Book Description

Five moody gothic spine-tinglers buried deep in the "Vampire the Masquerade" role-playing game universe! This volume reprints five of White Wolf's "signature characters": "Theo Bell," "Beckett," "Calebros," "Lucita," and "Isabel." Tales of deception, mistrust, greed, and blood loss like you haven't seen before! Never turn your back, for things are rarely as they seem. ... Read more

Book Description

Michael Paris has inherited a plot in the remote town of Raven Hollow. As he arrives, he gets to find out what a doozie that is. He's basically inherited a cemetery that the villagers want razed! Why? It's haunted with apparently frightening creatures putting a curse on the whole town! But when Paris actually gets to meet some of the denizens of his inherited headache, it turns out they ain't all that bad (the vamp, in fact, is quite cute) and maybe the evil is not where it may seem... Collects the first 4-issue story arc of this best-selling increasingly popular series. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Big Book of Boneyard
What would you do if your grandfather died and left you some land? What would you do if the land was in a town that is always beneath a dark cloud? What would you do if the land was a graveyard? What if the graveyard was inhabited by a collection of supernatural beings? And what if the local sheriff has rallied the town into wanting to destroy the property?

Well, it probably won't happen to you but it does to Michael Paris, star of this wonderful dark comedy.

Clean black and white illustrations and unique characters really help move this story along. Right from the start we are rooting for Michael and the boneyard inhabitants. The story ends in a good fashion (no silly rabbit out of hat ending here) and leaves the reader wanting more Moore.

If you like this one, you will also like Moore's Far West.

Why don't my relatives leave me graveyards when they die?
This may be the funniest graphic novel that I've read in a LONG time! One of my friends brought it home from a honeymoon trip and it's been making the rounds ever since. Abbey is the coolest vampire chick I've seen in ages. The scene with her & Paris and the phone book made us all howl for hours. Buy this book- you won't regret it!

An Absolute Gem of a Book
I had heard rumblings here and there about Boneyard, and the concept of the book intrigued me to the point that I decided to try this trade paperback. In brief, Boneyard tells the story of a young man who inherits some land from his recently deceased grandfather. Rather than something immediately valuable, it turns out that the main character, Michael Paris, inherits a graveyard. To make matters worse, this graveyard is inhabited by a quirky and thoroughly charming group of "evil" beings -- and the locals are tired of sharing their town with these creatures. The conflict that ensues is enjoyable, though the real charm of Boneyard comes from the exploration and interaction of the great characters. This book collects the first four-issue story arc from the bi-monthly comic, and is thus a complete, stand-alone work in its own right.

Boneyard's creator, Richard Moore, is an outstanding artist who obviously loves what he does. The story and characters alone are interesting enough to justify the purchase, but Mr. Moore is such a talented artist that I found myself sometimes staring at a character's facial expressions as if the dialog were being spoken rather than read. Basically, the art really comes alive, and there are few comic artists who can pull it off at this level. Boneyard is something special. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

awsome actually scary tale
unlike other reviewers I think this tale was very possible it fit together fantastic. It was like a great terror suspense film and had a great atmosphere. Azzarello shines again

But Hellblazer is not about this stuff anyhow
Hm. How can I tell you my opinion about this book without spoiling it? Hmm. Let's try like this.

Hellblazer is not about this kind of stories. Not normally.
This is a very dark tale about desperate men and women in a desperate town - and the impossibility of saving them from themselves.

Sounds good, isn't it?

Unfortunately, John Constantine (the main character) really doesn't fit in this tale, and all the efforts to turn the story into something "Hellblazerish" repeatedly fail. Worse than that, they turn the tale into pastiche with all that forced and unnecessary imagery of disturbing, dead and corrupted stuff.

Oh. And the basic premise for the story is waaaay improbable, as soon as you stop to ponder it, and really just a gimmick to inject some (well, quite a lot of) shock value in the book.

Not excessively bad, but Hellblazer is another kind of stuff. ... Read more

Book Description

The largest book of Angel stories yet, this volume completes the collection of Angel Volume 1, featuring stories set in the first season of the hit television series. It sees the evolution of the team of vampire hunters from the very beginning, through the death of sidekick Doyle. The title story, drawn by artist Christian Zanier, features a vampire brothel, in which the bloodsucking madam tries to lure Angel into unholy congress with his own kind. This volume also features the first solo Cordelia story, in which she and her haunted apartment defend themselves against a demonic intruder. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Vampire of Ill Repute
'Strange Bedfellows' offers an interesting mix of Angel comic lore. The rarest piece is not from the comic series at all. 'Point of Order' is a David Fury and Ryan Sook tidbit that originally appeared in The TV Guide Ultimate Cable Magazine, of all places. This is a four pager where Angel and the judge get to compare the size of their gavels. 'The Changeling Wife' was done for Angel #4 by Chris Golden and Eric Powell. Our lone vampire thinks he is rescuing a woman from an abusive spouse, but quickly finds that he still doesn't understand the dynamics of human/demon relationships.

