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.

B.P.R.D.: Being Human TPB
Written by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, John Arcudi
Art by Karl Moline, Richard Corben, Ben Stenbeck, Guy Davis, Andy Owens, Jo Chen
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Mike Mignola
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 30, 2011
Cover Price: $17.99

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi have crafted the Hellboy and B.P.R.D. universe in a way that is continually referencing the past. In a world in which the dead rarely stay dead and old enemies rise to cause havoc again, it is important to know the history of most B.P.R.D. books. In B.P.R.D.: Being Human Mignola and Arcudi tackle the often brought up but seldom detailed pasts of B.P.R.D. agents Abe Sapien, Roger, Liz, and Johann. In this collection of backstories we are introduced to the dark and often devastating pasts of each character as they go on their first field mission or struggle with life as a B.P.R.D. field agent. Some stories are stronger then others in this trade paperback, but the introduction of each character’s past is all wonderfully developed and a must-read for any B.P.R.D. fan.

Samurai’s Blood #6
Story by Owen Wiseman
Art by Nam Kim, Matthew Dalton, Sakti Yuwono
Cover by Jo Chen
Image Comics
Release Date: December 14, 2011
Cover Price: $2.99

Samurai’s Blood comes to end this week as issue 6 hits stands and wraps up a series that has continually impressed me with each blood-soaked page. Creative team Owen Wiseman and Nam Kim have once again out done themselves with issue 6 of Samurai’s Blood. The most disappointing aspect of Samurai’s Blood is simply that it is ending. AKurosawa-style justice is dished out I can only marvel at the style and tone of this issue while mourning the end of an amazing 6 issue comic series.

Kull: The Cat and the Skull #1
Written by David Lapham
Art by Gabriel Guzman
Colors by Dan Jackson
Letters by Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
Covers by Jo Chen, Stephanie Hans
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: October 12, 2011
Cover Price: $3.50

I have to admit, while I love the sword and sorcery genre, I’ve never been a huge Kull fan. I’m way more of a Conan guy. I know, a lot of people argue that they’re just two versions of the same character, but after reading Kull: The Cat and the Skull #1, I find that they’re really NOT all that similar. While Conan is, after all, a barbarian, Kull is much more civilized while still being able to let his savage side emerge when necessary.

The deal of the day over at Things From Another World today is the Runaways: Teenage Wasteland TPB for only $2.99 (that’s 80% off the list price of $14.99).

Note – This deal is valid only for today, Saturday, September 17, 2011, til 11:59PM PST while supplies last.

This trade paperback edition collects Marvel’s comic books series Runaways #7-12 from the creative team of Brian K. Vaughan, Adrian Alphona, Takeshi Miyaza, and Jo Chen.

Visit the TFAW’s Deal of the Day page to view the hours left in the sale as well as quantities left on the item.