▁released ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reaction ▁from ▁both ▁the ▁g aming ▁community ▁and ▁the ▁com ic ▁book ▁community ▁was ▁positive . ▁U GO ▁Network s ▁pra ised ▁the ▁novel , ▁cit ing ▁the ▁wealth ▁of ▁contributions ▁from ▁recognized ▁artists ▁and ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁in ▁f les hing ▁out ▁the ▁H alo ▁universe ▁as ▁the ▁work ' s ▁greatest ▁strength . ▁They ▁gave ▁it ▁an ▁overall ▁grade ▁of ▁B + . ▁Mike ▁De e ley ▁of ▁Comics ▁Bul letin ▁la ud ed ▁the ▁book ▁for ▁the ▁diverse ▁range ▁of ▁story t elling ▁and ▁art ▁styles ▁that ▁l ent ▁the ▁H alo ▁Graph ic ▁Nov el ▁the ▁feel ▁of ▁an ▁anth ology ▁yet ▁still ▁retained ▁a ▁coh es ive ▁whole . ▁Other ▁areas ▁that ▁received ▁particular ▁attention ▁included ▁Ts ut om u ▁Ni he i ' s ▁work ▁on ▁Bre aking ▁Qu ar antine ▁for ▁its ▁v ivid ▁imag ery ▁and ▁its ▁focus ▁on ▁visual ▁story t elling ▁in ▁lieu ▁of ▁any ▁dialog ue . ▁ ▁Some ▁review ers ▁expressed ▁their ▁disappoint ment ▁at ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁focus ▁on ▁minor ▁characters ▁and ▁events , ▁with ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁Master ▁Chief — the ▁central ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁H alo ▁series ▁and ▁its ▁most ▁icon ic ▁figure — limited ▁to ▁featuring ▁in ▁art work ▁and ▁a ▁brief ▁appearance ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁story . ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁Game Tra ilers ▁pra ised ▁B ung ie ▁for ▁having ▁the