by Chris Roberson , Mike Allred (Illustrator)·  

Told from a female zombie’s perspective, this smart, witty detective series mixes urban fantasy and romantic dramedy.Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. She sets out to fulfi ll the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong.

Our zombie girl detective is joined by a radical supporting cast: her best friend Eleanor, who happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mummy.

Paperback, 144 pages

Published March 22nd 2011 by Vertigo

Gwen works for a graveyard digging graves. This is a good job for a Zombie because she must eat a brain at least once a month so she doesn’t become a brain dead monster. From these, she obtains the deceased’s memories.

When out trick or treating, Gwen, Ellie (Ghost) and Spot (Were-Terrier) come across a house with a creepy man who makes them feel uncomfortable. There turns out to be a connection between him and the last deceased brain she’s eaten.

Across town, we learn of a Blood Sports paintball business that conducts itself at night. It also happens to be run by a group of Female Vampires trying to get easy meals without getting caught. But soon an organization comes into town trying to locate the vampires and Gwen catches the eye of one of the detectives, Horatio, who finds her attractive and alluring.

My favorite parts of this comic were the mix of different paranormal creatures, the humor in the dialogue, and inclusion of a Were-terrier who is so cute you just want to pet him. The Blood Sports paintball was a fun and new idea, giving the vampires a way to feed on the boys and men that came out to play (without having to kill them), leaving the men merely dazed and confused not dead.

This series has so many different options for story lines and so far I am hooked. I zipped right through it and it’s something I would read over again. Recommended.

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The First Death (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Graphic Novels 0) by Laurell K. Hamilton, Jonathon Green.Her fans have been asking for it – now, Laurell K. Hamilton delivers a look into Anita Blake’s past! Written by Laurell K. Hamilton herself, along with Jonathon Green,

The First Death takes place almost a year before the events being chronicled in Guilty Pleasures. Witness the first meeting of Anita and Jean-Claude, Anita’s first time inside Guilty Pleasures, her first serial-killer case, and an early encounter with Edward. Prepare to be thrilled by this original story produced especially for comics!

Collects Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The First Death #1-2 and Anita Blake: Guilty Pleasures Handbook.(less) Hardcover, 96 pages Published February 27th 2008 by Marvel Comics ISBN

0785129413 (ISBN13: 9780785129417)

This book is a combination of a prequel in graphic novel form and a handbook/guidebook to the Anita Blake graphic novel books. It contains spoilers to the series,so I would suggest that this is the last thing you read, unless of course you don’t mind spoilers and would like a look into the graphic novels.

We get to see a younger Anita going on her first job with the police force to try and identify what type of supernatural creature could have murdered a boy. She is nervous, throws up and is unsteady, never having seen a newly deceased body before. The reader gets to see her interactions with the other policemen and how some of their relationships were formed. Some of the policemen trust her decisions and others are still cynical about her opinions on the deaths. That is, until they see her in action.

She gets in an all out fight with a vampire that does not finish well, is bitten a couple of times and held hostage and tortured.

This particular story has less dialogue than the other books but the guide in it makes up for that. The guide has pages jammed with information about each character we meet in the graphic novels. It contains their photo, some background to the character and what they are most known for in this series. It is very detailed, with small writing while the illustrations are still in full-coloured glossy pages, with lots of  action scenes. Anita is a little less feisty than we are used to but the story gives the reader a good insight into the person she becomes in future storylines.