Joss Whedon has stepped away from the Batgirl movie, but he' returning to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That news won't help soften the blow of losing his potential DC Comics movie, but fans of Whedon specifically may be pleased to see him returning to a property that hasn't failed him yet. And now that he's been attached to co-write the comic series for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning, Whedon fans have something to forward to once more.

Whedon first caught the public eye when he created cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in 1997. Since then, Whedon's career has lifted him to stratospheric heights. He'll forever be remembered as the mastermind behind 2012's The Avengers, but fortunately Whedon's experience with Warner Bros. has been less successful. Justice League proved particularly divisive, and he's now stepped down from a Batgirl movie, too.

Surprisingly, it seems Whedon is returning to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. According to CBR he's been confirmed as co-writer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning. Whedon is working with experienced Buffy scribe Christos Gage and artist Georges Jeanty.

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Although the TV series ended back in 2003, Buffy has generated a succession of popular comic book series. These pick up from where the show left off, and to date they've run through eleven "seasons." Whedon himself has often been involved with these, and it seems he's been drawn back to the comics. This time round, though, the "season" will sadly only run four issues in length.

While fans will be disappointed to hear this series is so short, they can take solace in a plot that sounds absolutely thrilling. Xander and Dawn's house-warming party will be crashed by some familiar faces warning of a new threat; Wolfram & Hart have allied with a legion of demons, Harth, and even a time-traveling vampire. It seems time travel will be a major part of the story, given Buffy will find herself trapped in a time warp. If she doesn't survive, it could apparently spell the end of the Slayers forever.

Perhaps most shocking is one variant cover, which shows Buffy holding a baby girl. It's immediately leading fans to speculate that Buffy may actually become a mother in The Reckoning. With time travel involved, of course, it's quite possible the truth could be far more complicated. This could even be a baby Buffy, targeted by her enemies.

Comic book fans can expect a lot of major figures to return, including Fray - a future Slayer created by Whedon back in 2001. Angel, Ilyria, and Faith will all appear; meanwhile, another variant cover shows Giles restored to adulthood (in the comics, he's currently been turned into a teenager).

Joss Whedon may have stepped down from Batgirl, but there's a sense in which he's still working with superheroes. After all, the Slayer is just as much a superhero as any other mystical powerhouse, and Buffy always celebrated the classic superhero tropes. It will certainly be exciting to see what Whedon has in store for Buffy and the Scooby Gang.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning #1 hits the shelves on June 20.

MORE: The History Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer From Season 8 On

Source: CBR