Golden and Powell come together again for 'Phantom Dennis,' a humorous tale of Cordelia and her invisible roommate, Dennis the poltergeist. This one is from Angel #17. Cordy just wants to clean up and go to bed, but Angel drops of a jar of demon heart for her to look after. Ever thoughtful, Dennis comes to her defense when a visitor shows up for a snack and an unexpected tennis lesson.

The gem of the collection is the title story, which pits Angel against a vampire bordello. When one of the ladies of the night gets a little too hungry, Angel steps in. Angel finds unexpected help from the madam of the house. This time it takes all of Angel's broody self-control to keep his mind on business. Golden and Sniegoski are the writers for this episode, while Christian Zanier once again demonstrates a hot pencil when it comes to illustrated women.

This is my first introduction to the illustrated Angel, and I'm quite impressed. Dark Horse has a high quality artistic and writing staff, and has given the Angel series every bit of the attention it deserves. Now I'm going to have to track down the other illustrated trade paperbacks. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Joe Casey's brilliant character study continues
What do you do when your life as you knew it is over, and you never bothered to plan for the future?

The WildCATS were a black-ops superhero team formed to fight in a secret war.

The war is over.

Joe Casey's entire run on volume 2 of WildCATS was about people trying to find the answer to the question "now what do I do?"

Granted, the title of the story arc this volume collects, "Serial Boxes" is about how the lives of the remaining team members, quite through accident, become tragically intertwined with a serial killer on a spree.

Yet, threaded through the action, and equally important to the story and its outcome are the deftly handled character studies of the remaining team members, most of whom have gone their separate ways.

What would you do to try and fill the emptiness now that what you thought would be your purpose in life has vanished? Would you try to buy happiness with an endless shopping spree? Could you shut the pain out through single minded dedication to a pet project/hobby? How about a job you take on because you don't quite know what else to do, even if you don't particularly like it, or the people you work with?

And what about the people with whom you fought the war? What if you don't really have much in common with most of them, but who else can you talk to? Who else understands the extraordinary adventures you've been through?

Part tale of betrayal, part action movie, part soap opera, Serial Boxes is a skillfully written and beautifully drawn tale of people trying to pick up the pieces and move on. ... Read more

Book Description

The year is 1870, the place is the Texas frontier town of Javer's Tanks. Cotton Coleridge is a man running from his past. And being new in town, he's the one the locals blame when folks start dyin' mysteriously. By the time the truth gets out, half the town has died...and come back. Cotton's quick with a gun, but guns don't work on vampires! ... Read more

Book Description

Frank Miller, author of The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One and Sin City, brings Batman to New York City in his search for an arsenal of high-tech weapons and robots that use decapitated human heads as their brains. Antagonistic, confrontational and suspicious of each other, Spawn and Batman engage in violent battles before realizing they are both after the same villain. Grudgingly, they decide to work together. The person they seek has been kidnapping and decapitating the homeless for use in the robots, but that’s only part of the plan: there is also a nuclear arsenal ready to be deployed. Will Spawn and Batman be able to foil the plan to destroy the world? It’s a story filled with many twists and turns and a surprise ending that affected Spawn for years afterward. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Can we combine this with Batman/Spawn: War Devil?
This story had all the hallmarks of a great Batman tale. The dialogue was fresh, gritty, and totally Batman--Frank Miller style. Plus, with McFarlane's art, how can you go wrong? When you try to include the plot. While the dialogue and interaction between Spawn and Batman make this a must-read for diehard fans, the plot is severely uninteresting. Ironically enough, in the other crossover, War Devil, the plot is the only good point in an art-poor, dialogue-poor story. So if we could just find a way to combine the two, we'd have a seriously good Batman story. Anyway, the comic's worth the money, just to see Batman go toe-to-toe with a demon from hell and hold his own. Not to mention all the great one-liners and Batman quotes. Oh yeah, and Mr. Arrogant's art isn't too bad, either.

Good Pair
finally these two dark saints team up. It's fun to watch people like Spawn beat up Batman. The illustrations were great and the story was ok. I think that the big problem with this is that the story sucked.

READ THIS BOOK....PUNK
OK,the folks who dont like this book just dont get it.This is an in-continuity prequel to millers greatest work of all time THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.Spawn and Bats team up to save the world,but the real joy is in seeing the conflict between Bats and Spawn.Spawn is a "hero" who uses the powers of hell to flay and kill people on a regular basis.Guess how Batman reacts?? Spawn is a punk and its about time he learned what it takes to be a man.....

