Anita Blake: The First Death Written by Laurell K. Hamilton & Jonathon Green. Art by Wellington Alves; Color Dojo; & Bill Tortolini.
Anita Blake: Guilty Pleasures Handbook Written by Stuart Vandal; Ronald Byrd; Michael Hoskin; Chris Biggs; & Ave Cullen. Art by Brett Booth & Imaginary Friends.
Compilation Cover Art & Original Covers by Brett Booth & Ron Lim.
SUMMARY:
Released by Marvel Comics in 2008, this 128-page hardcover reprints the two-part First Death, which is supplemented by Anita Blake’s Guilty Pleasures Handbook (in the style of Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe). The original issues were first released in 2007-08. Co-writing the franchise prequel with her husband, Laurell K. Hamilton’s First Death explores one of Anita Blake’s supernatural cases prior to the events occurring in Guilty Pleasures.
Consulting for the St. Louis police on a vampire gang’s serial killing spree, Anita can barely stomach viewing the latest grisly corpse. It’s confirmed that one ghastly culprit’s preference is preying upon pre-teen boys. Probing a potential suspect’s alibi, she warily visits the Guilty Pleasures nightclub for the first time. Several of the franchise’s initial supporting characters are ‘introduced,’ including homicide cop, Sgt. Dolph Storr.
Meeting Jean-Claude, Anita must later team with the ruthless hitman, Edward, and her mentor, Manny, in a fateful showdown against possibly the most sickening adversaries she’s ever faced. Come the end, Anita won’t be the same vampire hunter she was before.
Extremely detailed, the Guilty Pleasures handbook consists of the following biographical profiles:
- Anita’s World;
- Vampire Murders;
- Animators, Inc.;
- Aubrey;
- Anita Blake;
- Burchard;
- Church of Eternal Life;
- Dead Dave’s;
- Edward;
- Freak Parties;
- Ghouls;
- Guilty Pleasures;
- Jean-Claude;
- Malcolm;
- Willie McCoy;
- Nikolaos;
- Phillip;
- Regional Preternatural Investigation Team;
- Robert;
- Ronnie Sims;
- Theresa;
- Valentine;
- Vampires;
- Bert Vaughn;
- Wererats;
- Winter;
- Zachary;
- Zombies;
- Bruce;
- Buzz;
- Beverly Chin;
- Circus of the Damned;
- Jamison Clarke;
- The District;
- Irving Griswold;
- Hav;
- Luther;
- Catherine Maison;
- Rebecca Miles;
- Edith Pringle;
- Rafael;
- Sigmund/Penguins;
- Sgt, Dolph Storr;
- Monica Vespucci; &
- Other Dramatis Personae (three pages profiling minor characters).
Note: This title is also available in paperback. The handbook readily acknowledges that pivotal details of Guilty Pleasures are revealed.
REVIEW:
Meant for hardcore Anita Blake fans, the unsavory First Death should satisfy them, but it won’t likely retain newcomers. Impressively, the visuals live up to prior Marvel adaptations of Hamilton’s Anita Blake novels. One still has to balance this consistent asset against a gross storyline posing as gothic horror/fantasy entertainment. Details revealing a less cynical, inexperienced Anita present an intriguing prospect; yet, First Death’s icky plot doesn’t necessarily make this story a keeper.
As for the Guilty Pleasures handbook, it’s impressively well-produced in terms of both text and artwork (lifted from Marvel’s faithful adaptation). For readers seeking clarifications in Marvel’s version (let alone Hamilton’s erotic source novel), the handbook offers an ideal reference. In particular, Anita Blake’s own profile is top-caliber. The flip side, however, is that virtually everything from Guilty Pleasures is explained ad nauseum multiple times, leaving few mysteries to the reader’s imagination.
For adults who covet Marvel’s Anita Blake adaptations, this First Death compilation should solidify their collection. Still, other consumers perusing First Death may justifiably deem Hamilton’s blood-soaked plot (not to mention the handbook’s explicit details) as repulsive.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Including First Death # 2’s variant, all four covers appear in full-page format. Accompanied by an image of Anita Blake, there’s a single-page glossary. Lastly, Booth provides his cover pencil sketch for The First Death # 1.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
