The latest game in the Dead Space series has just been released, Dead Space 3, and it's on my list of games to play this year. Although it's been a while since I've played Dead Space (1), I can still recall numerous instances where I literally jumped in my chair. I played it mostly at night, lights off, headphoness on... and the Creep Factor was always high. As good as any quality horror flick, the sound, lighting, and pacing of this game got my heart racing.

And what a story! Set on the USG Ishimura, you take the role of Isaac Clarke (a nice nod from the game devs to Issac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke) as he explores the derelict ship looking for information, survivors, spare parts, and his girlfriend, a doctor stationed on the Ishimura. I'm going to avoid spoilers (even though the game has been out for five years), but if you like science fiction and horror games, this is one you'll want to hunt down. You can often find it on sale for around $10 on Steam, so keep your eyes open.

Dead Space 2 arrived, and three years later I got another dose of goosebumps as I once again faced off against the Necromorphs, this time on Saturn's moon, Titan. All the creepiness was repeated, but this time the story was pushed forward with more information on the Markers and the Unitologists. Answers to questions raised in the first game were provided, and new questions were raised that I'm hoping find some answers in Dead Space 3.

The games' developers have created a unique world with some great technologies (the "planet cracking" ships are a great idea), shadowy groups, and a conspiracy that offers up a lot of room to roam. And that's exactly what I've found in a number of new graphic novels set in the Dead Space universe.

First up is the six-part comic book just released as a single collection. Dead Space is written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Ben Templesmith. It's a prequel to the first game, offering up details on what happened at the mining colony prior to the arrival of the Ishimura. If you've played the first game through to the end, you know about the origin of the Marker, but that won't stop you from enjoying this story. But if you haven't played the first game, this is a perfect introduction to the game universe and the horrors that await you in the game. It shouldn't really ruin any of the game's surprises (as far as I can remember), and I think it's a perfect companion to the first game, providing a parallel story to the bits and pieces of ship log information you'll gather as you play the first game.

This graphic novel also provides one extra tale, Dead Space: Extraction. This stand-alone comic book concludes this first book and is the story of Isaac's girlfriend, Dr. Nicole Brennan. Here, the reader gets her point-of-view as a member of the medical staff on the Ishimura as things... fall apart. Quickly.

An animated movie was released titled Dead Space: Aftermath that provided additional details on what happens between Dead Space and Dead Space 2. I must admit it didn't hold my attention as much as the games, but it did provide a suitable explanation for the opening of the second game and Isaac's predicament. But squeezed (retrofitted?) into the space between Dead Space (1) and Aftermath is an original graphic novel: Dead Space: Salvage, written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Christopher Shy.

Salvage follows a group of illegal salvagers (called Magpies) who are using a technology called a shockring to collect valuable elements and ores as they hide in an asteroid belt. When the shockring locks on to the Ishimura and transports it to the miners' locations, they think they've made the find of their lives.

As the government and religious organizations try to locate the ship that's disappeared from a quarantined area of space, the miners begin their investigations of the planet cracker. Of course, they immediately discover that's something has gone wrong on the ghost ship... in addition to locating fragments of a Marker. Other forces manage to identify the locations of the missing ship and rush to meet them and protect a big secret.

And now comes Dead Space 3. As a prequel to the events of the latest game, the newest graphic novel has just been released, Dead Space: Liberation written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Christopher Shy.

Liberation is set just before the events of the third game, and follows Earthgov Sergeant John Carver as he tries to locate his wife after a surprise attack on a Marker site where she was working. I enjoyed the story, and I'm hesitant to mention too many details being so close to the release date of Dead Space 3. With DS3, you can play either original hero Issac Clarke or new(er) hero, John Carver. Apparently the game provides different story elements depending on which character you play – this sounds interesting to me as I like John Carver's character in the graphic novel and I'm curious about how the game brings these two together.

With just these three collections, Titan Books has done enough for this Dead Space fan, but nope... they've got one more gift for fans, the newly released The Art of Dead Space. Hardbound, oversized, and in full color, it provides sketches, paintings, concept drawings, maps, detail work (such as patches, logos, etc.), closeups of weaponry and rooms, and, of course, detailed closeups of all the squirmy Necromorphs (some seen in the game... others not so much).

Covering all three games and the previously mentioned graphic novels, it's the ultimate Dead Space resource. If you're a cosplayer, the level of detail provided here for weapons, uniforms, vehicles, and helmets is astounding – I can almost predict someone out there building a computer desk that matches The Bench, Isaac's favorite workbench – Page 41. For me, it's the Power Tools (pages 42-48) that are screaming to be made into real props, but the level of detail visible in the weapons (page 50-51) is going to make some modders squeal with delight.

Often you're running through the games (for your life!) and there's just not much time to stop and look around at the great scenery. Well, now you can. There's dozens and dozens of full page paintings and sketches that provide the nitty-gritty detail that give the games that realistic quality and make you feel like it's a future that could really exist. Whether you side with Earthgov, the Unitology movement, or the Necromorphs, they're all covered in detail (grisly, in many instances). It's a 190-page book that fans will want to go over, image by image, to see if there's anything they missed. (Fast answer – yes, you definitely missed some things.)

All said, these are all great books for the Dead Space fan. The graphic novels are just that – graphic. These are not kid-friendly books – language, gore, violence... it's all there. But these games weren't created for the kiddies, so consider that a geek dad warning label. (There is absolutely no doubt that these games would have given me nightmares at a young age.)

And now that I've finished reading the graphic novels and examining the artwork? Time to start prepping for Dead Space 3. Bring it on.

Note: I'd like to thank Tom at Titan Books for providing review copies.