Scholastic just offered fans a preview of the second graphic novel in their Animorphs series, complete with the iconic shape-shifting fans associate with the original books. This new graphic novel will be an adaptation of The Visitor - itself the second novel in the original series of books. Animorphs is a beloved science-fiction series of children's books about teenagers who acquire the power to turn into animals. Banding together as the Animorphs, they find themselves up against parasitic aliens called Yeerks who are invading the minds of humans. The novels are written through a first-person POV that swaps within the main group of six characters between each book. This particular full-color graphic novel adaptation focuses on Rachel.

The book series was originally written by the wife-and-husband team of Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant under the name K. A. Applegate, with ghost writers later contributing to the eventual 54 books in the series, which released from 1996 to 2001. Last year, Scholastic put out their first graphic novel of Animorphs, which adapted the first book, The Invasion. Artist Chris Grine worked on the first graphic novel, and he is also adapting The Visitor.

RELATED: Miles Morales Leads Marvel & Scholastic's Graphic Novels For Young Readers

Now, Den of Geek has shared an exclusive first look from Scholastic, including the cover and four pages from the graphic novel. According to the site, the preview pages encompass the end of chapter four and the beginning of chapter five from the original novel. It shows off Rachel's fearlessness and willingness to jump into action. This graphic novel may spark renewed interest in the franchise as it gears up for its first movie adaptation, and invite some heavy nostalgia for fans of the smash-hit books, as well as the television show and video games. Enjoy the preview pages and summary below:

Rachel is still reeling from the news that Earth is secretly under attack by parasitic aliens, the Yeerks. Now she and her friends are the planet’s only defense — five kids who, purely by chance, stumbled onto a downed spacecraft and were given the power to morph into any animals they touch. The team’s best lead is their assistant principal, Mr. Chapman, who is the human host to a high-ranking Yeerk official. It’s not much, but Rachel’s always been a daredevil, and she volunteers to infiltrate Chapman’s home. Rachel is tough. She’s fearless. But what she finds inside may be more than even she can handle.

Animorphs Graphic Novel 2 The Visitor Cover 1
Animorphs Graphic Novel 2 The Visitor Preview Page 1
Animorphs Graphic Novel 2 The Visitor Preview Page 2

While it may not be getting a video game anytime soon, it's great to see Animorphs adapted in this new form. The YA series is a cult darling, but missed out on the big-screen adaptations that have given some of its contemporaries far more lasting cultural influence. Dark, often claustrophobic, and famous for its uncompromising stance on the horrors of war, Scholastic's adaptation has the opportunity to get a new generation of readers invested in the battle against the Yeerks. The graphic novel even replicates the transformations from the original Animorphs book covers, showing its characters at several stages as they shape-shift from human to animal.

Animorphs Graphic Novel 2 The Visitor Preview Page 3
Animorphs Graphic Novel 2 The Visitor Preview Page 4

Hopefully, this graphic novel adaptation can be a bright spot for the future of Animorphs. Fans were recently disappointed after news came out that the original writers of the series would be stepping down from the upcoming film due to creative differences. Despite this, Chris Grine's adaptation seems to be staying incredibly faithful to the source material. Releasing October 5 - perhaps to serve as perfect Halloween reading - The Visitor will be available in paperback and hardcover from Scholastic.

MORE: DC's Most Tragic Romance Is Getting Reimagined as YA

Source: Den of Geek