WHY?!!!!!
why in the hell would have a spawn and batmon crossover.
anyway spawn is one of my fav. and batmon is good.
two words SPAWN BATMAN

Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.
I never thought it could get this bad. Two of my favorite comic book writers made my least favorite comic book. Go figure.

The story is awful, and even when Batman is saved by Spawn, even when Batman is laying on the ground losing blood rapidly, he still manages to call Spawn a twit and a punk, with no didcipline. Now that is determination. I counted, Batman says punk a total of 13 times. What is he, 8?

This comic book is terrible, I would not even reccomend buying it. If you really wanna read it, go to the store, sit down, and read. Then go flush it down a topilet or something, because this thing is crap.

Sorry Mcfarlane, Miller, you tried hard I know. I liked your other work though! :) ... Read more

Book Description

The life of the undead is a strange and perilous thing. Mahito must come to terms with her new life and newfound abilities. ... Read more

Book Description

Out of New York City in the early '70s emerged a series of black and white horror comics titled Nightmare, Psycho and Scream. Lasting only several years, these comics established themselves as something wholly unique thanks to the editorship of Archaic Alan Hewetson, whose dark and perverse in-house style became known as "the Horror-Mood". With many enduring characters and stories, Skywald! continues to stand the ravages of time more than a quarter of a century later. Long overdue, this book is the first to chronicle the amazing publishing house, its influence, and its top writers and artists. Told by Archaic Al himself and other Horror-Mood bullpenners, with plenty of anecdotes and features, Skywald! also reproduces in their entirety some of the best stories.

Reviews (3)

Great if you like Skywald, otherwise...
Let me start by saying that the presentation of this book is beautiful: sturdily bound, printed on thick, glossy paper and with an easy to read, clean layout. I am a huge fan of B&W horror comic magazines from the 60s/70s, but Skywald was never my cup of tea. I have around 10 original issues of Scream, Psycho and Nightmare, and never understood their charm compared to Warren's Creepy or even (gasp!) the absurdly awful yet always entertaining Eerie Publications line-up (as exemplified by Weird). My problem with Skywald's mags is they are just too "fanboy" or "hippyish" for lack of a better word... weird for the sake of being weird, arty for the sake of being arty, with pseudo-intellectual nonsense masquerading as "high brow" horror for 12 year olds. The stories (and sometimes the wild art) come across like drug-induced, incoherant underground comix but with just a bit more polish and professionalism to ensure they could stand a chance to compete with Warren's books. The artwork is by and large far better than I remembered it, though still no Corben or Wrightson (as seen in the Warren mags of the time). Many Horror-Mood stories (and "Archaic" Al Hewetson's in particular) either make little sense, are either painfully ridiculous or overly serious, and/or worst of all, fail to deliver a credible climax. Shoddy serial characters (like The Heap and the Human Gargoyles) are used to the detriment of the entire line, just as they were in Warren's ill-fated Eerie. This book is supposed to collect the "best" of the Skywald Horror-Mood tales (as chosen by the Skywald staff interviewed), but I haven't read a good one yet (and I'm still wading through them at the time I write this review -- frankly, I only remember two or three stories that were memorable from the ten issues I managed to collect in the mid-90s, having missed them as a child). Supposed classics such as "I, Slime", "Cannibal Were-Wolf" and "Tale of Horror" all fall flat; the first two due to a lack of character development and requisite building of suspense, and the latter because an otherwise excellent WW2 tale's "shocking" epilogue ranks as one of the most unbelievably stupid ever written. "Tale of Horror" would have been much better had it stayed within the realm of believability, ending with the messenger being killed and the orders from Hitler being revealed to be pure fiction (moving non-existent Wermacht or SS divisions rather than werewolves)... of course, then it wouldn't really have been a "tale of horror" for their 12 year old audience and been better suited for Warren's (by then defunct) Blazing Combat. Most stories seemed rushed and could have used an extra two to four pages each. Due to the excellent presentation and exhaustively researched detail that went into this volume, I give this book four stars, but the book did nothing to change my opinion about Skywald and the Horror-Mood. I guess I just don't "get" Skywald at all, and never will. At least I still have my nearly complete run of Creepy to keep me company!

appreciation of influential horror comics publisher
Alan Hewetson was the head of the publisher Skywald putting out horror-fantasy comics for a few years in the early 1970s. He died before the publication of this review of his short-lived but influential publishing company. Skywald's influence is seen today especially in the content and special effects in popular horror films. It's also seen, though not so clearly or directly, in how moods of fear and dread are created in many mainstream movies. Never straying from Hewetson's keen interest in exploring illustration for the horror genre, the Skywald periodicals had a lasting appeal only to its dyed-in-the-wool fans. For them, the Skywald comics with sensationalistic, macabre, imaginative illustrations developed what became known as its distinctive "horror-mood." This review of the important publisher in the history of this genre contains articles on the horror-genre style of writing, its art, particular themes, interviews with Hewetson, and memoirs of him and Skywald. Alternating with these are 19 original illustrated stories effectively evoking Skywald's distinctive "horror-mood" and demonstrating its range of comic art. For fans of the horror genre and students of this vein of popular culture, the book "stands as a time capsule for an independent publishing house that had a true visionary [i. e., Alan Hewetson] at the reins."

