Welcome, readers! Here you’ll find this week’s comics releases from Dark Horse Comics! There’s a new Angel & Faith graphic novel, a new Alabaster, and a new Harrow County. What more could we ask for, right? Here’s the full list in case that wasn’t enough for you.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9: Library Edition, Vol. 1
Written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss, Jane Espenson, and Scott Allie
Illustrated by Georges Jeanty, Karl Moline, and Cliff Richards
Colored by Michelle Madsen
Cover by Steve Morris
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 14, 2015
Cover Price: $29.99

The classic slayer wit and charm returns in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9: Library Edition, Volume 1. After an epic, yet fairly disappointing story-arc in season 8, Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss, Georges Jeanty, and a small group of other talented writers and artists have recaptured the allure and excitement that made Buffy, well…Buffy!

Season 9 has been available for a while now — with season 10 already in the middle of its run — but if you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, the Library Edition, Volume 1 is the perfect place to start. Collecting the first and second volumes of the ninth season, as well as a couple of one-shots, there is a plethora of scoobie mischief to take a stab at all at once.

Thun’Da #1
Written by Robert Place Napton
Art by Cliff Richards
Colored by Esther Sanz
Letters by Marshall Dillion
Cover by Jae Lee
Thun’Da Created by Frank Frazetta
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 8, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

I have to admit, I don’t know anything about the main character of this book, and I’m guessing, neither do you. But, that’s a GOOD THING. Because Thun’Da #1 is ALL intro, and believe me, it’s one heck of a ride.

Writer Robert Place Napton does a really good job here of writing this first issue as almost a silent issue, but there’s a purpose for that, unlike so many comics that are just trying to copy the infamous GI Joe #21. First, we’re introduced to our hero under extreme circumstances. VERY extreme. From there, it only gets worse. It’s safe to say that he’s thrust into a world that even he doesn’t believe exists. Someplace where he’s got to survive on barely his wits alone. What’s even more entertaining is that he has no memory of who he is, where he’s from, or what he can do. So, he’s basically coming at this whole story from the audience’s point of view, which is really refreshing. I found this comic to be a very fun read.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 9 #10
Story by Andrew Chambliss and Scott Allie
Pencils by Cliff Richards
Ink by Andy Owens
Colors by Michelle Madsen
Cover by Phil Noto
Alternate Cover by Georges Jeanty with Dexter Vines and Michelle Madsen
Created by Joss Whedon
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 13, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 9 is all about the big existential questions interspersed with some brief action scenes and lovey bits thrown in. Joss Whedon is still the producer and occasional writer of his original creation, so all of those elements seem just as entertaining and challenging as ever. The Apart (Of Me) storyline has been no exception with Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #10 rounding up the arc in an orderly fashion. There are no big explosions or revelations, but with a more internalized plot like this one, that would have just been rather tacky. Not to worry, there is stuff actually happening.

Buffy-Bot (body of robot, brain o’ Buffy) and Buffy-Not (body of Buffy, brain o’ Robot) get in a tussle with the latest big bad, the rough slayer Simone, Spike’s “bug army” shows up, Detective Dowling is upset over the loss of his partner turned zompire Cheung, Buffy makes a decision about her coffee shop gig, Spike and Buffy make some progress in their relationship etc. All that is rather important, as it sets up the next wave of Buffydom tales in a very natural manner.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8
Library Edition, Volume 1 HC
Script by Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils by Georges Jeanty, Paul Lee, Cliff Richards
Inks by Andy Owens
Colors by Dave Stewart, Michelle Madsen
Cover by Jo Chen
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $29.99

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was, and is, one of the most enduring popular cult television shows to ever hit the airwaves. Fan conventions routinely feature the stars of the show, as well as panel discussions. Legions of followers all over the world adore the Buffyverse and when it went off the air, we all thought that was it. But much to the joy of Buffy fans everywhere, creator Joss Whedon teamed up with Dark Horse Comics in 2007 to produce the continuation of the events of the television series.

When the first few issues came out, viewers of the TV show who weren’t also comic book fans and weren’t accustomed to the shift in format weren’t sure if the experience would translate for them from screen to book (usually it’s the other way around, with comic books getting big and sometimes small screen adaptations), but the one thing every fan wanted to know was what would happen next. Due to constraints, television plotlines usually can’t afford to veer off in all sorts of different directions the way comics do, and it takes whole seasons to properly go through one storyline. But with comics, the potential for several plotlines multiplies, and this can sometimes cause the reader to feel lost, but this isn’t the case with Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Volume 1, a hardcover edition that collects the first two arcs of Season 8 (there are eight volumes in total) along with two stand-alone stories together. This is 304 pages of awesomeness that makes the ultimate gift for any die-hard Buffy fan, particularly if they never got around to reading the single issues.