Dark Horse have confirmed that monthly publication of Buffy comics will soon cease.

The US comics publisher has announced that Buffy will be winding down as a monthly publication after the end of its current story arc. But don't panic - it's likely that Buffy will continue to appear in specials and mini-series for a while to come.

The final arc is promised to be very different, both in story and look. Dark Horse editor Scott Allie described it as, "The weirdest, and possibility the scariest Buffy we've ever done." Written by Fabian Nicieza, the comics will feature a mix of painted, pencilled and computer-created art, plus pages with only a few panels in colour.

Also out from Dark Horse later this year is Tales of the Vampires, featuring stories by Buffy writers Jane Espenson, Drew Goddard and Doug Petrie, as well as input from none other than Joss Whedon himself. Joss has also been busy with his own comic series, Fray, with the last issue of the long-delayed tale of a future Slayer finally out.