The Blade movie series run pretty much ran out of steam, but that doesn't mean the Spike TV version is without a story to tell. The new series premiered on Spike already and for franchise fans that missed the debut, there's a place to turn.

The series premier is available on iTunes until July 11 for free (iTMS link). Pretty neat way for Spike to rope fans of the title into the new series.

The show is based on the movie that's based on the Marvel Comics of the 1970s. In it, Blade, played by Wesley Snipes in the movies and Sticky Fingaz in the TV version, is a half-man, half-vampire on a hunt to wipe the vampire scourge from the face of the earth. Possessing some mad fighting skills, a small band of loyal friends, and superhuman powers, Blade's a man on a mission.

The movie series ran for a total of three titles, with the last leaving a lot of fans a little more than disappointed at what was called by many a very uninspired performance by Snipes. The storyline, however, is good enough that this title has caught my attention.

If the TV version follows tradition (minus Snipes' dropped ball in movie three), Blade's a one-man force to be reckoned with. I can't speak to the series as of yet, but you can bet I'm checking it out.

To learn more about the series, check out SpikeTV.com.