One of the best Buffy comics from before Whedon introduced the various lines of canon stories. The ending is a bit bland, but this is otherwise great, with character voices being on-point, and the emotional core being superb due to choosing to centre it on Giles' dealing with a character death having happened on the show. Some small details are a bit off compared to the continutiy later established on the show itself (this was written during the show's early years), but never even close to the point of outright contradicting or jarring you out of the story.

Also, giant fire bird. ( )

Set during season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doug Petrie and Ryan Sook's Ring of Fire pits the Slayer and the Scooby Gang against Angel, Spike, and Dru, who are attempting to resurrect an ancient Japanese demon. Meanwhile, Giles continues to suffer following Jenny Calendar's death and tries to resurrect her. Petrie, as a writer on the show, effortlessly works his story into the existing continuity while Sook's art fits the dark, gothic nature of the story. As a non-canon story, it had no effect on either the series or the canonical comics continuation, but it's entertaining and represents the quality storytelling of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ( )