There has been so much talk about Buffy season 8 over at TWOP that I was worried that I'd missed the start of the run. I am relieved that I have another month to go and what? Two months 'til the Whedon Runaways begins and I hear that Astounishing is delayed.

including pictures where people are in the grasp of octopus arms.

It was the octopus bondage that freaked me out!

I just don't equate being grabbed with bondage.

Cover of Buffy 3.

And Dark Horse is releasing vol. 1 of the Buffy Omnibus in July. The Description from Comics Continuum:

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS VOLUME 1

Written by Joss Whedon, Fabian Nicieza, Christopher Golden, Dan Brereton, Scott Lobdell and Paul Lee, with art by Lee, Eric Powell, Joe Bennett, Cliff Richards, Hector Gomez and Will Conrad.

The definitive comics collection of all things Buffy starts here. This first massive volume begins at the beginning -- The Origin, a faithful adaptation of creator Joss Whedon's original screenplay for the film that started it all. The newly chosen Slayer's road to Sunnydale continues in Viva Las Buffy and Slayer, Interrupted. Next, Sunnydale, the Scoobies, and an English librarian lead the way into Season One continuity. Plus, The Goon creator Eric Powell provides pencils to "All's Fair," featuring Spike and Drusilla at the 1933 World's Fair.

The smash TV hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer led to nearly a decade of comics at Dark Horse -- including multiple specials, one-shots, and guest miniseries. This omnibus series is the ultimate compilation of the Buffy comics Dark Horse has published, and runs along the TV series' timeline. A fitting companion to Whedon's comics-based relaunch of the show.

320 pages, $24.95, in stores on July 18.

FYI, the Buffy omnibus vol 1 can be pre-ordered at Amazon.

Is anyone else kind of morbidly interested in the Anita Blake comics, to see how sex-riddled and bad they are as compared to the books?

Because I'm not. Really. Only a little.

The cover art was plenty to convince me that I need never open one of the books to look inside.

SA, this might help.

Or "help."

I've flipped through a few issues. They are laughable. In one panel a guy (I'm assuming one of the strippers) is wearing shorty gym shorts that have slits on each side cut up to the waistband and wearing a see through tank top.

Also the Rat King in one panel is shown standing naked with Ken Doll anatomy and in another he's shown wearing Daisy Dukes. I rather like the Rat King character in the books and I just felt so embarassed for him.

I can't tell if the writing is any good because I'm so distracted by the bad art.

I do like how the artist always draws Anita with the same dubious, vaguely worried expression that an actress might wear contemplating what playing this character could do to her showbiz career.

Not so much "Aaaah! The evil vampire/sorcerer/zombie is about to KILL me!" as "my agent didn't mention there'd be nudity and a mud pit..."