Just seeing this now: the filename of that (very pretty) Buffy Image suggests it's an alternate cover for #1. The mystery continues...

Very much looking forward to BKV writing Faith.

Niels | December 24, 21:22 CET

Nice Buffy art from Mr Jeanty. And BKV writing Faith? It's all good.



And that's very good. Merry Xmas everyone.

Simon | December 24, 21:23 CET

Well, 'merry' turned out to mean 'nailbiting and excruciating'. We're back up after a long, dark 48 hours!

Caroline | December 27, 00:23 CET

Yay! Happy Boxing Day!

Simon | December 27, 00:26 CET

Great news! I really like the alternate cover.

And Thank God I can get back on. I've been going insane. I usually come here every five minutes.

hitnrun017 | December 27, 00:38 CET

Glad to see the big W back. I missed you guys. *runs off to look up "Boxing Day" so as not to look like a stupid American.*

electricspacegirl | December 27, 00:42 CET

Yay, we're back again!!

sueworld2003 | December 27, 01:06 CET

Happy Boxing Day to everybody, especially those of us who don't know what that is.

Somebody on an earlier thread about an earlier preview picture was wondering what the thing around Buffy's waist is. I can see now it's a rappelling harness.

dreamlogic | December 27, 01:14 CET

Huzzah! All is right with the world now that we're back in black!

Willowy | December 27, 01:26 CET

We're back... we're back.
Just wanted to share my joy by the fact that we're finally back.

Numfar PTB | December 27, 01:28 CET

Happy Boxing Day to those of you who celebrate it!

And I'm so happy to see "the black" back up.

And here's one New Year's resolution I won't have any difficulty keeping: buying the Buffy season 8 comics. All these teasers just make me want March to get here more quickly.

palehorse | December 27, 01:31 CET

I'm really happy that Joss will now be writing 3 arcs of 4 issues each for the new comic. I'm also excited to see what BKV's take on Faith is and what he'll do with her. Finally I hope that Georges Jeanty does more than just the first arc as I'm rally liking what I've seen from him so far.

[ edited by derf on 2006-12-26 23:32 ]

Derf | December 27, 01:31 CET

Oh thank goodness ya'll are back up. I was starting to get the shakes. Hee!

Seriously though, at first glance I thought Buffy was fighting a T-Rex in that pic. Glad to see I was mistaken...not that she couldn't fight a T-Rex if need be. So anyway...

Happy Boxing Day!

skeezycheeses | December 27, 01:33 CET

It does look like a T-Rex at first...

Happy Boxing Day to everyone, because even though we Americans don't celebrate it, I for one could always use a happy day.

Also, much agreement about the goodness that is Whedonesque being back up.

newcj | December 27, 02:04 CET

Faith storyline? woooohoooooo!

April | December 27, 03:43 CET

I was thinking T-Rex too, until I saw the earring in the horn (may not be a sign of great intelligence, but definitely NOT your average T-Rex!). I am so excited about this series, and even more excited that Whedonesque is back up and running.

embers | December 27, 04:24 CET

Yippee. The Black is back. Thank you for all who worked over their holiday to fix it.

The more I see or read about "Season 8", the more excited I become. I'm liking what I've seen of Jeanty's artwork so far.

Happy Boxing Day to our friends across the pond and up in Canada.

MacGuffin | December 27, 05:09 CET

I was fortunate to hear about the horror stuff coming up at the Dark Horse panel at Comic-Con this last summer. It's very exciting for a comic neophyte like me.

I've got Fray to start reading this weekend, Buffy S8 in March and I'm sure I'll be getting other series, particularly in the Horror genre from Dark Horse. I have a question though that's bugging me and this seems like a good thread for it. What's the diff between a comic and a graphic novel? For instance, the movie From Hell was adapted from what's called a graphic novel and Buffy S8 is adapted from the television show but it's called a comic. Anyone? Thanks.

