Spun-off from the regular Dark Horse Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic series, The Origin does exactly what it implies.

Taking the original screenplay for the 1992 motion picture, vastly different to the one that made it to cinemas, Joss Whedon agreed that the screenplay itself should be adapted, this time as a comic series. The twist: now the characters seen in the story would be modelled on their television series counterparts.

If you’ve only seen the movie, you’ll notice no reference to a burning gymnasium and a radically different Joyce Summers and Merrick. Now these characters and plot lines were stitched together, creating an entertaining and curious look at the movie and creating a prequel to the beloved television show.