A cheap fifth of vodka only costs about 6 dollars. It's a cheap investment for heavy guilt and what-the-hell-was-I-thinking-ness.

stavrogin | September 25, 11:01 CET

6 dollars that IS cheap. Can you get one shipped with Fray?
seriously though can't wait.

bob bobbing | September 25, 16:17 CET

I remember in the 80's when they came out with the Elfquest compilations. I drove from one end of Houston to the other until I got all 6 (at the time) issues. The $12.95 purchase price seemed steep then, but it didn't dissuade me. I imagine I'll be the same with this. I already have the comics, but there's just something about a hardcover, isn't there?

Does anyone know if there will be any extras? Intro from Joss or any such?

Willowy | September 25, 18:20 CET

I would get back into comics specifically for the sake of the Buffy franchise. I'd like to get into back issues and graphic novel compilations, but the cost is just way too prohibitive. Actually, comics have been too expensive since the late 1980s. That's about when I quit collecting altogether. I've heard nothing that tops "Crisis On Infinite Earths" anyway. It all sounds downhill since.

ZachsMind | September 25, 18:43 CET

$80 is pretty steep, but my best friend is the inker on this series and so there's a good chance he is going to get me a copy... signed, no less. But even if he doesn't get one for me I've already ordered it from my comic shop. I too have the entire series run, but I love hardcovers or collections, particularly ones that display well.

As for extras, I know there will be a sketch book in it. There may be interviews with the creators, at least Joss. And I imagine there will be a cool intro by some celebrity or other...

Haunt | September 25, 18:58 CET

Oh Zachsmind, there's been loads of superb stuff since Crisis: Grant Morrison's X-Men, the Ultimate range, Kingdom Come, Marvels, Astro City, the Authority, Planetary, Preacher, anything Alan Moore has done in the last five years, Y: The Last Man, Fables, Hellboy and I'm sure others here can suggest other titles.

And Willowy from what I understand there will be extras such as sketches etc.

Simon | September 25, 19:02 CET

Simon: did you ever SEE Crisis? These other works don't hold a candle to it.

Admittedly, I haven't actually read all the comics you've mentioned (can't afford it), but I read up extensively on the critical analysis of comic fans who commented on the successors to Crisis like Kingdom Come and whatever that horrid thing was called where Green Lantern became an evil temporal bad guy..? Zero Hour was it? Sheesh. And the Flash stuff post Barry Allen? Huh? The death and resurrection of Superman. Well that was much ado about nuthin'.

And don't get me started on Marvel. The many incarnations of Spider-Man during and after McFarlane's questionable reign. Grey Hulk. Multiple Caps. Reworking Dazzler. The mutating comic franchises. Ugh. Not impressed over here. Crisis single-handedly rewrote DC's history, and while I was overwhelmed by the amazing effort, I don't like the fictional universe it left behind. Kinda like watching a really cool mystery thriller and then finding out it was all a dream. Kinda anti-climactic to the build up.

ZachsMind | September 25, 19:22 CET

Previews magazine lists the limited edition hardcover as being signed by Joss and Karl, with a sketchbook.

ZachsMind: DC constantly reinvent/restart their universe every 5 years or so simply because they get bogged down in continuity and want to draw in new readers. And Parallax was a fitting ending for Hal Jordan's Green Lantern.)

barry | September 26, 00:08 CET

I was never a fan of the "old school", pre-Crisis DC universe, and so while I recognize and appreciate what Crisis was and how well it was done... I just don't hold it up as the pinnacle of comics achievements. Than honor goes unquestionably to Sandman.

Dark Knight Returns was great.

Watchmen was great.

Kingdom Come and Marvels... both great.

But nothing, NOTHING compares to Sandman.

Following that was Preacher. And of the titles out and running right now I'd say that Fables and Hellboy stand a damned good chance of making it into my enduring favorites list. Runaways is also amazing, though still too new to really judge it's staying power.

But all respect goes to Neil Gaiman.

Haunt | September 26, 00:21 CET

Dark Knight Returns was great, the jury is still out on the sequel.

Zachsmind you're missing out on Kingdom Come but you're right about the cost of comic books.

Why are they so expensive?

Simon | September 26, 01:53 CET

Simon, beyond the fact that you're paying to support creative people, you're also paying three different groups, the comic company or creator, the distributor, and the comic shop.

jack knight | September 26, 02:14 CET

comic books-wise (actually i'd rather call them graphic novels)...everything pales in comparison to gaiman's SANDMAN (vertigo rules!).
fray was alright. i look forward to more collaborations between dark horse and joss

rsfayez | September 26, 02:52 CET