Type of bind: Comic
Label: Marvel
Manufacturer: Marvel
Printing Date: 2007
Publishing house: Marvel
Sale Popularity Level: 1710950
Studio: Marvel
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Rated by buyers 
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The very first half of "First Death" was an exercise in boredom, which existed mainly so we could see the foppish Jean-Claude fawning over the so-very-tough Anita Blake.
Fortunately the second half is actually a slight improvement -- Laurell K. Hamilton focuses a little less on vampiric flirtation and a little more on vampiric serial killings. Unfortunately it's still dull, rushed and suspenseless, but at least it focuses on a quirky assassin instead of a club-owner in a poet's shirt.
The vampire who attacks Anita ends up with half his head blown away -- and his master speaks through his dying mouth. Anita and her partner Manny infiltrate the vampires' base of operations, but find only a recently deceased corpse -- and when Anita returns to her office, she finds the assassin Edward, known as "Death," sitting in her chair.
Despite her hatred of Edward, Anita finds that she may need his help, since she's not getting any closer to finding the serial-killing vampires. And when she discovers a lead to the case, Anit and Manny head straight into a devastating trap, from which only "Death" himself may be able to rescue them...
I have to say, the second half of "First Death" is far more interesting than the first. Readers of Hamilton's very first novel -- and graphic novel -- "Guilty Pleasures" will recognize what's going on -- it just fleshes out the backstory of how Anita ticked off a pedophile vampire, met Edward, and got her cross scar.
Unfortunately, the story up until then is just a disjointed string of zombie-raisings and crime scenes, with the occasional moment of bare-bones detective work. It's never a good sign when the "character introduction" page has a glaring error on it, and in this case it heralds a storyline that is mostly Anita sitting in a car, an office, or walking walking from one locale to another.
It's boring, and Hamilton wastes many valuable pages on poorly-scripted griping about the rough life of being a vampire hunter, and Anita's "day job" raising zombies. In fact, by the time we arrive at the climax, it feels like Hamilton is rushing to cram the rest of the plot into the remaining pages. Graphic torture, beatings and murder are glossed over in just a few pages, so it can finish on time.
As for Anita herself, she's the adult version of a sheltered teen girl who tries to convince everyone that she's tough and streetwise ("Blow a hole in them big enough, it slows them down pretty good"). Too bad Ms. Tough still has to be rescued by the giant male cop and male assassin, and her toughest actions involve staking vampires that are already unconscious. I can see why they're all so petrified of her.
And a few lines may inspire hysterical laughter, such as Anita greeting news of sexual solicitations with "oh ick!". Given the turn of Hamilton's series later on, it's a priceless moment.
The sole saving grace? That would be Edward, a guy who looks like your average guy -- laid-back, smiling, all-American, and totally deadly; his easygoing-killer attitude seems even more likable besides Anita's humorless tough-grrlness. He tends to get the best lines, not to mention the great scene where he toasts a house.
The second half of "First Death" is a marked improvement over its predecessor, but it still suffers from slow, rambling plotting and a rushed finale.
Rated by buyers 
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I am a many-yeared Anita Blake fan, but I really do enjoy her new comic series, as it puts very attractive faces on some of Anita's friends and foes, and I like that! Keep up the good work, Laurell and Jon!!!
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