▁powerful ▁collect ive ▁of ▁races ▁called ▁the ▁C oven ant . ▁The ▁H alo ▁Graph ic ▁Nov el ▁is ▁the ▁series ' ▁first ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁sequ ential ▁art ▁medium , ▁and ▁features ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁H alo ▁universe ▁which ▁until ▁then ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁discussed ▁or ▁seen ▁in ▁any ▁medium . ▁ ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁short ▁stories ▁by ▁different ▁writers ▁and ▁artists ▁from ▁the ▁computer ▁game ▁and ▁com ic ▁indust ries . ▁Each ▁story ▁focus es ▁on ▁different ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁H alo ▁universe , ▁reve aling ▁stories ▁that ▁are ▁tang ential ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁plot ▁of ▁the ▁game . ▁A part ▁from ▁the ▁stories , ▁the ▁book ▁also ▁contains ▁an ▁extensive ▁art ▁gallery ▁compiled ▁of ▁contributions ▁from ▁B ung ie , ▁Marvel ▁and ▁independent ▁sources . ▁ ▁Re leased ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁The ▁H alo ▁Graph ic ▁Nov el ▁was ▁well - rece ived , ▁with ▁review ers ▁not ing ▁the ▁coh es iveness ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁whole , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁divers ity ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁material . ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁led ▁to ▁Marvel ▁announ cing ▁a ▁new ▁limited ▁com ic ▁series , ▁which ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁H alo : ▁U pr ising . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁publication ▁ ▁B ung ie ' s ▁and ▁Microsoft ' s ▁original ▁concept ▁of ▁the ▁graph ic ▁novel ▁was ▁to ▁bring ▁the ▁H alo ▁series ▁into ▁new ▁media ▁beyond ▁that ▁of ▁video ▁games