Absolute Best in Horror Comics!
This book is fantastic!Selected comics representing the best that Skywald produced for its three horror comics from the 1970's, Nightmare, Psycho, and Scream, are re-printed and surrounded by articles and interviews about the comics.There are numerous profiles of the creators behind these unique and imaginative magazines.No other magazine publisher captured the chaotic and mysterious atmosphere of the uncanny like Skywald!The production value of this book is outstanding!
... Read more

Reviews (3)

not a franchize like x-men or spiderman, this is unique
I think a lot of people don't give books like this one a chance because it isn't a well known name and just started. I recommend you give this a chance though. I never read a comic like this before. It has tons of twists and turns making you wonder what will happen next. I honestly could never tell where the story was going to take me and i loved that. I have read tons of comics before and this one is the most underrated of them all.

As for what happens in it, I'm not at making a book seem interesting because i'm a bad writer myself. Basically though, its a girl that sees things no one else can see, ghosts. She ends up killing people she thinks are ghosts. This makes her go on the run. Is she insane? Is she for real? You the reader are left to wonder that.

Exit: Route 666 - Dead Ahead
I first picked up issue #5 of Route 666 on a trip to my local comic shop last October. There was nothing particularly interesting besides this. I had thought it would be some drab horror story, but it wasn't! it was much more than that.

ROUTE 666 is the story of Cassie Starkweather, a young girl who has the ability to see supernatural entities. She is taken to a mental hospital after claiming that she has seen her dead friend's ghost, who was taken down Route 666 by mysterious entities. She escapes from the hospital after realizing that it's head doctor is really an agent for the Adversary. However, the creatures return to human form when they are dead, which leads the authorities to believe that Cassie is a dangerous criminal. Along the way she makes both friends and enemies alike. She also learns that all these creatures work around people who are near death, so that they can take their souls to the Adversary.

One thing I love about this series is that you can jump in any time you want, and know the story. At the beginning of each issue is a 'letter' written by a character that appeared in the previous issue, which relates details from that issue and that character's perspective.

I highly reccomend this engaging series for anyone who loves horror and suspense. This comic has equal amounts of both.

moves very quickly
This was an enjoyable little story. I'm an avid comic reader and can't say that the horror genre is my favorite (although Hellboy is classic stuff), but I bought this because I've enjoyed other CrossGen series. I have to say, there's some horror cliches in here (especially the "misunderstood" main character who no one believes) but the art is excellent, the story moves quick, the writing is good...and I can't wait to read the second part! (nothing is resolved at the end of this one). Recommended if you're looking for a fun, quick-paced comic story (one caveat: some blood and guts involved, but remember it's horror!) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

if you like the books of magic
This book is wonderful! It really begins to make sense of why Auberon is such a distant character in the rest of the stories
The art work is wonderful to look at and the story line is wonderful.
I had to read it a few times to fully understand, but once it clicks the book is wonderful.
I fully recomend this book to those who like the series!

If you like Neil Gaiman...
Then this book is for you. This is a good follow up to the first trade paperback in the series, but can also stand on its own. The artwork is very good overall and detailed, consistent with Sandman and Books of Magic.

Pictures are great....
.......but that is just about it, I couldn't even follow what was going on, and what they were doing, even with the pictures. The best part of this comic book (and they didn't mention that it was a comic book when I bought it, so I was very surprized) was the last few end pages, when I finally figured out what it all meant. The last pages were the BEST of the whole comic-book.

A glimpse of the young Auberon
I have been captivated by the world of Faerie ever since I encountered it in the "Sandman" books by Neil Gaiman. This book in the spinoff series "The Books of Faerie" gives a glimpse of (my personal favorite character) Auberon as a child, before he became King. It's fascinating to see the that Auberon used to be.

There are other familiar characters here as well, such as Dymphna, Obrey and even the Amadan. As with all the books in these series, the art is beautiful and the stories are well-written and engaging. There is even a Timothy Hunter story at the end, "Dark As Day, My Lady, Bright As Night."

I highly recommend the "Sandman" books and all of their related series to my friends and fellow booklovers, and "Auberon's Tale" upholds the high standards already set. A lovely and entertaining read.