Tonya J | December 27, 05:55 CET

Thanks MacGuffin! I appreciate that Dark Horse would also have liked Joss to write the whole thing but I agree that the writers who have signed on do ease the pain a bit.
And I love the cover. Are we sure that it isn't a T-Rex? Even with an earring? Maybe it is an alternative universe, based on books by Robert Sawyer or something....

Lioness | December 27, 05:56 CET

Happy Belated Christmas and Boxing Days, all. I have long given out all my gifts to my tenants and am just now popping back from a quick year-end look at my place with the estate manager. It has been a good year, although I have just had to evict several tenants for non-payment of their hovel-rents. Ah, well. That's how the post-Boxing Day cookie crumbles.

I am so happy to see that whedonesque is back up that I am forgoing a trip out to view the llama-stables, although I was going to see them put through their paces.

Never mind, though, I'll see to them later. The important thing is that the Black has arisen, that Buffy is still fighting monsters, and that all's right with the world once more.

[ edited by QuoterGal on 2006-12-27 08:09 ]

QuoterGal | December 27, 10:07 CET

Good to have the site back up. I 've been off-line for both days of Christmas, and I don't know if I could've held out longer without some Whedony goodness. :-)

Tonya J, traditionally, graphic novels are stories of over a certain length that are published as complete books: as the word says, like novels. Comic books are the serialised form, or just the term for the medium in general.

But more and more, 'graphic novel' is also used to refer to collections of serials, primarily because many people associate 'comics' with something childish and feel more comfortable with a more fancy term. Hell, technically, 'From Hell' isn't a graphic novel, either--it first appeared in a serialised form as well.

For people interested in more of the Dark Horse Horror comics, let me recommend the wonderful little anthologies they have put out: 'The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings,' 'of Witchcraft,' 'of the Dead' and 'of Monsters.' Fifteen buck hardcovers with short stories that'll give you a great taste of the various styles out there.

Niels | December 27, 14:45 CET

"But more and more, 'graphic novel' is also used to refer to collections of serials, primarily because many people associate 'comics' with something childish and feel more comfortable with a more fancy term."

I've picked up on the term since I started frequenting Whedonesque, but found myself pausing when starting to write "graphic novel" as a description of Fray on my Secret Santa request at work. Does it sound like a polite name for porn to anyone else? :-o

newcj | December 27, 20:12 CET

T-Rexes generally didn't have short noses and huge tusks, so that is most definitely not a T-Rex. It is, however, awesome. My guess is it's some kind of huge lizard demon or dragon or something, or something we've never heard or thought of because it's a completely new genius concept.

About the semantics...allow me to go off on a bit of a tangent: In Swedish, it's even worse. We just have one word for comics; "Serier", which basically means "series", and it's used to describe TV shows aswell, so it's all very confusing. You always have to add "you know, the kind you read...with the word balloons..." to clarify that you're talking about comics. I think I'm gonna start calling it "graphic literature", but I'm afraid people would just go "you mean comics?".

GreatMuppetyOdin | December 27, 20:44 CET

Thanks, Telltale. That explanation helps, and also appreciate the tips on the horror anthologies.

Tonya J | December 27, 21:38 CET

BKV + Faith = puddle of fanboy drool. ;)

Nicanor | December 28, 22:32 CET

Let me add my thanks that the black is back. Thanks to all who worked to get it up and running for those of us who can't seem to live without it ;-).

Yay for Joss writing three arcs.

And thanks for all the Boxing Day wishes. Unlike a lot of people in my neck of the woods, I did not spend Boxing Day lining up or running from store to store looking for "Boxing Day Blowout" sales!

samatwitch | December 29, 12:18 CET

Unlike a lot of people in my neck of the woods, I did not spend Boxing Day lining up or running from store to store looking for "Boxing Day Blowout" sales!

I did a little of that. Luckily, the local comic book stores took part in the "blowout" phenomenon, and I picked up the Fray and Astonishing X-Men trade books for about 40% off. That should get me ready for Buffy season 8.

bigsofty | December 30, 07:45 CET