Anita Blake, vampire hunter (and animator of zombies, which is her main source of income) works with the police to track down a vampire child-killer. This introduces Jean-Claude, manager of Guilty Pleasures (a vampire strip club), who takes a larger role in later books. We also meet Edward, a scary and mysterious vampire bounty hunter, although probably not for the first time. An interesting beginning to a continued story, followed by a handbook of the characters of the later story, "Guilty Pleasures". ( )

What a total rip-off.

I have read the ABVH series upto book 14. I still have to read The Harlequin ( I wait for the PB to buy and read the book). I really hate what LKH has done with the series after Burnt Offerings .

I keep reading because I like many of the supporting cast (when they aren't made crazy, banished or turned into Pod People). I keep hoping either Anita will wise up, or die horribly.

I have an earlier Graphic Novel, one of the Guilty Pleasures ones. The drawing in the earlier one is horrible, It reminds me of 'My Little Pony' rather than a kick ass vampire hunter. They seem to have gotten a new artist, and the drawings in this GN are 100 times better.

I didn't buy any of the other GNs because I prefer the written story to the pictures, and I didn't like the earlier drawings.

I bought this one because it was supposed to be a prequel to Guilty Pleasures and the story couldn't be had any other way. It was supposed to be about the first meeting between Jean Claude and Anita. Jean Claude is one of my favorite characters (even though he has been de-fanged).

First Death has 2 parts. I feel ripped off because there was very little that was new.

We already got the backstory of Anita and Valentine in Guilty Pleasures. That story was the whole 2nd part of First Death. The part before was very short and about some children that were being killed by vampires. A stripper from Guilty Pleasures is hanging at the crime scene, and Anita and Dolph go to question JC at the club. Thats it.

There are a few panels with JC and its all in public in the club, almost exactly the same as the go round that they have in the book Guilty Pleasures. Nothing new, nothing interesting, nothing to explain their chemistry, or the past they hint at in the book Guilty Pleasures. To make matters worse the GN focuses on the Valentine story and while it hints at him killing the children there is no big reveal or closure to the case in the first part of the GN. Just like the current day, LKH throws the plot thread away.

After First Death there is Guilty Pleasures (the book) handbook. I didn't read it, only skimmed. I am sure that there would be more and new YAABIs (Yet Another Anita Blake Inconsistency) in it.

Why couldn't she have spent the time and effort that went into the GP handbook on writing a real story for First Death ?

I can't believe they charged $15.00 for this anemic, rehashed non-story. Buyer and reader beware. ( )

It's more an Anita Blake book with loads of pictures than a graphical novel, because the pictures are illustrating the text instead of telling the text. But the illustrations are nice and the story is interesting. It is the prelude to guilty pleasures so it introduces some of the characters and describes the first meeting with Jean Claude. The second half of the book is more of a guide to 'guilty pleasures', with descriptions and drawings of all the main characters. ( )

Yay Edward! We love you- But you're still crazy. ( )

Back story attractively illustrated. Not sure how this would hold up for non fans but thoroughly enjoyable for me.