The Cursed Coven

The Cursed Coven is the second and final graphic novel from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Written and illustrated by Casey Nowak, it was originally published on September 24, 2019.

Synopsis

It's finally summer vacation, but Buffy Summers isn't getting a break from vampire slaying... or from school. While Cleveland teens are going missing and Sarafina is growing closer with her older sister's witchy coven, Buffy is stuck splitting her time between classes during the day and patrolling for all kinds of demons and dark creatures at night. Buffy feels crushed! Not only is she missing all the summer fun she dreamed of, but her friendships are a hot mess. Little does Buffy know, things are going to get worse. A new, dangerous foe who threatens to ruin her summer and all of Cleveland is on the horizon.

With tempers flaring and the heat rising, Buffy needs to figure out how to balance homework, monsters, witches, and frenemies before it's too late.

Like Star Wars: Jedi Academy and DC Comics's Secret Hero Society, this action-packed and fun-filled story is told through comics, journal entries, class notes, doodles, text messages, and other in-world artifacts.^[1]

Summary

Continuity

This story is a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer using the original series' mythology.

• Buffy dreams about Primum Dominum, the vampire she defeated in New School Nightmare.
• Buffy writes about demons previously known in the Buffyverse: the Gentlemen from "Hush," the heckmouth spawn from "Prophecy Girl," Grox'lar beasts from "Just Rewards," and vengeance demons from "The Wish."
• Buffy also encounters a heckhound and two succubi, previously featured in "The Prom" and in Spike: A Dark Place.
• Buffy imagines having a sister and only having time for her at dawn, the name of her sister in the TV series ("Real Me").
• Melanie's dogs are named Angel and Spike, Buffy's vampiric romantic interests in the series ("Angel," "Once More, with Feeling").
• Buffy goes to the Doublemeat Palace, the restaurant her original counterpart began working in the episode "Doublemeat Palace."
• In reference to her original counterpart's quotes, Buffy declares: "I'm Buffy, and you're history." as in "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date"; "To make you a vampire, they have to such your blood, and then you have to suck their blood. It's, like, a whole big sucking thing." as in "Welcome to the Hellmouth"; and "It's a sham with yams. It's a yam sham." as in "Pangs." Similarly, Sparks declares: "If there's something bad out there, we'll find it, Buffy will slay it, and then we'll party." in reference to Xander in "Nightmares," "mature as a blueberry scone" in reference to Giles in "The Prom," and "The Earth is definitely doomed." as Giles did in "Chosen." Also, Alvaro says: "Dork-head? You slash me with your words." like Xander did in "What's My Line? Part Two."

Appearances

Individuals

• Alice
• Alvaro
• Angel
• Cheese Man (Only mentioned)
• Liam Davis
• Dee
• Melanie Dutch
• Emma
• Greg (Only mentioned)
• Helene
• Jane
• Penelope (Only mentioned)
• Primum Dominum (Only in visions)
• Rae
• Root
• Sarafina
• Xander Schippa (Only picture)
• Winnifred Sparks
• Spike
• Buffy Summers
• Joyce Summers
• Ursula
• "Fair lady"

Organizations and titles

• Hands of Eternity
• Scooby Gang
• Slayer
• Watcher
• Witch

Species

• Demon
  • Gentlemen (Only in illustration)
  • Groxlar (Only in illustration)
  • Heckhound
  • Kith'harn demon (Only mentioned)
  • Sol Zamale trinity demon
  • Succubus (Only in illustration)
  • Vengeance demon (Only in illustration)
• Human
  • Werewolf
• Vampire

Locations

• Cleveland
  • Bimbots Books (Only mentioned)
  • Central Mall
  • Cleveland West Middle School
    • Cleveland West Middle School library
  • Diablos Boca
    • Heckmouth
  • Doublemeat Palace
  • Frosty Swirl (Only mentioned)
  • Gallery
  • Impuzzible Puzzle Palace (Only mentioned)
  • Shoe Shack (Only mentioned)
  • Summers residence
• Sunnydale (Only mentioned)
  • Heckmouth (Only mentioned)
• Transylvania

Objects

• Buffy Summers' diary
• Cleveland Creepypasta
• Gem of Amara (Only mentioned)
• Mister Pointy
• Nutty Fiber Loops
• Stake
• Vampyr (Only in illustration)

Rituals and spells

• Casual summoning
• "Dicere verum"
• "Frigida glacies ventus"
• Hearth-cat
• "Ignis incende" (Only mentioned)
• "Vegetat facitque viventia"

Death count

• "Fair lady" vampire, staked by Buffy in the cemetery.
• One heckhound, stabbed by Buffy in the boardwalk.
• Unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy in the cemetery.
• Two succubi, slayed by Buffy (only mentioned).
• Unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy in the mall.
• Jane, staked by Buffy in the abandoned house.
• Emma, staked by Buffy outside the abandoned house.
• Alice, beheaded by Buffy at the Heckmouth.

Behind the scenes

Production

• Buffy tries to write the plural of succubus — "succubi" — and the Latin expression for "seize the day" — carpe diem.

Pop culture references

• Sparks watches a performance of King Lear in a festival on William Shakespeare.
• Buffy's mom dreamed of Buffy becoming a painter like Pablo Picasso.
• Melanie describes the TV series Firefly, which, contrary to her expectations, only has one season.

References

1. ↑ "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Cursed Coven by Carolyn Nowak." Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Retrieved on January 8, 2019.