterious woman who may be more than the Watcher bargained for.

Something strange is in the air in Sunnydale, and this time it's not blood breath or even that typical Hellmouth stink. Supernatural activity is even on the rise, particularly in one dark and scary alley. When Buffy's boyfriend decides to use that particular alley as a short cut, his life is nearly cut short by a vengeful ghost who seeks more than mere revenge on his killers. Meanwhile, Giles finds himself swept up in a newly-blossoming romance with an intriguing woman whose presence in his life may be a harbinger of a new darkness to come.

"The story takes place the summer after the fourth season of the show, and it introduces a new girlfriend for Giles, and really gets into the new bloodlust Buffy had going into the fifth season," explained series editor Scott Allie, who is now working more closely than ever with Buffy creator Joss Whedon to bring the Slayer's adventures to comics. "This was a story we worked up directly with the guys from the show, so it's got a solid stamp of approval on it, and it has the strongest feel of the TV show of any comic we've done so far."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31 starts a four-issue miniseries showcasing the suspenseful storytelling talents of new series writers Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe as well as the acclaimed art of series regulars Cliff Richards and Joe Pimentel. Look for Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31 on sale for $2.99 starting March 28.