Great Book!
This Book Is Great! Especially If you like fairys! I read this Book And I Love It! You Should Read It! ... Read more

Book Description

Rex Mundi is a quest for the Holy Grail told as a murder mystery. It is a tale of sin, murder and redemption in an alternate-history Paris where magic is real and the Catholic Church never lost its grip on power. This critically acclaimed volume follows Doctor Julien Sauniere as he investigates the theft of a medieval scroll from a Paris church. He stumbles onto a series of horrific ritual murders and an ancient secret society somehow connected to the mysterious scroll. They must not slip back into the shadows, or they will kill again... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great for fans of alternative history
Rex Mundi combines alternative history, modern sorcery, religious conspiracies, a murder mystery, and the beautiful architecture of Paris. The more of these elements you enjoy, the more you'll appreciate this book.

The creators do a terrific job of fleshing out the setting, and all the incidental mysteries, without losing the thread of the main plot. There are dozens of intriguing little details that leave you wanting to know more about the world they've created.

The protagonist, Dr Julien Sauniere, is a persistent investigator, but like many a hero in such a story, is clearly about to get in way over his head.

I would compare Rex Mundi to Tim Powers' novel "The Stress of Her Regard." They are very similar in tone, flavor and even setting (although the Powers book is set in Italy and has less "alternative" to its history). If you enjoy one, you'll enjoy the other.

A dark, engaging, extremely well-thought-out story.
It's worth mentioning that the cover Amazon is currently showing isn't the actual cover.

Not that the cover really matters. It's what's inside that counts and this is particularly true for Rex Mundi (Latin for "King of the World"). I was told by my comic seller that I absolutely must try this trade paperback out, which collects issues #0-5 together. He said it's about a Europe, France in particular, that might have been. There's no separation of Church and State, America is known as the Confederate States of America (after the Civil War ended in a stalemate) and "feudalism and colonialism are the only modes of political power in the world." Sounds interesting, no?

The back of the trade paperback says that this is a quest for the Holy Grail as told as a murder/mystery. The comic itself is very noir in its design and story-telling. Faces are in shadows, all the important stuff happens in the nighttime and everyone seems to have a sinister undertone. It is a very exciting mystery.

An added bonus is that the faux-newspaper articles that were inserted into the original comics were *not* left out of this trade. The writer created made-up news stories from this time-that-could-have-been. It's fun to read, gives you a better understanding of the Rex Mundi world and it makes the graphic novel last a little longer.

This is one of those comics where I tried the trade paperback out and enjoyed it to much that I'm going to have to start collecting the individual comic books as they come out. If you don't like comic books (because of all the advertisements or whatever), you'll want the next trade paperback.

Note: I gave this 4 stars as opposed to 5 because I'm still not too sure what's going on in the story yet. I'm a little confused but that's because I don't quite understand all the nuances of the invented time period yet.

Buy this. Now.
Rex Mundi is one of the best things to come along in comics in a while. The concept is great, the art is fantastic, the story keeps getting better, and it leaves you with plenty to think about. I've been reading since the beginning, and I'm excited that there's finally a trade! ... Read more

Book Description

Semi-autobiography about the crazed family of a lonely boy their ironically funny deaths. ... Read more

Book Description

For 17-year-old Buffy Summers, slaying vampires is as common as doing homework -- except she has better luck fighting the undead than writing term papers! This volume collects the wildly popular first three issues of the comic-book series based on the hit television show. Included, at no extra charge, is the hard-to-find Dark Horse Presents 10-page adventure, presented in color for the first time. Hurry, while supplies last! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The Secret Tales Of The Slayer
The Remaining Sunlight trade paperback, collects the first three issues of the Dark Horse comic book series, of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The entire collection takes place at the time of the show's third season. At this point, Buffy and her friends are still attending Sunnydale High School, and Angel, hasn't left for LA yet.

THE ADVENTURES in the book-Wu Tang Fang-The Slayer and the Scooby gang must stop a powerful creature that has decided to feed on the Karate Students of Sunnydale. Halloween-Willow is taken and held hostage by a group of vampires on mischief night. As Buffy mounts a rescue, she encounters a few tricks and treats along the way. Cold Turkey-A simple trip to buy food for Thanksgiving, turns dangerous, as Buffy battles a demon, in order to prevent her goose from being cooked. All 3 stories were written by Andi Watson and really do a good job in capturing the characters and their traits. The author also has a handle on the now famous "Buffy Speak" that has become a series trademark. As a bonus, the book also features the Slayer's first comic book appearance called Macguffins. This 10 page short story was first published in black and white in a Dark Horse Anthology. Written by J.L. Van Meter, the story has Giles giving his Slayer a present. She is put to the test when the 2 critters get loose and begin to cause trouble.

