"Out of the Woodwork" is a comic book storyline based on the Buffy television series and published in Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31-34 by Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...

. It was later reprinted in a trade paperback collected edition.

General synopsis

During one of Sunnydale's hottest summer, the town is suffering from a severe infestation of insects anyone. Strangely, some people are starting to transform into huge demonic insects. Buffy and company must stop this.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31

Comic title: Lost and Found

A Sunnydale alleyway becomes the center of some weird happenings. Buffy and her friends try and find out. Meanwhile Giles has a new girlfriend, but the Scoobies suspect she can't be trusted.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #32

Comic title: Invasion

The Scooby Gang cope with a ghost in an alleyway and an infestation of really angry insects. Whoever is responsible remains hidden to the gang. Giles seems unusually upbeat thanks to the company of his new woman.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #33

Comic title: Hive Mentality

Giles' new lady-friend is has gone missing and may have been taken by bugmen. Willow and Tara read a dusty volume called Demonic Entomology to try and solve Sunnydale's insect problem. Giles is worried that he might lose another lover yet must rely on Buffy to defeat the insect-threat.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #34

Comic title: Out of the Fire, Into the Hive

Buffy and her friends discover the secret behind the Sunnydale infestation. Meanwhile the bug hunt to an end as Buffy challenges a crazy scientist, lots of nasty bugs, and their Queen.

Continuity

• Supposed to be set in Buffy season 4.
• Takes place after Past Lives
  Past Lives (Buffy/Angel comic)
  "Past Lives" is a comic book storyline based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series and published in Buffy the Vampire Slayer #29–30 and Angel #15–16. It was later reprinted as a trade paperback collected edition.-Angel #15:...
  
  , and before False Memories
  False Memories (Buffy comic)
  "False Memories" is a story arc that ran through Buffy the Vampire Slayer #35–38 based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series...
  
  .

Canonical issues

Buffy comics

Buffy comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics refer to comic books based on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While many of these comics were published when the television show was on air they are not all considered canonical and often deal with characters who do not appear on in the television...

 such as this one are not usually considered by fans as canonical. However, unlike fan fiction

Fan fiction

Fan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...

, overviews summarizing their story, written early in the writing process, were approved by both Fox and Joss Whedon

Joss Whedon

Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...

(or his office), and the books were therefore later published as officially Buffy merchandise.