Hello again readers, today’s reading has to do with… reading. Ok, more specifically, Laurell K. Hamilton. Most of us already know all about this fantastic author and her kickass Anita Blake novels. What many don’t know is that Laurell K. Hamilton and Marvel comics joined a long while back for a fan-flippen-tastic project. That’s right, I’m talking about the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter graphic novels.
Before I get into the comics, we’ll backtrack and cover the original series real quick for those that haven’t read them. The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series is about, who else, Anita Blake. Anita Blake is the deadly, yet sexy woman who may be small and young, but vampires call her the Executioner so you know she is badass. Anita is a necromancer and vampire hunter in a time when vampires are protected by the law – as long as they don’t get too nasty. The books have horror, gore, crime solving, sex, romance, mystery and so much more. Now to the graphic novels…
Marvel comics, the queen Laurell K. Hamilton and artist Brett Booth have created more than just one awesome graphic novel fit for any hardcore fan and even newbies to the Anita world. They also came out with a prequel to the first book, Guilty Pleasures and also an Anita Blake handbook. We’ll go through it one at a time.
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures: This first graphic novel in the collection is based on the first book in the Anita series. This graphic novel has been completed.
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures Handbook: A handbook on the first comic. It features bios on all the characters and places. It features background info, a glossary on all things Anita and more. Just a FYI, this comic book isn’t easy to find anymore, so if you happen upon it, grab it quickly. *waves personal copy, still in pristine condition* hehe
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: The First Death: A prequel to Guilty Pleasures that is only in graphic novel form. You won’t find this story in one of the books. It offers a never-before-seen look into the world of Anita Blake. How did Anita and Jean Claude first meet? What was her first serial killer case? And just what brought Anita to Guilty Pleasures? Plus, an early encounter with Edward. Written by Laurell K Hamilton and Jonathon Green, with art by Wellinton Alves, this is a must-read for Anita Blake fans.
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: The Laughing Corpse: This is an ongoing project, not yet completed. This is of course, based on the second novel in the Anita series. The good thing about comics is you can buy them chapter at a time and not wait ages for the full piece. So go out and get the first few Laughing Corpse editions.
That about covers the Anita Blake graphic novels. Seeing all your favorite characters in comic book form rocks, so go out and pick them up.
– Moonlight
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