THE ART-These duties fell upon penciler Joe Bennet and inker Rick Ketcham. For the most part, I have to say, I found the renditions of the regular characters to be a bit uneven and the other wordly vamps/creatures to be a bit plain as well. Since these stories represent the start of the comics, I guess they were sill feeling their way around artistically. Although, the art for Macguffins by Luke Ross and Rick Ketcham, was more on target with the "reality" of the T.V. series, go figure.

All in all, I enjoyed my first forray into the world of Buffy comics. I recommend this book to any person that enjoys the television series. I know I will be on the lookout for more collections like this.

Welcome to the Holidays - Hellmouth Style.
Many of us tend to write off the BTVS comic series as simple spin-offs of the television show. The truth is that they are a creative force of their own and are composed of their own original stories. Of course, the comic style is far more action oriented than either the Buffy novels or even the show itself, but these are quite good and deserve some attention. For those people who do not have ready access to the comics themselves, these graphic books are a convenient way to experience this side of Buffy without the embarrassment of having a comic book fall out of your briefcase.

'The Remaining Sunlight' is a collection of the first three Buffy tales to appear in the comic series and an extra tale (possible from an issue of Dark Horse Presents). The tales are based in the Fall of the third season. Much of the early artwork in this series comes from the pencil and pen of Joe Bennett and Rick Ketcham, who together have a very crisp and balanced style. Add in the writing of Andi Watson and you have a attractive combination.

Wu-Tang Fang - Buffy and the gang run into some kung fu vampires on the way to the Bronze and are threatened by a shadowy figure in a straw hat. A vampire is eating the black belts of Sunnydale.

Halloween - On the night before Halloween Willow vanishes. Could some party vamps have picked her up for an appetizer?

Cold Turkey - Buffy has to do Thanksgiving shopping and a vengeful fang-face decides that stuffed slayer is the perfect holiday dinner.

MacGuffins - Buffy gets a present from Giles - a test in the shape of two troublemaking green critters (this story is by J.L. Van Meter with pencilwork by Luke Ross).

The comic book adventures of bare-midriff Buffy the Slayer
I really do consider this a graphic novel because (a) it reprints the first three issues of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and (b) they are three separate stories. To wit: (1) "Wu-tang Fang," where Buffy takes on San Sui, a Chinese vampire knowledgable in the martial arts who travels around in search of worthy opponents; (2) "Halloween" makes up for the absence of a holiday episode from Season 3 with Willow kidnapped by a coven of vampires; and (3) "Cold Turkey" has a demon trying to make a snack of the Buffster. The stories, written by Andi Watson, penciled by Joe Bennett and inked by Rick Ketcham, are okay. The first two suffer from pacing problems: it is rather anticlimactic for Buffy to meet and kill the villain in the same final scene, and what are the odds that Willow would get snatched by vampires who do not immediately put the bite on her? Besides, comics are not the best format for a martial arts fight. The irony of a demon looking for a holiday feast is halfway decent, but actually the best story in the bunch is "MacGuffins," written by J. L. Van Meter with art by Luke Ross and Ketcham. Giles sends Buffy a pair of MacGuffins as a test. The story is the best of the bunch because it is (a) funny and (b) firmly based on the characters, which is also part of the reason why it is so funny and earns one more star for this effort. The artwork is suitable stylistic but not especially exciting. Buffy flashes considerably more skin than on the tube, mostly around the navel, if that does anything for you. Final aside: too bad the neat title, "The Remaining Sunlight," was wasted on a collection of reprints rather than a real graphic novel.

The artwork isn't incredible but it is an important trade
This trade collects issues 1-3 of the Buffy comic series. The artwork is rather messy and seems hurried at times but the characters look fairly like they should (allthough no one seems to be able to capture Buffy as well as they should). The first issue is "Wu-Tang Fang" where Xander takes martial arts classes to be a better help in the Scooby gang. If there's one thing the comics get right its the friendly banter between the characters. I don't know why the vampires are all green skinned though. Next is "Halloween" where we meet Slke the vampire for the first time (she's important in later issues and trades). Willow and her mom have an argument about Oz and she leaves the house in the dark of the night only to be picked up by Selke and her friends. Buffy stakes Selke and her friends but somehow Selke survives. The issue finishes off with poor Xander dealing with a candy overdose. :) Then we have "Cold Turkey" (the comics love to have these holiday themes, I guess) where Buffy must shop for thanksgiving AND fight a vampire. Lastly there is a short story called "MacGuffins" which is rather pointless and about some test Giles sends Buffy in the form of annoying little creatures. Good for the serious collector who doesn't have the original appearance of the story. The writing is almost always good and that makes up for the artwork. It is really hard to capture characters that we already know every aspect of so thumbs up for the attempt.

