⤷ Note: This article is about the issue. For the collection, see Stranger Things (HC).

Stranger Things is the eighth and final issue of the Spike comic book series. Written by Brian Lynch and illustrated by Franco Urru, it was originally published on May 4, 2011, by IDW Publishing.

Synopsis

IDW's last Spike issue! Tears! Terror! Will Spike be able to put his demons to rest (figuratively and literally), or will this final challenge be "the end" of our favorite vampire, poet, lover, and friend? Hint: It won't.^[1]

Summary

Continuity

• This series takes place circa year 2006, after the Fall of Los Angeles was undone in After the Fall, Part Seventeen, but before Spike's arrival with his ship in Twilight, Part Four.
• Spike mentions attending Woodstock, as he first described in the episode "School Hard."
• After having their purpose in assisting Spike for one year, the bug crew will conclude their mission building a new home in an Easter Island's cave (A Dark Place, Part Five).
• Spike tells Jeremy to leave Angel for him to deal; Spike will discover Angel's identity and plans as the masked Twilight after researching him as soon as he returns to the planet (Last Gleaming, Part One).
• Spike's last words of this series, "Lets get to work," had been Angel's in "Not Fade Away" and Buffy's in Last Gleaming, Part Five.

Appearances

Individuals

• Angel (Only mentioned)
• Anna
• Beck
• Betta George
• Clifton
• Drusilla
• Jiminy
• Jeremy Johns
• KLKK RKKKK FKKKT
• Malposo Angra Mazda Ormazd Yazatas Mainyu
• Marv
• Willow Rosenberg (Only mentioned)
• Spike
• Brandon Thilbault

Organizations and titles

• Senior Partners
• Team Spike
• Witch (Only mentioned)
• Wolfram & Hart
• Wolfram & Hart Security

Species

• Bug crew
• Demon
  • Mothra (Only mentioned)
  • Ringel demon
  • Splenden beast
• Human
  • Werewolf
• Vampire

Locations

• Las Vegas
  • Hart
• Primm
  • Mosaic Wellness Center

Objects

• Blood
• Spike's ship

Death count

• Unknown number of bugs, including KLKK RKKKK FKKKT, killed by Wolfram & Hart operatives.
• Unknown number of Wolfram & Hart operatives, killed by one of the Senior Partners.

Behind the scenes

Production

• Clifton finds three dinosaur toys on the ship's dashboard, this disposition likely reference to a scene from the debut episode of Joss Whedon's Firefly television series.

Distribution

• Stranger Things was the 186th best-selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 7,652 sales in May 2011 at comic specialty stores.^[2]

Collections

• Stranger Things
• Spike: The Complete Series

Pop culture references

• Spike mentions attending Woodstock 1969 music festival.
• Spike compares the Senior Partner's voice with Michael Clarke Duncan.
• Jeremy considers making his bachelor party at dinner theater Medieval Times.

Gallery

CoverS

Cover artwork

References

1. ↑ "Spike #8 (of 8)." IDW Publishing. Retrieved on September 13, 2019.
2. ↑ "Top 300 Comics Actual--May 2011." ICv2, June 13, 2011.