Buffy Summers is 30!

Ok, aside from making you feel old, Buffy's birthday this year also marks the release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer #40 (pictured here, with my crudely added party hats), the final issue of Season 8. While I haven't followed all of Season 8—admittedly, I have some of Season 7 on DVD left to watch—I find it an interesting way to continue a television show after it's no longer on TV. (Caprica and SGU, are you listening?)

There are several locations where you can join in some birthday celebrations this Wednesday with prizes, giveaways, games and some special guests. But if you're not in any of these neighborhoods, at least celebrate by finishing out Season 8 (and don't worry; Season 9 is in the works) or by picking up the new hardcover Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales —check out my full review on the next page.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m.

Oxford Comics Games & More

2855 Piedmont Road NE

(404) 233-8682

Special Guest: Georges Jeanty, artist, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8

PORTLAND, OREGON

5:30 p.m.—7:45 p.m.

Multnomah County Library

Central Library, US Bank Room

801 SW 10th Ave.

(503) 988-5123

Special Guests: Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 editors

*Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 comics will be available for sale at the event from Cosmic Monkey Comics.

MISSOULA, MONTANA

4:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m.

Muse Comics & Games

2100 Stephens Ave., Suite 107

(406) 543-9944

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Midtown Comics Downtown

64 Fulton St.

(800) 411-3341 / (212) 302-8192

HURST, TEXAS

4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Lone Star Comics #6

931 Melbourne Rd.

(817) 595-4375

PLANO, TEXAS

5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Lone Star Comics #8

3100 Independence Parkway #318

(972) 985-1593

Just out last week, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales is a hefty hardcover that collects a lot of different tales from the Buffyverse, not all of them focused on Buffy herself (though she does make a few appearances). The first section is Tales of the Slayers, with nine stories about different Slayers throughout history (and one about Fray, a Slayer from the future). We start with a short piece about the original slayer, written by Joss Whedon himself. There are stories from the Middle Ages, the French Revolution, World War II, and the Old West.

But also included are Tales of the Vampires: some of these tales have nothing to do with the Slayers at all, but focus on the vampires themselves and show them to be more than just mindless bloodsuckers. In Season 8, Harmony Kendall becomes a reality TV star and vampires are suddenly thrust into the public: everyone knows about them—and as expected, some people become obsessed with them. But it changes the whole dynamic—what happens when vampires are no longer hunted, but aren't allowed to kill, either?

Whedon writes a couple of the stories himself but there's a bunch of other great writers as well: Amber Benson, Jane Espenson, Same Loeb (Jeph's son) and many others. The roster of artists is also long, from Tim Sale to Paul Lee to P. Craig Russell, and the differences in artwork give the volume a great variety of styles and moods. Tales collects stories that range from ten years ago to this past year, and it's a great collection of stories for fans of the show or the comics. It's kind of a coffee-table book by the size of it, so not something you can curl up and read in bed, but it'll look really nice on your bookshelf. Of course, as with the TV show, it's not for younger kids—probably high school and up.

You can preview a few pages of the book at the Dark Horse Comics website.

So if you're looking for a way to celebrate Buffy's birthday this week, pick up issue #40 at your local comics shop, and while you're at it, take a look for Tales as well.

Disclosure: Dark Horse provided a copy of Tales for review purposes.