enjoyable
I had a good time reading this book. Buffy graphic novels are always entertaining. I am a die hard buffy fan and I can be critical of books at times but this is a good read. I would recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Kazuna Takashiro can't escape the pain of his past. Ever since his mother died, nightmares and visions have been eating away at him. When he finds his long-lost sister, Chizuna, the two discover they share more than just a family name. The siblings are cursed with a disease of the blood-a disease that will turn them into vampires! As they resist accepting their destiny, Kazuna and Chizuna struggle to contain the craving that is the very essence of what they will become. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dark and Gothic
"Lament of the Lamb" is one of those manga that I mark the release dates for.The art is some of the most unique and beautiful I've seen, the characters are good, and the story keeps getting better.

Kei Toume's art style is gorgeous.It's so different from what you normally see in manga.It has all the normal stuff, large eyes, small mouths, and everything else, but he doesn't overdo it.The ink is dark and the lines defined.It's a little dark, but that's only because it fits the story.Great attention to detail, too.

The main characters are Kazuna and Chizuna, siblings.Both characters have strong personalities, but I like Chizuna the best.I love her cynacism in the face of her problems.If you don't like reading about incest, then you're not going to like this.There's no sex, but there are some seriously twisted relationships in here.They're well done though, not offensive at all.It doesn't take an opinion on the morality of incest.

The story is pretty unique.Instead of showing vampirism as right or wrong, it shows it as being a disease.There is nothing supernatural about it.It does not bring eternal life, in fact, it shortens the victom's life.Kazuna starts with symptoms when he sees red paint on a classmate's arm and is reminded of blood, and then he meets his long lost sister, Chizuna, who has long been afflicted by the disease.What I find most interesting about the story is trying to figure out what the true nature of the disease is, and trying to figure out what happened to make Chizuna's case so much worse than Kazuna's.

There is not much action in this series, and it moves at a slow pace.But if you love stories with good characters, you'll like this.

I Like It So Far
From what I've seen in this first installment, Lament of the Lamb shows alot of promise. What I especially like about this series is the atmosphere. The dreary art and dialogue create a depressing tone for the manga that works extremely well. The English translation is pretty well done, something you have to be wary of with Tokyopop products in my experience. I'd recommend picking this up if you'd like something with a darker feel, although you won't find much violence and gore.

one of the best mangas I've ever read
There are no special powers, no kid discovering these "powers", no mecha, no slapstick comedy, no chibi, just straight up story-telling with a dark/sketchy (resembling of Hiroaki Samura's style of Blade of the Immortal fame) art style, dealing with a depressing issue, but not gothic just to be gothic. When I read the first volume and up to three, I thought "Why do they have a Parental Guidance issued out?", barely any bad language, no nudity, no violence (unless you consider blooddrinking violent). Here's a spoiler however...

I've read volumes 1-3 of Angel Sanctuary and saw the anime.... there's a hint of why there's Parental Guidance.

Pretty much the subject matter is very deep into seeing depression and how the logic of depressed people think. "If I told my friend's my problems, and involve them, will it make a difference other then worry them? Why bother, no one can help my circumstance?" This is the main thought processes of Kazuna and Chizuna, being the only ones to help each other.

Vampirism as a Disease
The genre is one of the -characters aren't what they seem, plot is progressed by figuring out what is going on- that you see often in anime and manga. The manga deals a lot with why we have relationships (whether it be selflessness or not) as well as a general 'coming of age' theme. No action so far, and some romance. One of handful of mangas thats not just a load fanservice and/or gore, it is worthy of note for this alone.

In this world, vampirism is a kind of hereditary disease and doesn't really have any benefits, at least none that we see. Just a craving for blood and severe depression as a result. Kind of a what-if - if vampires weren't evil, but just trying to make it in society.

Most of the manga is dialogue between the characters and flashbacks to their respective pasts. I do rather like the art as its not generic. The manga-ka makes good use of using different art styles.

I've read the first two volumes, I look forward to reading the next. The plot and characters seems to be progressing nicely so far.

Pretty nifty take on Vampirism....
I will admit I am pretty big fan of vampire stuff, and I used to condemn anything with vampires, but being the horror fan I am, I was gradually drawn into them. So when my brother purchased "Lament of the Lamb" and told me it was a "different" take on vampires, I had to check it out. Of course I'm no vampire expert, but I have seen enough to know that I've never seen it done like this before. haha

Most the time vampires are often glorified, but anyway you look at its more of a curse then a blessing. In this manga however, there is no immortality, no people biting you and turning you into a vampire, no in this, vampirism is a genetic disease/curse that will eventually kill you, possibly drive you mad if you resist it.

