It's coming out next week, not next month.

Looks quite interesting.

UnpluggedCrazy | May 28, 15:19 CET

I like it a lot--it also looks like the writers have a bit of a homage to Near Dark going on (eg, female vampire named May (or Mae in the film), rural setting, main character's discontent with small town life...). Since that's one of my very favorite movies, I'm delighted if they did decide to include some of those elements.

Although, I'm most likely going to be delighted anyway. I'm an easy mark:)

JessicaMelusine | May 28, 15:28 CET

This expanded preview is lookin' good! I like the art and the tone so far.

Parabola | May 28, 15:29 CET

i am still bothered by the MA/NH discrepancy.
petty of me.

espalier | May 28, 15:30 CET

I would like to see more of these. It's nice to get a different perspective on Joss' Buffyverse.

Simon | May 28, 15:31 CET

Not crazy about the artwork, but the story looks interesting so far. I notice that the protagonist's friend doesn't like the people he hangs out with. Should (but probably won't) spike some of the "Why would everybody be like 'Vampires, yay!'" complaints. Obviously, everybody isn't (just like, not everybody wears the latest craze in fashions, regardless of how big a fad it may be.)

Rowan Hawthorn | May 28, 15:42 CET

Nice read. Like the art. Especially love the first cover (Fabio Moon/Gabriel Ba) Reminds me I should really buy the Tales of the Vampires paper back sometime, and maybe I'll buy this too (If I can find it anywhere).

Anyone know if this will spoil the main Buffy comic (latest thing I've read is the Time of Your Life TPB)? Seems pretty stand alone I'd guess, but I'd rather not risk it.

[ edited by the Groosalugg on 2009-05-28 15:45 ]

the Groosalugg | May 28, 15:45 CET

Next week is next month. ;)

I love the Moon/Ba cover. I might pick it up just for that, so if the interior is good that'll be a treat.

flakbait | May 28, 17:50 CET

I'm betting this one-shot will be more satisfying then the rest of the last arc.

Sparticus | May 28, 17:59 CET

I like the art, especially that first show of Jacob. And I like Jacob too. But his friends? Eh... not yet.

korkster | May 28, 18:48 CET

If Dark Horse is going down the indie Buffy route, can we have a Paul Pope Buffy please?

Simon | May 28, 19:42 CET

Art style is somewhere between Paul Pope (Heavy Liquid, 100%, etc) and...I don't know who. I like it, it's not often we get fairly alternative styles in the Buffy comics.

Didn't read the text, waiting for the real thing.

Kris | May 28, 19:52 CET

So is this part of the official story?

Let Down | May 29, 05:18 CET

Heh, I wonder too Let Down, but I had a feeling the canon debate would be something for the issue-specific thread next week, rather than bringing it up before the comic's had a chance to impress.

If it's quality and feels like it fits, I have a feeling most readers will accept it as canon. If it sucks, well, many if not most of the Buffy Season 8 comic readers accept the lesser issues as canon the same as viewers would accept a crappy episode (although I suppose you could skip over an ep in future viewings and introducing the show to new viewers if it's one of the few that doesn't have anything important happen and isn't referenced later). So, it'll depend. If it contains contradictions that can't be fanwanked away, then it's just glorified fanfiction that we paid for.

At least it's meant to fit into Season 8. Scott Allie seems happy with it (his job as an editor, but still), but I don't think Joss or anyone close to being as official as him has mentioned this comic.

Kris | May 29, 07:30 CET

I see the question of whether it's canon as entirely separate from whether it's good. Obviously, we don't want to start this debate again but the way I see it is that if Joss treats it as canon it's canon. If this is something Joss has nothing to do with then I'm unhappy with it being marketed as part of season 8. Ah well

Let Down | May 29, 07:39 CET

Anyone know if this will spoil the main Buffy comic (latest thing I've read is the Time of Your Life TPB)? Seems pretty stand alone I'd guess, but I'd rather not risk it.

Groosalugg, I strongly suspect it will spoil what's been going on since Time of Your Life

Let Down | May 29, 07:41 CET

Ok, thanks Let Down.

the Groosalugg | May 29, 09:32 CET

I save my money by only buying "canon" comics, so I'm interested in the answer to this question before I buy it. Is it actually part of Buffy Season 8? Or is it a break from the season for a month?

Lioness | May 29, 13:54 CET

It's set in the Buffy season 8 universe but has no impact on the main story from what I recall. So it's canon but pretty much irrelevant canon.

Simon | May 29, 14:37 CET

I'm not sure that answers the question Simon. It might be set in the Buffy universe but so are all the other non-canon comics. The question of whether it's canon boils down to whether it's official and in the Buffyverse that question boils down to whether Joss considers it official. If Dark Horse decided to this comic without Joss telling them it's part of the season then it's not canon even if they market it as part of season 8

Let Down | May 29, 16:06 CET

It's in the Season 8 storyline. That's all I need to know. Canon is an overrated concept as far as I'm concerned.

Sunfire | May 29, 16:56 CET

I agree with Sunfire. If it has nothing to do with the main characters, why does it matter if it's official?

I know the whole "canon" thing came up when the main characters were having their stories re-written and causing confusion and all, but if this comic doesn't touch that does it really matter if it has the official seal or not??

To me, a story that can play in the world with the rules of the world, make its own story yet still have respect for the world it plays in is totally cool with me. And this seems to have that. Why can't that be enough for happiness?

korkster | May 29, 19:27 CET

For some people, knowing if something's canon according to their take on the word IS happiness. I'm just not one of them.

Sunfire | May 29, 19:33 CET

It's an unloaded canon?

Sparticus | May 29, 20:05 CET

As John Lennon said, happiness is a warm canon

Let Down | May 30, 01:06 CET

It's just nice to know whether it "counts" or not toward what "actually" happened in the Buffyverse. If Season 8 hadn't involved Joss at all, nor any of the other Mutant Enemy writers without Joss' blessing, would you have been as optimistic about it from the outset ? Sure, other writers Dark Horse might've hired could've done something great with the property, but it's nicer to see it in the hands of its creator (in the case of this property, because it was quality to begin with--I can think of other franchises where later writers improved on the original. Like how the new V TV series, as much as I enjoyed the original `80s mini, looks poised to overtake it in terms of quality. There was room for improvement. In Buffy's case, I don't really want non-ME writers to get their hands on it, 'cause why risk it when there're so many ME writers who seem only happy to come back to it ?)

I was able to enjoy some of the better non-canon Dark Horse Buffy comics that came before Season 8. However, they were often noticeably better when written by the folks from the show (Jane Espenson's 4-issue Faith/Mayor Wilkins mini-series "Haunted", a bridge between Seasons 3 and 4, comes to mind...Joss' Fray...they're at the very least given more weight and importance, for whatever reason, by many fans, because they are written by those from the inside and those with a stronger working knowledge of the characters than outside writers. The only exception to this so far is Brian K. Vaughan, who is a huge Whedon fan and an excellent comic book writer in his own right and managed to produce a worthwhile piece of Season 8, IMO. There may've been other worthwhile, pre-Season 8 comics--for the art, I like the Season 2-set Ring of Fire, but it's not Doug Petrie's best work and it doesn't comfortably fit into Season 2--maybe Christopher Golden produced the odd great issue or arc, but what sticks out in my mind the best are the ME-involved comics. Therefore, based on past patterns for this franchise, I prefer the canon seal of approval).

Why does canon count ? Because if I'm buying non-canon comics, what's the point ? I can read fanfic online for free.

[ edited by Kris on 2009-05-30 04:59 ]

Kris | May 30, 04:57 CET