Kazuna is your typical high school student, he's not sure what to do with his life after he graduates, he has no plans. One day he finds himself reacting strangely to blood, he passes out at the sight of it while sitting in as a model for a friend whom is painting him. He has no idea what is going on and can't figure out why he'd react to it like that. He soon finds himself having strange and terrifying dreams, he is drawn to his old house, and there he discovers many hidden secrets.

I really enjoyed the art style and story in this. It was very well-drawn and very well-written. I look forward to the next volume, I think it will only get better because things can only get more complicated as it goes on. :D

So, I hope this intrigued to and encourages you to check out "Lament of the Lamb", especially if you're tired of the same ol' vampire tales that litter media.

God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy ... Read more

Book Description

Who are the mysterious sisters who have come to Sunnydale, and what are those nasty beasts that they have brought with them? It`s Buffy`s job as the slayer to find out, and do it but good! Of course, things can`t help but be complicated -- one of the sister`s has her sights on Angel! Balancing school books with the undead, Buffy takes the definition of awkward teen years to the extreme. Based on the popular television series! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Dust Buster
Based on the popular Buffy The Vampire Slayer television series, The Dust Waltz, was completed at the height of the show's popularity. The story is an original grapihic novel-not a collection of stories from the monthly comic book, put together, as a reprint edition. That being the case, really made me want to read this...that and the fact that I miss the show not being on anymore. Anytime I can take in "new" Buffy is a good thing.

THE STORY: Buffy and the rest of the "Scooby Gang" are still in High School. Giles is still Buffy's Watcher. As the gang gathers to welcome Giles' niece Jane, to Sunnydale. This as sinister, and bickering vampire sisters, Lilith and Lamia also arrive to give the slayer a workout. And, if that weren't enough, one of them sets their sights on Angel. The story, written by Daniel Brereton, does a fairly good job at capturing the humor and "spirit" of the television show. It's obvious from reading the story and his introduction, that he has a great affection for the "Buffyverse"

THE ART: The team of Hector Gomez and Sandu Florea is OK. The biggest problem I had with it is a pretty big deal though. The character/actor likenesses seemed a bit off. Enough to be a distraction anyway. In the end though, the distraction doesn't impede the story, too much

The 80 page book also includes a page of bios for the creative team. If you like Buffy...this Dark Horse Comics Trade Paperback is worth your time and attention

Stake, Two and Three and - Stake...
Badness is coming to Sunnydale in the person of two vampire sisters. Lilith and Lamia aren't just vampires; they are vampires so old that everything pretty much happened after them. Fortunately, they usually cannot stand each other. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those fortunate times. Each of the sisters is bringing a champion to town to fight to the death in a special ritual. Known as the Dust Waltz, it involves ritual murder, drinking of blood, opening the Hellmouth for a demon and, as usual, ending the world as we know it.

So Lilith arrives, Angel panics, and a tree has a major collision with Buffy. On the other side of town the rest of the gang are showing Giles' niece the sights when they discover that some of the sights are werewolves. As you can tell, this original trade paperback does not have many dull moments. Of course it also comes with a spectacular, no holds barred final conflagration. To say the least, writer Dan Brereton has outdone himself.

'The Dust Waltz' does have a few flaws. I never quite got my mind around a heavily tattooed Maori shape-changing champion of evil named Cecil. And Giles' visiting niece Jane is a bit ditsy for being a chip off that particular block. She has a remarkable knack for picking the wrong tunnel to explore. But, over all the book maintains a good level of story and action. I am a staunch fan of comic artists Hector Gomez and Sandu Florea. Even though their Buffy doesn't much look like the 'real' Buffy, they capture the essence of the characters and provide them with a great deal of animation and expression.

Okay
This original trade paperback so it doesn't have a mini series type equivalent as far as I know. It introduces Giles' niece as well as dealing with a feud between two ancienct sisters. I really didn't like it that much. There was a lot of fighting and not much character interaction. The artwork is okay but not good enough to make up for what I thought was a contrived story. Demons come to town, demons make trouble, Buffy gets rid of demons. The stuff that is supposed to make it worthwhile is something more than having Xander like Giles' niece. Comics let you do so much with a story, this plays out like the sort of episode you'd skip because it is so formulaic -- stick demon here, mix with a bit of history. . .nothing new. I would buy it again, however, because I'm a completist. Lots of people like this trade so if you want to read a story that does nothing to further the characters, this is it.

The best
This graphic novel was the best out of all I've read. Excellent story line and very entertaining for all.

The most exciting of the Graphic novels
Great action and art work combine to keep the reader glued to the pages. The Dust Waltz is a dance of passion and adventure. Everyone is in danger. Angel is in chains. Buffy is their only hope again. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to Buffy fans. ... Read more